Restoration Starts on Fayetteville Market House, Traffic Impact Expected

Repairs began on April 21 at downtown Fayetteville's Historic Market House. Crews have already installed a waist-high water-wall barrier and will put up construction fencing soon.

The construction will block parts of Person, Hay, Green, and Gillespie Streets when scaffolding goes up on May 5. The streets are expected to remain closed for three days during construction. Similar road closures will come later when the columns and clock faces are taken down and reinstalled.

Crews from American Woodworkery will repair damaged wood, fix the clock tower's machinery, and replace its timing components. New louvers, windows, trim, and columns will upgrade the building, along with a fresh coat of paint. 

“It’s a necessary repair to address the bad wood, shore up the framing behind the clocks and give the building a fresh coat of paint,” said Fayetteville spokesman Loren Bymer in the release. “We want to ensure its safe for decades without changing its historic appearance.”   

These repairs kick off the first phase of a bigger renovation plan approved in February 2024. The updated site will include larger public spaces, and brick pavers will cover the existing Black Lives Do Matter mural. 

Built in 1832, this location was where state delegates voted to back the U.S. Constitution. Its designation as a National Historic Landmark makes it one of North Carolina's most significant places. Over the years, the building served as both city hall and marketplace. It has a troubled history, too, including the selling of slaves and a documented 1867 lynching. 

Bad weather could push the expected five-month schedule longer. By late summer 2025, ongoing traffic studies will help shape the final plans.