Submitted by: Susan Moffat-Thomas, New Bern Historical Society Emeritus Board Member
Once, one of the most endangered Civil War Battlefields in the country, the 33-acre New Bern Battlefield Park is now the cornerstone of Civil War tourism in Craven County and Eastern North Carolina. It is a historic jewel, one of the many highly coordinated efforts focused on the restoration and preservation of the town’s historic assets and heritage that began in the 1970’s. As an important stakeholder, the New Bern Historical Society’s focus on restoring and preserving this long-forgotten historic important site and New Bern’s Civil War history is a story of strong leadership, commitment, great community support and a sprinkling of luck.
The fierce battle on March 14, 1862 between Union and Confederate forces ended in a major victory for the Federal Army and New Bern’s occupation for the duration of the Civil War. The battle took place in the area around Fort Thompson (now privately developed) and on what was a long-forgotten swampy, heavily forested, overgrown tract, about five miles outside the city, adjacent to the Taberna sub-division. Originally owned by Monroe Howell, this 24-acquire tract was acquired by the Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company in the 1950’s. Within the heavily overgrown wooded area, the original breastworks and earthen redans occupied by the 26th and 33rd North Carolina Regiment were in pristine condition, and fortunately, Weyerhaeuser chose not to develop it due to its historic significance.
In the early 1960’s, the American Civil War Centennial led to a renewed interest to develop the battlefield by a number of New Bernians, but the estimated cost stymied the project … but not the dream. Interest in restoring the battlefield began to materialize in 1989 when the New Bern Historical Society organized the Battle of New Bern Park Committee and the Weyerhaeuser tract became the focus and acquiring it was the goal.
In July 1993, the Society learned the U.S. Committee on Civil War Sites had scheduled public hearings to determine which civil war sites were endangered, and the Civil War Advisory Commission was holding a public hearing in Wilmington, NC. We weren’t on the agenda, however, we armed ourselves with many resolutions of support and we (Jim Sugg, Josh Wiley and me) went to the meeting hoping the Committee would allow us to present our case. As luck would have it, Committee Chairman Ed Bearess (who became a treasured friend of the Society) was receptive and listened to us and made a trip to New Bern the next day. Following his examination of the site, the Battlefield was added to the list of 383 endangered Civil War sites in the Commission’s report to the Secretary of the Interior on July 30, 1993. In 1996, the Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company deeded the 24-acre tract to the Civil War Trust which in turn deeded the tract to the New Bern Historical Society in January 2000.
Grant funds made it possible to survey the 24-acre parcel, delineate wetlands, and develop a topographic and archeological survey that was submitted along with an application to the National Trust of Historic Places and in November 2001 the battlefield was added to the list of Historic Sites. In 2003, to retain the integrity of the 24-acre core battlefield, the Bate Foundation contributed funds for the purchase of an adjacent 2.63 acres from Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company to gain vehicular access and to serve as an entry gateway and parking area for the park.
Development of a master plan was critically needed to move forward and once again; luck entered the picture. Mark Mangum chaired the Battlefield Steering and in his many visits to other Civil War sites, met Pat Hart, a professional landscape architect who agreed to develop an initial master plan. In August 2004, Pat Hart (Landscape Architect, Kimley-Horn and Associates), working with the Civil War Battlefield Committee, completed the New Bern Battlefield Park Master Plan and schematic designs providing the vision, foundation and momentum to acquire funding for the park’s on-going restoration.
Initial vehicular access to the site was provided by an adjacent developer through an access easement and gravel roadway to the site. Over the course of the year, bringing their own personal construction equipment, tractors and chainsaws, hundreds of volunteers began clearing the trails through the densely wooded battlefield. Thousands of hours of volunteer time and labor continued to be contributed by volunteers and local businesses for construction of trails, bridges, and overlook platforms. Patrons and community organizations donated funds for construction of a Visitors Center, flagpoles, lighting, and display cannon. A local garden club contributed signage identifying plant life throughout the Battlefield.
In the fall of 2015, a History Walk Master Plan (designed by Pat Hart) was completed to include 35 interpretive panels placing the battle in its historical context and relating the battlefield to other New Bern and regional Civil War sites. Panels incorporate information to allow visitors to further access in-depth information on an audio tour app and the Society website. A Gateway Plaza at the trailhead provides seating for interpretive talks, a 20 foot in diameter concrete color-coded ground map and signage orients visitors, providing an overview of the battle and a starting point for guided and self-guided tours.
In celebration of the completion of this phase of work, a ribbon-cutting, held on October 30th, 2015, was attended by guest of honor, Ed Bearess,* 400+ citizens, local and state dignitaries and elected officials.
The preservation, research and educational efforts of these hallowed grounds, made possible by $700,000+ in grants, contributions and in-kind services from the public and private sector is on-going. Jon Miller, Park Adjutant and a core group of dedicated volunteer Battlefield guides maintain the site and conduct tours on a daily basis. Their work continues. https://newbernhistorical.org/battlefield-park/
* Ed Bearess; Nat’l. Park Service Chief Historian of Military Sites; recipient NPS Historian Emeritus Award and the first Am. Civil War Lifetime Achievement Award