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250,000 Pieces of Blackbeard from Shipwreck

Posted November 20, 2009 – 6:02 pm

GREENVILLE – Since the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR)began excavating the shipwreck believed to the Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), Blackbeard’s flagship, more than 250,000 objects have been recovered from the Atlantic Ocean, near Beaufort. All recovered artifacts go through the NCDCR QAR conservation lab located at East Carolina University in Greenville. On Friday some of the latest artifacts readied for exhibit, and cannons and other works in progress, were reviewed for the news media at the lab.

“Some artifacts are in a stone like coating and are concreted together,” explained Chief Conservator Sarah Watkins-Kenney. “We may not know what’s in them when they come up. Some objects, like ballast stones, don’t take long to conserve. Some, like cannons and hull timbers, can take four or five years.”

Among the showcase finished artifacts were a pair of copper alloy cuff links, neither as large as a dime, which were in good condition and intact. Another item was a pewter clyster syringe, indelicacy aside, which was used for enemas. Both took about two years to conserve. They are among items shown that will be transferred to the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort in January, and will be exhibited by Valentine’s Day. A belt buckle, nesting weight, wine bottle and apothecary mortar also were displayed.

David Moore, nautical archaeologist with the N.C. Maritime Museum, said all of the artifacts date to the early 18th century, the correct time for the shipwreck, which was in November 1718. Two artifacts have dates inscribed, a bell from 1705 and a cannon from 1713. There are four anchors of the correct vintage at the site, and about a quarter million lead shot have been recovered. He said other ships would not necessarily be so heavily armed, and that this is likely leftover armament from a pirate ship. There are two big factors that convince Moore this wreck is of the Queen Anne’s Revenge.

“Location, location, location,” Moore explained. “This shipwreck is where it was supposed to be, at the mouth of Beaufort Inlet. The layout looks like an abandoned ship. This ship was run aground. This is a compact site.

The presence of tiny amounts of gold dust further confirms the vessel’s identity to Moore, as there was French and English documentation that the ship was carrying gold dust. But 300 years after the vessel went down, it could produce tourist gold for eastern North Carolina, according to QAR Shipwreck Project Director Mark Wilde-Ramsing.

“2018 is the 300th anniversary of the sinking of the Queen Anne’s Revenge and we are planning to have a major exhibit hall showing the artifacts in Beaufort, and other major displays in Bath and Ocracoke, places that interpret Blackbeard’s life.”

Wilde-Ramsing said the educational value and heritage tourism value of the shipwreck could be increased. He said they have only worked about half the site, and who knows what more they may discover.

The Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck Project is administered by the Underwater Archaeology Branch, with assistance from the N.C. Maritime Museum, both within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

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Sheila Kay Adams Performs “Christmas on the Mountain” at Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic

Posted November 20, 2009 – 2:57 pm

ASHEVILLE – Noted balladeer and storyteller Sheila Kay Adams will present an evening of Southern Appalachian mountain Christmas stories, traditional ballads and music in two shows at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site in Asheville on Saturday, Dec. 19.

“Christmas on the Mountain,” drawn from Adams’ own holiday childhood experiences growing up in Madison County, will be presented at 6 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for general admission and are available at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial’s visitor center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Seating is limited.

“Audiences love to hear Sheila tell stories about her childhood and the community where she grew up,” said Wolfe Memorial staffer Chris Morton. “Her stories, songs and music recall a simpler time and place where people were still connected to the land, one another, and a way of life now all but vanished.”

Born and raised in the small mountain community of Sodom, Adams is from a family that for seven generations has passed down the English, Scottish and Irish ballads and stories that came over with their ancestors in the early 1700s. She learned these traditions from her older relatives, primarily from her great-aunt, Dellie Chandler Norton, and her cousin Cas Wallin.

A recipient of the prestigious N.C. Folklore Society’s Brown-Hudson Award for valuable contributions to the study and preservation of the state’s folk heritage, Adams has also received the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Award for significant contributions to traditional Appalachian music. In 2003, Mars Hill College named her its alumna of the year.

Adams is the author of the short-story collection “Come Go Home With Me,” which received the N.C. Historical Society’s historical fiction award, and the novel “My Old True Love,” which was a finalist for the Southeastern Booksellers Association’s 2004 book of the year award.

Thomas Wolfe himself was reared on the stories handed down for generations through his mother Julia’s family, many rooted in Old European folklore and balladry. Many critics think his Appalachian heritage and his mother’s oft retelling of the old tall tales inspired his famous storytelling gift.

Wolfe spent a decade growing up in his mother’s ramshackle boardinghouse, his childhood played out against the backdrop of intrusive boarders, small town provincialism and his colorful but sometimes unhappy family.

The goal of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site is to preserve and interpret the history of author Thomas Wolfe and his mother’s boardinghouse as depicted in his novel “Look Homeward Angel”. It is located at 52 N. Market Street in downtown Asheville. For more information about this program, contact the Thomas Wolfe Memorial at 828-253-8304, or email contactus@wolfememorial.com.

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial is part of the Division of N.C. Historic Sites and Properties within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

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Christmas Open House Celebration at Bentonville Battlefield

Posted November 20, 2009 – 2:53 pm

FOUR OAKS – A typical Christmas for John and Amy Harper and their nine kids would have involved handmade crafts and home cooked goodies. The intrusion of the Civil War turned their home into a military hospital, but the fighting was still far away during Christmas. The Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site will host Christmas Open House on Saturday, Dec, 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., to show Christmas on the home front during war time.

“Sip cider and snack on cookies with costumed civilian interpreters and Confederate soldiers home on holiday furlough,” says Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site Assistant Manager Derrick Brown. “This is just one of the free programs offered at the 27 state historic sites.”

Visitors will hear period music, string a popcorn and cranberry garland, and enjoy the natural decorations. They can make paper Christmas ornaments to take home or use to decorate the site’s locally grown tree.

Small arms drills will be presented, along with musket demonstrations, uniform talks, mail call and discussion of everyday life for the soldiers. The festively decorated kitchen will be open all day. The 1855 Harper House will be set up as a Union field hospital and will have hourly tours.

The Battle of Bentonville, fought March 19-21, 1865, involved 80,000 troops and was the last Confederate offensive against Union Gen. William T. Sherman. The Bentonville Battlefield interprets the battle and the hospital, where many Confederates were left in the aftermath. It is three miles north of Newton Grove on S.R. 1008. For information, visit www.nchistoricsites.org/bentonvi/bentonvi.htm or call (910) 594-0789.

Bentonville Battlefield, within the Division of State Historic Sites, is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

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Historic Halifax Celebrates Holiday Season with a Bang

Posted November 20, 2009 – 2:26 pm

HALIFAX – Colonial Christmas traditions, including rag dolls and caning chairs, are among the quieter aspects of the holiday celebration at Historic Halifax on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Costumed re-enactors of the 5th North Carolina Regiment of the Continental Line will bring a bang with lively firings of 18th century muskets and a swivel gun.

Other depictions of life for Revolutionary War era soldiers include a military drill, campfire cooking and other demonstrations outside Halifax’s Tap Room. Authentic 18th century foods will be prepared. Visitors can tour the Tap Room and other 18th and 19th century buildings that will be festively decorated with natural materials. In the visitor center, local artisans will create handmade rag dolls, colonial tin items, rush and cane chair seats, and more.

“A festive small-town Christmas parade at 3 p.m. down King Street will brighten spirits,” says Site Manager Monica Moody. “Be sure to stay for candlelight tours of several of the site’s historic buildings from 5-7 p.m. This is one of many free holiday events at the 27 state historic sites.” Halifax merchants also will feature holiday sales featuring unique holiday gifts. A tasty soup and sandwich luncheon will be served by the Halifax United Methodist Church for a small fee.

The first 85 years of history of the town of Halifax are recalled in the historic site’s preservation, whose buildings date from about 1760 to the 1830s. The site preserves and interprets the history of Halifax, where North Carolina first issued the call for independence from Britain.

Historic Halifax is just more than five miles from I-95. Take exit 168 to State Road 903 and follow the brown historic site signs to the Historic Halifax Visitor Center. For more information call (252) 583-7191 or visit www.halifax.nchistoricsites.org. Historic Halifax, within the Division of State Historic Sites, is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

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“Telling Our Stories” Photography Eastern Tour Finale in Wake County

Posted November 20, 2009 – 2:24 pm

RALEIGH – For 14 months, 50 photographs depicting North Carolina’s mountains to coast, various time periods, and even far away places, have been on the road in North Carolina. The “Telling Our Stories” Photography Exhibit, organized on an eastern and western route by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, is ending. The Cameron Village branch of Wake County Public Library will display the final eastern show from Dec. 3-31. A reception with remarks by photographer Paul Dagys will be held Sunday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m.

Each route includes 11 images from the top winners of the 2008 Our State magazine Readers Choice Photography contest, 21 images from professional photographers, and 18 pictures from the State Archives, that traveled for the first time. Among images are a young Andy Griffith in The Lost Colony, or a pleasant pig. Cary photographer Paul Dagys’ satirical image, Wemen, and Raleigh photographer Jane Terry’s reflective Six Years II, are on the eastern tour. Our State award winner Guy Fortier, of Apex, shows hummingbird flying at bee balm on both “Telling Our Stories” tours. These photographers will attend the opening.

The State Library of North Carolina contacted public libraries across the state about hosting the exhibit. Altogether 33 libraries displayed the photographs, bringing small and medium sized markets a quality of artwork not often seen. Citizens from Macon County to Pasquotank have enjoyed the unique exhibit. The western tour ends at the Durham Public Library Dec. 10-31, giving Triangle residents the opportunity to see both exhibits.

Among comments written are “Not a photo here that doesn’t capture the spirit and the essence of humankind and its beauty,” from New Hanover County, or “The pictures are great. I love them all!” from Hoke County, and “Wonderful exhibit. So glad our library is exhibiting,” from Halifax County.

For information on the Raleigh exhibit call 856-6727. For information on the tours call 807-7389. The State Library of North Carolina is a division of the N. C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

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Conservation Tales of Pirate Life from Blackbeard Shipwreck

Posted November 18, 2009 – 4:44 pm

Editors Note: Please respond if your organization will attend by Thursday, Oct. 19, at 5 p.m., call (919) 807-7389 or email fay.mitchell@ncdcr.gov.

GREENVILLE — Study of artifacts from the shipwreck of the presumed Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard’s flagship, continues to illuminate details of pirate life. A media review of the latest findings on Friday, Oct. 20, at 11 a.m., will show a variety of 16th century objects, and how they all fit in the timeline of Blackbeard’s life. From cuff links to clyster syringe, and cannon conservation A – Z, reporters will see objects from the x-ray stage, concretion covered, to polished and exhibit ready.

WHO: Members of the project team, including Chief Conservator Sarah Watkins-Kenney, Project Director Mark Wilde-Ramsing, Nautical Archaeologist David Moore, and others

WHAT: Media showing of objects recovered from the presumed Queen Anne’s Revenge shipwreck, in various stages of conservation

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 20, 11 a.m.

WHERE: QAR Conservation Lab, ECU West Research Campus, 1157 VOA site
C Road, Greenville, N.C. 27834 (directions attached)

For additional information call (919) 8-7-7389 or (252) 744-6721. The Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck Project in the Office of Archives and History is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

Directions to Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Laboratory

From Raleigh.

  • From Raleigh get onto 264 to Greenville, travel east to Mozingo Road exit .
  • Take the Mozingo road exit and turn left at end of ramp onto Mozingo Road. After 1.4 mile road ends in T-junction with VOA Site C Road. Turn right onto VOA Site C Road, travel north, for 1.7 miles. Turn right at the sign for East Carolina University West (Research) Campus. Driveway has two large fir trees on either side of the road and pampas grass at the sign.
  • Parking is outside Academic Building (NC state vehicles or ECU permit holders)
  • Inside main Academic Building follow QAR signs.

From ECU Main Campus

  • Turn left onto 5th street.
  • Travel west on 5th street and cross Memorial Drive (11) and continue on Hwy 43 for about 6 miles.
  • Turn left (c. 1 mile after Rock Springs Equestrian Center on left) onto VOA Site C Road. There will be a green sign on the right side of the road that says “ECU WRC”.
  • Go approximately 1.5-2 miles and turn left into ECU West Research Campus.
  • Parking is outside Academic Building
  • Inside main Academic Building follow QAR signs.

From New Bern

  • Take Hwy 17 out of New Bern
  • Bear left onto US-17 business
  • Continue on NC-43
  • Once you get into Greenville, NC-43 will turn into Charles Boulevard. Continue on this road.
  • Charles Boulevard will turn into Cotanche when you cross over 10th street. Where the McDonalds and Krispy Kreme donuts are. Continue through the light.
  • At the next light you take a left onto Reade Circle.
  • At 2nd light turn left on to 5th street.
  • Continue on 5th street (also called Martin Luther King Jr Drive), it will turn into Hwy 43 after crossing Memorial Drive (Hwy 11) (see directions from ECU main Campus).
  • Go approximately 6 miles on Hwy 43.
  • Turn left onto VOA Site C Road. There will be a green sign on the right side of the road that says “ECU WRC”.
  • Go down approximately 1.5-2 miles and turn left into ECU West Research
  • Campus.

Parking is outside Academic Building
Inside main Academic Building follow QAR signs. Directions to NC QAR Lab, East Carolina University

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Tree Lighting Ceremony Starts Holiday Season at State Capitol

Posted November 18, 2009 – 4:37 pm

RALEIGH – The tree-lighting tradition at the State Capitol will continue when Gov. Bev Perdue and First Gentleman Bob Eaves light the Christmas tree on Thursday, Dec. 10. The Junior Women’s Club and State Capitol staff sponsor this free, public celebration. It starts at 5 p.m. with luminaries being lit and holiday music by the Kernersville Glenn High School Chorus. The governor and first gentleman will move to the South grounds at 6:15 p.m. to officially begin the ceremony. The lit tree will be visible the length of Fayetteville Street.

“Local performers will entertain guests on the Capitol grounds and Bicentennial Plaza after the tree lighting. The Raleigh Concert Band, local sports mascots, and even Santa will join the celebration,” says Site Manager Deanna Mitchell. Free carriage rides will be available and Girl Scouts will be “Caroling for Cans” to seek food donations for the local food bank. The Capitol and many other of the 27 state historic sites will offer free holiday programs.

The annual holiday open house will begin at 6:30. As it has for more than 30 years, the Raleigh Garden Club is decorating the historic Capitol. The General Assembly Chorus will perform in the Rotunda until 7:30 p.m.

Visitors will find the Museum of History and gift shop open, and will enjoy the giant decorated tree in the lobby. Old fashioned toys and games, “make and take” paper tree ornaments, and exhibits add to the fun. The N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences also will be open, and will offer hands on activities and “meet the animals” for children. Both museums will close at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 10.

Sponsors are the State Capitol Foundation, Raleigh Garden Club, State Historic Sites Division of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, N.C. Department of Administration-Facility Management, N.C. Museum of History, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and the Junior Woman’s Club of Raleigh. Peak Farms in Ashe County donated trees and Northlake Christmas Trees and Nursery in Benson donated wreaths. There will be free parking along the street and in state government lots after 5 p.m.

The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history, architecture and functions of the 1840 building and Union Square. The Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington Streets. For more information, visit www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol/default.htm or call (919) 733-4994.

Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, the State Capitol is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

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Aycock Birthplace Celebrates 1870s Christmas

Posted November 18, 2009 – 12:09 pm

FREMONT – A festive feast of chicken, collards, biscuits and plum pudding will blanket the dining room table at Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site during the Christmas season. The typical late 19th century spread will be shown during free tours on Tuesday, Dec. 1, and Thursday, Dec. 3, 6:30-9 p.m. Gospel music, a shadow play, open hearth cooking, and costumed guides will reflect the post Civil War era when Gov. Charles Aycock grew up.

Performances of old-fashioned gospel music by the Primitive Baptist Singers, and Christmas songs in the a capella (no accompaniment) style will be in the auditorium on Tuesday, at 6:45, 7:30 and 8:15 p.m. On Thursday, the auditorium will become a craft room where kids of all ages can create pine cone angels, reindeer faces and other delights. A costumed volunteer will read a story both evenings while children dramatize the action with cardboard cut-outs and animal sounds.

“Interpreters will explain how men prepared families for Christmas, or seasonal traditions such as hanging stockings and homemade decorations for the tree, and also demonstrate open-hearth cooking, explains Site Manager Leigh Strickland, adding, “Visitors can warm up after the tour by sampling tasty hot apple cider. This is just one of many free holiday events at the 27 state historic sites.”

Charles B. Aycock was born in 1859 in this simple home that is now a state historic site. A vintage 1893 one room schoolhouse was moved to the site to mark his dedication to public education. The site has the mission to preserve and interpret the birthplace and history of Charles B. Aycock.

For further information, call (919) 242-5581 or email aycock@ncdcr.gov. To reach the site, take US 117 north nine miles from Goldsboro or US 117 south 14 miles from Wilson. Turn right from Goldsboro, or left from Wilson, on Gov. Aycock Road. The site is 1-1/2 miles on the right. From Interstate 95 take the US 301 exit at Kenly. Take NC 222 east for 10 miles to Fremont and turn right (south) on US 117. Go two miles and turn left on Governor Aycock Road.

Aycock Birthplace is within the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

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Stagville Plantation Presents “Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters”

Posted November 17, 2009 – 5:26 pm

Durham – Grab your mittens, scarf and holiday wish list and head to Historic Stagville for “Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters” for free family fun. Bluegrass and Appalachian music, African American drumming and storytelling, artisans, and Durham barbecue, will offer a generous dose of unique history on Dec. 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

“It is unusual to have a depiction of how the enslaved community would celebrate Christmas, as well as the plantation family,” says Kimberly Puryear, Site Manager of Historic Stagville State Historic Site. “It’s a priceless experience, with free admission to the 18th century plantation and home, decorated in holiday finery,” she adds.

Plan to sing along or dance with Braima Moiwai, originally from Sierre Leone, and the Sankofa Cultural Group, with drumming that harkens to celebrations past. Sid Luck, a fifth generation potter from Seagrove, makes the demanding task of creating beautiful pottery look easy. The Living Treasure of North Carolina Award recipient will demonstrate the art and have pieces for sale..

Piedmont artists will demonstrate crafts from fused glassware to fiber arts and help recreate the holiday festivities. Music from old time bluegrass band Flies in the Kitchen, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and traditional Appalachian band Little Windows, 1-3 p.m., will enliven the day. A list of presenters is attached.

Hungry kids and adults will find Durham’s famous Bullocks Barbecue on the ready and for sale. Kids can discover what youngsters of yesteryear did after handling household or plantation chores. They were occupied not by computer games but by Colonial games like hoops and chuck farthing. Kids will be able to make and take home an ornament as well. Blacksmiths Covalt and Friends, from Morrisville, will let you try hammering metal that will be used in a grill set at future site events. Other demonstrations will include spinning, weaving, and wood turning.

For more information contact Kimberly Puryear at 620-0120. Historic Stagville State Historic Site is located at 5828 Old Oxford Hwy Durham, NC, 27712. For more information about this and other events visit www.historicstagvillefoundation.org. For information on the 27 individual sites’ schedules and holiday programs, go to http:///www.nchistoricsites.org.

The Division of State Historic Sites and Properties is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

Presenters:

Beldanbec Candles – BeldanBec@wmconnect.com

Sid Luck, potter – lucksware@rtmc.net

Frank Penta, Wood Sprite Turnings – www.woodspriteturnings.com

Marion Goldston, handwoven baskets – mgoldston@aol.com

Anabela Mendes, handmade pottery from Portugal – Mendesa@aol.com

Julie Mullin, fiberactive Organics, LLC – fiberactive@earthlink.net

Sarah Tector, jewelry – www.stectormetals.com

Tracey Broome, pottery, clay, Christmas ornaments – www.tsbroome.blogspot.com

Marie Crock, spinner – bluebirdfield@earthlink.net

Amanda Robinson, acrylic canvas and wire jewelry – finishedtouch@hotmail.com

Rhonda Strickland, fused glassware – rrstrick@indylink.com

Matt Tomko, art – matt@matttomko.com

Rachel DuBois, soaps – info@moondancesoaps.com

Maryanne Rood, N.C. Gourd Society – lageneria@yahoo.com

Graham Covalt, blacksmith – 467-7950

Laura Honeycutt, photography – laurach@ctc.net

Shelly Swann, Swann Forge, copper and steel items for the home – www.swannforge.com

Carolyn Polisky, portrait sketches

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