By: Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
On September 26, former United States Congressman George Kenneth “G.K.” Butterfield was honored with the unveiling of a portrait at the Oliver Nestus Freeman Round House and African American Museum in Wilson, NC, recognizing his longstanding support for preserving African American history.
A crowd of approximately 400 people gathered for the unveiling of the large portrait, painted by artist Simmie Lee Knox. City, state, and national elected officials joined residents of Wilson for the ceremony. Butterfield donated his congressional portrait to the museum, where it will be displayed as part of a new 2,200-square-foot expansion valued at $800,000.
The event served as a soft opening for the museum's expanded facilities, with a larger celebration planned for February 2027. The museum, located on Nash Street, is dedicated to documenting and preserving the history and experiences of African Americans in Wilson. The expansion will provide additional space to present the stories, documents, photographs, and artifacts that illustrate the contributions and experiences of African Americans in Wilson and eastern North Carolina.
Butterfield, who represented North Carolina's First Congressional District for 18 years, retired from Congress on December 31, 2022. During his time in the House of Representatives, he played an important role in securing federal funding for the museum.
“I am absolutely honored and overwhelmed with this program today,” Butterfield said during the ceremony. “This is my ‘hood.’ This is where I grew up. Our city has come a long way.”
Butterfield had worked with members of the community in the late 1990s to establish the museum. In addition to helping secure support for the museum, Butterfield has contributed documents, ephemera and historical artifacts to its collections.
Several elected officials and community leaders attended the portrait unveiling to recognize Butterfield's public service and his continued involvement in Wilson.
North Carolina Representative Dante Pittman described him as “our forever congressman”, adding that he continued to work for the future of the community. “He continues to lift up all people. In this time in our country, we need people who represent all people.”
Wilson Mayor Carlton Stevens described Butterfield as a significant figure in the city's development.
“Congressman Butterfield understood that the future of Wilson depended on its support of the people,” Stevens said.
Wilson Mayor Pro Tem Michael Bell also recognized Butterfield's contributions, saying the former congressman had helped transform the community and remained engaged with residents.
Other speakers included Milton F. “Toby” Fitch Jr., Butterfield's former law partner, a former North Carolina senator and a retired Superior Court judge. James Andrew Wynn, a United States Court of Appeals judge and another former law partner, also spoke at the event.
United States Representative Don Davis, who succeeded Butterfield in representing North Carolina's First Congressional District, thanked his predecessor for his service to eastern North Carolina. United States Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina also paid tribute to Butterfield, recalling that Butterfield was sworn into Congress on Clyburn's birthday. Clyburn credited Butterfield with helping him become the first African American to serve multiple terms as majority whip in the United States House of Representatives.
The portrait unveiling was sponsored by the United States Capitol Historical Society, a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress in 1978 to promote greater understanding of the United States Capitol and its history, including fostering and increasing informed patriotism.
In 2022, Butterfield donated a substantial collection of personal and professional records to the University Libraries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The materials are to form part of the Southern Historical Collection at the Wilson Special Collections Library, where researchers, students and members of the public can access documents relating to his family, legal career, political service and the history of Wilson's African American community.
Explaining his decision to transfer the collection to the university, he said: “I’m 74 years old, approaching 75 years old, and I know it’s time for me to release this valuable trove of information to somebody who can appreciate it, who can preserve it and share it.”
Butterfield took photographs during congressional business and diplomatic trips abroad, eventually accumulating more than 20,000 images. He also collected memorabilia from important events during Obama's two terms in office, including obtaining the president's autograph on occasions when they attended significant gatherings together.
According to university archivists, the collection offers a distinctive perspective on the Obama presidency and provides important material for understanding the development of Wilson's Black community, voting rights issues in North Carolina, and the state's political history.
After completing his undergraduate and law degrees at North Carolina Central University and serving in the United States Army, he returned to Wilson to establish a law practice. During the 1980s, he worked on voting rights litigation as cooperating counsel with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. His public service subsequently included election as a Superior Court judge in November 1988 and an appointment to the North Carolina Supreme Court by Governor Mike Easley in 2001.
In 2023, the Wilson City Council voted to rename the city's downtown train station in his honor.
