Durham’s Fascinating Civil War Stories

April 2015 marks 150^th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. In light of such a historic time, the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) has relaunched civilwardurham.com to highlight the intriguing events that took place in Durham during that era, many of which were of great importance for both the region and the country.

There are three State Historic Sites in Durham, and each of them has a unique tie to the Civil War. Stagville was one of the largest plantations in the South, reaching its peak just before the war started. Such a large plantation was a rarity in this part of North Carolina, and the trials the enslaved population faced are an important indicator of what happened to African-American families after slavery ended.

Bennett Place was just a small farmhouse at the time, but through historical accident it was also the site where two of the war’s most famed generals, Confederate Joseph Johnston and Unionist William T. Sherman, sat down after years of fighting one another to negotiate a peace. The machinations of their attempts show the political struggles the country faced, and the surrender they agreed upon was the largest of the war, marking the effective end of hostilities.

Finally, Duke Homestead was the home Washington Duke returned to after his time as a solider and prisoner of war. It is where he began his tobacco company that would later become one of the largest in the world, ushering Durham into the industrial age.

Combined, these tales make clear Durham’s national importance in the Civil War. More information about these stories, their legacy, and visiting the three historic sites today can all be found at online.

Celebrate at 'Day in Durham' June 8

A day of free family fun on June 8 will celebrate all things Durham; the cavalry to the rescue, and an early Juneteenth commemoration, in the first of three 2nd Saturdays programs organized by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources this summer.  Unique programs of arts, history, food, and fun will be found on June 8, July 13 and Aug. 10 at the 27 state historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, and a history center this summer.

Duke Homestead will offer "Bull Fest" to celebrate the Bull City's roots with local artists, businesses, live musicians and a mini food truck rodeo. The Little River Cloggers; Durham Bulls mascot Wool-E-Bull; and local artisans and craft makers selling their wares are among attractions. Demonstrations of making bags and labels for the first W. Duke and Sons pipe tobacco, cooking on a wood stove and period toys and games are just a few of the activities that will delight all from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bennett Place invites you to "Join the Cavalry" in an examination of the unique role of the cavalry throughout U.S. military history. Interpreters portraying Union and Confederate soldiers on horseback will demonstrate tactics, drills and weaponry from the Civil War era. The program is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Historic Stagville will celebrate the emancipation of the enslaved after the Civil War on June 19, 1865, when the last slaves learned they were free. Blues musician John Dee Holman, storyteller Priscilla Best, children's author Carole Boston Weatherford, and the Golden Genies dance troop are among performers. An African Drum Circle will provide a lively beat, and children's toys and games will be offered, all 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A special repeat performance of slave narratives, "Let Them Be Heard" by Bare Theatre will be presented at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available online and at the site.

For more information call (919) 807-7389 or visit www.2ndSaturdaysnc.com.

Durham is home to many historic and cultural events. Find out more at the Durham Event Calendar.

Duke Homestead Hosts “Bull Fest” for June 8 Second Saturdays

Who was the Duke family? How did they impact the city of Durham, exactly?  Visitors can answer all these questions and more at Durham's Duke Homestead.

A celebration of everything Durham happens at Duke Homestead State Historic Site on Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at “Bull Fest.” The free family fun program will go back to the roots of the Duke family and the 1870s birth of the tobacco industry in Durham and the country.  Sustain-a-Bull will give a presentation on local Durham businesses and Wool-E-Bull will greet the kids.

This is the first of the summer’s 2nd Saturdays programs organized by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources happening at historic sites and history and art museums statewide.  Each venue will create a unique experience of authentic North Carolina culture to delight locals and tourists alike on June 8, July 13 and Aug. 10.

In addition to demonstrations of making pipe tobacco in an on-site factory, in the historic home there will be sewing and preparation of bags and labels for the Duke’s first pipe tobacco brand, called Pro Bono Publico.  Meanwhile, there will be cooking on the wood-burning stove, a country doctor display, and historic games and toys to entertain the kids.

A mini food truck rodeo, musical performances, including the Little River cloggers, and artisans and craftsmen selling locally made products will offer ample opportunity to enjoy the crafts and tastes of the past and present.

For additional information call (919) 477-5498 or visit online.  Duke Homestead is within the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan W. Kluttz, NCDCR's mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state's history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state's communities. NCDCR's Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina's rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR's State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for the blind and physically handicapped.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state's creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit this website.

Learn more about Durham's history online.

Scavenger Hunt for History Fun on May 18 at Durham Historic Sites

Kids love the game Hide and Go Seek, so it's only natural that they would also love scavenger hunts.  In Durham, kids can get connected to history as they search for clues about famous residents, locations and more.

Durham’s three state historic sites will offer kids free fun with a scavenger hunt for history on Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Historic Stagville, Duke Homestead and Bennett Place State Historic Sites are partnering for this family friendly event.  A booklet with clues for the scavenger hunt will be available at each site, and answers will be discovered at all sites.

A clue at Historic Stagville might be:  The Bennehan House was built in two sections.  The original section was built in ______.  The second story was added in _______.

At Bennett Place the clue might be:  The two generals who met at Bennett Place were _____ and _____.

Duke Homestead will take visitors on a tour of the site and museum from the perspective of Washington Duke, and allow youth to meet the Duke family and solve clues as well.

Young and old can practice the skills of a sleuth and have a fun adventure while learning about great families and events in North Carolina, and win buttons representing the sites as prizes.

Bennett Place, Duke Homestead and Historic Stagville are within the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

About the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources
The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan W. Kluttz, NCDCR’s mission to enrich lives and communities creates opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state’s history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art; NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and economic stimulus engines for our state’s communities. NCDCR’s Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina’s rich cultural heritage. NCDCR’s State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state; developing and supporting access to traditional and online collections such as genealogy and resources for the blind and physically handicapped.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state’s creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit online.

Learn more about Durham history online.

Planting Day and Plant Sale at Duke Homestead

Spring is in the air, and a special opportunity to celebrate it is coming up this weekend. The public is invited to join costumed staff-members of Durham's Duke Homestead for an old-timey style celebration.

Join Duke Homestead on Saturday, May 4th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a Planting Day and Plant Sale.  Take part in a piece of North Carolina’s culture by assisting interpreters as they transplant tobacco seedlings into the field.  Help bring history to life by helping start the yearly kitchen garden at the Dukes’ historic home. There will be a plant sale, and baked goods available for purchase, too.

Duke Homestead is the site of the Duke family’s nineteenth-century farm, where Washington Duke started a tobacco business that later became the largest in the world.  With the money generated by this venture, the Dukes endowed Duke University, began what later grew into Duke Energy, and founded an endowment that continues to contribute to charitable causes today.

Duke Homestead is located at 2828 Duke Homestead Road, just off I-85 at the Guess Road exit. For more information, call 919-477-5498, email, or visit the website.

For more information about historic sites in Durham, click here.

Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War at Durham Historic Sites

Commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War is underway, a war in which Durham had a significant involvement - it effectively ended at Bennett Place.  Three state historic sites operate today at places that constitute an deep inventory of history allowing visitors to step back in time.

Historic Stagville gives visitors insight into a pre-war Durham where white subsistence farmers lived alongside skilled freed blacks next to one of the largest plantations in the South. Stagville, a plantation of 30,000 acres and home to nearly 900 slaves, lay at the center of the Benehan-Cameron family estate. North Carolina was emblematic of the dichotomies that shaped the state and the union before and after the war. Durham reflected both the unionist, peace movement, anti-slavery attitudes prevalent to the west, combined with the plantation pro-slavery and secessionist tendencies to the east.

North Carolina was the last state to secede from the Union but provided the most troops for the Confederacy. In the end, North Carolina troops suffered the most casualties with Durham residents serving in companies that saw the bloodiest battles of the war. The last picket battles in North Carolina were in Durham leading to the truce between Generals Johnston and Sherman. At the Durham farmhouse of James and Nancy Bennitt, now commemorated as Bennett Place, the two generals drafted a document outlining the terms of the largest Confederate troop surrender of the Civil War.

After the end of the war veterans returned home and again worked alongside blacks to forge enterprises launching North Carolina into the industrial revolution and beyond. Duke Homestead is the site where Washington Duke first grew and processed tobacco. Duke's tobacco empire, among others, paved the way for Durham tobacco factories, textile factories and hydroelectric technology. Much of Duke's profits were invested in land and industries but others were used for humanitarian causes, including Duke University.

Each of Durham's Historic Sites offer programming in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. For more information, visit NC Historic Sites. Additionally, Civil War Durham offers additional information and resources about Durham's celebrated Civil War involvement.

A Time To Remember and Learn

In the grand scheme of things, 150 years is not a long time. It is hard to believe that not that long ago, 1861-1865, the United States was surviving the Civil War.

This image can be downloaded
at http://www.durhamncphotos.com/.

Durham played a large role in the civil war with the largest troop surrender coming at Bennett Place in 1865. Visit http://www.civilwardurham.com/ for a chronology of events that took place in and around Durham.

In observance of the Civil War sesquicentennial the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources has planned more than 200 events statewide. Sesquicentennial programs will examine the roles of women, Cherokee, U.S. Colored Troops and more. The impact of the war on home life, sickness and mortality, battles on land and sea, Civil War music, and freedman’s colonies are among topics that will be explored.

In Durham, Bennett Place State Historic Site, Duke Homestead State Historic Site, and Historic Stagville will all host events around the 150th anniversary. The Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau will continue to promote these events as they come closer so stay tuned for more!