Press Releases

The Division of Parks and Recreation (Division) is seeking public input on the Elk Knob State Park Master Plan. The Master Plan will be a twenty-year plan that covers the entire state park, which contains over 4,200 acres spanning Watauga and Ashe Counties. The park is sited within the Amphibolite Mountains, an ecological hotspot of global significance.

Spying is sometimes known as the world’s second oldest profession. Nineteenth century notions about a woman’s place and capabilities set the stage for hundreds of women to become spies during the American Civil War. “Beautiful Deception” is an exhibit at the CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center through January 2020 about some fabled Civil War era spies.

In the summer of 1755, a company of soldiers began construction of Fort Dobbs to protect the western frontier of the colony of North Carolina. A full-scale replica of that fort will open 264 years later, Saturday and Sunday, Sept.21-22, in Statesville.

The Algonquin Tennis Club was formed in 1922 in Durham to give aspiring African American tennis players a place to meet and play. The American Tennis Association was created in 1916 to encourage and support competitive tennis among African Americans and created the club, where nationally known players competed. A N.C. Highway Historical marker will be dedicated to the club Thursday, Aug. 15, at 6:30 p.m. at W.D. Hill Recreation Center in Durham.

Governor Roy Cooper signed bills into law this month authorizing a new state park and three new state trails. The new laws (S.L. 2019-74, S.L. 2019-20, S535) allow the addition of Pisgah View State Park in Buncombe and Haywood counties; Northern Peaks State Trail in Watauga and Ashe counties, the Wilderness Gateway State Trail in the South Mountains range in McDowell, Rutherford, Burke and Catawba counties; and the Overmountain Victory State Trail reaching across Avery, Mitchell, McDowell, Burke, Rutherford, Polk, Caldwell, Wilkes and Surry counties. 

Secretary Susi Hamilton of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources issued the following statement after learning of the death of Phil Freelon:   We were saddened to learn about the passing this morning of renowned architect, arts advocate and 2017 North Carolina Award winner Phil Freelon.  

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which manages the North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program, requests the public’s help in locating a missing historical marker. The marker was located at US 70 at Eno River bridge northwest of Hillsborough. It identified Hart’s Mill, which was located outside of present-day Hillsborough and was the site of a large, well-publicized meeting of Regulators opposed to British rule in 1766.

Take a break from the backyard barbecues and beach volleyball to savor history and nature this July 4 weekend.   

He was appointed North Carolina’s “Ambassador of Goodwill” by Gov. R.  Gregg Cherry in 1949 and was so recognized by seven governors. The Washington, N.C. native also was a preservationist and instrumental in establishing Historic Bath State Historic Site. Humorist and preservationist Edmund Harding will be recognized with a N.C. Highway Historical Marker to be dedicated Wednesday, July 10, 1 p.m., at West Main Street at South Washington Street in Washington.

North Carolina students were among top 10 finishers in the National History Day Competition held June 9-13 at the University of Maryland, College Park. From more than 3,000 competitors, four North Carolina student projects were among the top 10 and one was a special prize winner, on the theme, “Triumph and Tragedy in History.” More than 100 students overall took home cash prizes of from $250 to $1,000 after a journey involving local, state and national competitions.