Greene County Museum

The Greene County Museum in Paragould (Greene County) opened in 2008. The museum consists of fourteen themed rooms that are filled with artifacts from the county’s past, including items relating to school history, military, sports, Native Americans, and railroads. One of the rooms is dedicated to Governor Junius Marion Futrell, in whose former home the museum is based. In May 2023, the museum began displaying the Paragould Meteorite. The house was added to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places on April 5, 2006.

Establishing a museum to house Greene County’s historical artifacts was a longtime goal of the Greene County Historical and Genealogical Society. In 2004, the group decided to hold a public meeting to discuss the possibility of opening a museum. To raise awareness of the need for a county museum, society members made presentations to local clubs and organizations. Other methods used to promote a museum included hanging posters, passing out brochures, mailing letters, and writing a letter to the editor of the local paper.

An open meeting for citizens of Greene County interested in establishing a museum was set for April 8, 2004. A Daily Press reporter, Tommy Haynes, stated in an article that if enough people showed an interest in seeing the museum become a reality, “Greene County will have a place of its own to boast of its past.” The meeting was well attended. A steering committee to further the process was elected, with Bob Harris as chairman. A museum board was later elected, and the museum was incorporated in April 2004 as the Greene County Museum, Inc., of Paragould.

A 100-year-old building at 130 South 14th Street in Paragould was purchased by the museum committee from First National Bank for one dollar. The two-story, white-columned structure, constructed in 1908, was once the home of Arkansas governor Junius Marion Futrell. He is the only Arkansas governor to have come from Greene County.

After approximately four years of restoration work and the development of exhibits, the county museum became a reality on January 12, 2008, when a large crowd of interested citizens attended the grand opening.

The museum is open each Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and by special appointment. It is closed on major holidays.

For additional information:
Greene County, Arkansas: History and Families. Vol 2. Nashville, TN: Turner Publishing Company, 2009.

Greene County Museum. http://www.greenecountymuseum.com/index.html (accessed May 22, 2023).

Debra Polston
Cabot, Arkansas