The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum opened Literary Fayetteville: Pages of Our Past, a new exhibit that showcases books from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century.

These books tell the story of Fayetteville’s past through pamphlets, stories, diaries, familiy bibles and more.

“This exhibit has never been done before,” said Museum Director Bruce Daws. “We picked a timeline, and discussed what to showcase within that frame.”

The exhibit features over 50 books and pamphlets, each with a unique story and connection to Fayetteville.

Each book within the exhibit is numbered and there are binders provided that contain the information and background for each book displayed.

The exhibit also examines Fayetteville's authors, book dealers and libraries. It breaks down the importance of books and how they related to social life in the early 1900s.

Literary Fayetteville: Pages of Our Past is not just an interesting learning experience for the family, it also provides knowledge to both historians and book collectors. Book collectors can learn what makes a book valuable, and factors relating to the care and condition of a book. Historians can learn the backgrounds of previously unknown books.

This exhibit provides information that is not only interesting to Fayetteville locals but also fills in the gaps for history buffs.

One of the pieces that stand out is number 49, which is the diary of Elizabeth Poe as it was kept from 1903 to 1909. She was one of the last of the Poe’s to live in Fayetteville’s E. A. Poe House, now a museum on Arsenal Avenue. This diary allows viewers to step back in time and experience Fayetteville’s life and society through the words of a young woman living in that time.

The free exhibit was opened to the public on April 23. Depending on the popularity of the exhibit, the Museum will determine if it will remain open for six months or a year.

The exhibit is a family-friendly environment with something for all ages.

The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is located at 325 Franklin St. and offers tours of several different historical monuments, the museum and the museum’s annex. Museum hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about tours and schedules visit their website www.fcpr.us/facilities/museums/fayetteville-area-transportation-and-local-history-museum or call 910-433-1457.