Gov. Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site

Charles B. Aycock was born into a rural home in Wayne County in 1859. Interested in politics from his youth, Aycock began to practice law and move up in the Democratic Party after graduating from the University of North Carolina. In 1900 he was elected governor; he dedicated himself to improving public education in North Carolina and became known as the "education governor." By the time he left office four years later, one school had been built for each day the governor was in office. Today a typical schoolhouse of the period stands on this state historic site, managed by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.