thejeromes: This Place Called Home

If you had asked me, back when I was 11 years old, what I thought of this town, I would have told you it was the most boring place on earth. My maternal grandmother lived here but my family lived 65 miles away. We visited here about every other weekend. Unless my cousins happened to be over at the same time, I was bored stiff. Not that I didn't love my grandmother or enjoy seeing her, because I did. But at 11 listening to adults talk was not my idea of a good time. Much to my horror my parents announced to my brother and me that we would be moving here over Christmas break. I was painfully shy. It did take about 2 years before I had really close friends and this truly became my home but from that point on I could not imagine living anywhere else.

This town has a rich history and is the second oldest in North Carolina. It stands on the banks of two rivers, the Neuse and the Trent. It was founded by Baron Christopher de Graffenried, a Swiss who had immigrated to England. In 1710 he brought a group of Palatines (Germans) and Swiss here and called it New Berne. However, others had been here as far back as 1705 and there were, of course, Tuscarora Indians here long before that. New Bern (now pronounced with the accent on New and the final 'e' a thing of the past) survived the Tuscarora Indian Wars between 1711 and 1715, but not without tragic losses of both settlers and Tuscaroras. The old St. Luke's Hospital is located on a parcel which was not within the early town limits. The parking lot behind the building was the site of a homestead in which the occupants were massacred.

Old St. Luke's Hospital

New Bern was the colonial capital of North Carolina and has a beautiful restored palace named after the British governor, Lord Tryon. If you are a fan of the TV series, Sleepy Hollow, you have seen the palace and one of the historical homes near it in several episodes. On 8/25/1774 the North Carolina Assembly met in New Bern without consent of the governor, Josiah Martin, and elected delegates to the Continental Congress.

Tryon Palace (filming site for Sleepy Hollow)

John Wright Stanly House (filming site for Sleepy Hollow)

New Bern Academy Museum (side/back view)

New Bern Academy Museum (front view)

The town was captured by Union soldiers led by General Ambrose Burnside during the Civil War. The New Bern Academy is the oldest public school building in North Carolina and one of the oldest in the United States. It was used as a hospital during the Civil War. It now houses a museum. When I was in 7th grade I attended what was then called Central Elementary School. It consisted of 3 buildings. The Academy Building housed the 6th grade. The Bell Building housed the 7th grade. The 8th grade was housed in a newer building. The more recent building has been demolished and a beautiful home stands in its place. I remember going into the Academy Building as a 7th grader and being fascinated by the stairs. They were wooden and worn in the center. I was in awe of how many feet had been up & down those stairs to form those dips. Of course, you didn't attend Central School and not know it's history. For safety those steps have been replaced.

Bell Building

Downtown New Bern/Lady in Period Dress

New Bern is also the birthplace of Pepsi Cola. Downtown on the corner of Middle and Pollock Streets is the former home of Bradham's Pharmacy. You can still visit & find about every kind of Pepsi souvenir you would ever want. Did I tell you we have some pretty neat bridges, too?

Bradham's Pharmacy

Double Bridges (Photo of bridge silhouette with draw bridge in foreground)

Union Point Park

Gazebo at Union Point Park

Now that I am retired, my dog and I go walking most every day along New Bern's waterfront and down it's historic streets. Union Point Park is my favorite place in New Bern.

There are many beautiful old homes and churches here. Some of these I share here in pictures.