Press Releases

While public operations at Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources institutions remain temporarily suspended, many of our engaging programs and resources can be experienced online. NCLearn @ Home (www.ncdcr.gov/nclearn@home) is a new website designed to gather online content and educational resources into one place for teachers, students, parents, and anyone needing enriching experiences, regardless of their location.

The shoreline at a state historic site on the Cape Fear River in Brunswick County soon will be stabilized. The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has been awarded a grant by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to protect a portion of the shoreline deemed historically significant at the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site. The NFWF approved the $2,002,500 grant request that will fund the installation of an artificial reef system along 1,000 feet of the shore to protect the site.

RALEIGH, N.C. — In light of Gov. Roy Cooper’s state of emergency declaration and guidance regarding canceling or postponing large gatherings in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, some upcoming special events at N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources locations have been canceled or postponed through mid-April. While we are disappointed not to be able to offer these experiences, the health and safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff is always our first priority. If these events can be rescheduled, we will announce new dates in the future.

While the men who first discovered gold in America in 1799 are celebrated, little has been said about the women of  the county's first documented gold rush until recently. The “More Than a Woman” program at Reed Gold Mine March 7 and 21, 1 p.m., will focus on their stories.

Not blossoms but bullets came to the farms and plantations of North Carolina’s coastal plain during the Battle of Bentonville March 19-21, 1865. The fighting raged just yards from the home of John and Amy Harper, and Union forces made their house a hospital. The home and plantation of their neighbor Willis Cole were destroyed in this largest battle ever fought in North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is pleased to announce that seven individual properties across the state have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The following properties were reviewed by the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee and were subsequently nominated by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer and forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register for consideration for listing in the National Register.

Get out around town to see some local Kinston landscapes with new insights during the CSS Neuse fifth anniversary celebration Saturday, March 7, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A tour of the museum, two battlefield tours and a living history demonstration will make for a day of fun and facts. The cost is $20, and lunch will be on your own at Kings Restsurant. Preregistration is required and limited to 30 people.  Do you love learning about your local area,” asks intern Samantha Reddick. “We will have reenactors demonstrate what was happening in Kinston during the Civil War.” 

Spring is almost here and for generations that has meant preparing the fields and planting crops. Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site will showcase some of the workings of a late 1870s farm on Wednesday, March 4. The site will demonstrate some of the skills taught in an 1800s classroom on Wednesday, March 11. The free family-friendly “Traveling Through Time” programs will run 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $2 for each. 

The Hamiltones, a Grammy-nominated gospel group from the Charlotte area, will perform at the Executive Mansion on Wednesday, Feb. 19, kicking off a new season of “Music at the Mansion,” hosted by First Lady Kristin Cooper.First Lady Cooper, Susi H. Hamilton, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and Wayne Martin, executive director of the N.C. Arts Council, will welcome The Hamiltones to the Executive Mansion.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the official induction of Jaki Shelton Green as North Carolina’s first African American poet laureate.