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The historic L. P. Best House serves as the location for the Duplin County Veterans Memorial Museum and is located at 119 East Hill St. in Warsaw. The house was built in 1894 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Best House not only displays artifacts of Duplin County veterans it also includes furnishing original to the house and the lives the Best’s lived in by gone years.
Albertson said, “Duplin County has a lot to offer its residents and anyone else who may visit the area and the Duplin County Veterans Memorial Museum is one of those places. We need to promote all our resources to make people aware of what is available here.”
The Veteran Museum is located at 119 East Hill St. in Warsaw and is open to the public, free of charge, Thursdays and Fridays from 1 until 4 p.m. and on Saturdays by appointment.
The curator shared a slide presentation of the many artifacts and collections that are available for viewing in the museum. As Albertson explained, the L. P. Best House, which houses the museum, is a museum in its own rite. The Best House is an example of Queen Anne/Neo-Classic style architecture popular around the turn of the century. It was built by L. P. Best Sr. in 1894 and is a part of Warsaw’s National Register Historic District. L. P. Best, Jr. was the major contributor in restoring and preservation of his homeplace through his financial support and insight into the history of the house. Preservation North Carolina along with Best and others made the museum a reality. Preservation N.C. provides operational funding currently as the museum has never had to ask the commissioners for assistance according to Albertson.
The home/museum attempts to maintain as much of the original style as possible. The first floor is dedicated to presenting a brief glimpse into the life of the Best family home. This floor is also used for receptions, community events and other functions shared Albertson. Original furnishings help to present the historical significance of the house and give authenticity to the museum. Future plans for the library call for the room to house artifacts and memorabilia highlighting Warsaw’s Historic Veterans Day Celebration which is the oldest continuous Veterans Day celebration in the nation. As the museum is also a memorial, a Roll of Honor has been established and is housed in the museum that recognizes all Duplin County veterans and is updated as new names are discovered that have not been included in the roll.
The second floor houses the actual artifacts from the Revolutionary War through today. The curator shared that during renovations a single person elevator had been installed to provide access to everyone wanting to tour the museum would have the chance to do so. Each room of the second level contains a collection of military memorabilia and artifacts in a chronological order with information provided to identify the piece and which war/conflict and from which era it comes. Also included on the second floor is a POW/MIA Exhibit to give honor to those who have served but whereabouts are unknown.
For more information or to set up a visit to the museum call or write the Duplin County Veterans Memorial Museum at P. O. Box 137, Warsaw, N.C. 28398 or 910-293-2190.
Following Albertson’s presentation, the commissioners expressed their gratitude to the curator for his many years of service to the museum and for taking time to share the information about one of Duplin County’s attractions.
To contact Billy Todd, call 910-592-8137 ext. 117 or e-mail sigeneral@myclintonnc.com.
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