Press Releases

Three dormitory buildings at the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum/Palmer Memorial Institute are included in the 2022 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The list is compiled annually by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to raise awareness of the threats faced by some of our country’s greatest treasures.

A  new interpretive center is coming to Fort Fisher State Historic Site in Kure Beach. Nearly three times larger than its 1965 predecessor, the new center will welcome more than a million annual visitors and showcase museum exhibits about the history of Fort Fisher. In addition, the Underwater Archaeology Branch of the Office of State Archaeology will receive a new conservation lab.

Construction and renovation of campground facilities, trails, picnic facilities and the pool at Morrow Mountain State Park will cause extensive amenity closures beginning June 13. Closures will include three family campgrounds, family vacation cabins, and picnic shelter A. The park pool will remain closed this season for renovations. Hikers and equestrians can expect periodic trail closures beginning June 13 for the next 12 months. Over 14 miles of trail re-routes and four miles of trail repairs will be completed during this time.

The North Carolina State Capitol is hosting legal scholar Seth Barrett Tillman on Thursday, May 5 at 6 p.m. for "New Thinking on Jacob Henry," a virtual talk about North Carolina's first Jewish legislator. Jacob Henry was our state's first Jewish legislator and was elected to serve in the General Assembly during a time when a Protestants-only religious test for public service was enshrined in our state constitution. Legal scholar Seth Barrett Tillman will be looking at Jacob Henry and the legal and historical questions posed by his service in the North Carolina General Assembly.

The Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Lab will host its annual Open House on Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site is excited to announce the return of its nature-themed event, “Bentonville in Bloom.” The event on Saturday, April 23 will showcase the natural resources and wildlife that can be found at Bentonville. As battlefield preservation has grown to more than 2,000 acres, the wildlife communities found within those acres have also been conserved. Visitors to “Bentonville in Bloom” can learn more about the ecosystem from experts on the flora and fauna of eastern North Carolina.

Bicycling is one of the simplest and cheapest ways to travel. But early bicycles, with their wooden wheels and frames and poor steering, were much different from today’s sleek, multi-geared vehicles made of lightweight composite materials and offering a variety of safety features.

On March 30, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation closed on the purchase of 2,249 acres in McDowell County to become part of Bobs Creek State Natural Area. This purchase is the last of three acquisitions for the new state natural area and increases its total size to more than 6,000 acres. The first two phases of the project, about 3,700 acres, were purchased in 2019.

Polk County has been chosen as the subject of a comprehensive survey of historic buildings and landscapes planned from 2022-23. Funding for this architectural survey comes from the Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF), administered by the National Park Service, for hurricanes Florence and Michael.

The State Library of North Carolina, in partnership with the North Carolina Library Association's Roundtable on Ethnic and Minority Concerns and with consultation from Dr. Love Jones of Interwoven Consulting, has created the Racial Equity in Libraries Toolkit.