Our History
By our founder, Julia Harris:
In 1996, there were few outlets available to buy homeschooling materials. Here in Raleigh, North Carolina, a used bookmobile traveled through twice a year, major sellers like Abeka and BJU Press set up displays locally once a year, and a church would host a buy-sell-trade event on occasion. There were a few mail-order catalogs as well. Our statewide support group, North Carolinians for Home Education, hosted a conference once a year in Winston-Salem with a vendor hall.
Then in June of that year, a friend visited a large homeschool bookstore in Virginia. Her call afterwards to me was peppered with the thrill of being able to thumb through and evaluate curricula herself before purchasing. As homeschool parents, we longed for something like that here. After that conversation, in a very rare moment, I felt inspired to start a bookstore.
Over the years, Homeschool Gathering Place has grown to over 10,000 consignors of used materials. We also carry a large, diverse, and constantly expanding variety of new curricula. Our focus has always been to come alongside, explain, answer questions, encourage, provide clarity, and most especially, to provide that hands-on experience.
Almost 27 years later, we are still here to assist you in navigating your educational transitions. This has been, and still is, an amazing journey, and we are grateful.