The Old Kentucky Home Rededicated in Gala Celebration
Nearly six years after suffering severe damage at the hands of a still unidentified arsonist,
the Thomas Wolfe Memorial in Asheville reopened on May 28, brighter and truer to the
original. The four-day celebration featured the performance of an early Wolfe play, an
authors’ evening with six prominent southern writers, and a living history program titled
“A Day in May 1916.” Despite inclement weather, approximately 350 people attended
the rededication ceremony on Friday morning, May 28. Longtime site manager Steve Hill,
who oversaw the painstaking restoration process, welcomed visitors to the memorial.
Jeffrey J. Crow, deputy secretary, and
Lisbeth C. Evans, secretary of the Depart-ment
of Cultural Resources (DCR), deliv-ered
brief remarks [see following page for
Dr. Crow’s comments]. Kay P. Williams,
director of the Division of State Historic
Sites and Properties, introduced the guest
speakers, who included Charles Worley,
mayor of Asheville, authors Gail Godwin
and Orson Scott Card, and Maggi Vaughn,
poet laureate of Tennessee. Hill concluded
the ceremony with a few poignant,
heartfelt remarks, then cut the ribbon.
Throughout the weekend, a steady crowd
Carolina
Comments
VOLUME 52, NUMBER 3 JULY 2004
Published Quarterly by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History
Visitors line up to tour the restored Old
Kentucky Home boardinghouse during the
reopening ceremonies at the Thomas Wolfe
Memorial on May 28. (All images by the
Office of Archives and History unless otherwise
indicated.)
7 4 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
A Message from the Deputy Secretary
[The following remarks were delivered by Jeffrey J. Crow
at the reopening ceremonies of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial
on May 28.]
Robert M. Calhoon, professor of history at the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, once
remarked that the three greatest books ever written about
North Carolina were John Lawson’s A New Voyage to
Carolina (1709), Guion Griffis Johnson’s Antebellum North
Carolina: A Social History (1937), and Thomas Wolfe’s Look
Homeward, Angel (1929). All three remain
in print. All three
are considered classics.
John Lawson’s early description of the Carolina colony contained such original
material and such astute observations that other eighteenth-century authors shamelessly
plagiarized it. Guion Griffis Johnson’s massive account of antebellum North Carolina
remains unsurpassed. A veritable portable archive, historians still rely on it.
No one has ever dared plagiarize Thomas Wolfe, but we still depend on his evoca-tive
prose to transport us to Altamont and Pulpit Hill in the early twentieth century.
Look Homeward, Angel chronicled a time and place in which family and community
became so entwined that one can hardly imagine a different setting for the family’s
sprawling and turbulent life. Wolfe captured the precise moment when Asheville made
the transition from mountain hamlet to resort boom town. It was not a change he
embraced. The “Dixieland” boardinghouse came to symbolize his alter ego Eugene
Gant’s disaffection and the family’s disruption. Eugene felt he lived “with two roofs and
no home.” Eugene deplored the “money-hunger” and “the mounting lust for
ownership” that he saw in his mother.
But Eugene could not escape his mother’s fierce business acumen and ambition.
“Spruce up, boy! Spruce up!” she told him. “Throw your shoulders back. Make folks
think you’re somebody.” To drum up business, she gave him a pocketful of printed
cards bearing the inscription:
SPEND YOUR SUMMERS AT
DIXIELAND
In Beautiful Altamont,
America’s Switzerland.
Rates Reasonable—Both Transient and Tourist.
Apply Julia E. Gant, Prop.
While we may not be transients and tourists, we are historic preservationists who
can appreciate the glorious restoration of the Old Kentucky Home. As the state his-toric
preservation officer, I want to salute the many people who lovingly restored this
structure and its furnishings. Unlike the “big cheaply constructed frame house . . .
painted a dirty yellow” in Look Homeward, Angel, this state historic site and National
Historic Landmark deserves our praise and admiration. Were Thomas Wolfe to visit
today, I believe we could say unapologetically, “Welcome home, Tom!”
toured the rambling, twenty-nine-room-boardinghouse, once again painted the warm
yellow that was familiar to the young Wolfe, rather than the austere white that Asheville
residents have known in recent years.
On Friday evening, a moderated conversation between six well-known southern writers
was presented at the Asheville Community Center. Novelists Gail Godwin, Orson Scott
Card, and Sharyn McCrumb joined poets Fred
Chappell, Michael McFee, and Maggi Vaughn in a
wide-ranging discussion of their works and the influ-ences
that colored them. The authors were available
on Friday and Saturday afternoons for book signing
sessions.
On Saturday night and again on Sunday afternoon,
Wolfe’s rarely produced 1923 play, Welcome to Our
City, was staged at the YMI Cultural Center. Set in
the thinly fictionalized “Altamont,” subsequently made
famous in Look Homeward, Angel, the play satirically
condemns the greedy developers of the booming
resort town who scheme to buy up the property of an
African American community and repopulate the
neighborhood with fancy homes for wealthy whites.
The performance of the riveting social commentary
was directed by Bernie Hauserman. Following each
show, the director, members of the cast, Wolfe schol-ars,
and leaders of the African American community of
Asheville joined in a panel discussion about the play
and its author. The reopening festivities concluded on
May 31 with guided trolley tours of Thomas Wolfe’s
Asheville.
Dick Lankford Named State Archivist and Records Administrator
Effective May 1, Jesse R. “Dick” Lankford Jr. was named state archivist and records
administrator of North Carolina. He had been the acting state archivist since the retire-ment
of Catherine J. Morris at the end of March. Lankford
served for many years as assistant state archivist and head of
the Archival Services Branch. Since the reorganization of the
Archives and Records Section in 2000, he had been head of
the Special Collections Branch. He holds a master of arts
degree from Western Carolina University, and a master of
public affairs degree from North Carolina State University.
Lankford is the seventh North Carolina state archivist. He
has worked with the agency for thirty-three years and has
participated in many major initiatives and projects. “I am
honored by this selection,” Lankford remarked. “We have a
great opportunity to continue serving North Carolina at the
high standards that have characterized our program over the
decades. We have some great professionals on staff. I look
forward to working with them and with the citizens of our
state to ensure the preservation of North Carolina’s docu-mentary
history.” David Brook, director of the Division of
Historical Resources, commented: “We are fortunate to have had such an excellent candi-date
in our midst. His familiarity with our programs and processes will assure a seamless
transition into his new role.”
V O L U M E 5 2 , N U M B E R 3 , J U L Y 2 0 0 4 7 5
Site manager Steve Hill displays a new
plaque for the Old Kentucky Home,
fully restored from a devastating fire in
1998.
Jesse R. “Dick” Lankford Jr.,
the seventh state archivist of
North Carolina.
Peter Sandbeck to Lead State Historic Preservation Office
Peter B. Sandbeck, project administrator of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, has
been named deputy state historic preservation officer and administrator of the State His-toric
Preservation Office, succeeding David Brook. Sandbeck joined the former Archaeol-ogy
and Historic Preservation Section as a historic sites specialist I in September 1977 and
spent sixteen years with the Division of Archives and History before separating in Febru-ary
1994. He has twenty-nine years of experience and solid accomplishments in the field
of historic preservation. He will assume his new position on July 19.
Valuable Civil War Letter Recovered
As a result of the diligence of officials in the Office of Archives and History and the
cooperation of an Alamance County auctioneer, another invaluable historical document
has been returned to the people of North
Carolina. A letter from Jefferson Davis to
North Carolina governor John W. Ellis, dated
May 23, 1861, appeared in an online auction
catalogue of Historical Collectible Auctions of
Graham in early March. Jeffrey J. Crow, dep-uty
secretary of DCR, appealed to the state
Attorney General’s Office to file a petition for
a preliminary injunction to halt the sale. On
March 9, superior court judge J. B. Allen Jr.
granted the request, forbidding the auction
house to sell, remove, or destroy the letter. A
week later, the court issued an order to seize
the document.
The “owner” of the letter, an anonymous
collector from Philadelphia, had purchased it at
auction from Sotheby’s in 1982. He con-signed
it to Historical Collectible Auctions with
an asking price of $20,000 to $25,000. After
viewing the circumstantial evidence supporting
the state’s claim to the document, he and Rob-ert
J. Raynor, president of the auction house, were convinced of the propriety of the
claim and agreed to return the letter to possession of the state. Consistent with the practice
of the day, the original letter had been copied into the governor’s letterbook, as was
clearly indicated by an endorsement on the back of the document (“Letter Book Page
425”). The letterbook, along with three Fibredex boxes of letters to Governor Ellis, is
housed in the State Archives. Raynor remarked: “It was clear to me that the Jefferson
Davis letter was at one point part of that collection.” State officials never contended that
the letter had been stolen from the Archives, merely that it belonged to the people of the
state as a public document. “I think one of the most important aspects is the continuing
precedent for returning public records to the State Archives,” commented Crow.
A representative of the Attorney General’s Office received the letter from the court in
Alamance County on May 17. Three days later, on the 143d anniversary of the state’s
secession, Crow presented it to the spring meeting of the North Carolina Historical
Commission. It will be permanently stored in the archives vault collection, along with
other invaluable documents, including the Carolina Charter of 1663 and John Adams’s
7 6 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
This 1861 letter from Jefferson Davis to
John W. Ellis was seized by Alamance
County Superior Court but voluntarily
returned by its “owner” to possession of the
state.
“Thoughts on Government.” State Archivist Dick Lankford described the letter as “a most
welcome addition to our records. It has both evidential and intrinsic value and adds greatly
to our holdings available for research in this critical period in our state’s history.”
The letter was written just three days after North Carolina seceded from the Union.
Davis was responding to a telegram of the previous day from Ellis, in which the governor
requested the president’s intervention in convincing Virginia to send to North Carolina
machinery for making small arms. Davis replied from Montgomery, Alabama, first capital
of the Confederate States: “I will endeavor to obtain the requisite machinery. I have writ-ten
to Gov. [John] Letcher on the subject and desired him to communicate with you.
Hoping soon to give the matter personal attention.” The next day, the Virginia Council of
State approved the loan to North Carolina of as much of the rifle-making machinery as
could be spared from the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, where it was exposed to recapture by
Federal forces. North Carolina dispatched machinists to Harpers Ferry to expedite the dis-mantling
and packing of the machinery, which arrived at the state arsenal in Fayetteville
during mid-June 1861.
DCR Agencies to Create Virtual World War I Collection
The North Carolina State Archives, the North Carolina State Library, and the North
Carolina Museum of History have been awarded a Library Services and Technology Act
(LSTA) grant through the NC ECHO (Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) project in
order to create a World War I virtual collection. Specifically, the selected resources are
printed books and documents, letters, diaries, photographs, clips from audio interviews, and
artifacts such as uniforms and weapons from the U.S. Army Thirtieth and Eighty-first Divi-sions,
in which a large number of North Carolinians served. This project will unite these
varied resources in cohesive and searchable formats that will be useful to schoolchildren as
well as to scholars of the World War I period. It will also test the unification of different
types of metadata—Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC), Encoded Archival Description
(EAD), and Extensible Mark-up Language (XML)—into a single search process.
The State Library will serve as the lead agent in overseeing the implementation of the
grant. Library staff will digitize printed materials from its collection; design, construct, and
solicit feedback on the front end of the project website; update cataloging records to
include digital copies and related images; and create and distribute publicity materials.
State Archives staff will digitize images of diaries, letters, maps, personal and military
papers, unit rosters, and photographs; hire a temporary half-time archivist to produce digi-tal
images of these original materials; select and convert to digital format selected audio
clips of oral histories given by soldiers; add images and finding aids to the Manuscript and
Archives Reference System (MARS) and in EAD format; and ensure that all images and
metadata meet archival standards. They will also bring the different types of metadata into
a single search process.
North Carolina Museum of History staff will photograph and present to the public for
the first time digital images of many items in its World War I collection. The images of
and historical data about each artifact related to the Thirtieth and Eighty-first Divisions
will be presented to the public through the Web interface component of the Re:Discovery
database. This database allows the import and export of bibliographic data using the
MARC electronic interchange format, as well as the export of collection data in
SGML/XML format in support of EAD. In addition, the museum’s historian will write
historical background information for the project website.
V O L U M E 5 2 , N U M B E R 3 , J U L Y 2 0 0 4 7 7
Some examples of the variety of items to be digitized include a letter by North Carolina
native and army nurse Laura Doub, in which she mentions helping to sew some of the
army’s first shoulder sleeve insignia onto uniforms of the Eighty-first Division; the “War
Diary” of the Thirtieth (“Old Hickory”) Division’s 120th Infantry Regiment; portions of
interviews with soldiers who served in the Eighty-first (“Stonewall” or, later, “Wildcat”)
Division, a unit that was engaged in attacks on German positions up to the last hour of the
war; tactical maps showing the French town of Bellicourt and the surrounding area where
so many Tar Heels fell in the successful, though costly, battle to break the vaunted
Hindenburg line; and military maps, engineering diagrams, orders, and other documents
associated with the vital work of the 105th Engineer Regiment of the Thirtieth Division.
This project will have broad appeal because it will include information on North
Carolinians from all across the state and will present a variety of material of interest to
many audiences. All three institutions consistently receive a wide range of questions per-taining
to military history. As the centennial of World War I approaches, interest in this
war is certain to increase.
New Highway Historical Markers Approved
At meetings on December 12, 2003, and May 7, 2004, the members of the North
Carolina Highway Historical Marker Advisory Committee approved the following new
markers: PORT OF BATH, Beaufort County; MONTREAT COLLEGE, Buncombe
County; WRECK OF THE METROPOLIS, Currituck County; WADSWORTH
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, Guilford County; JACQUES AND JULIANA
BUSBEE, Moore County; HAROLD D. COOLEY, Nash County; ST. JOHN’S
LODGE, New Hanover County; W. O. SAUNDERS, Pasquotank County; JAMES
AND ROSE AGGREY, Rowan County; THOMAS’S LEGION, Swain County;
“TINY” BROADWICK, Vance County; and FREEDMEN’S CONVENTION,
FANNIE E. S. HECK, and LEONARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, Wake County.
Secretary of DCR Lisbeth C. Evans has appointed Daniel S. Pierce of the University of
North Carolina at Asheville and Rorin M. Platt of Campbell University to five-year terms
on the Marker Advisory Committee. Freddie Parker of North Carolina Central University
was elected committee chairman at the May 2004 meeting.
An ambitious effort to compile Global Positioning System (GPS) data for the 1,465
state highway historical markers across North Carolina has been initiated jointly by the
Departments of Transportation (DOT) and Cultural Resources. The two agencies have
cosponsored the marker program since 1935. The respective secretaries of the depart-ments,
Lyndo Tippett and Lisbeth Evans, endorsed the project that will entail the work of
two interns over the course of two summers.
DCR purchased the mapping grade GPS unit, a laptop
computer, and a digital camera for use with the project,
while DOT is funding the salaries and travel expenses of
the interns. GPS technology permits the precise mapping
of specific sites based on radio navigation and a world-wide
system of satellites and ground stations. Once the
GPS coordinates have been gathered, the data will be
7 8 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
Interns Charles Givens (left) and Patrick Wade (right) will help
compile mapping data about state highway historical markers
this summer.
shared widely on a revamped website. A secondary objective of the project is to document
the physical condition and maintenance needs of each sign.
Employed for the summer months of 2004 are Charles Givens of Raleigh, who will
enroll at Appalachian State University in the fall, and Patrick Wade of Boone, a recent
graduate of North Carolina State University (NCSU) with a degree in engineering. Wade
will return to NCSU in the fall to pursue graduate study in engineering. The two interns
are working closely with the Research Branch of the Office of Archives and History, the
Geographic Information Systems office of DOT, and DOT field offices across the state.
National History Day State Competition Held in Raleigh
The state competition of National History Day in North Carolina was held at the
Museum of History on Saturday, April 24. Two hundred and seventy-four students from
twenty-four schools registered for the competition. More than sixty volunteer judges from
public history and academic institutions reviewed the projects, provided constructive criti-cism,
and selected the students who would represent the state at the national competition
at College Park, Maryland, in June. Siemens Corporation, a national sponsor of the His-tory
Day program, provided a number of volunteers and offered a special prize for the best
projects relating to historical innovations.
History Day students are required to choose a topic related to an annual theme. They
conduct research using both primary and secondary sources, then use their findings to
create projects in one of four categories: historical papers, exhibits, documentaries, or per-formances.
The theme for this year was “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History.”
The topics of projects chosen to advance to the national competition were as diverse as
Walt Disney, the first poets to write in English, the Berlin Crisis, and the ways in which
the conquering of Mount Everest affected the people and economy of Nepal. Forty-four
students representing eleven schools from across North Carolina were chosen to advance.
In addition to awards for first and second place in each category, a number of special
prizes sponsored by groups and individuals across the state were awarded. National History
Day in North Carolina is hosted by the Office of Archives and History with substantial
assistance from the Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies.
McDougle Middle School Wins State History Bowl
For the second consecutive year, the
winner of the Charlotte Hawkins Brown
Museum–Alamance Battleground regional
won the state history bowl championship.
McDougle Middle School of Chapel Hill,
coached by Cissy O’Neal and Louise Peters,
defeated Dunn Middle School, representing
the Bentonville Battlefield region, in the
V O L U M E 5 2 , N U M B E R 3 , J U L Y 2 0 0 4 7 9
Members and coaches of the McDougle Middle
School championship history bowl team proudly
display their trophy and a facsimile of the check
awarded to the school by Wachovia Bank, one
of the sponsors of the program.
finals. Eight teams qualified for the final competition, held May 14 at the State Archives in
Raleigh. The winning students received trophies and the school a check for $200 from
Wachovia Bank; the runners-up earned $100 for their school. Jeffrey J. Crow, deputy secre-tary
of DCR, Ron Octtavio of Wachovia Bank, and a representative of the North Carolina
Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) presented the awards. The
annual competition is sponsored by Wachovia Bank, the UDC, and the Division of State
Historic Sites and Properties. Southeast Forsyth Middle School won the history bowl last
year.
Beaufort to Host Tall Ships in 2006
Beaufort has been named the host site for a fleet of tall ships during its American visit,
July 1-5, 2006. Before coming to North Carolina, the Class A and Class B ships will par-ticipate
in the fourth Americas’ Sail competition along the coast of South America. Win-ners
in the various categories will be announced and trophies presented while the ships are
at Beaufort. Minges Bottling Group will serve as founding sponsor of the event, which
will be called Pepsi Americas’ Sail 2006. Beaufort was selected as the American host site
because it is the home port of Horatio Sinbad, captain of the Meka II, winner of the 2002
Class B competition.
David Nateman, director of the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort,
called the chance for visitors to board and tour the tall ships “a once-in-a-lifetime”
opportunity. He hopes that the preparations for the event will shepherd the necessary
addition of new docks and decking at the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, and the
development of parking facilities, public restrooms, boardwalks, and docks at the
museum’s Gallants Channel property.
Museum of History Associates Announce Second Major Pledge
The North Carolina Museum of History Associates announced in March the receipt of
the organization’s second major pledge within five months. The Branch Banking and
Trust (BB&T) Charitable Foundation has guaranteed $100,000 to help establish a founda-tion
to benefit the North Carolina Museum of History. The pledge, announced by associ-ates’
chairperson Lyl MacLean Clinard of High Point, was made to honor her father,
Hector MacLean of Lumberton. MacLean is a longtime member of the associates and for-mer
president of Southern National Bank, which merged with BB&T in 1995. Son of
Governor Angus W. McLean, he served as state senator, mayor of Lumberton, and presi-dent
of the Medical Foundation of North Carolina board of directors for twenty-two
years. He was inducted into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 1996.
Last November, the associates announced the initial pledge to the Museum of History
Foundation, given in honor of Nancy Lyles by her husband and two daughters, all of High
Point. Annual interest from the foundation will be used by the museum to support artifact
acquisitions and other initiatives.
North Caroliniana Society Awards Fellowships for 2004-2005
The North Caroliniana Society has awarded Archie K. Davis Fellowships to twelve
scholars for 2004-2005. The recipients, their institutions, and research topics are:
Catherine W. Bishir, Preservation North Carolina; biographical directory of North
Carolina architects.
Debra A. Blake, North Carolina Office of Archives and History; documentary edition
of Rose Greenhow’s European diary, 1863-1864.
8 0 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
Mark L. Bradley, Department of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;
civil-military relations in North Carolina, 1862-1877.
William R. Burk, Biology Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; history
of botany at the university.
Stephen D. Feeley, Department of History, College of William and Mary; North
Carolina’s Tuscarora Indians.
Dixie Ray Haggard, Department of History, University of Kansas; North Carolina’s
Cherokee Indians.
John Thomas McGuire, College at Oneonta, SUNY; North Carolina’s Democratic
women in the 1930s.
Trina N. Seitz, Department of Sociology, Appalachian State University; the death pen-alty
in North Carolina, 1909-2004.
Michael Ray Smith, Department of Mass Communications, Campbell University;
John McLean Harrington and his handwritten newspaper.
Karen Smith Rotabi, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill; Howard W. Odum and the UNC Social Welfare School.
Thomas J. Ward Jr., Department of History, Rockhurst University; black lawyers in
North Carolina.
Ryan Whirty, Department of Journalism, Indiana University; history of Princeville,
North Carolina.
The North Caroliniana Society has awarded more than 225 Archie K. Davis Fellow-ships
since the inception of the program in 1987. Designed to encourage research in
North Carolina history and culture, the program grants stipends to cover a portion of
travel and subsistence expenses while fellows conduct research. The annual deadline for
proposals is March 1. For further information visit the society’s website, www.ncsociety.org,
or contact Dr. H. G. Jones, secretary of the society, at hgjones@email.unc.edu.
The society presented a special award to Elizabeth Vann Moore of Edenton at the third
Biennial Series for Preservation Studies program on April 24. The series, named in honor
of Miss Moore, held a luncheon meeting at Albemarle Plantation in Hertford. The award
recognized her lifelong crusade to preserve the history of the Albemarle region and her
impeccable historical research. Guest speakers for the occasion were Paul S. D’Ambrosio
of the New York State Historical
Society, Peter B. Sandbeck of Colo-nial
Williamsburg, andWillis P.
Whichard and H. G. Jones of the
North Caroliniana Society. The
event was co-sponsored by the
Perquimans County Restoration
Association.
The society’s prestigious North
Caroliniana Book Award was pre-sented
to Catherine W. Bishir and
Michael T. Southern, coauthors of A
Guide to the Historic Architecture of
Piedmont North Carolina, the third and
final volume in their outstanding
architectural survey of the state.
V O L U M E 5 2 , N U M B E R 3 , J U L Y 2 0 0 4 8 1
William S. Powell, vice-president of the North Caro-liniana
Society, presents sterling cups to Catherine W.
Bishir and Michael T. Southern, winners of the North
Caroliniana Book Award.
North Carolina Arts Council Wins National Award
The North Carolina Arts Council and its partners received an inaugural Preserve Amer-ica
Presidential Award for heritage tourism, recognizing their work with the Blue Ridge
Heritage Initiative program. President George W. Bush presented the award to executive
director Mary B. Regan and folk life director H. Wayne Martin in a ceremony at the
White House on May 3. The Preserve America prize was created to recognize demon-strated
commitment to the protection and interpretation of the nation’s cultural and natu-ral
heritage assets, to be presented during National Historic Preservation Week. Four
themed, self-driving heritage trails that run through twenty-five western North Carolina
counties are the essence of the Blue Ridge Heritage Initiative. They include the Blue
Ridge Music Trail, the Cherokee Heritage Trail, the Craft Heritage Trails of Western
North Carolina, and the Farms, Gardens, and Countryside Trails of Western North
Carolina. Each trail is explained by a guidebook, and the program hosts a website that
explores the cultural heritage of the southern mountains.
NC ECHO Uncovers Historical Treasures around the State
North Carolinians have stories to tell. These stories are often related through the words
of forgotten people, records of counties and towns, artifacts left behind, and the sites
where they were left. Tape-recorded reminiscences of veterans, letters of farmers, photo-graphs
of main streets long vanished, paintings by old masters, and diaries of young dream-ers—
these items and more have been gathered and saved by concerned citizens and
institutions for generations. In 1999, upon the urging of some of North Carolina’s leading
caretakers of such collections, the State Library Commission formed a task force, the
Access to Special Collections Working Group (ASCWG), to explore ways to provide
better Internet access to the special collection material of North Carolina’s public libraries.
The group developed the North Carolina ECHO project through the State Library to
locate, survey, and assist not only special collections in libraries but also those in all types of
cultural heritage institutions throughout the state.
NC ECHO seeks to help all cultural institutions in North Carolina preserve and share
the stories and histories located within their walls with the people of the state and the
world. The project’s funding derives from a federal LSTA grant from the Institute of
Museums and Library Services administered through the State Library of North Carolina.
The goals of the project are three-fold: 1) to gather information about individual public
and private cultural institutions in the state for an inclusive web portal/directory, and a
comprehensive statistical and anecdotal analysis of the needs and challenges faced by these
institutions in today’s world; 2) to assist the special collections professionals in these institu-tions
in learning the best practices for traditional methods of preservation, access, and
digitization; and 3) to help these institutions, through a series of grant programs, to work
collaboratively and to fund digitization projects aimed at sharing their collections and
stories online.
NC ECHO strives to be as inclusive as possible in identifying organizations for the
project. It uses the following criteria for selection:
Any cultural institution (library, archive, museum, historic site, or organization)
which maintains a permanent, non-living collection of unique materials held for
research and/or exhibit purposes and open for the use of the public will be
surveyed. Denominational/associational collections will be surveyed, but
individual church collections will not. Art museums will be surveyed, but
8 2 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
galleries will not. Zoos, arboreta, and parks will not be surveyed, unless as a part
of their mission, they hold collections described above.
Institutions meeting these criteria and included in the project directory are known as
NC ECHO partner institutions. These include libraries, archives, art museums, history
museums, science museums, historic house museums, historic sites, state and national
parks, and more. NC ECHO’s grant programs encourage libraries to collaborate with
non-library institutions on digitization projects to make their special collections holdings,
exhibits, catalogs, indexes, and finding aids available online. A variety of workshops
focus upon ways to put these materials on the Internet using methods that allow for
maximum accessibility and searchability. Through the
comprehensive directory, grant programs, and continuing
education opportunities, NC ECHO hopes to help
North Carolina’s cultural institutions preserve and share
their individual, community, and collective state heritage.
NC ECHO is presently over three-quarters of the way
through its needs assessment survey and information-gathering
site visits to cultural institutions across the state.
Since February 2001, a project archivist and project
librarian have visited seventy-seven of the one hundred
counties and have identified over 850 cultural institu-tions.
Fascinating and unbelievable collections and indi-vidual
items have been discovered from Murphy to
Manteo, and more will undoubtedly be found before the
survey ends. Only a small portion of the interesting things
located thus far includes a jar of canned possum from the
1940s (Belhaven Memorial Museum, Belhaven); the
largest collection of historic barbed wire in the world
(Taxidermy Hall of Fame of N.C. Creation Museum
and Antique Tool Museum, Southern Pines); the original
propeller from the Wright Brothers’ airplane and the
sewing machine on which they sewed the cloth for the wings (Cape Hatteras National
Seashore Headquarters on Roanoke Island); Richard Nixon’s Duke University Law
School term paper on “Legal Ethics” (Duke University Archives, Durham); “Letter
from the Dead”— the last words of a dying Confederate officer from North Carolina
written on the battlefield of Gettysburg (North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh); the
original Siamese twins’ daybook—the journal of Cheng and Eng Bunker, who lived out
their retirement in North Carolina (North Carolina Collection Gallery, UNC-Chapel
Hill); and the site of the first Krispy Kreme doughnut shop (Old Salem/Museum of Early
Southern Decorative Arts, Winston-Salem).
The NC ECHO staff urges the public and the readership of Carolina Comments to
take a look at their website, www.ncecho.org, and to browse through the online directory
of cultural repositories. Is there a museum or historic site in your hometown that NC
ECHO seems to have missed? Contact the NC ECHO staff at their office in the State
Library, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC, ncecho@library.dcr.state.nc.us, or (919)
807-7418, if you have any comments or suggestions. Project staff consists of project
manager Peggy Schaeffer, project archivist Kim Cumber, metadata coordinator Kathy
Wisser, and project assistant Lisa Coombes.
V O L U M E 5 2 , N U M B E R 3 , J U L Y 2 0 0 4 8 3
Arthur Congleton, curator of
the Belhaven Memorial
Museum, holds a jar of canned
possum from the 1940s, one of
many unusual discoveries of
NC ECHO staff during their
site visits to cultural institutions
around the state. Photo
courtesy of Scott Reavis, NC
ECHO project librarian.
News from Historical Resources
Archives and Records Section
In an initiative that began with conversations with Information Technology Services
(ITS) in the summer of 2003, the section has agreed to participate in a pilot project for the
management of electronic records in the summer of 2004. In conjunction with ITS, other
state agencies, and Documentum, a leading Enterprise Content Solution software pro-vider,
the section will be testing projects involving the preservation of e-mail, digital asset
management, and replacement of current records-scheduling databases and records man-agement
tools. ITS is North Carolina’s statewide information technology agency that pro-vides
enterprise software solutions to state agencies and offices.
In October 2003, the Government Records Branch published on its website a new sec-tion
of the “General Schedule for State Agency Records” devoted to information technol-ogy
records. These are records normally maintained by information technology operations
units of state agencies. An amended “General Schedule for State Agency Records,”
published originally in 2000, was re-issued in January 2004. The Information Technology
Branch has continued to revamp all of the section’s web pages. New pages for the Govern-ment
Records Branch, including records retention and disposition schedules for many of the
state and local government agencies, are available at: http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/records.
The Outer Banks History Center (OBHC) has acquired an important collection of
thousands of negatives taken by renowned local photographer Aycock Brown. Two anon-ymous
benefactors purchased the treasure trove for the center from a Brown family mem-ber
in memory of D. Victor Meekins and his long-standing association with, and
admiration for, Aycock Brown.
Aycock Brown (1904-1984) was born in the mountains of North Carolina near Blowing
Rock. After graduating from high school, he worked a stint as a reporter for the Elizabeth
City Independent before heading to Greenwich Village in New York City, where he picked
up some journalism courses at Columbia University. In 1928 Brown got his first job extol-ling
the virtues of the Carolina coast, promoting the Atlantic Beach area. For many years,
Brown’s weekly column, Covering the Waterfront, ran in newspapers across the state.
Brown came to Dare County in 1948 to serve as the publicist for The Lost Colony out-door
drama. In 1952, he was named director of the newly created Dare County Tourist
Bureau, a position he held until 1976. Brown photographed everyday life and landscapes,
buildings and charter boat fishing hauls, and staged entertaining shots of swimsuit-clad
beach beauties, which became his trademark. His name became synonymous with photog-raphy
on the Outer Banks. Promotion of the region as a tourist destination to the nation,
and even the world, can largely be credited to Brown.
8 4 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
This recent acquisition will be
added to the large collection of
Brown’s photographs and other
materials already among the cen-ter’s
holdings, including corre-spondence,
papers, scrapbooks,
and ten cubic feet of photographs
that he took while working for
the Tourist Bureau.
Through a partnership with
the First Flight Rotary Club and Icarus International, a time capsule will be sunk at the
site of the Monument to a Century of Flight at the Aycock Brown Welcome Center,
operated by the Dare County Tourist Bureau, in Kitty Hawk. The monument, designed
by Nags Head artist and devoted Rotarian Glenn Eure, was dedicated in November 2003
as a prelude to the centennial of manned flight in December. The Icarus Monument to a
Century of Flight is an enduring legacy to the history, beauty, and mystery of flying. The
site is reflective, contemplative, educational, and a tangible reminder to future generations
of the first one hundred years of flight.
Icarus International spearheaded the monument project. Funds were raised by selling
bricks throughout the Outer Banks and to aviation history enthusiasts worldwide. The
First Flight Rotary Club took the lead in coordinating the time capsule project and raising
the necessary funds. The Bank of Currituck emerged as the primary underwriter with a
$15,000 donation.
Materials to be encased in the time capsule will be representative of life in North
Carolina’s Rotary District 7720 in the year 2003. All forty-six clubs in the district have
been asked to contribute banners, mementos, photographs, books, community histories,
and common everyday items that could be of interest one hundred years from now.
Materials of a more national and international scope are also being collected for the project
from the White House, NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and other sources. The time capsule
will be dedicated in the fall of 2004 as part of the observance of the 101st anniversary of
the first flight and is to be opened in the bicentennial year, 2103. The Outer Banks
V O L U M E 5 2 , N U M B E R 3 , J U L Y 2 0 0 4 8 5
Right: Unidentified beach beauties
on the North Carolina coast, one of
Aycock Brown’s signature themes.
Below: Brown captured coastal
scenes, such as this stormy day on
the ocean, to publicize the Outer
Banks of North Carolina.
History Center has agreed to serve as the collection site, where the donated materials will
be professionally packaged and documented.
The Friends of the Archives held its annual meeting on June 14. Following the election
of officers and recognition of volunteers, Kevin Duffus, author of The Lost Light, gave a
presentation on the mysterious disappearance of the Cape Hatteras Fresnel lens during the
Civil War and his fascinating research that led to its rediscovery.
The North Carolina State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) has hired
Matthew T. Turi, a graduate of the library school at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, to administer a National Historical Publications and Records Commission
(NHPRC) grant. The NHPRC funding will enable a statewide archival training initiative,
“Archival Education for the Twenty-first Century,” an ongoing series of practical work-shops
demonstrating basic archival principles and practices.
Recent Accessions by the North Carolina State Archives
During the months of March, April, and May 2004, the Archives and Records Section
made 204 accession entries. The Archives accessioned original records from Avery,
Catawba, Chatham, Cumberland, Gaston, Henderson, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Pitt,
Sampson, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Wake, Watauga, and Wilkes Counties. The Archives
received security microfilm of records for Alamance, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery,
Beaufort, Brunswick, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Catawba,
Cleveland, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Greene, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Johnston,
Lenoir, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Stokes,
Wake, and Watauga Counties; and for the municipalities of Emerald Isle, Garner, Gibson,
and Waxhaw.
The section accessioned records from the following state agencies: Department of
Community Colleges, 45 reels and 22 fiche cards; Department of Cultural Resources, 5.1
cubic feet; Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 12 reels; Department of
Revenue, 5 cubic feet; Department of Transportation, 15 reels; Governor’s Office, 13.25
cubic feet and 21 folders; and Secretary of State, 1 reel.
The student/academic records for Palmer Memorial Institute (1925-1972) and Solid
Computer Solutions were added to the Academic Records. Twenty cubic feet of Federa-tion
of North Carolina Historical Societies material were added to the Organization
Records. Other records accessioned included 3 Bible Records; 4 volumes (from Granville,
New Hanover, and Wake Counties) added to the Cemetery Records; 55 audio and 23
videotaped interviews, and 1,101 other items, added to the Military Collection; and 8
photographs added to the Non-textual Materials Collection.
Historical Publications Section
More than four hundred years after the event, the Lost Col-ony
and the mystery surrounding its disappearance continue to
fascinate North Carolinians and others around the world. A
new book from the Office of Archives and History provides
fresh insights into old questions about the English colonies
established on Roanoke Island in the 1580s.
Edited by E. Thomson Shields Jr. and Charles R. Ewen,
Searching for the Roanoke Colonies: An Interdisciplinary Collection
(cover pictured right) contains sixteen essays presented at two
conferences held on Roanoke Island in 1993 and 1998. The
8 6 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
diverse essays are written from an eclectic mix of historical, archaeological, literary, and
folkloric viewpoints, by such notable authors as the late David Beers Quinn, William S.
Powell, and Joyce Youings. They include information about the Lost Colony, John
White, Ralph Lane, Virginia Dare, Simon Fernandez, and Manteo and Wanchese, two
Native Americans who visited England in 1584 and 1585.
E. Thomson Shields Jr. is a professor of English and director of the Roanoke Colonies
Research Office at East Carolina University (ECU). He edits the Roanoke Colonies Research
Newsletter. Charles R. Ewen is a historical archaeologist in the Department of Anthropol-ogy
at ECU. He directs the Southern Coastal Heritage Program, a consortium of scholars
from several institutions with related research interests.
The provocative, yet authoritative, essays in Searching for the Roanoke Colonies will set the
standard for future research by Roanoke scholars. However, the 214-page paperback will
appeal to any reader interested in the Lost Colony and other events associated with En-gland’s
first attempts to settle North America. The handsome volume features on its cover
a photograph of the Virginia Dare statue located in the Elizabethan Gardens at Manteo.
Searching for the Roanoke Colonies: An Interdisciplinary Collection (214 pages, illustrated,
index, paperbound) costs $15.70, which includes tax and shipping. Order from: Historical
Publications Section (CC), Office of Archives and History, 4622 Mail Service Center,
Raleigh, NC 27699-4622. For credit card orders, call (919) 733-7442 or use the Historical
Publications Section’s secure online shop at http://store.yahoo.com/nc-historical-publications.
For the first time in many years, Volumes 1 and 2 of the best-selling North Carolina
Civil War roster project are now available. Over the next twelve months, Volumes 3
through 13 of the popular series will also be reprinted.
Acclaimed by two leading Civil War historians as a “magnificent achievement” and
“the finest state roster ever published,” North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster will be,
upon completion, a comprehensive listing of all North Carolinians who served for either
section during the Civil War. To date, fifteen volumes in the projected eighteen-volume
series have been published. However, because of the enormous popularity of the roster,
only Volumes 14 and 15 are currently in print. In cooperation with book dealer and pub-lisher
Tom Broadfoot of Wilmington, the Historical Publications Section is reprinting a
limited number of the first thirteen volumes. The reprinted editions of Volumes 1 and 2
may be ordered now, and pre-publication orders for Volumes 3-13 are being accepted. It
is projected that all thirteen volumes will be completed by May 2005. The volumes are
printed on acid-free paper and have sewn cloth bindings and matching dust jackets.
The reprint of Volume 1 (Artillery) sells for $63.85. Volume 2 (Cavalry) of the reprint
series costs $74.55. First editions of Volume 14 (Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, Sixtieth, and
Sixty-first Regiments, Infantry) and Volume 15 (Sixty-second, Sixty-fourth, Sixty-sixth,
Sixty-seventh, and Sixty-eighth Regiments, Infantry) sell for $47.80 each. Prices include
tax and shipping. For further information and prices of the other volumes to be reprinted,
write the address above or call (919) 733-7442. Pre-publication orders can be placed
through the section’s secure online store, which also provides information about other
Civil War titles published by the Office of Archives and History.
During April and May, the section took advantage of numerous opportunities to sell
books and distribute materials. On April 7 Donna Kelly, section administrator, spoke to
the Durham-Orange Genealogical Society at Duke Homestead about the work of the
section. She also sold shelf-worn books (primarily those of interest to genealogists) to
the thirty-five members who attended. During the weekend of April 17-18, Ms. Kelly,
Matthew Brown, Frances Kunstling, Kenny Simpson, and Susan Trimble manned a
booth at the North Carolina Literary Festival, which was held at North Carolina State
V O L U M E 5 2 , N U M B E R 3 , J U L Y 2 0 0 4 8 7
University. Sales were not as brisk as
anticipated because of concurrent
events. Nevertheless, it provided
good visibility for the section and
many catalogs were distributed. On
April 29 Mrs. Trimble and Ms. Kelly
sold shelf-worn books during the inaugural DCR new employee orientation held in the
Archives and History/State Library building. Tourism Day on May 11, held on Halifax
Mall in Raleigh, provided yet another opportunity to dispense materials. Hundreds of
governors’ books, as well as some of the older, out-of-date booklets, were distributed
by Lang Baradell, Mrs. Kunstling, and Anne Miller. Bill Brown and Dennis Isenbarger
assisted in setting up the booth. On May 26, during the State Employees’ Appreciation
Day rally, also held on Halifax Mall, Bill Brown, Matthew Brown, Mike Coffey,
Denise Craig, Dawne Howard, Mr. Isenbarger, Mrs. Kunstling, Jan-Michael Poff, and
Mrs. Trimble sold many of the section’s most popular titles. Nearly six hundred dollars
worth of sales were generated through these events.
The section is fortunate to have two interns this summer. Dawne Howard and Jennifer
Krause, both graduate students in the public history program at North Carolina State Uni-versity,
began work in May. Ms. Krause is arranging and describing the reference photo-graphs
on file in the section, and adding to a computerized master index to the prints.
Many of these were used in publications over the years, but many were not, so this master
index will help utilize some images from the last fifty years that have never been pub-lished.
Ms. Howard is reading and transcribing eighteenth-century newspapers on micro-film.
Some of her work will be published in a softcover title as part of the Colonial
Records Project.
Over the years, whenever people visit Historical Publications, some often make a com-ment
like “I never knew you were here.” For that reason, a new sign now sits at the cor-ner
of Lane and McDowell Streets in downtown Raleigh. After only two months, so
many walk-in purchases have been made that the sign has already paid for itself by provid-ing
better visibility for the office to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
Office of State Archaeology
Dr. Billy L. Oliver, manager of the Archaeological Research Center, helped to solve a
thirteen-year-old cold case of a missing soldier in Fayetteville. The State Bureau of Inves-tigation
and the Fayetteville Police Department called in Dr. Oliver and R. A. Crowson, a
licensed geologist, to help them locate the skeletal remains of the soldier in the backyard of
a Fayetteville residence. Using the latest technology, they discovered the remains, then
directed the excavation of the burial site. As a result, murder charges were brought against
another soldier, who was brought back from Iraq to stand trial. On May 14, Dr. Oliver
and three other members of the interagency investigative team were presented testimonial
plaques of appreciation by the Fayetteville Police Department. He has also been invited to
help teach a course at the North Carolina Justice Academy in Salemburg on the discovery
and recovery of human remains.
8 8 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
Jan-Michael Poff and Frances Kunstling
of the Historical Publications Section
distribute governors’ books and other
materials at the State Employees’
Appreciation Day rally in Raleigh.
News from State Historic Sites and Properties
North Carolina Transportation Museum
The initial stages in the restoration of the massive Back Shop have been completed. The
exterior of the building has been stabilized, the underside of the new roof sealed, windows
and temporary doors installed, and hazardous materials abated, principally by the encapsu-lation
of asbestos and lead paint. The 600 feet by 150 feet facility, which opened in 1905,
was constructed by John P. Pettyjohn and Company of Lynchburg, Virginia, in less than a
year. Even though 40 percent of the wall and roof areas are made of glass, the walls con-tain
approximately 2.5 million bricks. The renovated Back Shop is projected for use as an
immense exhibit area.
One of the featured attractions of the Back Shop exhibits made a dramatic entry on
April 16. The sixty-one-feet-long fuselage and sixteen-feet-wide center wing section of a
DC-3 airplane were transported by trucks one hundred miles across the Piedmont. The
airplane had been on display since 1979 at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham
and was purchased by the Transportation Museum to be the centerpiece of the renovated
Back Shop. John Bechtel, master mechanic at Spencer, supervised the disassembly and
transport of the plane. The fuselage was carried on a Department of Transportation flatbed
truck, while the wing section was hauled by Yarbrough Transfer Company of Winston-
Salem. The vintage airplane will
be renovated and reassembled in
the Back Shop.
The museum’s annual Rail
Days Festival on May 1-2 fea-tured
two recently acquired diesel
locomotives, a living history trib-ute
to Presidential campaign
trains, and a number of special
demonstrations. The seventy-nine-
year-old Shay steam loco-motive
was operated for the first
time this year. It was joined by a
rare Fairbanks-Morse engine, for-merly
North Carolina Ports
Authority locomotive No. 1860,
and F40PH No. 307, previously
in service with AMTRAK. Living history demonstrations included a blacksmith at work, a
Railway Post Office car receiving mail on the fly, and the Buckingham Lining Bar Gang
of Virginia showing how tracks were kept aligned by hand. Festival participants also visited
V O L U M E 5 2 , N U M B E R 3 , J U L Y 2 0 0 4 8 9
The DC-3 arrives safely in the restored Back Shop at the
North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer. The
plane was transported across the Piedmont from the
Museum of Life and Science in Durham.
with a hobo, browsed model train layouts, listened to railroad music by Ivy Creek
Recordings, and dined on railroad chili and barbecue.
Northeastern Historic Sites Section
Spring rains could not dampen spirits at the annual Halifax Day celebration on April 12.
Not only was this year the 228th anniversary of the Halifax Resolves, the first official
call for American independence in 1776, but also the 50th anniversary of the Historical
Halifax Restoration Association. The group was organized in June 1954 and staged its first
Halifax Day ceremony the next April. A reception and birthday party for the association
followed the customary festivities.
Several chapters of the Sons of the American Revolution, whose national organization
has recognized Halifax Day as an official annual event, participated in this year’s celebra-tion.
The program featured the presentation of the year’s Halifax Resolves Awards. Andy
Whitby of Weldon was recognized for his outstanding commitment to local historic pres-ervation
activities, and Rocky Mount Mills was honored for the preservation of its mill
village. After the awards presentation, an interpretive stone marker was dedicated at the
site of the Free Church, the first house of worship in Halifax, built in 1793. Ken Johnson,
a lay minister at Grace Episcopal Church of Weldon and a former employee at Historic
Halifax State Historic Site, blessed the historical marker.
The 1767 Chowan County courthouse, closed for renovation since 1996, will officially
reopen to the public on October 8. Linda Jordan Eure, Historic Edenton site manager,
and Judith W. Chilcoat, operations manager, are members of a committee planning events
for opening day and the entire week of October 4-8. Contractors and county officials
anticipated the restoration would be completed by June 30. In January, the final $200,000
of a total cost of $3,236,673 was received from the state’s repair and renovation fund.
The colonial courthouse, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the finest Georgian-style
public buildings in the South. Historic Edenton and Chowan County will jointly over-see
general operations of the building, which will be open for tours and public programs, as
well as the occasional court session. A large, fully paneled assembly room upstairs will also
be available for private functions.
Students from the
Christian Fellowship
Church School in
Waukegan, Illinois,
caused quite a sensation
as they toured the his-toric
district of Edenton
with interpreter
Deborah Sliva on April
30. The fourth- and
9 0 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
These elementary
schoolchildren from
Illinois visited Historic
Edenton in Revolu-tionary
War attire as
part of a hands-on
history lesson.
fifth-grade students and their instructors, attired in authentic reproduction uniforms of
the Continental army, were participating in their Spring Freedom Tour of national his-toric
sites. As part of a hands-on learning approach, students agree to a one-year enlist-ment
in the Continental army. They also research one of the Founding Fathers of the
country. Joseph Hewes, an Edenton resident and one of the three North Carolinians
who signed the Declaration of Independence, was the subject of research for a student
in the program this year. Accordingly, the group traveled to Edenton to tour the his-toric
buildings and to visit the Joseph Hewes monument, where the student delivered his
Founding Father speech to classmates.
Piedmont Historic Sites Section
The annual African American Heritage Festival was held on June 12, featuring great food,
vendors, and music. Performers included the Rahman Ensemble, Logie Meachum, the
Capitol City 5, Dancers on the Move, and Different Drum. Among the highlights of the fes-tival
were a special exhibit of African American collectibles from the personal collection of
Effley Howell, sponsored by Thankful Heritage; a reading and book signing by Sedalia
author Annette Dickens; displays by the African American Quilt Circle of Durham; hair
wrapping by Robin Babatunde; childrens’ games and activities; and assorted crafts. The Boyd
Toben Memorial Baseball Tournament, featuring teams from area Mustang and Bronco
Leagues, was held on June 12-13 at the Bundrige Athletic Field. The festival was sponsored
by Sam’s Club of Greensboro, McDonald’s of Stoney Creek, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown
Historical Foundation, the Boyd Toben Memorial Fund, and Louis Raiford.
Of special interest at this year’s festival, memorial director Tracey Burns-Vann and her
husband Andre Vann signed copies of their new book, Sedalia and the Palmer Memorial Insti-tute.
A number in the Black America Series of Arcadia Press, the volume includes more than
two hundred photographs provided by Sedalia families and Palmer Memorial Institute
alumni, many of which have been hidden away in scrapbooks and not seen for decades. For
more information about the book and its authors, visit the Arcadia Press website,
www.arcadiapublishing.com.
Roanoke Island Festival Park
This summer special daily programs will be presented in the History Garden at 1:00 P.M.
The programming is included in the cost of the general admission ticket. The daily sched-ule,
running from June 6 to August 14, is as follows:
Sundays – The Civil War on the Outer Banks
Mondays – Delicate Ribbon of Sand: The Unique Environment of the Outer Banks
Tuesdays – Daily Life in Elizabethan Times
Wednesdays – “Pleased to Meet You”: Personalities of Roanoke Island Festival Park
Thursdays – This Fabled Shore: Outer Banks History
Fridays – Folklife and Culture on the Outer Banks
Saturdays – The Roanoke Voyages
These special summer offerings are in addition to the regular daily programs, which
include musket (11:00 A.M.) and pike (4:00 P.M.) drills at the Settlement Site, and the setting
(10:30 A.M.) and furling (5:00 P.M.) of sails, and the firing of the swivel gun (12:00 P.M.) on
the Elizabeth II.
V O L U M E 5 2 , N U M B E R 3 , J U L Y 2 0 0 4 9 1
For the seventh consecutive year, the park will host the “illuminations” Summer Per-forming
Arts Series, presented by the North Carolina School of the Arts. The five-week
arts festival features theatre, music and dance performances, and film screenings. Faculty,
current students, and alumni of the School of the Arts, one of the leading arts conservato-ries
in the nation, will perform throughout the festival. Evening theatre and musical per-formances
are held outdoors on the park’s spacious lawn, where the mosquitoes are held at
bay by pest repellant machines. Guests are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and pic-nic
baskets to enjoy the ninety-minute performances, which begin at 8:00 P.M. The After-noon
Classics musical series will be held in the Art Gallery at 2:00 P.M., Tuesday through
Friday, and include piano, classical guitar, chamber music, a brass quintet, and a saxophone
quartet. Four film screenings of both School of the Arts student movies and Hollywood
feature films will be presented in the Film Theatre on Saturday nights. A five-dollar dona-tion
per person is requested at each performance. For a complete schedule of events, visit
the “illuminations” website, at www.ncarts.edu/illuminations.
Southeastern Historic Sites Section
In November 2001, Mitch Bowman of the Virginia Civil War Trails Program visited
Bentonville with a North Carolina road map and a concept to create a similar historic
trails venture in the Tar Heel State, focusing on the final 1865 campaign. Since then a
North Carolina Civil War Trails team has been meeting regularly at Bentonville, and
the project is off to a great start. As of March 2004, there were sixty-nine sites funded in
thirty-one localities. Completion of the first phase of the project is slated for March
2005, with the grand opening of the North Carolina Civil War Trails at Bentonville
Battlefield.
The Johnston County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau has graciously funded eight
local interpretive panels. Donny Taylor, site manager at Bentonville Battlefield, has
obtained permission to place trails signage on private property. Historic interpreter Becky
Sawyer has researched and located key images for the panels, including the flag of the
Twenty-sixth Illinois Veteran Volunteers. The eight panels will connect various sites of
the Bentonville campaign, from the Union army’s advance from Averasboro to the end of
the trail at Smithfield. Their locations and content will include:
1) Bentonville Battlefield: the Harper House and its role during the battle;
2) Village of Bentonville: Maj. Gen. Joseph A. Mower’s charge, the desolation of the
village, and the use of private homes as field hospitals;
3) Hannah’s Creek: the skirmish between elements of Col. Robert F. Catterson’s Fed-eral
brigade, including the Twenty-sixth Illinois, and Wheeler’s Confederate cavalry;
4) Confederate line of march: the Confederate advance and retreat along Devil’s Race-track
Road;
5) Union line of march: the Union advance upon Smithfield after the consolidation of
Northern armies in Goldsboro;
6) Hastings House: the headquarters of both Generals Bragg and Johnston before and
after the Battle of Bentonville;
7) Johnston County courthouse: General Sherman’s headquarters during his occupation
of Smithfield;
8) Stevens’s House/Mitchener Station: site of the last grand review of Confederate
armies, and a reception for Governor Vance and other dignitaries from Raleigh.
9 2 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
An estimated 300,000 to 400,000 brochures about the markers will be printed, and
information will also be made available on the Civil War Trails website at
www.civilwartraveler.com or www.civilwartrails.org. The next meeting of the trails team will
be at Bentonville in September.
On March 20-21, Bentonville Battlefield presented a living history program to com-memorate
the 139th anniversary of the battle. More than one hundred volunteers and
approximately twenty-eight hundred visitors attended the two-day event. This year’s pro-gram
focused on a re-creation of Camp Vance, one of several Confederate camps of
instruction in North Carolina.
After being situated for nearly two decades in the Eastern Office in Greenville, the
Education Branch of the Museum and Visitor Services Section relocated to the future site
of the CSS Neuse/Civil War museum in downtown Kinston on April 1. With the state
assuming ownership of the former East Group building on North Queen Street, it was
deemed imperative to establish a presence in the facility. A second motivation for the
move was the desire to return artifacts from the CSS Neuse to Kinston. Most of these have
been in storage in Raleigh or Durham following extensive conservation treatment to
repair damages from the floodwaters of Hurricane Floyd in 1999. The future museum
facility has ample storage space and, for security and insurance purposes, it is essential to
have an employee of the division in the building with the artifacts. Jann C. Brown, educa-tion
specialist, can now be reached at (252) 526-9600.
Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens
The thirty-sixth annual decorative arts symposium, held March 21-23, attracted
approximately seventy visitors. In keeping with the statewide focus upon North Carolina
crafts during 2004-2005, this year’s theme was “‘A Choice and Very Splendid Assortment
of Goods’: Craftsmanship in North Carolina.” As always, the symposium featured a panel
of expert speakers, each of whom addressed a topic related to crafts and artisans in the Tar
Heel State. The opening lecture was presented by Catherine W. Bishir, who retired from
the State Historic Preservation Office at the end of 2001 and is now the senior architec-tural
historian with Preservation North Carolina. She addressed the subject, “North
Carolina Architecture: Tradition, Taste, and Region.” Both Matthew W. Hobbs, a gradu-ate
student at Duke University, and Jane D. Lukas, coordinator of special programs at the
Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), examined an aspect of furniture
production in the state. Lawyer and collector William W. Ivey of Asheboro offered “An
Artistic Study of North Carolina Schools of Long Rifles, 1780-1835.” Becky H. Minnix,
a guide at MESDA, spoke on North Carolina bed covers, and Charles G. Zug III, director
of the North Carolina Pottery Center at Seagrove, presented an overview of the state’s
illustrious pottery tradition. Symposium attendees were also treated to tours of the palace,
with particular emphasis upon its decorative arts, special presentations by site staff mem-bers,
and social hours and a private dinner in historic New Bern homes.
The annual Gardeners’ Weekend, held April 2-4 in conjunction with the New Bern
Historic Homes, Gardens, and Arts Tour, featured an impressive array of heritage tulips in
free tours of the Kellenberger Gardens. According to palace horticulturalist Lisa
Wimpfheimer, heritage tulips are quite different from the popular hybrids available today.
They are significantly shorter and smaller, with pointed petals and as many as seven blooms
per stem. Bulb expert Carl Van Staalduinen shared gardening tips about tulips and other
bulbs during the weekend.
The palace again hosted an outdoor summer concert series, with four evenings offering
a wide variety of music. Listeners relaxed on blankets with picnic dinners on the south
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lawn overlooking the Trent River. The Second Marine Expeditionary Force Band
returned for the opening performance on May 17, with its usual rousing rendition of
patriotic and popular tunes. The Craven Community Concert Band entertained on
May 30, followed by the North Carolina Symphony on June 7. The series concluded on
July 5 with a performance by the 440th Army National Guard Band.
USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial
Special events marked the first and last days of May at the battleship memorial. The
annual living history day on May 1 featured demonstrations of daily shipboard drills and
inspections, special tours of living history areas, and exhibits in the visitor center highlight-ing
the role of civilians, especially women, on the home front during World War II. A
new crew of interpreters portrayed sailors and marines as they went about their daily
routines aboard a wartime battleship. Areas available for tours included the ship’s guns
on the main deck, the superstructure, featuring the bridge and combat information center,
and living quarters and sickbay on the second deck.
The traditional Memo-rial
Day observance was
celebrated on the after-noon
of May 31. Again,
the battleship and U.S.
Cellular offered the
VALOR (Veterans and
Loved Ones Reconnect)
Program, in which veter-ans
could place free tele-phone
calls to service
buddies, family, and friends
throughout the country.
The battleship director,
Capt. David R. Scheu,
welcomed visitors aboard
while an all-service color
guard marched on the
colors. As an enormous “Holiday Flag” was unfurled from the stern, the Second Marine
Division Band performed the National Anthem. The Reverend John L. Gillespie, pastor
of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Wilmington, gave the invocation. After Captain Scheu
had recognized each service branch, Brig. Gen. Vergel L. Lattimore, a native of Charlotte,
delivered the in memoriam remarks. Brigadier General Lattimore is the Air National Guard
assistant to the Air Force Chief of Chaplains at Bolling Air Force Base in the District
of Columbia, and an ordained AME Zion minister. After the keynote address, Robert G.
Greer, chairman of the New Hanover County Board of County Commissioners, and
Spence H. Broadhurst, mayor of Wilmington, committed the memorial wreath to the
waters of the Cape Fear. Rev. John L. Gillespie offered the benediction, the U.S. Marine
Honor Guard delivered a twenty-one-gun salute, and buglers concluded the program
with “Taps.”
9 4 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
The USS North Carolina decked out for the annual Memorial Day
observance.
News from State History Museums
Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex
To underwrite the cost of its summer camp for children, the museum received a $2,500
grant from the Cumberland County Foundation. In keeping with the two-year statewide
Celebration of North Carolina Craft, the focus of this year’s weeklong Summer Kids
Excellent Adventure was on Tar Heel craft traditions, artisans, and products. The free
camp, held June 7-11, provided children ages nine to twelve hands-on opportunities to
learn weaving, rope making, and candle making.
North Carolina Maritime Museum (Beaufort)
The sounds, creeks, rivers, and the ocean surrounding Beaufort are ideal for sailing,
kayaking, and rowing. For the inexperienced or new boater, the North Carolina Maritime
Museum at Beaufort offers programs and classes throughout the year. Long known for its
highly successful Junior Sailing Program, the museum has for the past several years
expanded its instruction to provide for adults.
Adult Learn to Sail classes are conducted aboard a thirty-foot keelboat, and Traditional
Boat Handling classes are held aboard sharpies or spritsails. These five-hour classes are
available most Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer and fall. Family sailing and
individual lessons are offered under special arrangements through the Friends of the
Museum. Learn to Kayak classes are held throughout the summer and fall and provide a
level of comfort to those individuals who enjoy quietly exploring area creeks and rivers.
Kayaking trips to the Rachel Carson Reserve and the basic classes include the observation
of local wildlife with a natural science curator.
The Beaufort Oars,
established in 1991, use
an adaptation of the
six-oared Cornish gig.
Members of the Oars
currently row three
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The Beaufort Oars practice
their strokes in Gallants
Channel.
times a week out of the museum’s Gallants Channel annex. The museum has expanded
the Beaufort Oars gig program to include sliding-seat rowing shells, starting with recre-ational
singles. Anyone interested in rowing single shells can join the new sliding-seat pro-gram
upon payment of the annual dues.
If you have wanted to get out on the water, but didn’t know exactly how to start, con-tact
the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort, where boating opportunities
abound. Call the museum weekdays at (252) 728-7317 for more information.
The museum has published a revised new paperback edition of Traditional Work Boats of
North Carolina, by Michael B. Alford, curator of maritime research at the museum until his
retirement in 1996. First published in 1990, the volume quickly became the standard in
the field and was soon out of print. Copies may be obtained from the Museum Store
(Sharon.Resor@ncmail.net) for $7.95, plus shipping and handling.
Alford’s research enabled the design of a building plan for the construction of a replica
of a periauger, the workboat of eighteenth-century North Carolina (see Carolina Com-ments,
January 2004). The thirty-foot log vessel, constructed by museum staff and volun-teers
at the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, was christened on June 19. The
periauger is scheduled for sea trials in July before setting out on August 15 on a three-week
voyage from Beaufort to its home port of Hertford. It will visit six historic ports
along the way.
North Carolina Museum of History
The museum staff has developed an exciting new educational tool by which teachers
may earn continuing education credits from the comfort of home. Through a series of six
online courses, educators can refresh their understanding of various aspects of North
Carolina history and import creative ideas for use in the classroom. Participants in the
online sessions can complete assignments at their own pace and exchange ideas with their
peers by means of an electronic bulletin board. The self-directed courses include printable
handouts, suggestions for utilizing primary sources, links to relevant websites, and tips for
evaluating potential Internet sites. Teachers can earn up to forty contact hours, including
technology credit, of continuing education.
The first of the six-week courses, Legends of North Carolina, was offered in April and
May. The second, Stories of the Civil War, began on June 1. Other topics to be covered
include American Indians Past and Present, North Carolina at Home and in Battle during
World War II, Women in North Carolina History, and the Civil Rights Movement in
North Carolina. Participants must submit a registration form and fee of $25 for each course.
A printable registration form is available at http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/ProfDev.html. For
more information, call (919) 715-0200, ext. 314, or e-mail beth.crist@ncmail.net.
On April 22, Jean Fagan Yellin, distinguished professor of English emeritus, at Pace
University, discussed the research of and read selections from her new biography, Harriet
Jacobs: A Life. Dr. Yellin has devoted more than twenty years to the study of Jacobs. She
edited a 1987 edition of the slave narrative, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by
Herself, in the process proving conclusively that Jacobs was the author behind the pseud-onymous
Linda Brent. During the program, Dr. Yellin repeatedly acknowledged her
indebtedness to George Stevenson Jr., now private collections archivist at the North
Carolina State Archives, who was then head of reference services. He spent countless
hours, after his normal workday, identifying people, places, and incidents mentioned in
the slave narrative, using original records in the archives. Through his painstaking
9 6 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
research, Dr. Yellin was able to identify Harriet Jacobs as the author and Edenton as the
setting for Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. A reception and book signing followed the
program, which was originally scheduled for February 26 but postponed as a result of
inclement weather.
Last August, spooks from around the world congregated in Raleigh for the inaugural
international spy conference. The event was so well received, drawing worldwide media
coverage, that a second conference has been scheduled for September 1-3. This year’s
theme will be Spies, Lies, and Deception: From Pearl Harbor through the Age of Terror-ism,
examining the interrelationships between terrorism, espionage, and the intelligence
community. The panel of speakers scheduled to appear include recognized experts in the
field. The keynote speaker, Dr. Bruce Hoffman, is the senior adviser on counterterrorism
to the Chief of National Security in Iraq. His topic will be “The Continuing Threat of
al-Qaeda and the Future of Terrorism.” Nigel West, who spoke at the inaugural confer-ence,
returns to address “Countering Terrorism Using Counterintelligence Techniques:
The British Experience in Northern Ireland.”
Other scheduled speakers include Dennis Pluchinsky, diplomatic security analyst and
university lecturer on international terrorism; Kim Cragin, regarded as the leading expert
on suicide bombers; and Tom Kimmel, a retired Federal Bureau of Investigation agent,
who will compare the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the World Trade Center. Dr. James
Leutze, retired chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, will again
serve as chairman and moderator. The conference is jointly presented by Bernie Reeves,
editor and publisher of Metro Magazine, the North Carolina Museum of History, and the
Museum of History Associates.
The registration fee is $300. Members of the Museum of History Associates, senior citi-zens,
active or retired military or intelligence personnel, and educators or employees of
institutions of higher education may register for $175. For registration information, access
the conference website at www.raleighspyconference.com, or contact Vincent Cavallari at (919)
733-3076, or by e-mail at vcavallari@ncmuseumassoc.com.
The Capital Area Visitor Center, currently located in the Andrews-London House at
301 North Blount Street in Raleigh, will soon be moved to the North Carolina Museum
of History. The Andrews-London House is part of the Blount Street Historic District that
will be turned over to the private sector for development. After the visitor center opera-tion
has been physically relocated, the staff members will be transferred from the Division
of State Historic Sites and Properties to the Division of State History Museums.
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9 8 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
Upcoming Events
June 26 North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort. Sun, Sea, and Sailing:
Photographs and Memorabilia of Morehead City Tourism in the late 1930s.
Opening of exhibit of photographs from the Webb Library depicting the
Morehead City waterfront, Fort Macon, Atlantic Beach, sailing races,
fishing, and notable people and fashions of the thirties. Exhibit to run
through August 19.
July 10 North Carolina Museum of History. A Closer Look: Home Front to
Battlefront. Visitors can touch as well as see reproduction artifacts that
illuminate the daily lives of soldiers on the front lines and their families at
home during the Civil War. 1:00 to 3:00 P.M.
July 11 Historic Bath. Palmer-Marsh House Summer Music Series. American
and British patriotic music is performed by vocalist and harpsichordist
Lorraine Hale of East Carolina University and Donald Shiffler of North
Carolina State University, who plays various colonial musical instruments.
Seating is limited to thirty persons. Advance tickets are available at the visitor
center. 2:00 P.M., free of charge but donations accepted. For more
information, call (252) 923-3971 or e-mail bath@ncmail.net.
Roanoke Island Festival Park. A Day in the Life. Opening reception for
black-and-white photography show, exploring a typical day at the N.C.
School of the Arts, as students study music, drama, and dance. 4:00 to
6:00 P.M. Show runs from July 6 through July 28.
July 13 Roanoke Island Festival Park. Twentieth Anniversary Celebration. A
variety of special programs commemorates the daylong celebration of the
twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Elizabeth II State Historic Site.
The day will conclude with an orchestra performance by the N.C. School of
the Arts “illuminations” series at 8:00 P.M. For additional information, call
(252) 475-1500, or visit the website, www.roanokeisland.com.
July 13, 15 Historic Bath. Past Times Day Camp. Children aged five to ten learn
about correspondence methods of the past, writing with quill pens, and
making paper. They end the two-day workshop by creating a collage of
their own work. $10 fee. 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.
July 13-16 Roanoke Island Festival Park. Summer Children's Performance
Series: Faustwork Mask Theatre. Rob Faust mixes monologue,
physical comedy, and theatre as he explores the artistic, cultural, and
psychological uses of masks in a fast-paced solo performance. $5 admission
at the door, free for general admission ticket holders. 10:30 A.M. in the
Film Theatre.
July 14 North Carolina Museum of History. History à la Carte: Ava Gardner.
Billie Stevens, director of the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield,
provides glimpses into the public and private life of North Carolina's
glamorous movie star. 12:10 to 1:00 P.M.
July 16 North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort. North Carolina Music
Day. Celebration of the music of mariners and coastal people features the
museum’s own singer-songwriter Connie Mason and singer-storyteller
John Golden. 2:00 to 4:00 P.M.
July 22 North Carolina Museum of History. A Talk with North Carolina’s
First Lady. Mary Easley, First Lady of North Carolina, discusses the
changing role of a governor’s wife. 12:10 P.M.
July 24 North Carolina Transportation Museum. Cub Scout Day. Scouts can
earn credit for various merit badges. Pre-registration required. To register
or for further information, contact Brian Moffitt at (704) 636-2889, ext.
257.
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Upcoming Events
July 25 Roanoke Island Festival Park. Laura Long Concert. A member of the
Lost Colony Choir, Laura Long has been performing at the park for many
years. Free. 4:00 P.M. in the Film Theatre.
August 1 Roanoke Island Festival Park. Paintings by John de la Vega. Opening
reception for display of oil paintings, photographs, and sculptures by local
artist. 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. Exhibit will run through August 27. The artist will
present a lecture and slide show on August 12 at 7:00 P.M.
August 7-8 House in the Horseshoe. Annual Battle Reenactment. Re-creation of
the 1781 attack on the Alston House. Other attractions include cannon
demonstrations, sutlers selling period goods, and a military encampment.
Reenactment at 4:00 P.M., Saturday, and 2:00 P.M., Sunday.
August 8 Historic Bath. Palmer-Marsh House Summer Music Series. Concert
featuring eighteenth-century string music and singing, with historian and
ethnomusicologist Simon Spalding. Seating is limited to thirty persons.
Advance tickets are available at the visitor center. 2:00 P.M., free of charge
but donations accepted. For more information, call (252) 923-3971 or
e-mail bath@ncmail.net.
North Carolina Museum of History. Summer Family Performance
Series: Bett Padgett. Singer-songwriter Bett Padgett weaves captivating
lyrics with evocative melodies to bring to life stories from North Carolina
history. 3:00 to 4:00 P.M.
Roanoke Island Festival Park. Lost Colony Choir Concert. Annual concert
performed by the Lost Colony Choir. Free. 2:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M.
August 18 North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort. Afternoons at Three: A
Pirate’s Table. Presentation concerning the types of foods available to
pirates and sailors on board early-eighteenth-century ships. Features
samples of dishes and a display of relevant artifacts from the purported
Queen Anne's Revenge. $5 admission. Reservations required. 3:00 P.M.
August 21 Bentonville Battlefield. Living History Program and Artillery
Demonstration. Reenactors demonstrate the firing of a three-inch
ordnance rifle and small arms, perform close-order drills, and discuss Civil
War uniforms and equipment. 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort. Lured by Fishing. Opening
of art exhibit featuring the works of Carol Lassiter of Chapel Hill. The
collection includes oil paintings of fishing lures, oars, and seafood, steel
cutouts of fish, and photographs from a 1930s fishing trip. The exhibit will
run through October 17.
North Carolina Museum of History. African American History Tour.
Explore the lives and accomplishments of renowned African Americans
from North Carolina. 1:30 to 2:30 P.M.
August 28-29 Roanoke Island Festival Park. Native American Festival. Weekend
festival includes demonstrations, storytellers, dancers, drummers, and food
vendors. Saturday, 12:00 to 6:00 P.M., Sunday, 12:00 to 4:00 P.M.
August 29 Mountain Gateway Museum. Sunday Afternoon Muse Program: The
Dowden Sisters. Talented musicians perform traditional string music.
3:00 P.M.
September 8 North Carolina Museum of History. History à la Carte: A Growing
Community: Latinos in North Carolina. Marisol Jimenez, director of
the Advocacy Initiative, El Pueblo discusses how Latinos are finding new
lives and homes in North Carolina and the ways the state is working to
meet the needs of this expanding community. 12:10 to 1:00 P.M.
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Upcoming Events
September 11 Historic Bath. John Lawson Walking Tour. Bea Latham conducts a
walking tour of Bath and describes the town as it was when John Lawson
lived there. $2 fee. 10:00 to 11:30 A.M.
Horne Creek Living Historical Farm. From Peel to Pie. Living history
demonstrations include cider making, apple peeling contests, and fruit
drying techniques. Southern heritage apples, apple butter, cider, and fried
pies are available for sampling and purchase. Tours of the Southern
Heritage Apple Orchard are also offered. 11:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M.
September 12 Roanoke Island Festival Park. Textiles and Treasures of the Middle East.
Opening reception for exhibit of art dealer Stan Atkins’s collection of
carpets, weavings, and art from Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran, and other
Middle Eastern countries. Some items will be offered for sale. 4:00 to
6:00 P.M. Exhibit runs from September 2 to October 27.
September 18 CSS Neuse/Governor Caswell Memorial. Revolutionary War Living
History Program. Colonial era artillery demonstrations, musket
drills, women’s fashions, and games highlight the program honoring
Gov. Richard Caswell. 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Museum of the Albemarle. Sixteenth Annual Moth Boat Regatta and
Day on the River. Join the museum staff and the Pasquotank River
Yacht Club on the Elizabeth City waterfront for the annual regatta and
family-oriented Day on the River program, featuring exhibits and
activities that highlight the maritime heritage of the Albemarle region.
10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. (regatta begins at 11:00 A.M.)
James K. Polk Memorial. Rededication of Polk Memorial Monument.
Living history program features rededication of the monument erected by
the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1904. 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Reed Gold Mine. North Carolina Open Gold Panning Competition.
Participants in junior and adult divisions test their speed panning skills,
with prizes for the top three finishers. Fee for panners. Registration at
9:00 A.M., competition begins at 12:00 P.M.
September 19 North Carolina Museum of History. Writer’s Block: When Sherman
Marched North from the Sea: Resistance of the Confederate Home Front.
Jacquelin Glass Campbell, assistant professor of history at the University of
Connecticut, discusses her new book that details the efforts of Confederate
women of the Carolinas to defend their homes against invading Union
troops. A book signing will follow the program. 3:00 to 4:00 P.M.
September 25 Duke Homestead. Tobacco Harvest Festival and Mock Auction.
Costumed interpreters demonstrate traditional tobacco harvesting,
stringing, and curing. Visitors can hear the unique clamor of the only
remaining tobacco auction in Durham. Music, refreshments, and historic
games are also offered. 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
North Carolina Museum of History. Fixin’ Grits: Talking and Tasting.
Mary Ellen Gibson, director of women’s studies at the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro, introduces the quirky documentary, It’s Grits, and
presents for tasting a variety of recipes using grits. 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. Register
by September 10 at (919) 715-0200, ext. 299.
September 26 Mountain Gateway Museum. Sunday Afternoon Muse Program:
Medicine Moon. Chief Two Trees discusses healing practices of Native
Americans, and John Paul McNeil and the Mooniacs provide musical
entertainment. 3:00 P.M.
Staff Notes
Two new editors joined the staff of the Historical Publications Section on May 3.
Dr. Michael W. Coffey was hired as an editor I in the Civil War Roster Branch. Denise
Craig, who had been working in the section as an intern and temporary employee since
July 2003, became a permanent part-time editor I in the General Publications and
Periodicals Branch. In the Government Records Branch of the Archives and Records
Section, Ron Leach has been named records management analyst supervisor and head
of the State Agency and University Records Unit, effective June 1. Elizabeth Preston
began work that day as a processing assistant IV in the Correspondence Unit of the
Public Services Branch.
In the Division of State Historic Sites and Properties, Beth Carter has been named site
manager at Fort Dobbs. Ellen Payne has been hired as an historic interpreter II at Aycock
Birthplace, and Lee Ann Johnson to a similar position at the North Carolina Transporta-tion
Museum. At Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens, Rob Lindmar is a new horticul-tural
technician/gardener, Nancy Hawley the communications and marketing manager,
and Orlando Venters a new security guard. Dee Sage has resigned as administrative opera-tions/
human resources coordinator.
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Upcoming Events
September 27-28 Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum. It’s About Time. Program for
schoolchildren includes colonial games, nineteenth-century chores,
blacksmithing, farming and wildlife exhibits, and demonstrations of historic
rifles. 9:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Teachers should call (336) 449-4846 to
register.
September 30 Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. Arsenal Roundtable.
Join the discussion about the North Carolina Arsenal and the effects of
national events upon life in Fayetteville, 1800-1865. 7:00 P.M.
October 1-3 Thomas Wolfe Memorial. Thomas Wolfe Birthday Celebration.
Special readings, tours, and lectures commemorate the 104th birthday of
the novelist.
October 2 North Carolina Museum of History. 2004 Symposium on Civil Rights.
Health is a Civil Right!: Health Care Matters in North Carolina.
Third in a series of annual conferences examining aspects of the Civil
Rights movement within the context of contemporary issues. This year’s
symposium explores the ways African Americans and Native Americans in
North Carolina have approached health care over the years. A health fair in
the museum lobby will follow the program. 8:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Free.
Pre-registration by September 29 is required. Call (919) 715-0200, ext.
283, to register.
October 4, 11,
18, 25
Historic Edenton. Colonial Living History Days. Includes demonstrations
of colonial games, chores, and domestic skills. Children will be given
hands-on opportunities in various activities. 9:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Fee for
supplies. Reservations required for groups.
October 9 Bentonville Battlefield. Civilian Living History Program. Costumed
interpreters perform nineteenth-century domestic chores, such as open-hearth
cooking, sewing, knitting, and dyeing. Program includes discussions
of the hardships Southern women endured to provide for their families
during the Civil War. 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
In the Division of State History Museums, Joseph Barricella joined the staff of the
North Carolina Maritime Museum as a graphic artist in February. He produces two-dimensional
design work to support exhibits and educational programs, and designs The
Waterline, the museum’s newsletter. At the North Carolina Museum of History, Suzanne
Mewborn is the new Tar Heel Junior Historian Association program coordinator, and Joel
Rhodes has been hired as a museum specialist (audiovisual technician).
Connie Mason, collections manager and historian at the North Carolina Maritime
Museum at Beaufort, has been named the winner of the 2004 Brown-Hudson Folklore
Award by the North Carolina Folklore Society. Past recipients of the award, presented
annually to “persons who have contributed in a special way to the appreciation of North
Carolina folk life,” include Paul Green, Doc and Merle Watson, and Michael B. Alford,
former curator of maritime research at the museum. Connie Mason is a singer, songwriter,
and musician who has entertained audiences for years with her songs rooted in the history
and folklore of the North Carolina coast.
Obituaries
Veteran DCR employees were saddened by the news that former secretary Patric G.
Dorsey passed away in Ellerbe on April 29. Secretary Dorsey, the wife of Commander
P. C. Dorsey, USN (Ret.), was named to the position by Gov. James G. Martin in January
1985 and served eight years at the department’s helm.
Born in Oklahoma in 1924, Secretary Dorsey attended the Penn Hall School in
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Wayne State University, the University of Southern Cali-fornia,
and the University of Maryland, studying art history, languages, and architecture.
As her husband was stationed in various parts of the world, Dorsey spent many years over-seas.
In the Far East, the Dorseys were avid art collectors, and both were patrons of the
Royal Thai Art Society.
In 1964, the Dorseys established a permanent residence in New Bern, where they
restored three historic homes, including the dwelling of former governor Benjamin Smith
(1810-1811). Additionally, Mrs. Dorsey was a member of the Craven County North
Carolina Symphony Association, the New Bern Preservation Foundation, the New Bern
Historic Preservation Society, the Historic Raleigh Properties Commission, and numerous
other preservation groups. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed her to the
National Advisory Council on Adult Education.
As secretary of DCR, Dorsey brought a strong commitment to program enhancement.
During her administration, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown State Historic Site was opened,
and the first initiatives in computer technology were begun in earnest. Secretary Dorsey
was known as North Carolina’s “cultural ambassador,” visiting over seventy-five of the
state’s counties and giving nearly a thousand speeches during her tenure. She is survived
by her husband and three sons and their families.
* * *
Frank L. Horton, cofounder of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts
(MESDA) and the first director of restoration at Old Salem, died on February 21. A
memorial service was held on April 16 in the auditorium of the visitor center at Old
Salem. During his twenty-two years with Old Salem, Horton supervised the restoration
of more than forty buildings and the removal of more than one hundred non-conforming
1 0 2 C A R O L I N A C O M M E N T S
structures. With his mother, he founded MESDA in 1965 and became its fulltime direc-tor
in 1972. In this position, he initiated an unparalleled field research program, inven-torying
more than fifteen thousand pieces of early decorative arts in southern homes.
Researchers at MESDA have continued his legacy with the compilation of a directory
of artisans at work in the South before 1821, a listing that now exceeds seventy-five
thousand names. Horton retired in 1988, but continued to serve the museum as director
emeritus. Old Salem named its new museum complex in his honor in 1997, and the
Frank L. Horton Museum Center is now home to MESDA, a children’s museum, and a
toy museum.
Call for Papers
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, with the support of the Pew Charitable Trusts, has
announced a conference, “Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers in Retirement,” to
be held March 3-4, 2005. In conjunction with the publication of the first volume in the
documentary edition of The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, the conference will
bring together documentary editors, historians, and scholars to examine the Founding
Fathers in their years of retirement. The meeting will be held at the Jefferson Library in
Charlottesville, and out-of-town attendees are invited to stay on the campus of the Univer-sity
of Virginia. Papers addressing the central topic and proposals for moderated panels are
invited. Submissions should include a one-page prospectus for a twenty- to thirty-minute
paper and a brief curriculum vitae. The deadline for submissions is August 1. Materials
should be addressed to Retirement Conference, International Center for Jefferson Studies,
Monticello, P.O. Box 316, Charlottesville, VA 22902, or as e-mail attachments to
ICJS@monticello.org.
Colleges and Universities
East Carolina University
On October 23, the university will host a symposium, “Eastern North Carolina and
Literary Inspiration: A Homecoming.” The symposium, organized by the J. Y. Joyner
Library, the Department of English, and other units on campus, will honor Snow L.
and B. W. C. Roberts of Durham. The Roberts recently donated to the library the
Verona Joyner Langford North Carolina Collection, an assemblage of more than twelve
hundred works of literature, 1734 to the present, each with a North Carolina setting.
During the event, authors of juvenile and adult fiction with ties to eastern North Carolina
will discuss the symposium theme and read from their works. Scheduled speakers include
Sue Ellen Bridgers, Elizabeth McDavid Jones, Carole Boston Weatherford, Randall
Kenan, Michael Parker, Bland Simpson, and the keynote speaker, Allan Gurganus. The
library will demonstrate its new North Carolina History and Fiction Digital Library,
which includes titles from the Roberts Collection that were set in eastern North Carolina
counties. For more information or to receive registration materials, contact Maurice C.
York, at yorkm@mail.ecu.edu or at (252) 328-0252.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
John David Smith, Graduate Alumni Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State
University, has been named the Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American
History, effective July 1. Karen Cox has had a book and two articles relating to the United
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Daughters of the Confederacy published during the past year. Her book, Dixie’s Daughters:
The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Preservation of Confederate Culture, was pub-lished
by the University Press of Florida. Her article, “The Rise of the United Daughters
of the Confederacy,” appeared in Lives Full of Struggle and Triumph: Southern Women, Their
Organizations, edited by John Salmond and Bruce Clayton, and also published by the Uni-versity
Press of Florida. She also wrote “The Confederate Monument at Arlington: A
Token of Reconciliation,” which was included in Monuments to the Lost Cause: Women,
Art, and the Landscape of Southern Memory, edited by Cynthia Mills and Pamela Simpson,
and published by the University of Tennessee Press.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
On September 17 and 18, the departments of history and English will host an interdis-ciplinary
conference that will examine the various forces that shaped new cultural identi-ties
around the “Atlantic rim” during and after the Age of Exploration. The conference,
“Creating Identity and Empire in the Atlantic World, 1492-1888,” will feature papers by
historians and literary scholars exploring the ways that new identity creations enabled the
peoples of the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe to imagine and erect common
bonds of civil society and, conversely, the bonds of subjugation and slavery. Featured
speakers will include Ira Berlin of the University of Maryland, Barry Gaspar of Duke
University, and Stephen J. Greenblatt of Harvard University. The conference will be held
in the new Elliott University Center. For more information, visit the conference website
at www.atlantic.uncg.edu.
State, County, and Local Groups
Cape Fear Museum
The museum held several special events in May to commemorate Confederate History
Month. On May 1, the museum hosted an exclusive showing of prints of Civil War battle
scenes by Brian Kraus, artist and art teacher from Morehead City, and pewter miniatures
of Civil War generals by Gary Gerber, a Morehead City craftsman. A new long-term
exhibit that traces the evolution of the Cape Fear Museum from United Daughters of the
Confederacy (UDC) relic room to premier regional museum of history and science was
unveiled on May 7. The exhibit features objects from the original collection of Cape Fear
Chapter No. 3 of the UDC. The accomplishments of the chapter and the history of the
artifacts were discussed by Sue Miller. Dan Morrill, author of The Civil War in the
Carolinas, gave a presentation about the research behind his book, copies of which he
signed after the program.
Caswell County Historical Association
The association will entertain approximately two hundred history teachers from around
the nation this summer as part of a new initiative to improve the teaching of American
history. The North Carolina Museum of History and the Thomas Day Education Project
have partnered to implement a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities,
whose educational initiative (Landmarks of American History Teacher Workshop) incor-porates
historical individuals and places into the advanced training of teachers. This partic-ular
grant focuses on Thomas Day and Elizabeth Keckly, and features historic sites in
Milton, Yanceyville, and Hillsborough. Four groups of about fifty teachers each will
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participate in weeklong workshops, and each group will spend a Saturday (June 19 and 26,
and July 17 and 24) in Caswell County. The museum will provide volunteers to conduct
tours and will serve supper for the teachers.
Greensboro Historical Museum
For three weeks this summer, the museum is hosting a traveling exhibit that commem-orates
the centennial of Duke Power Company. The display features relics of company
history and vintage household items of the early twentieth century. The exhibit will be on
view from June 22 to July 16.
In February, Fred Goss assumed the position of museum director, succeeding the
retired Bill Moore. Goss was formerly assistant director of the Old Cowtown Museum in
Wichita, Kansas, and chief executive officer of the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in
Grand Island, Nebraska. In 1998, he received the Kansas Museum Association Award for
Excellence for Site Development.
Lower Cape Fear Historical Society
At the May meeting of the society, the winners of two of its prestigious annual awards
were announced. The Clarendon Award, given to the year’s publication that best inter-prets
the history of the Lower Cape Fear region, was presented to Alan D. Watson for his
book, Wilmington, North Carolina to 1861. The Society Cup for meritorious contributions
to the aims and works of the association was awarded to Paul Allaire, program director and
overseer of the Latimer House restoration project.
New Bern Historical Society
The annual spring Historic Homes, Gardens, and Arts Tour, held April 2-3, was
expanded this year to include four homes in the Riverside Historic District. Tryon Palace
Historic Sites & Gardens also joined the tour, offering a special value ticket for admittance
to the palace, the kitchen, the gardens, the John Wright Stanly House, the Robert Hay
House, and the George W. Dixon House. Several historic churches in the downtown area
were also involved, providing music or meals for tour participants.
The Phoenix Society for African American Research
An exhibit reception honoring the life and career of Dr. Milton D. Quigless Sr. was
held on May 21 at the Quigless Clinic/Hospital in Tarboro. The exhibit consists of a
display of Dr. Quigless’s medical equipment, including an examination table, blood
pressure gauge, scale, and his medical bag, along with certificates, diplomas, plaques, and
other personal memorabilia. The clinic opened in November 1946 as a twenty-six-bed
hospital and outpatient clinic. It served a substantial portion of eastern North Carolina
for approximately sixty years. During Dr. Quigless’s years of practice, patients of all
races sought out this general practitioner and surgeon, who was well-known for his
treatment of allergies, asthma, arthritis, dermatitis, and weight control. He treated
patients for their entire life span and continued to practice at the Quigless Clinic until
his death in November 1997. The hosts for the event were the Quigless family and the
Phoenix Society for African American Research. The historic exhibit was produced
by the late Helen G. Quigless Jr., first president of the Phoenix Society. The clinic is
available for viewing by appointment only. Call (252) 823-5104 or (252) 823-7879.
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Additions to the National Register of Historic Places
(Administered by the State Historic Preservation Office)
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The Amis-Bragg House in Jackson,
Northampton County, is an
excellent example of the Greek
Revival style adapted to fit a town
lot. The house was built around
1840 for Junius Amis by Thomas
Bragg, well-known architect and
father of the governor, Thomas
Bragg Jr., who bought the residence
in 1843 and lived there for twelve
years.
The J. C. Black House in Carthage,
Moore County, was constructed in
the Queen Anne style about 1893
and features a striking corner tower.
Black was longtime county attorney
for Moore County, first president of
the Carthage Railroad, organizer
and president of the Bank of
Carthage, mayor of Carthage, and
state senator.
Yopps Meeting House, also known
as Yopps Primitive Baptist Church,
was built in 1890 on the site of an
earlier multi-denominational
worship center, shared—at different
times—by Methodists, Presbyterians,
Missionary Baptists, and Primitive
Baptists. The church stands in rural
Onslow County on the old post
road from Sneads Ferry to
Wilmington.
Additions to the National Register of Historic Places
(Administered by the State Historic Preservation Office)
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Cedar Point was built in Elkin,
Surry County, around 1840 by
Richard Gwyn, founding father of
the town. It is probably the oldest
house in Elkin and remained in the
Gwyn family until 1975. About
1870, the house was significantly
updated by Richard’s son, Thomas
Lenoir Gwyn, who added the
classical porches and, probably, the
front gable.
The brick Neoclassical Revival
George Sperling House stands tall
among the simple frame dwellings
of rural Cleveland County. It was
constructed near Shelby in 1927 by
Augustus Branton, whose skill as
brick mason and master carpenter is
evident throughout the house.
The Edward F. Worst Craft Cabin
is one of several structures on the
campus of the Penland School of
Crafts built in the twentieth-century
Rustic Revival style. The
Penland School Historic District in
Mitchell County is significant for its
role in the handicraft revival in
southern Appalachia during the
early 1900s.
Carolina Comments
(ISSN 0576-808X)
Published quarterly by the Office of Archives and History
North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
Raleigh, North Carolina
Jeffrey J. Crow, Editor in Chief
Kenrick N. Simpson, Editor
Historical Publications Section
Office of Archives and History
4622 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4622
Telephone (919) 733-7442
Fax (919) 733-1439
www.ncpublications.com
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