Leicester History Project

The Leicester History Project is a partnership between the Leicester Branch Library, Buncombe County Special Collections, and community members to collect, preserve, and share the history of Leicester, Sandy Mush, and French Broad Townships. 

leicesternc.omeka.net
A woman stands beside a spinning wheel outdoors, holding fiber, with a rustic wooden shed in the background.
A woman sitting outdoors on the grass, holding a book and smiling, with plants and trees in the background.
A black and white photograph of an older man and woman working with tobacco leaves in a rustic setting, accompanied by a young boy observing them. The man sits on a chair, manipulating the tobacco, while the woman stands and handles the leaves. In the background, there are more tobacco leaves hanging.

Building a community archive of Leicester memories

  • Participants are invited to contribute historical documents, images, writing, and more to the library for preservation and public access, in either physical or digital formats.
  • Visit leicesternc.omeka.net/contribution to share a written memory, photo, video, or audio recording.
  • Physical donations will be stored in the library’s secure, climate-controlled archives, where they will be available to the public by request for generations for come.

Collecting the voices and stories of the area through oral history interviews

  • Oral history brings a personal touch to the past. Staff and volunteers will record, transcribe, and share stories of Leicester told in the voices of those who lived them.
  • Interested in volunteering as a narrator or interviewer? Let us know!

Digitizing and preserving historical documents, photos, and more

  • Incredible details and community stories are hiding in attics and basements, in family photos, letters, scrapbooks, diaries, and business records! Learn from library staff how to protect your historical treasures, and let us help scan digital copies so that they can be shared with family, neighbors, and researchers.

Find an upcoming Leicester History Project event

The most important part of this project is community participation! 

Community volunteers are needed to collect and share oral histories, digitize historical images, and offer items of your own to the collection through our contribution portal. 

If you’d like to volunteer or have questions about how to contribute, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 828-250-4740.