Remembering Tom Butchko, September 1, 1953- November 21, 2009

by Don Pendergraft, Director of Regional Museums

In the ten years since Tom’s passing, the museum has grown to fulfill the dreams and aspirations that he prophesized in his tenure as the museum’s curator. Tom was a native of Ohio and found his way south by way of the University of Georgia. He received a band scholarship to be part of the Marching Bulldogs. He spent Saturdays in the fall playing “between the hedges”, as UGA dominated football. I enjoyed discussing the rivalries in college football with him, especially when it involved the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Tom’s first love was historic architecture and his second was horticulture, his major at Georgia. After he graduated, he found work inventorying historic structures in North Carolina. Tom’s apprenticeship began in the Piedmont and would gradually bring him to the oldest region, of the state—the Albemarle. He regularly joked that he was like Brer Rabbit, thrown into the briar patch. He had a dry wit and ironic sense of humor and entertained the staff during meetings.

Tom was instrumental in locating, researching and preserving the 1750s Jackson House, on display in Our Story , the chronological story of the Albemarle Region. He worked to ensure accuracy was in-place throughout the gallery and was fact checking and rewriting labels, until the exhibit was installed.

TOM AND OTHER EXPERTS PUTTING TOGETHER THE 1755 JACKSON HOUSE

Countless visitors since have walked into this experience, which Tom enjoyed, so passionately.

His greatest gift to the region was recording the history, of the people and historic structures. He laid the ground work for nomination for the National Register of Historic Places. He worked in Perquimans, Pasquotank, Gates, Chowan and Martin Counties. He was the foremost scholar of northeastern North Carolina’s architectural history. We recently dedicated the Thomas R. Butchko; Collections Staging room , on the second floor of the museum, in honor of his life and work. He was a great friend to the many people he encountered in his quest to save the historic fiber of the region.

Tom Butchko. September 1, 1953- November 21, 2009

The museum established the Thomas R. Butchko Memorial Fund to help preserve artifacts in our collection in care of the Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle.

In the meantime, if you’d like to contribute to the fund in his memory the museum has many artifacts, especially in our textiles collection, which would benefit from your contributions.

The Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle are also discussing a new release of On the Shores of the Pasquotank , published in 1989. The format will be as a digital eBook to help people better understand the historic homes in Elizabeth City and Pasquotank County.

We are planning a formal dedication of the room this summer to honor him and his legacy. We will provide more details, as we determine a date with his family.