State to honor Women’s History Month with host of events

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is celebrating the diverse narratives, resilience and leadership of women who have shaped our past and continue to inspire our future during Women’s History Month in March.

There are several events planned on the coast, including the Tavern Keeper’s Wife at Historic Bath, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 2. In the 1750s and ’60s, two of Bath’s taverns were women-owned. These women successfully asserted themselves in the public sphere in a time when status was defined by property ownership, according to the state. Explore an 18th-century tavern, speak with costumed interpreters, or purchase a ticket to tour the Palmer-Marsh House and learn more about Bath in the pre-Revolutionary era.

Visiting the exhibit center and the tavern is free of charge. Palmer-Marsh tours will be offered at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance at the exhibit center at 100 S. Harding St.

The following tours are also planned:

• Women of Somerset Place Tour 10 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. March 16. Learn about some of the remarkable women who lived and worked at Somerset Place in Creswell in Washington County. The 60-minute special tour will focus on the contributions that enslaved and free women made to the development, maintenance, and infrastructure of Somerset Place. A fee of $3 per person will be applicable and group reservations of 15 or more are required.
• History at High Noon at the NC Museum of History noon March 6. Oral historian John Horan as he explores the “She Changed the World Oral History Project.” Listen in as the women interviewed share their memories of how they broke ground in the courtroom, classroom, and playing field. The public can attend in person at the Daniels Auditorium or by Zoom. Register online.
• By Hook or by Crook 11 a.m. March 14, N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort.  Ranked among the fiercest pirates from the “Golden Age of Piracy,” Anne Bonny and Mary Read have stories that daytime TV could only aspire to. Join Associate Education Curator Christine Brin to learn about these women pirates. She will trace what is known about their life stories, how they came to be pirates, and their subsequent fates. Admission is free, and registration is not required.
• A Sojourn for Harriet Jacobs exhibit at Historic Edenton at the 1767 Courthouse March 21 to May 15. This tour visits locations within her book, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.” This guided walking tour starts at the Edenton State Historic Site visitor center. There is also the option to complete this tour via golf cart. Register online.