Perdue Makes Donation to the History Museum

Carolina Comments

VOLUME 61, NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2013

On December 31, 2012, North Carolina Museum of History staff carefully wrapped Governor Beverly Perdue’s heavily carved desk, placed it on a rolling table, and pushed it across Union Square and Edenton Street to the museum where it will join that institution’s permanent collection. The desk is part of a group of items she recently gave to the museum. The State Capitol Historic Site, the N.C. Museum of Art, and the N.C. Museum of History— all part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources—help preserve and maintain the official state furnishings used by the governors in the Capitol and the Executive Mansion. Each incoming governor selects items from special collections maintained by these institutions and combines them with items of their own to furnish his or her office in the State Capitol and the living areas of the Executive Mansion. Upon departing office, each governor donates items that help document his or her time in office to these collections. Some of these items—including Governor Perdue’s veto stamp—are on view as part of the Leading the State exhibit at the N.C. Museum of History. A general article about the exhibit appears later in this issue.

Above: The desk pre-move in the governor’s office. Right: Protecting the desk for a safe move. For the Record

Transitions

The Office of Archives and History has been particu- larly busy these last few weeks helping with the transition from one gubernatorial administration to the next. Historic Sites staff, led by Division Director Keith Hardison, have spearheaded these efforts. The State Capi- tol Historic Site staff and Site Manager Deanna Mitchell have helped elected officials and advisers move out of their stately home and new leaders move in. They also helped plan the ceremonies surrounding the swearing in of the governor’s cabinet, the Council of State, and the governor. They even made sure that there was a stand-by sound man and plumber in the Capitol for these important public events. A range of units from various sites and commissions took part in the Department of Cul- tural Resources contingent in the Inaugural Parade (Tryon Palace’s Fife and Drum and Jonkonnu units, Fort Dobbs’s militia, a cannon and militia unit from Alamance Battleground, an antique fire truck and Highway Patrol car from the North Carolina Transportation Museum, the War of 1812 Honor Guard from various sites, and Roanoke Island Festival Park’s Silver Chalice boat and crew, among others). Tryon Palace staff, led by Acting Director Philippe Lafargue, hosted Governor McCrory’s eastern regional visit that was held between the private swearing-in and public inauguration. The Division of State Archives and Records, led by State Archivist Sarah Koonts, has made sure that records of departing officials have been appropriately transferred. Her staff provided reference and research services to various planning committees—including coming in during the holidays to provide copies of films from previous inaugurations. Archives staff also helped select the historic Bibles that were used in the oath taking, and, as caretaker of the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina (which resides in the governor’s office), State Archivist Koonts took part in the private, “Transfer of the Seal Ceremony,” which is held just before the governor takes the Oath of Office. Archives’ photographers were on hand to document these and other transition activities. The Division of Historical Resources, led by Dr. David Brook, provided research reports on previous inaugurations and the state seal to the inaugural committee. And the North Carolina Museum of History, led by Ken Howard, mounted its always popular Governor’s Exhibit, which is updated and re-opened every four years to coincide with gubernatorial inaugurations. This year’s exhibit Leading the State: North Carolina’s Governors will run through April 28, 2013. Filled with artifacts that include personal items, clothing, and portraits, Leading the State highlights the changes in the office of governor and the role of first spouses. The exhibit also focuses on how governors have campaigned and been elected. In addition to this exhibit, the Museum of History also accessioned a number of gifts from Governor Perdue to help document her time in office and has worked with Governor McCrory’s staff to decorate and equip the Executive Mansion living quarters and office in the State Capitol. These activities are just a few of the ways, we, as the office of the state’s memory, have helped support that crucial mechanism of democracy and all-too-rare occurrence in the history of human- kind: the peaceful transfer of power. The ceremonies, receptions, parade, and even the switching of furniture and decorative items in official spaces symbolize and celebrate the people’s ability to select their own leaders. Sometimes it is too easy to take self-government for granted. Sometimes it is too easy to simply chalk up these transitions to just a bunch of bunting and fifes and few recited words along the way to another Monday, another day behind the desk or counter. But those of us in charge of maintaining the records of history--the speeches and argumentative letters of political leaders, the artifacts of slaves and soldiers, the sites where those political leaders were formed, those slaves toiled, and those soldiers fought—we know how tenuous the birth of self-government was, and we know the steep cost of preserving it. That’s something worth moving a few antiques for, not to mention finding a stand-by plumber for a weekend event.

A Transition for Carolina Comments, as well

With this, the issue that covers the close of 2012, we bid a fond farewell to a format that has served Carolina Comments well for decades. A few years ago, this publication ceased to be dis- tributed in paper form due to the cost of printing and shipping, but we continued to design the publication as a print document so that, once printed by those who wished to do so, it would still be compatible with earlier editions. This has meant that we have created a print document and used electronic means to share it. Many publications have moved through this “middle-ground” between fully print and fully electronic documents during the last few years. It is now time for Carolina Comments to take full advantage of digital media. In the next few months, we will be revising the the Office of Archives and History newsletter, which has done so much to communi- cate office-wide information to our supporters, while also creating a record of the Office’s many activities. With a more social media-based version of Carolina Comments, we hope to better inform our current supporters while reaching new audiences with a Web-based production that will enjoy new capabilities such as the occasional incorporation of audio and video. All of us at the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources’ Office of Archives and History are looking forward to the next chapter in the life of our old friend, Carolina Comments. Archived issues will remain available at the Historical Publications website.

Kevin Cherry Lower Cape Fear in the War of 1812 Symposium

On Saturday, October 20, 2012, at the Community Center, Southport, N.C., state and local scholars presented information about North Carolina’s Lower Cape Fear region in the War of 1812. The content was relevant to academics, historians, archaeologists, re-enactors, genealogists, and the general public. After a welcome by Keith Hardison, director, Division of State Historic Sites and Properties, five seminars were presented in the center: “Fort Johnston in the War of 1812,” Jim McKee, historic interpreter, BrunswickTown/Fort Anderson State Historic Site; “North Carolina Gunboats,” Jim Greathouse, historic interpreter, Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum; “Life in the Lower Cape Fear Region in the Age of Fashion, Romance, and War,” Becky Sawyer, historic interpreter III, Fort Fisher State Historic Site; “Captain Johnston Blakely,” Andrew Dupp- stadt, assistant curator of education, Division of State Historic Sites; and “N.C. Soldiers in the War of 1812,” Jeff Bockert, East Region supervisor, Division of State Historic Sites. After the program, Jeff Bockert and historic re-enactors conducted a memorial service on the garrison lawn for Fort Johnston War of 1812 soldiers. In addition, living history demonstrations took place throughout the day on the grounds of historic Fort Johnston. Historic interpreters represented American soldiers and sailors, British soldiers, civilians, and performed musket demonstrations, camp life, children’s games, camp crafts, and more. The program and combined events, attended by approximately 150 individuals, were sponsored by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (DCR) War of 1812 Bicentennial Planning Com- mittee, N.C. Division of State Historic Sites, the N.C. Society of the United States Daughters of 1812, N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport, City of Southport, and the Lower Cape Fear in the War of 1812 Committee—chaired by Jeff Bockert.

Among the symposium participants and attendees were (left to right): Jeff Bockert; Becky Sawyer; Kathleen Stickel, volunteer re-enactor; and David Brook, co-chair of the DCR War of 1812 Bicentennial Planning Committee. Photograph courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Asheville Meeting of North Carolina Literary and Historical Association

On Friday, November 18, members of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association (NCLHA) convened in Asheville for their annual meeting. The session culminated the two-day “New Voyages to Carolina” conference at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, cospon- sored by that institution, by Western Carolina University, and by the Office of Archives and History. On the evening of November 17, William Ferris of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill delivered the Keats and Elizabeth Sparrow Keynote Address. Ferris took as his topic “Memory and Sense of Place in Southern Music,” recounting for the audience in the Reuter Center Atrium the place of traditional music in North Carolina culture before recalling his own field work in Mississippi. There followed, on Friday, sessions dedicated to literature, music, NASCAR, religion, and tourism, all under the rubric of “The Cultural Roots of North Carolina.” The traditional Friday “Lit & Hist” meeting took place at the Hilton Doubletree Hotel in the Biltmore section of Asheville. President Rebecca Godwin welcomed guests, sixty-eight total, to the social hour, dinner, and evening presentations. The next order of business, as usual, was the presen- tation of the 2012 Student Publication Awards, presided over by Kevin Cherry. In the high school division, first place went to William G. Enloe High School of Raleigh for Stone Soup; second place to Northern Vance High School of Henderson for Crinkum-Crankum; and third place to Arendell Parrott Academy of Kinston for Spectrum. Among middle schools, the first place award went to Martin Middle School of Raleigh for Illusions, with second place to Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle School of Wake Forest for Cougar Voice, and third place to Randleman Middle School of Randle- man for Paw Printz. Charlotte Burgess of Randleman Middle School was present to receive the award. Gordon McKinney of Asheville presented the evening address, “The Cultural Roots of Con- federate Loyalty in Western North Carolina.” McKinney is professor emeritus of history and former director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center at Berea College. He is the author of a biography of Zeb Vance and, with John Inscoe, co-edited The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina in the Civil War.

Gordon McKinney of Asheville, formerly of Berea College, spoke about Confederate loyalty in western North Carolina. On behalf of the Historical Society of North Carolina, Michael Hill presented the R. D. W. Connor Award in recognition of the best article to appear in the North Carolina Historical Review in the preceding year. The winner was Gael Graham of Western Carolina University for “ ‘The Lexington of White Supremacy’: School and Local Politics in Late-Nineteenth-Century Laurin- burg, North Carolina,” which appeared in the January 2012 issue of the NCHR. The winner of the Hugh T. Lefler Award for the best paper written by an undergraduate student was Katie Skeen, a student at Greensboro College, who completed a paper, “A Comparative Study of the Role of Black Women in Greensboro and Durham’s Black Freedom Struggles.” Both were present to receive checks from the Historical Society. The Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies annually recognizes outstanding achieve- ment in preserving local history with the Albert Ray Newsome Award. Ernest Dollar announced that the recipient was the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, recognized for its work preserving three significant Civil War artifacts. Kevin Cherry presented two American Association for State and Local History Awards of Merit, the first to Betty Jamerson Reed of Balsam Grove for her study, “School Segregation in Western North Carolina: A History, 1860s-1970s.” The North Carolina Museum of History won an Award of Merit for The Story of North Carolina exhibit, often called the “Chronology Exhibit.” At this point in the evening Michael Hill retook the dais to describe the next four awards, known collectively as the North Carolina Book Awards. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Award for Juvenile Literature, presented annually since 1953, went to John Claude Bemis for his work of fantasy, The White City. Bemis, who lives in Hillsborough, could not attend. He is a previous winner of the AAUW award in 2010. Sue McDowell of Raleigh presented the Roanoke-Chowan Award for Poetry to Alan Michael Parker of Davidson for his volume Long Division. McDowell filled in for Ruth Moose and read the latter’s comments and tribute to Parker.

Alan Michael Parker of Davidson College received the Roanoke-Chowan Award for Poetry from Sue McDowell for his book Long Division.

Nan Kester of High Point, on behalf of the Historical Book Club of North Carolina, presented the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction to Charles Frazier of Asheville for his novel Nightwoods. In his acceptance remarks Frazier, a previous winner of the same award in 1997 for Cold Moun- tain, said that the statuette would make a great companion piece to his other one. Joe Mobley of Raleigh announced the winner of the tenth annual Ragan Old North State Award for the year’s best work of nonfiction, no matter the topic, by a North Carolina writer. The choice for 2012 was Left: Charles Frazier, pictured here with Historical Book Club president Nan Kester, received his second Sir Walter Raleigh Award for his novel Nightwoods. Right: Jeff Broadwater of Barton College received from Joe Mobley (left) the Ragan Old North State Award for his biography of James Madison.

Jeff Broadwater of Wilson, who teaches history at Barton College, for his book James Madison: A Son of Virginia and a Founder of the Nation. More about the book awards may be found at http:// www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/affiliates/lit-hist/awards/awards.htm. Bland Simpson of Chapel Hill presented the fourth annual Hardee-Rives Dramatic Arts Award to the Roanoke Island Historical Association, sponsors for seventy-five years of The Lost Colony. Brandon Smith, theater manager at the production, accepted. Martha Walston of Raleigh presented the R. Hunt Parker Memorial Award for lifetime literary achievements to Kathryn Stripling Byer of Cullowhee, former Poet Laureate of North Carolina and longtime teacher at Western Carolina University. In the final ceremony of the evening, Jerry C. Cashion of Raleigh, in his capacity as chairman of the North Carolina Historical Commission, presented the Christopher Crittenden Memorial Award to Jeffrey J. Crow of Cary, who retired in September after thirty-eight years of employment at the Office of Archives and History, the last seventeen years of those as director. The award, presented annually since 1970, recognizes lifetime contributions to the preservation of North Carolina history and honors Crittenden, the director of the Department of Archives and History from 1935 to 1968. Crow commended the work of the staff in his acceptance remarks.

North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh

Staff Changes Whitney Watson has joined the staff as Exhibit Designer, and Michael Scott is the museum’s new Adult Education Program Coordinator. Janice Jordan, Historical Publications Editor, has retired. Museum Receives Grant

The museum has received a grant of $15,000 from the Marion Stedman Covington Foundation for the traveling exhibit Art in Clay, opening March 8, 2013. Art in Clay celebrates the achievements of North Carolina’s earliest earthenware potters. It will include nearly 200 objects from distin- guished public and private collections. The exhibit is sponsored by Old Salem Museums & Gardens, the Chipstone Foundation, and the Caxamabas Foundation. Southeastern Museums Conference Awards

On November 8, the Southeastern Museums Conference presented two awards to the N.C. Museum of History. The museum’s largest exhibit, The Story of North Carolina, received a Certifi- cate of Excellence in the 2012 Exhibition Design Competition. In the 2012 Publication Design Competition, the museum received a Silver Award for the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of Circa, which was designed by Karen Essic. Associate curator Michael Ausbon received a SEMC Travel Scholarship in the Emerging Museum Professional Category. Museum Presents New, Free Video Series

The N.C. Museum of History presents the new video series North Carolina, Long Story Shorts. Entertaining and educational, the free programs are available in an on-demand streaming video format at www.ncmuseumofhistory.org. Under the “Education” link, just click “Videos on Demand,” register, and watch history unfold. The videos are for all audiences. The series’ signature video truly lives up to its name—North Carolina: Long Story, hort! Incredibly, this film covers 14,000 years of history in 11 minutes. Set to music, you can sing along with talented Tar Heel students who take you from the state’s earliest days through the 20th century. The video is filled with historical photographs and information, with a little humor on the side. Learn interesting and fun facts about American Indian life, pirates, wars, the civil rights movement, and much more. “This film highlights both well-known and lesser-known aspects of North Carolina history,” says Jackson Bloom, a UNC-Chapel Hill student who appears in the video. “This overview is a great way to learn about them.” The series’ second video, A Tale of Two Kitchens, follows the morning routines of children today and of children in the mid-1800s. Presented in a split screen, the two-minute film compares the differences. Imagine feeding chickens, fetching water, and chopping wood before heading off to school. Aside from the new series, six additional videos about a variety of topics are available on the museum’s website. Ranging from eight to fifty-two minutes long, these popular programs pro- duced by the N.C. Museum of History are great for schools, home schools, club meetings, and other organizations.

Logo for the new video series North Caro- lina, Long Story Shorts. Leading the State: North Carolina’s Governors

On December 21, the N.C. Museum of History opened Leading the State: North Carolina’s Gov- ernors, which explores more than 200 years of gubernatorial history. Filled with artifacts that include personal items, clothing, and portraits, the exhibit highlights the changes in the office of governor and the role of first spouses. Leading the State also focuses on how governors have campaigned and been elected. Admission is free, and the exhibit, located on the museum’s lobby-level floor, will run through April 28, 2013. “Along with several old favorites from the museum collection, such as first ladies’ gowns and gubernatorial suits, we are featuring artifacts that have never been exhibited,” says RaeLana Poteat, Curator of Political and Social History. “For example, in a section about the Executive Mansion, we included Gov. Elias Carr’s polka-dotted pajamas, as well as a plant stand and statue that were in the mansion in the late 19th century.” Sixty-seven governors have served North Carolina, and dozens more presided over the colony before statehood. As Leading the State follows the evolution of the office of governor, discover how governors have gone from being relatively powerless leaders to powerful politicians. Over time, North Carolina’s top leader served longer terms and developed the political clout to contest the General Assembly on key issues.

The exhibit Leading the State features a plaque containing fragments of Apollo 11 moon rocks that President Richard Nixon presented to Gov. Bob Scott and his family, who accepted the items on behalf of all North Carolinians, in 1969 to commemorate NASA’s first manned mission on the moon. Pictured are (left to right) Susan Scott, Mary Scott, North Carolina First Lady Jessie Rae Scott, First Lady Patricia Nixon, President Nixon, Governor Scott, and Meg Scott. (Left) Leading the State showcases a beautiful kimono that an exchange group from Tokyo, Japan, presented to First Lady Carolyn Hunt in 1984. She supported numerous causes, including the cultural exchange program Friendship Force (now the Center for International Understanding). (Right) Gov. Luther H. Hodges served as governor from 1954 to 1961. The former businessman sought to improve the lives of North Carolinians by revitalizing the state’s economy. He worked to expand industry and bring in new businesses.

A variety of artifacts in Leading the State represent past and present governors. These items range from an inkwell that Gov. Zebulon Vance used in the State Capitol during the Civil War to fragments of Apollo 11 moon rocks that were presented to Gov. Bob Scott by President Richard Nixon in 1969 to commemorate NASA’s first manned mission on the moon. The exhibit also features the suit that North Carolina’s first female governor, Beverly Eaves Perdue, wore for her official gubernatorial portrait. Leading the State traces the shift in the role of the governor’s spouse from that of helpmate and official hostess to a public figure representing the state. Many first spouses have supported causes to benefit North Carolinians. For example, First Lady Dottie Martin was instrumental in starting the N.C. Department of Transportation Wildflower Program. This award-winning highway beau- tification program continues today. Carolyn Hunt, the state’s longest-serving first lady, supported numerous causes, including children’s literacy and the cultural exchange program Friendship Force (now the Center for International Understanding). Leading the State showcases a beautiful kimono that an exchange group from Tokyo, Japan, gave her in 1984. The role of first lady shifted once again when Gov. Michael Easley took office and First Lady Mary Easley continued to hold a job during her husband’s term. And, of course, the first lady title changed altogether when Governor Perdue’s husband, Robert W. Eaves Jr., became North Carolina’s First Gentleman in 2009. A section of Leading the State about gubernatorial campaigns and voting practices includes post- ers, buttons, and bumper stickers from past elections. Learn about the different ways North Caro- linians have cast their votes. In addition to a ballot box, museum visitors will see a large, electronic voting machine that was used from the 1940s to 2006. The voting machine has small levers above each candidate’s name. Voters turned down a lever above their choice and then moved a larger lever to register their vote. Be sure to see Leading the State, and discover how the contributions of former governors and first spouses have enriched the Old North State.

Museum of the Albemarle

New exhibits, programs, and community outreach are happening at the Museum of the Albe- marle. The staff continues working with the History Department at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) toward the creation to two new history kits, which will focus on African American history and be sent to 4th and 8th grade classes in the 13-county region served by the museum. Addition- ally, volunteer and internship opportunities through ECSU are being developed with a variety of academic departments. On January 19, 2013, the museum will open a special exhibit called Scotty McCreery: An Ameri- can Idol. McCreery has family in the Elizabeth City area. The opening event will be sponsored by the local Bojangles, the Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle, and Jeffrey’s Florist. The Museum of the Albemarle will be the second North Carolina venue for the popular traveling exhibit Real to Reel: The Making of Gone with the Wind. This exhibit will give visitors to Eliza- beth City a rare glimpse into how Margaret Mitchell’s book became a record-breaking film. The exhibit will showcase authentic memorabilia—costumes, screen tests, scene props, a script, Vivien Leigh’s Academy Award, and more. The exhibit opens in early June 2013 and will run through December 31, 2013. Lectures, public programs, and a new exhibit will help the region celebrate Black History Month in February. The public opening on February 16, 2013, of Memorable Sands, an exhibit on the historically African American beaches in the region, featured a discussion by author Frank Stephenson Jr. on his book, Chowan Beach: Remembering an African-American Resort. Music will fill the museum on February 10 when Celestial Choir, Greater Anointing Ministries, and the ECSU Gospel Club Choir perform. A full list of exhibits and programs is available at www.museumofthealbemarle.com or on Facebook.

State Historic Preservation Office

Michael Southern Receives a Governor’s Award for Excellence On November 27, HPO Senior Architectural Historian and Geographic Information System (GIS) Coordinator Michael Southern received a Governor’s Award for Excellence in the area of Innovation for his outstanding work on the development of the HPOWEB website. As part of HPO efforts to make records available to the public and other state agencies, staff has been transferring data into ArcGIS from our older paper survey maps, as well as recent architectural surveys, applications to the NC Study List, and National Register nominations. This information is then posted on HPOWEB (http://gis.ncdcr.gov/hpoweb/), a public website that allows researchers to work remotely rather than visit the HPO offices. Southern began the initiative in 2007, working solo after developing the HPO’s survey database. In 2009 he was joined by two half-time temporary employees, Heather Mounts and Andy Edmonds, who helped build the system, populate the data, and launch HPOWEB in 2010. Sam Franklin joined the team as a part-time intern in 2010. Mounts has since been hired by the DCR Information Technology unit. NCDOT has benefitted so much from the enterprise that it is funding two GIS specialist positions in DCR, one for the HPO and one for the Office of State Archae- ology, which have been filled by Andy and Sam, respectively. We have had wonderful feedback from HPOWEB users, and it is all due to the hard work of Southern and his GIS team. Michael Southern is a native of Raleigh and a 1973 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill in Art His- tory. Since 1974 he has worked in various capacities for the State Historic Preservation Office, including survey specialist, restoration specialist, Western Office preservation specialist, section historian, and supervisor of the Survey and National Register Branch. He has participated in field studies of historic buildings in all 100 North Carolina counties. Southern is co-author with col- leagues Catherine Bishir and Jennifer Martin Mitchell of guides to the historic architecture of eastern, Piedmont, and western North Carolina, published between 1996 and 2003 by the University of North Carolina Press. A link to a video about Southern and his work can be found here: http:// youtu.be/ZLC70uvtV0E

Governor Bev Perdue and the 2012 Governor’s Award for Excellence recipients at a lunch reception at the Governor’s Mansion. Michael Southern is at the right end of the third row. National Trust Hosts Board Development Workshop in Williamston for Rosenwald School Support Groups

On November 16 and 17, members of the boards of six organizations devoted to the preservation of Rosenwald schools in eastern North Carolina attended the workshop, “Planning, Leading, Advancing: African American Historic Sites” conducted in Williamston by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) with the assistance of a grant from the 1772 Foundation. The workshop is a training program offered to nonprofits working to save places of importance in African American history with the goal of strengthening the capacity of board members and site directors in governance, fundraising, visioning, planning, and best practices in nonprofit management. The first day was an intensive curriculum focused on planning for productive partnerships, how to use history to leverage fundraising, techniques for making the “perfect ask,” and strategic planning. Day two of the workshop was a half-day meeting with each volunteer director, board chair, and other members with the purpose of refining action items defined by the full board on day one. NTHP staff will follow up with each board by conference calls to review progress on action items and offer guidance 30, 90, and 120 days after the workshop. The six boards in attendance are affiliated with the C. S. Brown School in Winton, the Hamilton School in Martin County, the E. J. Hayes School in Williamston, the Castalia School in Nash County, the Princeton School in Johnston County, and the Ware Creek School in Beaufort County. The workshop was conducted by Rob Bull Jr., the NTHP’s acting director of development and senior vice president of The Compass Group, a fundraising consulting firm, with assistance from Brent Leggs, head of the NTHP’s Northeast African American Historic Places Outreach Pro- gram, and Tracy Hayes and Katherine Carey with the NTHP’s Rosenwald Schools Initiative led from the Charleston office. Claudia Brown and Reid Thomas of the HPO, Melanie Allen of the Conservation Trust of North Carolina, and Michelle Lanier, director of African American Heritage Development and Cultural Tourism Programs of the N.C. Arts Council, participated in the workshop as observers and resources with the intention of applying lessons learned to their efforts to establish a formal statewide Rosenwald schools preservation network. New Interest in Henry River Mill Village, Burke County

On October 18, Western Office staff members Annie McDonald and Jennifer Cathey joined representatives from the Historic Burke Foundation (HBF), former residents of Henry River Mill Village, and the current property owner of the mill village and his realtor to discuss the process for listing the 55-acre property on the National Register of Historic Places and the potential for a pro- spective purchaser to then use the rehabilitation tax credits. Constructed between 1902 and 1905 for textile production, the site is Burke County’s only planned mill village and retains approximately twenty of the original thirty-five dwellings as well as the company store. Adjacent and nearby parcels contain the cotton warehouse, dam, and mill site as well as owners’/managers’ houses. The mill ceased operations in 1970 and was transferred to a single owner shortly thereafter. The mill, itself, burned in 1977. The two parcels containing the majority of the historic resources have been for sale for five to ten years. Though there have been numerous interested parties, no rehabilitation plans have ever come to fruition. As a result, the last thirty years have seen the gradual deterioration of the struc- tures and, most recently, use of the site for the filming of The Hunger Games and the destruction of one of the dwellings for the movie’s special effects. This first movie of the popular trilogy has brought much attention to Henry River from across the country—and around the world. While it has heightened public awareness of and visitation to the site, this visibility also has corresponding risks that are intensified by the fact that the site is currently vacant. It was in this climate that former residents of the mill village, concerned about the potential for demolition or other loss of the historic resources, approached the Historic Burke Foundation (HBF) about preserving the site. Having grown up in the village from the 1940s through the 1960s, they have a personal connection to the community and hoped that HBF could provide some support and assistance to their efforts. HBF then contacted DCR’s Western Office to see what support the State Historic Preservation Office might be able to provide. Preservation specialist Annie McDonald attended a meeting on September 15 with the interested parties and the property owner to begin exploring possible options for preservation. The former residents, having formed a loosely organized Henry River Preservation Committee under the umbrella of HBF, expressed interest in obtaining National Register status for the property to aid in marketing it for rehabilitation. A month later, the group reconvened at the Henry River Mill Village with HPO representatives McDonald and Cathey to investigate the existing condition of the resources, discuss the National Register listing process, and the applicability of the various rehabilitation tax credits. The current owner expressed interest in the potential for combining the twenty percent commercial rehabilitation tax credit along with the forty percent state mill tax credit. Though he is not in a position to rehabilitate the property, he understood the value of the tax credits in marketing the property. Eligibility for the state mill credit is determined in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office. HPO staff will continue to work with the owner and interested parties to determine if this significant incentive may be utilized for redevelopment of the site. Recently the subject of a master’s thesis by a student at Columbia University, Henry River Mill Village was placed on North Carolina’s National Register Study List in 1973. Except for the loss of the mill, the site is remarkably intact. With guidance from HPO staff, HBF and the preservation committee will be moving forward with a National Register nomination in the coming months. Wade Shepherd, who purchased the parcel containing the store and residential portion of the mill village in the mid-1970s, supports the potential National Register listing. The site is currently marketed by Richard Frye, with Century 21 American Homes.

Henry River company store. Oteen Building #9 to be Preserved

After years of abandonment, neglect, and the threat of demolition, it appears that Building #9 in the Oteen Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital National Register Historic District will be rehabilitated and put back into use by the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville. The project is proposed in three phases—stabilization of the exterior, then the interior, and finally rehabilitation of the entire building as part of the Medical Center’s mental health program. Built in 1930 as a nurses’ dormitory, the three-story, twenty-one bay, fireproof building stands in sad contrast to the recently rehabilitated nurses’ dorm that serves as the western headquarters of the Department of Cultural Resources’ Office of Archives and History. The VA’s proposal to demolish Building #9 to make way for a new Oncology Infusion Therapy and Sleep Study facility triggered review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act that requires federal agencies to consider alternatives to adversely affecting historic properties. As part of that process, local preservationists joined with the State Historic Preservation Office to offer alternatives to the loss and enlist support from elected officials for rehabilitation of the building. Upon reconsideration and study, the VA determined that it could build the new facility behind Building #9 and use the dorm and nearby doctors’ residences for other programs. A scope of work for the first phase in preserving Building #9 has been received by the HPO and work should soon begin. Messages of encouragement and appreciation to the director of the Medical Center ([email protected]) for the change in plans would help to keep this project moving in the right direction.

Oteen Building #9 today. Historic postcard view of the building with the current Western Office of the N.C. Office of Archives and History shown to the right. Western Office Receives Gift of Architectural Plans

The Western Regional Archives in the Western Office of the Department of Cultural Resources, Office of Archives and History, has received a sizable donation of architectural drawings and community plans developed in the 1920s for American Enka, a Buncombe County textile manufacturer. The donation was made by Colbond USA, a producer of synthetic industrial textiles and the current owner of the mill. Incorporated in 1928, American Enka was a subsidiary of the Dutch company Nederlandse Kunstzidefabriek. The American firm’s name was derived from the phonetic pronunciation of N and K in Flemish. The Dutch company acquired land in the Hominy Valley, roughly seven miles west of downtown Asheville, for construction of the mill and village. Conceived as a large company town following the planning principles of the Garden City movement, the community never expanded beyond the mill, gymnasium, lake, clubhouse, commercial building, and roughly 75 dwellings for management and workers. Nevertheless, American Enka became one of the leading manufacturers of rayon textiles in the United States, adding nylon to its production line in 1953. In 1985, American Enka was sold to the German firm BASF, which sold the property to the Dutch firm Colbond USA in 2001. In 2007, Colbond USA sold a portion of the then-unused mill property to an Asheville-area development firm that demolished many of the historic industrial buildings. The residential areas remain intact, however, and were placed on the National Register Study List in 2006. Residents of Enka Village have recently expressed interest in pursuing National Register listing, and the donated plans will be invaluable in contributing to the community’s historic narrative, as well as aiding in determining the architectural integrity of the contributing resources. The plans, which date to the late 1920s, include plats of the land purchased by American Enka; plans for rerouting Hominy Creek and the creation of Enka Lake; conceptual plans for a garden city; original plans and elevations for the mill, company store, clubhouse, and dwellings; and some drawings illustrating rayon processing techniques. The paper, parchment, and linen documents are fragile and require conservation. For more information about the National Register eligibility of properties in western North Carolina, contact Annie McDonald, Preservation Specialist, at 828.296.7230, extension 223, or email ([email protected]).

Western Office staff reviewing American Enka plans with Col- bond USA intern Mary Archer, whose great-grandfather was one of the Dutch engineers on the company’s original management team. Left to right: Annie McDon- ald, HPO Preservation Specialist; Jeff Futch, Western Office Re- gional Supervisor; Heather South, Archivist; Mary Archer, Colbond USA. N.C. State Archives

Staff News

Druscilla “Druscie” Simpson retired November 30, 2012. Simpson began working for the State Archives in 1974 as a Pace employee, supervised by Mary Rogers; the Pace program was a work-study program through North Carolina State University (then North Carolina State Col- lege). In that position she helped the Archives secretarial staff type the handwritten correspondence responses from the Search Room archivists. She spent the next four years working part-time during

Sarah Koonts, Druscie Simpson, Kenny Simpson, and David Brook pause for a photo at the retirement festivities. the school year and full-time during the summers and was the first part-time employee to work Saturday hours in the Search Room. In 1978 Simpson began working in the Search Room full-time. The following year she was appointed to be the first Correspondence Archivist. The creation of the Correspondence Archivist position also marked the transition to using computers to answer reference questions. In 1989 she became the Information Management Archivist; the primary role of the position at that time was overseeing electronic records and MARS (Manuscript and Archives Reference System), the online catalog for the State Archives. In the spring of 1996, she created the first website for the State Archives. In 2001 the Information Management Branch was formed, and Simpson was designated branch head. She and her staff oversaw the migration of MARS into a more modern database; the redesign of the State Archives and Government Records websites; the partnership with the State Library in the project that eventually became the North Carolina Digital Collections; and creation of blogs and other social media for the State Archives. Thomas Bolvin is the new administrative assistant for the State Archives of North Carolina where he will be responsible for budget and administrative services for the Division of Archives and Records. He was previously employed with the State Records Center where he was responsible for transporting state and local government records. A native of Rhode Island, Bolvin currently resides in Holly Springs.

Historical Publications Section

Historical Publications Section administrator, Donna Kelly, spoke to the Battle of Bentonville Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in Mooresville on October 16. Her topic was “ ‘Where Home Used to Be’: The Civil War’s Impact on Women at Home.” The section conducted a huge inventory reduction sale from October through December. Receipts increased dramatically during the period, which guarantees the availability of funds to print upcoming titles North Carolina and the Two World Wars, Native Americans in Early North Caro- lina: A Documentary, and volume 19 of North Carolina Troops, 1861–1865: A Roster. As a result of the successful sales, a few titles went out of print. These included The “Unpainted Aristocracy”: The Beach Cottages of Old Nags Head by Catherine Bishir and Archaeology at Colonial Brunswick by Stanley South. In addition to handling the heavy volume of orders during December, Donna Kelly, Bill Owens, and Susan Trimble spent the majority of their time checking links for six upcoming Kindle e-books. All of these titles should be available in February through Amazon.com. The forthcoming January 2013 issue of the North Carolina Historical Review will feature three articles, numerous book reviews, and a list of selected theses and dissertations relating to North Carolina. The articles are: “Combating Contagion: Smallpox and the Protection of Public Health in North Carolina, 1750 to 1825” by Alan D. Watson; “ ‘I Was Raised Poor and Hard as Any Slave’: African American Slavery in Piedmont North Carolina” by John David Smith; and “ ‘I Told Him I’d Never Been to His Back Door for Nothing’:The Lumbee Indian Struggle for Higher Education under Jim Crow” by Walker Elliott.

Division of State Historic Sites

In October, nearly 570 Beaufort County fourth graders participated in Heritage Days, an annual program at Historic Bath. November brought a military program on Veterans Day weekend featuring His Majesty’s 64th Regiment of Foot, a reenactment group. In addition to being on hand for the event open to the public on Saturday, two members of the regiment also appeared before the Bath Elementary School fifth graders on Friday to talk about the Revolutionary War and the differences between British soldiers and Patriot militiamen. It proved to be a great way to share resources in the small community. Fire! A beautiful day on November 10 for the military program in Bath.

Fort Fisher completed construction of paved walkways around the visitor center, to the ocean- front trail, and at Battle Acre going all the way around the Fort Fisher Monument. The NC Access project is also being expanded to include replacement of the bridge in front of Sheppard’s Battery. The old bridge has seen better days and reached the point at which repairs are no longer practical. The new bridge will be a welcome improvement to the interpretive trail. Historic Halifax celebrated Christmas in Halifax on Saturday, December 8, 2012. The site offered guided and self-guided tours of several historic buildings, living history demonstrations, a silent auction sponsored by Preservation Halifax, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a visit from Santa. The exteriors and interiors of the Visitor Center, Owens House, Tap Room and Eagle Tavern were decorated using colonial-era techniques. The 5th North Carolina Regiment reenact ment group, encamped at the Tap Room, cooked by campfire and performed musket firing demonstrations throughout the day. More than 1,500 visitors visited Historic Halifax to celebrate the holiday season. The support group at President James K. Polk has purchased and installed a beautiful new gift shop counter that is one phase in making the lobby of the site look more presidential.

The parlor of the Owens House decorated for Christmas. The new gift counter at the President James K. Polk State Historic Site, made possible by the generosity of the site’s support group.

Town Creek Indian Mound staff hosted a “Shooting Stars Sleepover” on October 20. Partici- pants had the opportunity to camp at the site, watch an outdoor movie based on an ancient Cherokee legend, and view shooting stars from the Orionid Meteor Shower. The Town Creek staff hosted its final astronomy program for 2012 on Friday, December 21, called “Town Creek Under the Stars: Mayan Apocalypse Edition.” Participants had the opportunity to scan the heavens to explore and learn about Mayan constellations. It was also a great time to view Jupiter since it was just past opposition, or the Earth’s nearest approach to that gas giant, making it and many of the Jovian moons easily visible through the site telescope. Staff News

Sarah Risty-Davis has been promoted from Manager II at Somerset Place to Manager III at CSS Neuse. Jeremiah DeGennaro has been promoted from Interpreter III at Bennett Place to Assistant Site Manager at Historic Stagville. Stephanie Hardy was hired as Manager II at Historic Stagville, Tony Strother was hired as Maintenance Mechanic II at Historic Stagville. Larry Neal is serving as interim director of the North Carolina Transportation Museum while remaining manager of Reed Gold Mine. Mike Scott, Interpreter at Reed Gold Mine has resigned to become the Adult Education Coordinator at the North Carolina Museum of History. Daniel Alexi has been hired as Site Assistant at Town Creek Indian Mound. Patrick Willis has resigned as Interpreter at Thomas Wolfe Memorial.

Spirit of 1812 Award

DCR Staff Members Receive National Award for War of 1812 Commemoration Leadership On October 19, 2012, at a ceremony in Southport, North Carolina, the National Society of the United States Daughters of 1812 awarded its Spirit of 1812 Award to North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources (DCR) staff members David Brook and Jeff Bockert. The ceremony occurred at the conclusion of a Daughters of 1812 marker dedication at Deep Water Point com- memorating a state militia encampment. North Carolina Society President Carol Chapuis Canales and Honorary President National of the National Society of the U.S. Daughters of 1812 Nona Thompson Quinn made the presenta- tion. They cited David Brook’s founding chairmanship and leadership since 2009 of the North Carolina War of 1812 Bicentennial Planning Committee. They also recognized Jeff Bockert’s achievements in educational outreach and leadership as chair of the “Lower Cape Fear and the War of 1812” symposium. David Brook is the director of the Division of Historical Resources in the Office of Archives and History. Jeff Bockert is East Region Supervisor of the Division of State Historic Sites and Properties of the Office of Archives and History. The DCR War of 1812 Bicentennial Planning Committee has undertaken public educational activities including two symposiums in 2012, a speaker’s bureau, numerous reenactments and demonstrations, and creation of a website and audiovisual materials.

Left to Right: Honorary President National of the U.S. Daughters of 1812 Nona Thompson Quinn; David Brook; Jeff Bockert; N.C. Society President of the U.S. Daughters of 1812 Carol Chapuis Canales; Honorary Vice-President National Mary Edwards Little; and Honorary Vice-President National Gwen Clemmons Causey.

Archie K. Davis Fellowships

To encourage more extensive and intensive research in North Carolina’s historical and cultural resources, the North Caroliniana Society offers on a competitive basis Archie K. Davis Fellowships to assist scholars in gaining access to collections. Modest stipends vary and are intended to cover a portion of travel expenses while fellows conduct research in North Caroliniana. The annual deadline for proposals is March 1. Visit www.ncsociety.org for specific guidelines. Obituary

Kay Phillips Williams, New Bern community leader, director of Tryon Palace, and ardent advocate of North Carolina’s history, died October 14, 2012, at the age of sixty-nine. A New Bern native, Kay received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Cha- pel Hill and her M.A. in English from UNC- Greensboro. Kay began her tenure at Tryon Palace in 1983 after brief careers as an English instructor, Director of Career Planning at UNC- Greensboro, and department manager for Procter & Gamble. Kay also served as the first Executive Director of Swiss Bear, Inc., providing professional leadership for the downtown revitalization program that set a course for New Bern’s growth and development as a viable tourism destination in the years to follow. Since 1983, Kay worked with great devotion to shepherd Tryon Palace through a period of growth as it became an accredited museum that garnered national attention and increasing numbers of visitors. Kay provided leadership for the organization’s first Capital Campaign, which raised just over $60 million to design and construct the North Carolina History Center, one of the state’s greenest museums and a leader in the use of interactive and technology-driven exhibits for history education. In addition to her responsibilities at Tryon Palace, Kay served from 2002 to 2007 as director of the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites, supervising a system of 27 historic sites across North Carolina. Outside of State service, Kay was a tireless participant in many civic organizations, serving as Chair of the Colonial Branch of the English Speaking Union and on the boards of Foscue Plantation House Historic Site, Swiss Bear, the New Bern Chamber of Commerce, the New Bern Civic Theater, the Tourism Development Authority, the New Bern Convention Cen- ter Feasibility Task Force, and the Strategic Planning Development Task Force for Craven County. Kay was also active in the greater museum community, serving as a Peer Reviewer for the Ameri- can Alliance of Museums (AAM). In 2009, she received AAM’s Peer Reviewer of the Year Award. Until the very end of her life, Kay remained a passionate advocate for Tryon Palace, for its important educational mission, and for its place in North Carolina’s history. She believed strongly that Tryon Palace and New Bern were the heart of North Carolina and recognized the imperative of preserving their legacy for all North Carolinians. In recognition of a lifetime of service to her home state, Kay was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Beverly Perdue at a tribute in her honor that was held only ten days before she passed away. She was further honored that evening with the announcement that an endowment—the Kay P. Williams Endowment—had been set up in her name. Kay Williams will be missed by all who knew her for her immense charm, undaunted optimism, unquenchable intellectual curiosity, and steady leadership. Flash Points

“Thinking Outside the Archival Box”

by Heather South, Archivist, Western Regional Archives It isn’t often that someone comes in to use the collections in an unconventional way and challenges us to think outside the box. That’s why the lessons learned by this archivist are worthy of sharing. Perhaps seeing how this experience changed my point of view might help give you a change in perception or be a little inspirational as well. As an archivist, I am eager to preserve information and help facilitate the use of the collections. However, it is easy to get into a rut and have, well if we’re being honest, a narrow view of who researchers are and what they are using the collections for. I recently had the pleasure of working with some New Media Majors at the University of North Carolina-Asheville who challenged my approach and traditional views by creating something different from the average student research paper. Because their field of study was not that of a typical patron, they had a new and refreshing way of looking at the historical materials and brought a fresh enthusiasm to the search. When the students came into the search room at the Western Regional Archives, you could tell that they had not spent a lot of time in an archive before. They did come prepared to do some searching but not like a history student or genealogist. After my standard researcher questions, I realized that a fully cited, footnoted, bibliography included research paper was not what they were after, and it took me a little while to wrap my mind around what they were asking. Here is where my “Aha” moment happened. I am not saying that research papers are bad or that helping people do research is a chore; it is simply that archivists have some preconceived notions about our patrons and how our materials can be used, so encountering a situation or person that defies the norm takes you outside of your comfort zone, and that is a very good thing. What the students hoped to do was use the archival materials and turn them into something that would satisfy their professor and add to their portfolio of work. After some additional consultation, they began scouring the Black Mountain College collections for images and documents, and I happened to mention some stories told to me by a faculty members’ son, John Corkran, who lives locally. They seized on the opportunity to interview him and from there set to work pulling images of his family, of the campus, and matching up collection pieces to his memories. The end result of their research, a mini-documentary, is more expressive in twelve minutes than I could ever be in twelve pages. Drew Glover and Kevin Boggs might have been the students, but they definitely taught me a thing or two. Black Mountain College: A Child’s Recollections confirms that thinking outside the archival box is something we should indulge in more often. John Corkran, kneeling, is flanked by his older brother David, and younger brother Robin.

“Preserving the Sights and Sounds of Outer Banks History”

by Stuart Parks III, Archivist, Outer Banks History Center

Archival organizations exist to preserve the past for the future. To accomplish this, we have to ensure that records of the past remain accessible to all, in years to come. This is especially challeng- ing with audiovisual materials. While recording technologies allowed us to preserve the unique sights and sounds of our community, this benefit came with a limited shelf life. Magnetic reels and tapes, popular recording devices throughout the 20th century, can only retain information as long as their magnetic charge holds true. Even with ideal archival conditions, this limited shelf life can be anywhere from a few decades to only a few years. The older this fragile source material gets, the greater the risk that its irreplaceable information will be lost forever. Through digitization, these recordings can be copied and preserved into digital formats, extending the life cycle dramatically and making them adaptable to future media formats. Beginning in 2009, the staff at the Outer Banks History Center has taken steps to preserve its audiovisual collections. Based on a conservation assessment by Steven Weiss (UNC-Chapel Hill), staff identified tapes with oral history interviews, some of which dated back to the 1960s, that were the highest priority for reformatting. By tapping several funding sources and partnering with the National Park Service, 13 oral history collections, 7 of which were NPS, were transferred to digital format for a total of 395 audio cassettes digitized into over 132 GB of information. Thanks to this new accessibility, OBHC staff members will no longer have to hunt for the lone functioning tape player since files are available on disc. Should disc players go the way of 8-tracks, a digital file of the recording will be retained in a separate hard drive, ready to be transferred to what- ever audiovisual format becomes vogue. More recently, the Outer Banks History Center has digitized 3 oral history collections through the company MediaPreserve. The original master tapes, recorded in the 1980s, “Oral Histories Collected by Dave Poyer,” “Oral Histories Collected for the Book Ocracoke,” and “Oral Histories Collected by Virginia Ross,” were in fair-to-good condition. With this latest round of reformatting, the OBHC has now digitized more than half of its collection of audio cassettes. The remaining ones were recorded within the past two decades and are stable. It is only a matter of time before all of the audio cassettes, and the priceless heritage encapsulated on them, are preserved for the future, and staff can stop hunting for that elusive functioning tape player.

Sesquicentennial Brings Exhibit Upgrade to Civil War Exhibit

by Leisa Greathouse, Curator of Education, Museum of the Cape Fear

Going to work every day I’m reminded of the hallowed ground upon which sits the Museum of the Cape Fear—the remains of the United States Arsenal in North Carolina, which eventually became the Fayetteville Arsenal for the Confederacy. These “remains” include extant founda- tions of a vast facility that no longer exists, courtesy of the Union Army under Gen. William T. Sherman. Perhaps that is what makes it so historical—it was part of Sherman’s destructive march through the South. Sherman’s march is just one element characterizing the war’s activities in southern North Carolina. As part of the statewide sesquicentennial observance, the Museum of the Cape Fear has been upgrading three Civil War exhibit cases. The first case to get a make-over was A Soldier’s Life. What images does your mind conjure up when you hear those three words? What artifacts do you associate with a soldier’s life? Guns and bullets, obviously. A uniform, haversack, and other equip- ment, certainly. Perhaps musical instruments to help drive away camp-life boredom, to sound commands, or signify a time of day. In A Soldier’s Life case, there is a Richmond short rifle and a bayonet that had been part of an English Enfield rifle, and a few bullets too. There is a kepi hat and belts to represent parts of the uniform, along with a haversack. Amid the background photo of a Duplin County regiment, you’ll see a trumpet and drum. The second case is called Civil War in Southeastern North Carolina. Civil War buffs will immedi- ately think of Fort Fisher, the blockade, blockade-runners, and Sherman’s march. A serious student of the war will look at this case and leave with thoughts about how it all came together for the Union in what turns out to be the last few months of the war for North Carolina. In January 1865, the Union navy and army won their assault on Fort Fisher, effectively closing off any hope of supplies for Gen. Joseph Johnston’s Confederate army. With the port of Wilming- ton closed and Sherman advancing northward toward the arsenal in Fayetteville, all the while living off the land, the light of secession grew dim. Though two attempts were made by Johnston’s forces to stop the Union army march at Averasboro and then at Bentonville, it all came to a close on April 26, when Sherman accepted Johnston’s surrender of more than 89,000 Confederate troops at Ben- nett Place, a small crossroads that was then known as Durham’s Station. In the second case museum staff is pleased to display artifacts recovered from the blockade- runner, Modern Greece. The British-owned steamer, laden with military and consumer goods, approached Wilmington on June 27, 1862, when Federal blockaders opened fire. The blockade- runner tried to outrun them but ran aground in New Inlet off Fort Fisher and sank. In 1962, a storm uncovered the wreck, and divers inspected the ship’s remains. A large portion of the ship’s cargo was discovered intact, and salvage operations began. Articles such as lead for shot, hardware of all descriptions, house wares, surgical goods and instruments, tin, steel sheet, wire, plus military goods were salvaged from the wreck. The third and final case, which is set to be completed in January, will focus on The Confederate Arsenal. The case will feature four different models of the Fayetteville Rifle, a Fayetteville saber bayonet, and information about some of the machinery at the arsenal. The machinery is an interesting story of its own. “Fifty ‘cutting, turning, polishing, and planing lathes, drills, presses, &c,’ twenty-three kegs of nitre, six boxes of sulphur, five kegs of powder, and three hundred unfinished gun barrels” had been removed to Egypt coal mines, near present-day Sanford, in advance of Sherman’s entrance into Fayetteville. Much of the machinery was “supposed to [have been] the same taken by the rebels from Harpers Ferry” some four years earlier. Arriving on March 11, 1865, Sherman ordered Colonel Orlando Poe, (no relation to the family that owned the museum’s Poe House), an engineer with the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry, “with the utter demolition of the arsenal building and everything pertaining to it,” orders that he successfully carried out. What few artifacts the museum has been able to collect over the years, can now be featured to tell the arsenal’s story during its manufacturing years—the Civil War.

From Benson A. Lossing’s Pictorial History of the Civil War, vol. I, p. 386.