There are more than 500 intact 18th, 19th, and 20th century historic structures in New Bern. But for many reasons—not all of them tragic or short-sighted—landmarks do disappear. Three such buildings are the Glenburnie Pavilion, the Waters Buggy and Carriage Factory, and the Hughes-Stewart House. All were built by innovators during times of change, and none survived.
The Glenburnie Pavilion attracted hundreds of customers in 1913. Sited where present-day Glenburnie Park is today, the rambling wooden structure had magnificent views of the river and was wired throughout with electricity. Early in its life, its first floor rink was packed with skaters. There was dancing in the ballroom and promenade above, and the third floor had a music room and convenient restroom.
But a mere fifteen years later, it was destroyed by fire. An article in that day’s Sun Journal indicates that by 1928 it was “long-disused” and had deteriorated due to neglect. The Pavilion was then owned by the City, and presumably New Bern and its residents had lost their appetites for such amusements so shortly after the fire of 1922.
The barnlike G. H. Waters and Son Buggy and Carriage Factory at 400 Broad Street was demolished after the business moved to larger quarters in 1917. An important and beautiful brick structure was built in its place, though: the fire station that is now the Firemen’s Museum. Still, in its time the Carriage Factory was a hub of creativity and innovation worthy of note. It was the birthplace of the “buggymobile.”
When G.H. Waters and his son Gilbert arrived in town in 1890, Gilbert took a job at the James Stewart carriage business. Within a year, Gilbert had persuaded his father to purchase the business. The renamed G. H. Waters & Son Buggy and Carriage Factory opened in 1891. In 1899 Gilbert visited Baltimore, where he saw many horseless carriages in use. He was inspired to make his own. By then a proven carriage designer, he sought financing from his father and other bankers, but this time he was turned down. According to the North Carolina History Project, one banker told Waters, “Buggies without horses will never be practical, and they would be too expensive and dangerous anyway.”
So Waters financed the venture himself. His first buggymobile was completed in 1899. It was steam-powered, with one cylinder and a water-cooled engine, North Carolina’s first horseless carriage. Its maiden voyage was down Broad Street, where it achieved the impressive speed of twelve miles an hour.
Another short-lived new-fangled treasure was the Hughes-Stewart House, built on Pollock Street in 1892 by John Washington Stewart, a prosperous livery stable owner. The ornate Eastlake Victorian mansion was wired for electricity throughout. The Sun Journal described it as, “not … outrivaled in conveniences and modern architecture by any in the city.” Sadly, the Hughes-Stewart House house only existed for fifteen years; it was destroyed by fire in April 1907.
These three may be lost landmarks, but they are not entirely forgotten.
New Bern Preservation Foundation, Inc. • www.newbernpf.org • info@newbernpf.org • 252.633.6448