FILED SENATE
Apr 1, 2021
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
S.B. 492
SESSION 2021 PRINCIPAL CLERK
S D
SENATE BILL DRS15217-LGa-84
Short Title: Establish NC Textile Museum. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Craven (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO CREATE THE NORTH CAROLINA TEXTILE MUSEUM AND TO
3 APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE SAME.
4 Whereas, the North Carolina Office of Archives and History was directed, pursuant
5 to S.L. 2019-118, to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a textile museum to preserve and
6 interpret the State's textile heritage and industrial history; and
7 Whereas, the feasibility study report was submitted to the North Carolina Historical
8 Commission on May 29, 2020, and approved unanimously at the Commission's meeting on
9 September 3, 2020; and
10 Whereas, the feasibility study report was submitted to the Joint Legislative Oversight
11 Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources on July 17, 2020; and
12 Whereas, the Randolph Heritage Conservancy, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, is the
13 owner of real property in Franklinville and Cedar Falls on the Deep River in Randolph County,
14 which includes two of the earliest cotton textile mills in the State; and
15 Whereas, Randolph Heritage Conservancy, Inc., is also the custodian of 25,000
16 square feet of textile history artifacts and machinery acquired from the former American Textile
17 History Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts, now warehoused in its properties; and
18 Whereas, the feasibility study committee evaluated the Randolph Heritage properties
19 and collections and found them to be "exceptional…unrivaled in its breadth and depth and
20 described by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as a national treasure"; and
21 Whereas, Randolph Heritage Conservancy, Inc., has spent more than $400,000 to
22 preserve and transport its collections to North Carolina and to purchase sufficient space to house
23 and interpret them to the public; and
24 Whereas, Randolph Heritage Conservancy, Inc.'s, properties are centrally located and
25 easily accessible to the public and provide a variety of synergetic marketing opportunities in
26 coordination with the nearby Deep River State Trail and North Carolina Zoological Park; and
27 Whereas, Randolph Heritage Conservancy, Inc., is willing to enter into a
28 memorandum of understanding with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources whereby
29 the property at Cedar Falls and the American Textile Technology collections can be transferred
30 to the State in phases, pursuant to the implementation of business development, staffing,
31 programming, and exhibit plans; and
32 Whereas, Randolph Heritage Conservancy, Inc., acting as the museum's nonprofit
33 support group, can coordinate administrative and operational functions, performing upgrades to
34 the building and properties required to accommodate the public, pursuant to grants provided by
35 the State; Now, therefore,
36 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
*DRS15217-LGa-84*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021
1 SECTION 1. There is established the North Carolina Textile Museum to preserve
2 the State's textile industrial heritage and mill village culture; to demonstrate the science,
3 engineering, and technology involved in that industry; and to present it to a wide public audience
4 in an interesting and entertaining way.
5 SECTION 2. The recommendations of the Textile Museum Feasibility Study
6 Committee are adopted, and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is directed to
7 work with Randolph Heritage Conservancy, Inc., to develop and implement a comprehensive
8 plan for a textile museum and to plan for the transfer of assets and responsibilities to the State in
9 an orderly fashion.
10 SECTION 3. There is appropriated from the General Fund to Randolph Heritage
11 Conservancy, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000)
12 in nonrecurring funds for each year of the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium to implement a
13 comprehensive plan for the North Carolina Textile Museum under the supervision of the
14 Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
15 SECTION 4. This act becomes effective July 1, 2021.
Page 2 DRS15217-LGa-84