The New Bern Historical Society is hiring for a new position of Events and Programs Director. This is a challenging full time position requiring night and weekend work. We are a very small office — we work hard and have fun celebrating New Bern’s amazing history. All applications must be submitted through Indeed.com. –Full time …
Events & Programs Director Job Announcement 1-31-22 Read More »
A New Bern Legend by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society Courtesy Bill Hand/New Bern Live On January 23, 1844, the brilliant career of a most distinguished scholar, lawyer, landowner, US Representative, and NC Supreme Court judge ended with his death. Who was this most famous son of New Bern, North Carolina? William J. …
Photo by Bryan Lopez on Unsplash.com A Blast from the Past by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society On December 27, 1909, the New Bern Daily Journal reported that the day after Christmas, New Bern was treated to a display of Chinese fireworks “that was the grandest display of any kind of fireworks ever seen …
The Circus is Coming to Town! by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society If you were living in New Bern in 1884, what would you do for entertainment? You might attend concerts and plays at the Masonic Theater, take part in boat excursions or picnics organized by a civic group or church, or if …
A Man With a Vision by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society New Bern’s history is replete with tales of ordinary men and women who do fascinating and extraordinary things. Our story this month is about a man whose visionary invention could have changed the course of history. Who was this man? Keep reading! …
At the Forefront of History by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society Abraham Galloway was a slave, abolitionist, spy, recruiter, and political leader who had tremendous influence in New Bern and coastal North Carolina during the Civil War. When he died unexpectedly, he was only 33 years of age. On September 1, 1870, over …
A New Bern Trailblazer by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society Photo courtesy of https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/battle-samuel-james-1883-1966/ Samuel J. Battle was born in New Bern on January 16, 1883. Weighing in at 16 pounds, he was recorded as the largest baby born in North Carolina. Samuel would eventually grow to be 6″3″ tall and over 280 …
by Claudia Houston, Historian, New Bern Historical Society Old City Hall building circa 1983 You’ve walked past it countless times — you know, the big red brick building on the 200 block of Craven Street with “City Hall” emblazoned near the roof. Built in about 1817, the Stephens Brick Block building is considered the earliest …
The Beauty of Downtown Fences & Gatesby Curator Jim Hodges Isaac Taylor House, 228 Craven St. Even as a young boy while walking about the streets of downtown New Bern, I was always impressed by the array of metal fences and gates. Although many years have slipped by, my fascination has never waned. Recently, …