InSites : news from the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites

              Published by the N.C. Division of State Historic Sites, Office of Archives and History, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.
Home office located in the Dobbs Building at 430 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, N.C. (919-733-7862) Kay P. Williams, Director.
Volume XXI, No. 10
Oct.-Nov. 2005
IN THIS ISSUE
Historic Sites celebrates
50th anniversary
Former InSites editor
reflects on retirement
and his career at His-toric
Sites
page 1
Pocosin Arts coming to
Festival Park
Celluoid Days in His-toric
Edenton
page 2
New Chief Curator on
Board
Artillery to Rumble at
CSS Neuse
page 3-4
Aycock Fall Farm Pro-grams
Planned
Page 4
First-Every “Great
Wagon” Festival Rolling
Into Ft. Dobbs”
page 4-5
Fall Cornshucking Cele-bration
at Horne Creek
Page 5
Tryon Palace’s 25th
Annual MUMFest
page 6
Message from the Editor
page 7
N.C. HISTORIC SITES GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED AT
THE THOMAS WOLFE MEMORIAL
Gold was the color and congratulations all around were the order of the day
at the 50th anniversary of N.C. Historic Sites celebrated at the Thomas Wolfe Memo-rial
in Asheville, Friday, Sept. 30 at noon. The festivities featured remarks by Cul-tural
Resources Secretary Lisbeth C. Evans and N.C. Historical Commission Chair
Dr. Jerry Cashion.
Through our programs and properties, we provide vital links to North Caro-lina’s
past. Last year alone, our 27 sites welcomed 1.8 million visitors. Each offers
authentic experiences enabling children and adults alike to learn, have fun, and re-flect
on the places and people who have made our state great.
—Editor
……
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES – DR. RICK KNAPP
On my first month away from Historic Sites and retired, I’d like to thank
each of you who sent me kind emails or cards, participated in giving me some very
generous and nice gifts, and especially came to my retirement dinner and roast in
mid-August. My family and I had a wonderful time
at the occasion, and I hope all attendees enjoyed
themselves as well.
It’s been my privilege to work at Archives
and History for more than 33 years—longer than
some of our staff have been alive! I’ve seen good
times and bad times. Some of the best of times were
a long time ago in 1977, when we opened first Stag-ville,
then Reed Gold Mine, then Duke Homestead,
and finally acquired Spencer Shops, now The N.C.
Transportation Museum.
There have been other good years since
then. And exciting things continue to happen, de-spite
current challenges, all around the state at vari-ous
historic sites.
I’m back home in Cary now, catching up on
a few things that have been neglected over the
years. And for those who may wonder about my
“leavin’ on a jet plane” line in the previous issue,
I went to Ecuador and saw some volcanoes.
Thanks for the memories and good luck to you all.
—Rick Knapp
……
Check out our
website:
nchistoricsites.org
Rick and his older daughter Mary Eliza-beth,
a U.S. State Department diplomat,
enjoying an Ecuador volcano, July 2005.
2
October-November 2005
“POCOSIN ARTS: THE FIRST TEN YEARS” COMING TO
ROANOKE ISLAND FESTIVAL PARK
Pocosin Arts’ in Columbia will celebrate its gala tenth
anniversary with a special exhibit in The Gallery at Roanoke Is-land
Festival Park from November 1-December 30. The free
show will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It will
kick off with a 4-6 p.m. reception Sunday, November 6.
The exhibit will include photographs of the fine and folk
arts school’s unique programs and events. Drawn by its gifted
teaching artists, hundreds of artists, educators, historic interpret-ers
and plain arts buffs from North Carolina and 14 other states
have flocked to Pocosin’s studios to learn and create.
Visitors to The Gallery at Festival Park will also be able
to view fine art, folk art and fine craft produced at Pocosin. Clay,
drawing, fiber, glass, metal, painting, photography, and wood will
all be represented. Some of the works will even be available for sale.
Located on the Scuppernong River, Pocosin Arts works to sustain the traditional arts and culture
of the people of eastern North Carolina by “connecting culture to environment”. Over the past decade,
its programs have celebrated the traditions of the region’s rich and varied cultures, including Native
American, English and Scotch Irish, African, Mexican and Vietnamese.
Programs include artistic residencies in the Tyrrell County Schools, classes at the Folk School’s
home studios and creative arts retreats throughout eastern North Carolina. Pocosin Arts was founded in
1994 by the dynamic Feather Phillips, who today directs its programs from the center’s headquarters in
Columbia’s Shoestring Alley.
—Tanya Young
……
SUMMER FEATURE FILMING A HISTORIC EDENTON FIRST
This summer the Edenton historic district, usually the haunt of documentary filmmakers and
travel writers, has served as the backdrop for a major movie production. Appropriately entitled “The
Dog Days of Summer”, the film was shot in August by a group based in Charlotte. Told from a child’s
point of view, the film recalls an experience that forever changes a group
of friends and their small southern town.
Charlotte native Mark Freiburger and fellow graduates of the
N.C. School of the Arts wrote the movie’s screenplay. Freiburger said he
knew Edenton was the perfect place to film his first movie after visiting it in
2004. Crewmembers said they received a warm welcome from the com-munity
and during the filming, many Edenton residents eagerly an-swered
a casting call for extras.
A number of Edenton’s historic buildings and settings will be
seen in the film, including Hicks Field, property donated to the town in
1723 and site of a baseball field since 1939. Be sure to also watch for
various prominent town buildings including St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
(1736) and churchyard (1722) as well as Historic Edenton‘s1767 Chowan
County Courthouse and 1758 Cu- pola House. “Dog Days” will be re-leased
nationwide next year.
—Kathy Busby
Learning how to make pottery at Pocosin Arts
in Colmbia.
The 1767 Chowan County
Courthouse at Historic Eden-ton,
considered by many the
South’s finest Georgian-style
courthouse.
3
October-November 2005
NEW CHIEF CURATOR FOR DIVISION NOW ON BOARD
In August, Museum Services welcomed Carol
Hunt Chamberlain to the Division of State Historic
Sites. She comes to us from Savannah where Carol
served as curator of the Owens-Thomas House and as
curator of decorative arts for the Telfair Museum of Art,
which owns the Owens-Thomas House. She replaces
Clare Bass.
Originally from Ohio, Carol has an undergradu-ate
degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and
a master’s in architectural history from the University
of Cincinnati. She also holds a certificate in historic
preservation from the College of Design, Architecture,
Art, and Planning at the University of Cincinnati.
Before working in Savannah, Carol was the
Dinsmore Homestead Foundation’s executive director.
The foundation owns and operates Dinsmore Home-stead,
a historic farm in rural Northern Kentucky near
Cincinnati. Carol’s career has included several posi-tions
in the historic preservation field at the Cincinnati
Preservation Association, the Montgomery County His-torical
Association and Architectural Forum magazine.
“I’m delighted to be a part of the N.C. State Historic Sites division and to be living and working
in Raleigh,” Carol says. “This is a beautiful, historic state that cares deeply about preserving its impor-tant
history and historic sites. I like being a part of that.”
—Editor
……
ARTILLERY TO ROAR AT CSS NEUSE CIVIL WAR NAVY PROGRAM
Cannons will roar and sailors and Confederate marines will converge on the banks of the Neuse
River once again November 19-20, as the CSS Neuse/Gov. Caswell Memorial in Kinston presents its
annual Civil War free living history program. The event will
take place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday; 7-8 p.m., Saturday
evening; and 12 noon-4 p.m., Sunday.
Members of several North Carolina and Virginia re-enactment/
living history organizations will demonstrate vari-ous
aspects of Confederate naval life including navigational
techniques, daily shipboard living, and nautical skills. A spe-cial
treat this year will be new Confederate sailor and marine
interpretations, as well as civilian.
Old South Blacksmiths will again show how Kin-ston’s
blacksmith shops made things for both the ship and
artillery units during the war; some will be available for sale.
Other sutlers/craftsmen will also participate, including Heritage Leathers.
Visitors will also have an opportunity to see a rare event, a special artillery firing after dark
(continued on page 4)
Carol Chamberlain, Historic Sites’ new chief curator.
Artillery blasts through the woods at the CSS Neuse.
4
October-November 2005
Saturday. Gates will reopen at 6:30 and the demonstration will begin at 7 p.m. on the banks of the
Neuse. Numerous field artillery pieces will be featured including the bronze 12-pounder
napoleon from Ft. Fisher in Kure Beach.
The site orientation video, tours of the ship, and the site gift shop will be available both days.
All activities are free of charge, but donations are gratefully accepted.
—Andrew Duppstadt
……
19TH CENTURY FARM ACTIVITES PLANNED AT AYCOCK
Aycock Birthplace is eagerly looking forward to an exciting fall. Saturday, October 15, the site,
which is located near Fremont, will hold its annual Farmer’s Day program from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Visitors
will have a chance to enjoy traditional heritage demonstrations including candle making, lye soap mak-ing,
spinning and weaving, corn shelling and grinding and open-hearth cooking.
All these activities will help recreate the way people lived and worked on a typical 1870s east-ern
North Carolina farm. Wagon rides and guided tours of the one room schoolhouse and the Aycock
Birthplace will also be available.
Then, October 12-November 16, the site will present its annual
program of living history Wednesdays. Each Wednesday, from 9:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m., Aycock staff and volunteers will demonstrate everyday 19th -
century activities. The program schedule follows:
October 12 School Marm (teacher), Quill Pen & Ink Writing, and
School Yard Games
October 19 Spinning, Open Hearth Cooking, Toys and Games
October 26 Sheep Shearing, Spinning and Clothes Washing
November 2 Quilting, Corn Shuck Mop Making and Butter Churning
November 9 Crosscut Sawing, Corn Shelling and Grinding and Cider
Making
November 16 Candle Making, Rug Braiding and Open Hearth Cooking
—Sarah Liles
……
FT. DOBBS PRESENTING FIRST EVER “GREAT WAGON FESTIVAL AND 18TH
CENTURY TRADE FAIRE”
An exciting reenactment of the 1760 attack on Fort Dobbs, featuring costumed Cherokee reen-actors,
is just one of the events planned for “North Carolina’s Great Wagon Festival and 18th Century
Trade Faire” Saturday, Oct.1-Sunday, Oct. 2 Activities planned for the free weekend event will have
something to interest every member of the family and will go on from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days.
Costumed guides will demonstrate colonial toys, games, storytelling, cooking, period music and
dance. Reenactors interpreting Indian traders, Cherokee warriors, long hunters, the militia, and
provincial soldiers will be encamped at the site. Visitors can buy 18th century-style crafts made on the
spot by sutlers (traders and artisans) and also enjoy food from a colonial tavern. Cherokee interpreters
will even show how the group once used handmade blow guns in battle. A Saturday lecture by Dr.
(continued on page 5)
Gov. Charles B. Aycock
5
October-November 2005
Larry Babits on new archaeological discoveries
at the fort near Statesville is eagerly antici-pated.
The artisans and traders who arrived
here when the state’s backcountry was being
settled in the 1700s period helped make North
Carolina’s colonial frontier self-sufficient.
Weavers, potters, joiners, blacksmiths and other
craftsmen skillfully produced the necessities of
daily life.
Only Fort Dobbs tells the story of the
Carolina frontier and the collision of French,
English, Scotch-Irish, and Native American
cultures, along with its colonial military history. It is the only state historic site in North Carolina asso-ciated
with the French and Indian War.
……
FOLKS TO FROLIC AT HORNE CREEK’S 15TH ANNUAL CORNSHUCKING
Old-fashioned fun, food and music, will be
the order of the day at the Fourteenth Annual Corn-shucking
Frolic at Horne Creek Living Historical
Farm in Pinnacle, Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m.-5
p.m. The former Hauser Family Farm will host its
annual gala harvest festival featuring corn shucking,
shelling and grinding, as these tasks were on a typi-cal
early 20th century piedmont farm.
Though plans are still not complete, past
demonstrations have included beekeeping, black-smithing,
plowing, quilting, tobacco curing, wood-working,
chair caning, basket making, sewing and
cooking. Other activities will include apple butter,
cider and molasses making; children’s games; and
wagon rides. Visitors to the farm may also find
sparkling cider, Horne Creek Farm T-shirts, The Southern Heritage Apple Orchard at Horne Creek Farm
T-shirts, a variety of jams and jellies, applebutter, toys, dried apples, quilts (new not antique), hand-crafted
birdhouses, cornshuck doll kits and fall floral arrangements in a “country store”.
Storytellers will entertain the kids while parents tour the farmhouse. Particular highlights in-clude
the dryhouse and presentations on heirloom Southern apples. As in past years, traditional music
will fill the air. Visitors can also savor homemade country fare including such traditional home-cooked
chicken stew, pinto beans, cornbread, pies and various drinks including cider (fee charged).
The program is free and open to the public but a per visitor donation is requested. Because so
many of the frolic’s activities are held outside, it will have to be cancelled if it rains.
……
French and Indian War militia reenactors at Ft. Dobbs.
Horne Creek Farm’s barn and feline at harvest time.
6
October-November 2005
25TH ANNUAL MUMFEST TO BLOSSOM AT TRYON PALACE
North Carolina’s first capitol will put on its annual spec-tacular
and always popular display of fall color October 7-9 as it
celebrates “MUMfest 25”. Visitors to Tryon Palace Historic
Sites & Gardens the palace will enjoy the beauty of over 2,500
chrysanthemums showing off their autumn colors.
To celebrate MUMfest 25, which is sponsored by Swiss
Bear, Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens will open all gar-dens
free to the public from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7 and
Saturday, October 8, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9.
As for the main attraction, visitors will enjoy strolling
through some of the palace’s most beautiful and beloved gar-dens.
The formal parterres of the Maude Moore Latham Garden
and the Gertrude Carraway Garden will each feature elaborate
displays of chrysanthemums. Reflecting the colonial era, the
Kellenberger Garden will feature an arrangement of other fall
flowers popular in the 18th century and cool-season crops will be
ready for winter in the Kitchen Garden.
Interior tours of Tryon Palace and its other historic build-ings
will be offered at the regular price of $15 for adults and $6
for students (grades 1-12) from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday and Satur-day,
and 12:30-4 p.m., Sunday. Active duty military families
always receive a $3 discount on the price of adult tickets and $1
off the price of student tickets. Families with more than two children, pay for the first two children only.
……
YOU’RE IN OUR THOUGHTS
• Martha Jackson (division office) mother lost her beloved mother Saturday, September 24.
• Gloria Edwards (Historic Halifax) is recovering at home from a dog attack in July.
• Elizabeth Sumner (division office) has just gotten news that her grandmother is seriously ill.
• Rob Boyette (southeast section chief) is recovering from cardiac surgery earlier in September.
……
COMINGS AND GOINGS
• Chris Morton has resigned as Interpreter II at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial to become an Interpreta-tions
Specialist with the Biltmore Estate.
• Courtney Hybarger has been promoted to Interpreter II at the James K. Polk Memorial.
• Debbi Siliva has left Historic Edenton.
• Jennifer Farley at Stagville is due back from maternity leave Oct.1.
• Ed Morris has retired as Museums, Capitol, and Visitors Services Chief.
19th-century lady greets a young visitor to
Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens.
7
October-November 2005
A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
Hi folks:
My sincere thanks to everyone who has helped prepare my first issue of Insites, particularly
those of you who submitted articles. I would ask that you be patient with me on these first couple of
InSites issues as obviously I don’t have Dr. Knapp’s many years of experience with the publication.
In the future, you can help me by making sure that I receive story copy from you for the next
issue of Insites by no later than the 21st of each month proceeding the months the newsletter is issued.
For example, the next InSites issue will be December 2005-January 2006 so I will need your copy and
news by no later than November 19. Just to remind you too, we have made the following changes in the
publication’s format and issuance as of this issue:
InSites has gone a bimonthly issuance schedule as of this October-November 2005 is-sue..
In other words, from now on it will begin coming out six times a year rather than monthly.
InSites’ editorial focus is shifting to future and on-going projects/events/issues within N.C.
Historic Sites rather than past programs/news so when you or your staff members send me a story,
please make sure it highlights a future or on-going program/project only. You may notice that in this
issue, I have presented a couple of stories that covered past events. My goal is to move away from fea-turing
past events but very important stories that affect entire program, like the celebration of the 50th
anniversary of N.C. Historic Sites’ creation, are so significant that I will include them.
Stories submitted for InSites will now need to be limited to 4-5 paragraphs on the outside. I
have instituted this change is because I would like to move towards doing more stories but ones that are
structured like short news briefs rather than longer features. Should I receive feedback that people pre-fer
to return to longer length articles, I will be more than happy to reconsider this decision.
InSites will feature more photos. As the editor, I am going to try to use a photo with each
story (if possible) and would like to request that you email me appropriate photos, along with any sto-ries
you submit on your site. Today, we all live in a highly visual world so I would like for this publica-tion
to reflect that reality.
Thanks so much for your help and please understand that if I didn’t use a story your site submit-ted
for this issue of InSites, it was because this first issue consumed so much of my time that I just had to
go ahead and get the issue out.
—Mary L. Cook
Editor
……