ELLERBE — The Rankin Museum of American Heritage opened its doors for free on Saturday for visitors to see the recent renovations.
The facelift — including upgrades to the lighting, flooring and restrooms, and a community room — was made possible by grants from the Cole Foundation and partnership with Pee Dee Electric Co Bank, as well as donations.
The museum also features the new logo near the entrance, painted on the wall by local artist Daniel Webb — who also recently completed a mural at the park on the corner of Main and Page streets.
Outside, families from across the region panned for gems at the flume for the annual spring geology dig. The museum also hosts a similar fossil dig each fall.
Inside, visitors got a glimpse of history from Richmond County and around the world, with exhibits on Native American culture and rural life, as well one remembering one the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the late wrestler Andre the Giant.
Many of the items for that exhibit were donated by Jackie McAuley, who lived and worked on the wrestler's ranch with her then-husband Frenchy Bernard.
The name of the ranch bore their initials: AFJ.
McAuley made the trip from Florida and spoke with visitors about her time with the gentle giant, who called the Ellerbe area home the last decade of his life.
Vladimir Koloff presents Jackie McAuley with a wood-burned plaque bearing the brand of AFJ ranch.
But that wasn't the only wrestling connection on Saturday.
Wrestlers from New Jersey-based Titan Championship Wrestling were in the community room signing autographs prior to a benefit show for the museum — in partnership with local promotion Atlantic Coast Wrestling — later in the evening at Ellerbe Middle School.
Also on site was former wrestler and fellow rancher Carl Brantley, better known as Vladimir Koloff.
While at 2023’s A Giant Celebration, Brantley donated a cattle skull and the original AFJ Ranch sign.
On Saturday, Brantley brought with him the AFJ branding iron and the collared chain used in Russian chain matches by the late Ivan Koloff.
Brantley also had replicas of a poster from Andre’s final American appearance in July of 1992, two counties over in Pembroke.
Vladimir Koloff holds a replica of a poster from a wrestling show where he appeared with Andre the Giant.
Andre died in France the following January while attending his father's funeral.
See more photos from the day's events on the RO’s Facebook page and the Visit Richmond County Facebook page.
