MANTEO – The Outer Banks History Center will debut a new exhibit in the History Center Gallery on “First Friday,” March 2, “The Civil War Comes to Roanoke Island: Fishers, Fighters and Freedmen.” It is part of a statewide and national commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War.
“The Civil War Comes to Roanoke Island: Fishers, Fighters and Freedmen” tells the story of how remote and sparsely populated Roanoke Island became the scene of an important battle early in the war, the part played by local residents, and the impact of military occupation through the end of the war.
Letters, newspapers, artwork, and other materials from the History Center’s collections present the unique views of people who experienced these events, from the local watermen and farmers, to sailors and soldiers from afar, to the thousands of blacks, both free and enslaved, who flocked to the island for protection during the Union occupation. A video by television producer Ken Mann and loaned artifacts further enrich the exhibit, which will remain on display through Dec. 30.
A free opening reception hosted by the Friends of the Outer Banks History Center will begin at ?. The exhibit is made possible by support from the Outer Banks Community Foundation (Frank Stick Memorial Fund), the Friends of the Outer Banks History Center, National Park Service, and Island Farm on Roanoke Island.
Partnering with the Outer Banks History Center to present a weekend of Civil War programming is Island Farm on Roanoke Island, a non-profit living history site that interprets daily life on Roanoke Island in the mid-1800s. Its “Civil War Living History Event” will feature Union and Confederate re-ensctors, living history demonstrations, historic presentations and displays on Saturday, March 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 per person; children age 5 & under are free. For more information, call (252) 473-6500 or visit Island Farm.