Draw the square: 1886 and today
Look at the 1886 photo of the crowd at the old courthouse, then sit on the lawn and draw today's courthouse. What changed?
- Who
- Families, Kids
- Ages
- 5+
- Time
- About an hour
- Cost
- Free
- When
- Any time of year
- Show up
- On the courthouse lawn.
How to do it
- Look at the 1886 photo on our walking tour (Stop 1): a crowd at the earlier courthouse awaits a governor's race debate.
- Our tour says today's courthouse is the county's fourth, a Colonial Revival building from 1970 that replaced an 1874 Italianate one.
- Bring paper and sit on the lawn. One person draws the old courthouse from the photo; another draws the one in front of you.
- Compare: roofline, windows, the cupola, what people are wearing and how they got there.
What you’ll need
- Paper, pencils, something firm to draw on
Grown-ups’ part
Come along, keep it short and fun, and let the kids lead the looking and asking. You handle anything that involves calling, sending or sharing.
Think about it
What do you think the square will look like 100 years from now? Draw that too.
Safety and respect
A grown-up comes along. The square is ringed by U.S. 64 (College St.) and U.S. 431 (Main Ave.): use crosswalks and watch for traffic.
Why it matters
Historical contextExploration & critical thinkingMake history fun for families & kidsPreserve history
Related
- Our walking tour (each stop lists its own sources)
- Our Fayetteville history page
- Find the date on three markers
- Ask a grandparent: what was on the square?
- Get a library card together
- All 150 things to do together
Sources
Know better? If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us.
Did it? Send us your photo or story. We print kids’ first names, faces or photos only with a parent’s OK.