Governor Josh Stein and members of the North Carolina Council of State this morning helped cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Historic Halifax Visitor Center as the site gears up for this weekend’s Resolves Day commemorations.

Michelle Lanier, director of North Carolina Historic Sites with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, gave the opening remarks.

As a descendant of a Revolutionary War soldier who mustered in Halifax, she said, “Historic Halifax is part of that constellation of sites and memory. We get to be the stewards of the stories that are sacred to this place called North Carolina. So significant is this place that it is indeed our state’s first property listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”

Lanier said it is “virtually undeniable that there are few forces more powerful than the concept of freedom.”

In paying tribute to the members of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe in attendance, Lanier said, “One of the most extraordinary metaphors for freedom is the force of water. A millennium ago, when the first people of this land made it their home, they declared the waters of Magazine Springs sacred.”

They used the Roanoke River as a freedom river on the Maritime Underground Railroad and as an artery for sustenance, community, connection, and survival, Lanier said. “We honor these original people, particularly the ancestors of the Haliwa-Saponi who are here in force today. We are here to acknowledge not just the spirit of freedom of this place, but also the profound sacrifices which made that freedom possible.”

In calling for a moment of silence to honor veterans of all wars, Lanier said, “We must acknowledge the pain and suffering that was also endured to attain freedom. We all know today, certainly perhaps now more than ever, it is important for us to recognize that some of those who this land witnessed in the Revolutionary War era, and even up until this very moment, gave the ultimate sacrifice of life.”

Stein told the audience, “We are all excited that this year marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. America 250 is about honoring our past and looking ahead to our future that we are building together.”

The governor said North Carolina is all in on the celebration. “It’s fitting to be gathered here this week because this is where we earned our slogan, ‘The First in Freedom State.’”

Stein told the story of the delegates to the Fourth Provincial Congress who met in Halifax and unanimously passed a series of resolves. “The Halifax Resolves were the first official call for independence by any American colony. It was an unprecedented action — not only here, but anywhere in the world in history. It set the stage for the signing of the Declaration of Independence just fewer than three months later.”

Stein, who said he will be celebrating again in Halifax on Sunday, said he would save some of his words of excitement for then. “We can all take pride that North Carolina truly is the First in Freedom state, and today’s ribbon cutting helps us to celebrate the state’s heritage and preserve our history.”

The governor said the completely renovated visitor center will promote education and tourism while allowing the state to share its history in a new and interactive way. “It’s fitting that with the support of so many here today, including our General Assembly members, we are unveiling this updated facility 50 years later on the 250th anniversary.”

And, said Stein, “I’m excited for the first time since it left this state in 1776, in this building is the original edition of the Halifax Resolves.”

He said he believes having the document on display will attract more visitors to the region and boost revenues. “When it counted, North Carolinians came together to dream of a completely new future for this nation, a new vision and dream that did not exist in the world.”

That dream, he said, was one “that people together could govern themselves and they didn’t need to have a king to dictate how their government was formed. Let us continue to draw inspiration from their patriotic spirit to bridge across our differences so we can chart a better course for this state.”

DNCR Secretary Pam Cashwell said, “We are so honored to have all of you with us today to open this new visitor center and kick off what is going to be a monumental week here in Historic Halifax.”

She also thanked the Friends of Historic Halifax, the Historic Halifax Restoration Association, and members of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe. “The community here in Halifax is always so supportive of the events here.”

Carl Burke, manager of the site, said, “This has been an incredibly large project and there are a lot of people who had their hands involved in it. We are so thankful for a team that worked well together from conception to reality.”