Thomas Day House Open to All
One of the area’s finest attractions is finally open for visitors five days a week. What? Did a new Disney park open up here? Six Flags, maybe?
No, I am talking about the Thomas Day House, the restored home and workshop an African-American man who was North Carolina’s largest furniture manufacturer before the Civil War.
Southside Virginia is filled with his works, including some at my house in Cluster Springs. He made tables, cradles, coffins, mantel pieces, stair brackets, newel posts and door frames using curves around elongated scroll shapes.
Just across the border in Milton, N.C., the museum used to be open only by appointment. Since mid-May, there has been a staff of five to maintain the house and show people around from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Tours are held at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. $2 for adults, $1 for children, seniors, and military, no reservation required.
So you can just walk in now and look at Day’s work in the middle of town. The site is already receiving lots of visitors, including seniors’ groups on buses and many from Virginia International Raceway, less than 2 miles away. The town is 28 miles southwest of South Boston and 12 miles southeast of Danville.
But you should visit the museum now, because the place will be closed for most of 2026 for renovations. They will include a parking lot, elevators and converting the old bank across the street into a visitors’ center.
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For details, see: https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/thomas-day-state-historic-site