Topics Related to North Carolina Historic Sites

 The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has been awarded a $100,000 Battlefield Restoration grant from the National Park Service to produce a Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) to guide the restoration of key portions of the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site in Johnston County.

Fort Dobbs will highlight the resilience of Native American culture with a visit by a group of educators known as the Atsila Anotasgi or “Fire Builders” on July 27.

Serving the Museum of the Cherokee People, the group is comprised of enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who are passionate about reconnecting with and preserving their heritage while educating other communities about Eastern Cherokee beliefs and traditions through dance performances, art demonstrations, and storytelling sessions.

The North Carolina State Capitol will reopen to the public on Monday, July 8, following the completion of a major construction and restoration project.

This 4th of July, a Raleigh tradition continues with music and a ceremony on the Capitol grounds. The Capitol will host a ceremony that includes an outdoor naturalization for new citizens, a reading from the Declaration of Independence, and a wreath laying at the George Washington monument by the Sons of the American Revolution. The Raleigh Concert Band will also perform from 11:30 a.m. to noon, and the ceremony will begin on the east grounds at noon.

June 29, 2024, 10am - 2pm
Come visit Duke Homestead and learn about the creatures typically found on a farm in the late-19th century!

The sound of cannonfire during the Battle of Bentonville, it was said, boomed with a distinct echo.

“The din of battle roared like one continuous peel of heavy thunder,” wrote one eyewitness.

On Saturday, June 22, Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site will recreate some of that noise during its “Heavy Thunder: Summer Artillery and Infantry Program.”

As part of its 100th year anniversary, The Duke Endowment has approved a $2.5 million grant to the Duke Homestead State Historic Site in Durham, the largest private monetary gift ever given to a state historic site from a single donor. This generous grant will be used to transform the Duke Homestead, preserving and protecting this important piece of North Carolina’s past. The announcement was made today at a centennial event honoring the Endowment’s grantees and partners from the region.

Two North Carolina state historic sites — Historic Edenton and Historic Halifax — will enhance education and preservation activities thanks to grants from the Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trust Number One. Established upon Charles A. Cannon’s passing, the Trust provides funding for capital and equipment projects across North Carolina.

Fort Dobbs State Historic Site will hold a special “Highlighted History” event on June 1.  Visitors will learn about the June 1761 invasion of the Cherokee’s homeland by a British army commanded by James Grant.  Re-enactors will illustrate life on campaign as experienced by British and colonial soldiers.  

Featured outdoor activities include scheduled musket firing demonstrations and a presentation about the campaign by Historic Interpreter Jason Melius. Ongoing displays of camp life include cooking, woodworking, and blacksmithing demonstrations.

Dr. Jay Martin has been appointed as the new executive director of the Battleship North Carolina effective May 31, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced today. Martin takes over the role from Captain Terry Bragg, who will retire June 1.