Bennett Place State Historic Site will host a luminary program dedicated to telling the stories of enslaved people’s avenues to freedom during the Civil War era. The free event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18 from 7-9:30 p.m. with timed entry tickets available via Eventbrite. Bennett Place is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).
This program commemorates the 331,059 men, women, and children enslaved in North Carolina who experienced freedom with the close of the Civil War. The historic site will be decorated with 1,324 luminaries, each representing 250 enslaved people in the state. Historians from across N.C. Historic Sites will give voice to the various ways freed people sought and expressed their new freedom — from education to voting rights and many ventures in between. Musician Shana Tucker will perform instrumental music as visitors reflect on the end of slavery in our state and nation.
“In September 1862, President Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, promising to free all enslaved people in the Confederate states. But the federal government could not enforce the proclamation in territory under Confederate control; it would take surrenders at sites like Bennett Place for the United States to enforce the end of slavery,” said site manager Kaitlin O’Connor. “This luminary program is special in that it invites the community to pause and reflect on how the Confederacy’s defeat ushered in a new birth of freedom in this country.”
The event is free to the public. Donations are appreciated but not required. The event is weather permitting. Please check the Bennett Place or North Carolina Historic Sites social media or events website for weather updates.
Despite the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery remained enforced within the Confederacy. In April 1865, the Confederate surrenders at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia and Bennett Place in North Carolina sealed the fate of the rebellion. Peace returned to North Carolina. With it, the U.S. government enforced the end of chattel slavery with military presence and eventual Constitutional amendments.
About Bennett Place State Historic Site
Once the home of James and Nancy Bennett, this 189-acre farm in the North Carolina Piedmont became the location of the largest surrender of Confederate soldiers in the American Civil War. Over the course of three days in April 1865, General William T. Sherman and General Joseph E. Johnston deliberated the terms of surrender and peace, which helped reunite this country. Today, the Bennetts' reconstructed farmhouse, kitchen, and smokehouse recall the lifestyle of an ordinary Southern farmer during the Civil War. Bennett Place State Historic Site is located at 4409 Bennett Memorial Rd., Durham, NC 27705.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. At more than 100 sites across the state, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.