Blog Entry List
Celebrations of American Independence can be an occasion for summer food, including the much-celebrated local barbecue picnic. Through the statewide historic architectural survey program – which studies and documents the most humble of buildings and structures to the most monumental – it is worth knowing that the
Every summer, between Juneteenth and July 4th, communities across the country come together for Civic Season – a new annual tradition that encourages young people to learn and engage with history. As we approach Civic Season, this 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we reflect on North Carolina’s past and the long struggle over power to participate in civic life.
In an earlier posting of Worth Knowing, we featured the oldest known residence (to date) in North Carolina. This week, we share the story of one of the most recent architectural landmarks in our state, and one that is a tale of innovative design through geometry – many would say revolutionary – and the interrupted promise of an émigré to the United States.
Today’s Worth Knowing focuses on a historic bridge – and Revolutionary War combat – near Wilmington, and how archaeology can help us know more about history that took place in southeast North Carolina.
Charlotte began as a trading path crossroads between the Yadkin and Catawba Rivers. Benefitting from trade with the nearby Catawba tribe, European settlers established Mecklenburg County in 1762.
North Carolina’s rich history includes how people how navigated what is now North Carolina, using its more than 37,000 miles of lakes, rivers, sounds, and inlets. With access to the Atlantic Ocean and the second largest estuary system in the United States, our waterways have for millennia served as a travel system and a means of connection deeply embedded in our state’s cultural landscape for both Indigenous and historic peoples residing here.
Staffers at the State Historic Preservation Office (HPO) still refer to this house as the “Newest Oldest House” in North Carolina, and its discovery is as much of the story as is its antiquity.
A quiet means to support Liberty from the Revolutionary War era can be found throughout the world, and archaeological discoveries in North Carolina bear out this phenomenon.
As spring comes to a close and the familiar tide of travelers rolls toward the Carolina beaches, southeastern North Carolina is geared up for more than sunshine and surf. This year, the region is buzzing with excitement as it continues celebrating 250 years of America’s story — and families heading to the coast are invited to join the adventure.
Tryon Palace is a rare historic property in North Carolina – it is a reconstruction!
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse, a decisive engagement of the Revolutionary War, took place north of Greensboro on the afternoon of March 15, 1781. After little success in the mid-Atlantic and New England colonies, the British turned their attention to the South in 1778. One reason was South Carolina was the wealthies
As we prepare for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we look to our revolutionary roots and seek answers to questions like “When Are We US?.” Stories that engage with the topics of freedom, civic responsibility, and the ideals of democracy help us commemorate our more than 250 years of history. The history of women’s suffrage in NC helps us understand how the war for a more just and equitable society continued even after the American Revolution.
Every major event has a moment that stands out.
North Carolina formed Jones County from Craven in 1779, and named the town of Trenton the county seat in 1784. Willie (pronounced Wiley) Jones, Revolutionary leader and president of the North Carolina Council of Safety, from Halifax is the county’s namesake. Born in 1741 in Surry County, Virginia, Jones moved with his family to Northampton County, North Carolina, just a few miles south of the town of Halifax, in 1753. That same year he was sent to England to be educated at Eton and returned to North Carolina five years later.
North Carolina formed Iredell County in 1788 out of Rowan County and named it in honor of James Iredell, Sr., a leading political and legal figure during the Revolution and early Republic. Iredell was born in Lewes, England, October 5, 1751, and emigrated to Edenton in 1767 where he served the Crown as deputy collector of customs for the port. He also read law under Samuel Johnston, later governor of North Carolina. The grandson of a clergyman, Iredell was a devout Anglican. Iredell married Johnston’s sister Hannah, and the couple had four children.