HISTORIC ROSEDALE FOUNDATION

What HISTORIC ROSEDALE FOUNDATION does

Historic Rosedale Foundation is a private nonprofit historic house museum located at 3427 N. Tryon Street in Charlotte, North Carolina, operating Charlotte's oldest Federal frame home (completed in 1815 by Archibald Frew) on approximately 9 acres of urban green space. The site, opened to the public in 1993 after purchase by the Mecklenburg Committee of the Colonial Dames of America, includes a recreated blacksmith shop, formal gardens, an accredited Tier 2 arboretum with five designated Mecklenburg County Treasure Trees, and exhibits interpreting five generations of the Frew, Caldwell, and Davidson families alongside the enslaved and freed African Americans who lived and worked on the property. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors (14 members plus 4 officers) and employs 13 staff including an Executive Director, interpreters, visitor services, a gardener, a groundskeeper, blacksmiths, and a bookkeeper; Deanna Witte-Walker was appointed Executive Director in May 2025.

The organization monetizes the site through five primary revenue streams: admissions and guided tour fees ($13–$15 per person for house tours, $5 grounds, $13 school field trips, $20 group tours, plus a $100 blacksmith demonstration add-on); tiered annual memberships ranging from $30 (Student) to $1,000 (1815 Society); event rentals for weddings, corporate functions, and private gatherings for up to 150 guests; photography sessions at $100–$130 per hour; and donations, planned gifts, and grants (including Arts & Science Council funding). The African American Legacy Project, formalized through an African American Legacy Committee in April 2021, has documented the names of more than 40 enslaved individuals and produced genealogical charts for 12, anchoring a programming track that includes Juneteenth and Black History Month events in partnership with Moving Spirits Dance Company, Queen City Sr. Drummers, and other cultural organizations.

Distribution and go-to-market are mixed: walk-in and online ticketing through Simpletix for visitors, direct phone/email outreach for school and group tours, contact-driven event rental bookings, and a self-serve membership portal via DonorPerfect. Marketing is concentrated on the historicrosedale.org website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, email newsletters, press releases (WBTV, Charlotte Post, Charlotte Weekly), and community partnerships. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed; operations rely on private donations and earned income rather than government funding, and the site is currently open Wednesday through Saturday with two guided tour slots per day.

Name

HISTORIC ROSEDALE FOUNDATION

Legal name

Historic Rosedale Foundation

Website

https://historicrosedale.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Historic Rosedale Foundation operates Charlotte's oldest Federal-style home (built 1815) as a living museum on 9 acres. The nonprofit serves visitors, K-12 schools, event clients, photographers, and members through guided tours, educational programming, the African American Legacy Project, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic House Museum and Heritage Tourism

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Historic house museum
• Heritage tourism
• African American history
• Educational field trips
• Historic event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission and Tour Fees: Revenue from guided house tours ($13-$15 per person), grounds admission ($5), school field trips ($13 per person), and group tours ($20 per person). Additional fees for live blacksmith demonstrations ($100).
2. Membership Program: Annual membership fees ranging from $30 (Student) to $1,000 (1815 Society), with tiered benefits including free admission, guest passes, discounts, and exclusive event access. Also includes NoDa ($30) and Business ($250) membership options.
3. Event Rentals: Rental revenue from weddings, corporate events, photography sessions, and private gatherings. Pricing varies by package with rental brochure available for download. Members receive discounts on site rental.
4. Donations and Grants: Donations, one-time and recurring gifts, estate giving, planned gifts, and grant funding (e.g., Arts & Science Council grant). The Foundation does not receive direct government funding and relies on private support.
5. Photography Sessions: $100/hour during regular business hours, $130/hour for after-hours. Minimum one-hour booking with half-hour increments. Members receive 15% discount. Sessions limited to one photographer and four individuals or one family.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Historic Rosedale Foundation operates Charlotte's oldest Federal-style frame home (built 1815) as a living museum on approximately 9 acres. Its core offerings include guided house tours (Wednesday–Saturday), grounds and gardens access, school and group field trips, event rentals for weddings and corporate gatherings, photography sessions, blacksmith demonstrations, and the African American Legacy Project, supported by an annual tiered membership program and private donations.

Product overview

Historic Rosedale Foundation operates Charlotte's oldest Federal-style frame home (built 1815) as a living museum offering guided house tours, grounds and garden access, and educational programming. The core experience centers on the 15-room historic house and 9-acre urban greenspace, supplemented by school field trips, group tours, and event rentals. The African American Legacy Project is a significant initiative focusing on research, exhibits, and programming related to enslaved and freed African Americans at the site. Additional offerings include blacksmith demonstrations, rotating exhibits, membership programs, and annual celebrations for Juneteenth and Black History Month.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided House Tours Guided 1-hour tours of the 1815 Federal-style historic home ($13 seniors/students/military, $15 regular, under 5 free), offered Wednesday–Saturday at 11:30am and 1:30pm, including grounds admission, for visitors interested in 19th-century life and the families and enslaved African Americans who lived and worked at the site.
• Grounds and Gardens Admission Day access to approximately 9 acres of urban green space including formal gardens, wooded areas, the accredited Tier 2 arboretum, and Treasure Trees ($5 per person, Wednesday–Saturday 10am–3pm), for general visitors seeking a historic greenspace experience.
• School Field Trips Curated K-12 educational field trips covering Blacksmith Shop demonstrations, house and kitchen tours, gardens and grounds interpretation, and pavilion lunch ($13 per student/adult, teachers free, optional $100 live blacksmith demo), accommodating groups up to 90 students in sub-groups of 12–15.
• Group Tours Private guided group tours through the four stories of the 1815 Federal home ($20 per person, optional $100 live blacksmith demonstration, max 100 people in groups of 20–25, 7.25% sales tax, 10% deposit one month prior), for clubs, reunions, civic groups, and other private gatherings.
• Event Rentals Venue rentals for weddings, celebrations, corporate events, and photography sessions, featuring the Griggs Pavilion, expansive lawns, and historic 9-acre grounds (accommodates up to 150 guests), with package pricing published in a downloadable brochure and member rental discounts for engaged couples, corporate planners, and private event hosts.
• Photography Sessions Hourly on-site photography sessions at $100/hour during regular business hours and $130/hour after-hours, with a 15% member discount, minimum 1-hour booking, advance scheduling, and license/insurance or liability waiver required, for licensed photographers and film crews.
• Friends of Historic Rosedale Membership Annual tiered membership program (Student $30, Colonial $50, Federal Family $100, Reconstruction $250, Millennium $500, 1815 Society $1,000, plus NoDa $30 and Business $250) providing free grounds admission, unlimited house tours, guest passes, advance event notices, event discounts, and invitation to exclusive events for community supporters of historic preservation.
• Blacksmith Demonstrations Live blacksmithing demonstrations at the recreated smithy showcasing the skills of enslaved and freed African American blacksmiths at the site, available as an add-on for school field trips and group tours for an additional $100 fee.
• African American Legacy Project Initiative launched in April 2021 to expand truthful, equitable presentation of African Americans — enslaved and free — who lived and worked at Historic Rosedale, including exhibits, programming, descendant research, and memorial garden development for community members and visitors.
• Love of Liberty: The Revolutionary Spirit of Rosedale Exhibit New themed exhibit running July 4 – November 14, 2026 — included with regular guided house tours — celebrating the Revolutionary-era context of the Rosedale site as part of America's 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial) for museum visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2024, Historic Rosedale was accredited as a Tier 2 arboretum by Arbnet, an international community of tree professionals.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Moving Spirits Dance CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Ongoing collaboration for African American Legacy programming. The dance company has performed at multiple events including 'The Revival,' 'Capoeira,' and 'Ring Shout' performances at Historic Rosedale, bringing dance and movement to programming about Black history and resistance.
• Queen City Sr. Drummers & Praise DancerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity performance group that has performed at African American Legacy events including Juneteenth celebrations, providing traditional drumming and dance performances.
• Drums 4 Life Drum CircleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity drumming group that participates in African American Legacy programming and events at Historic Rosedale.
• Colonial Dames of America (Mecklenburg Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 1986, the Mecklenburg Committee of the Colonial Dames of America purchased Historic Rosedale from the Davidson sisters. Restoration began that same year, supported by the Colonial Dames, the Preservation Foundation of North Carolina, and other donors. The Colonial Dames continue to support the site.
• Preservation Foundation of North CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization that supported the restoration of Historic Rosedale beginning in 1986, alongside the Colonial Dames of America. Provides preservation expertise and resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Old Salem Museums & Gardens: Larger living-history museum complex in Winston-Salem, NC featuring restored historic buildings, gardens, craftspeople (including blacksmiths), and seasonal programming. Comparable in living-museum format, artisan demonstrations, and event programming, though broader in scale and footprint.
• Historic Deerfield: Preserved early-American village in Deerfield, MA offering guided house tours, gardens, educational programs, and craft demonstrations (including a working blacksmith). Comparable as a heritage house museum with interpretive gardens, artisan demos, and school programs, though at larger scale.
• Historic Charleston Foundation: Preservation nonprofit operating historic house museums and walking tours in Charleston, SC with membership, donation, and education revenue. Comparable as a heritage preservation foundation with house-museum admissions, memberships, and African American history programming.
• Reynolda House Museum of American Art: Historic estate museum in Winston-Salem, NC offering house tours, rotating exhibits, gardens, and event rentals on a preserved historic property. Comparable in Federal/period house tour format, event venue model, and membership/donation revenue mix.

Direct peers

• Charlotte Museum of History: Operates historic Hezekiah Alexander House (1774) on a sizable urban Charlotte site with exhibits and school programming. Closest direct peer given shared Charlotte location, historic house museum format, K-12 field trip focus, and event rental model.
• Latimer House Museum and Gardens: (See Historic Latimer Plantation above — listed as an alias-free direct peer given near-identical offerings of historic house tours, gardens, school programs, and event rentals in the Charlotte region.)
• Levine Museum of the New South: Charlotte-based history museum focused on the post-Civil War South, offering exhibits, educational programming, and community events. Highly comparable as a Charlotte history/heritage institution competing for the same school field trip, member, and donor base.
• Historic Latimer Plantation: Historic house museum in Belmont, NC (greater Charlotte region) offering tours, school programs, and event rentals on preserved grounds. Comparable as a regional Federal-era historic house with similar pricing, education, and rental revenue streams.
• Historic Bethabara: Preserved 18th-century Moravian settlement site in Winston-Salem, NC offering guided tours, gardens, school programming, and event rentals. Comparable as a small historic site with garden/arboretum components, K-12 education, and venue rental revenue.

Regional players

• President James K. Polk State Historic Site: NC state-operated historic site in Pineville (greater Charlotte region) preserving a Federal-era house with guided tours and school programming. Comparable as a regional Federal-era historic house museum serving the same Charlotte visitor market with similar K-12 offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/xJAniJmKTe8
• Facebookfacebook.com/HistoricRosedaleCLT
• Instagraminstagram.com/historicrosedalefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/historic-rosedale-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HISTORIC ROSEDALE FOUNDATION