Press Releases

The meeting of opposing generals inside the humble parlor of James and Nancy Bennett was a small part of making peace and ending the Civil War. Why did the negotiations take days longer than those at Appomattox? How did the ending impact black and white civilians, the free and enslaved? What role did the cavalry play? These are among questions to be explored Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22, at Bennett Place State Historic Site in Durham.

Ahoy, mateys! If ye be sailing for Ocracoke or Bath this year, be prepared to do so under the black flag of the dreaded pirate Blackbeard. The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has teamed up with the NCDOT’s Ferry Division to fly the flags in observance of the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s death in 1718. The flags will fly on the Hatteras-Ocracoke, Cedar Island-Ocracoke, and Swan Quarter-Ocracoke routes, as well as the Pamlico River route, which runs between Bayview and Aurora. Both areas have historic ties to the 18th-century scallywag.

A community of Jewish immigrants was recruited to settle in rural eastern North Carolina at one of six colonies envisioned and financed by Wilmington’s Hugh MacRae, beginning early in the 1900s. He hoped to recreate the close-knit rural communities of Europe. One of them was Van Eeden, first settled by Dutch immigrants and then by Jews escaping Hitler’s Germany in 1939. A N.C. Highway Historical Marker will be dedicated to commemorate that settlement Wednesday, April 18, at 2 p.m., at Mount Holly Baptist Church in Burgaw.

History buffs, community leaders and preservationists will aid in the preservation of Civil War sites in North Carolina Saturday, April 7, as part of Park Day. Thousands of volunteers across the country participate in the Civil War Trust organized event, and this year will be the largest ever involving more than 155 historic sites in 32 states. Three of North Carolina’s Civil War state historic sites will participate in the national event.

North Carolina’s Executive Mansion–the “people’s house”–will open its historic doors and beautiful gardens to the public for free tours this spring. School children, adults, civic groups and families are invited to experience the 127-year old mansion for guided tours conducted by volunteer docents. The Executive Mansion boasts an outstanding collection of decorative arts while the beautiful grounds feature extensive flower and vegetable gardens and modern environmental practices.

Another step to preserve history and protect North Carolina’s past is taken with grant awards totaling $480,000 to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources by the Cannon Charitable Interests. Alamance Battleground in Burlington will receive $80,000, Roanoke Island in Dare County will receive $200,000 and Historic Bath will receive $200,000.

The North Carolina Historical Commission Confederate Monuments Study Committee will meet via conference call Thursday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m.  

Spring cleaning often means letting go of those things you really don’t use anymore, and the Aycock Birthplace Community Yard Sale could be the answer to what to do with your discards. The Aycock yard sale Saturday, April 14, 7 a.m. to noon, is the perfect place to bring those dishes, artwork and whatnots that are sitting in a garage or closet. The booth fee for a table is $5. Contact the site at (919) 252-5581 or aycock@ncdcr.gov to reserve a space.

The North Carolina Government & Heritage Library is moving to a new location in April. The library will be closed to the public April 9-28 while the library collection is moved to its new space.  The public space of the library will reopen on Monday, April 30 on the first floor of the Archives and History/State Library Building, 109 E. Jones St., Raleigh.