Fayetteville Market House: History and Repurposing

The Market House in downtown Fayetteville is one of North Carolina’s most recognizable civic buildings and also one of its most complex. Rising above the traffic circle where Hay, Green, Person, and Gillespie streets meet, it anchors the skyline of the Cool Spring Downtown District while carrying layered stories of government, commerce, and enslavement.

This guide explains what the Market House is, why it matters, and how the city is repurposing it between 2024 and 2026.

Architecture and early history

• Built: Early 1830s, after the 1831 fire that destroyed the North Carolina State House on the same site
• Design: Two-story brick structure modeled on English town hall market buildings
  • Open ground-floor arcade used as a covered market
  • Enclosed second story used as town hall and meeting space
  • Central cupola and clock tower forming one of Fayetteville’s key silhouettes

The site is also tied to national history. The earlier State House on this ground was where North Carolina delegates ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1789, giving the location symbolic weight that predates the Market House itself.

A difficult legacy: commerce and slavery

The Market House’s story is not solely architectural. In the 19th century, the open market level hosted the sale of many goods, including, at times, enslaved people as part of estate settlements. While it was not a slave auction house in the way some port cities had, the fact that enslaved men, women, and children were bought and sold here makes the building inseparable from the history of slavery.

This dual identity—as both civic center and site of human trafficking—has made the Market House a focal point for conversations about race and memory in Fayetteville.

2020 protests and the call for change

During the nationwide protests after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the Market House became a gathering point for demonstrators. The building was briefly damaged by fire, and a large "Black Lives Do Matter" mural was painted on the surrounding pavement.

In response, the Fayetteville City Council directed staff to develop a plan to "repurpose" the Market House: not to erase it, but to intentionally reinterpret it in a way that acknowledges both its symbolic importance and its painful past.

The 2024–2026 repurposing project

Beginning in 2024 and intensifying through 2025, Fayetteville launched a multi-phase project to restore and reframe the Market House.

Phase 1: Structural restoration

A preservation contractor was engaged to stabilize and repair the aging structure. Work has included:

• Repair and replacement of deteriorated louvers, windows, and exterior trim
• Restoration of four major wooden support columns
• Overhaul of the clock tower mechanisms and clock faces

During this phase, visitors may see scaffolding or temporary barriers around parts of the building, but the traffic circle and surrounding sidewalks generally remain open.

Phase 2: Architectural lighting

New programmable LED lighting will highlight the Market House’s arches, cornices, and tower after dark. The city plans to use color schemes to mark holidays, community observances, and awareness campaigns, making the building a dynamic nighttime landmark rather than a dark silhouette.

Phase 3: Pedestrian access and safety

The traffic pattern around the Market House is being re-marked to improve:

• Crosswalk visibility and placement
• Signage for drivers
• The safety of visitors who want to approach the building on foot

These changes are intended to make it easier for people to experience the Market House as a public place instead of just a structure in the middle of a busy roundabout.

Phase 4: Educational interpretation

The final phase, expected to be completed in 2026, focuses on content rather than bricks:

• Interactive kiosks and panels will present the full history of the site, including its role in the sale of enslaved people.
• Exhibits will connect the Market House to broader African American history in Fayetteville, including the African American Heritage Trail.
• The goal is to turn the building into a small interpretive center and a starting point for self-guided walking tours.

The mural debate

As part of the streetscape upgrades, the city plans to replace some asphalt around the Market House with brick pavers. This will cover the 2020 "Black Lives Do Matter" street mural, prompting debate about how to balance long-term infrastructure improvements with preserving visible markers of recent civil rights history.

City leadership has indicated that future interpretive materials will address both the 19th-century history of slavery and the 21st-century protests around the site so that the story of the Market House continues into the present day.

How to visit the Market House now

As of late 2025:

• The exterior is visible from all sides of the traffic circle and nearby sidewalks.
• Construction and restoration work may temporarily limit close access; obey posted signs and barriers.
• The best vantage points for photos are along Hay Street and Green Street looking toward the arches and tower.

Pair a visit to the Market House with:

• A walk through the Cool Spring Downtown District for restaurants and shops
• Stops along the Historical Sites or African American Heritage trails
• Time at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum and North Carolina Veterans Park, a short walk away

Why the Market House matters

For visitors and residents alike, the Market House now represents more than a picturesque building. It is:

• A link between Fayetteville’s Revolutionary-era political importance and its present
• A reminder of the city’s participation in slavery and the ongoing work of reconciliation
• A test case for how Southern cities can reuse difficult landmarks rather than ignoring or demolishing them

As restoration and interpretation work continues, the Market House is being repositioned as a place to learn and reflect—one that acknowledges past harms while remaining a vital part of downtown’s identity.

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Last updated: 2025-11-22