History is a cornerstone of downtown Fayetteville.

And cornerstones are history.

The Fayetteville History Museum is highlighting the traditional markers the Downtown Cornerstone Scavenger Hunt.

Historic buildings like those downtown often feature a cornerstone, a stone that traditionally forms the base corner of a building joining two walls, according to a news release from the museum.

Each Tuesday through Saturday during the first three weeks of November, visitors are invited to discover cornerstones on downtown historic buildings, the release said. Some may be small or hidden from immediate view.

The Downtown Cornerstone Scavenger Hunt is for ages 6 and older. Participants can visit the Fayetteville History Museum to pick up a scavenger hunt guide, which has a map and clues on where to find nine cornerstones throughout downtown, the release said.

The completed guide sheet can be returned to the museum for a prize. The hunt may be spread over multiple days. 

“The cornerstone gives you lots of clues about its building,” Bruce Daws, director of the History Museum, said in the news release. 

The inscription on a cornerstone preserves details about the building’s architect, builders and other significant people who had a role in building the structure.

When a building is torn down or destroyed, its cornerstone often is saved and integrated into the new construction along with a new cornerstone. There are examples of this in downtown Fayetteville, the release said.

“A cornerstone is an integral part of our history and our community; today, we can view them as artist’s stamps,” said Heidi Bleazey, senior museum specialist at the History Museum. 

The museum, located at 325 Franklin St. downtown, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Participation in the scavenger hunt is free.

For more information, go to the Fayetteville History Museum website.