A panel of cultural heritage scholars will discuss their research on free women of color during the Revolutionary Era during a virtual program in June.

The State Archives, a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, has scheduled “Telling Our NC 250 Story: Free Women of Color in Revolutionary North Carolina,” being offered at no charge, for noon June 11. Register in advance on Zoom.

The program commemorates Juneteenth and the America 250 NC celebration.

Panelists include Arnetta Girardeau, a copyright law librarian, cultural anthropologist and cultural heritage consultant; Sheila Smith McKoy, an academic leader, author and consultant; Danielle Pritchett, a genealogy librarian at Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library; and Tyrone Goodwyn, a genealogist and historian.

The panelists are to talk about their investigations into hundreds of records from multiple archives, including freedom papers, census lists, marriage records and estate accounts

“These records document the lives of these women, along with their families and communities. Panelists will explore the experiences of these remarkable women who navigated the complex cultural, legal, and racial terrain of North Carolina and the new nation,” organizers said.

For more information, contact head of the collection services section, Mitzi Townes at mitzi.townes@dncr.nc.gov or 919-814-6863.

A North Carolina Highway Historical Marker commemorating a landmark court case that changed voting in the state will be dedicated Sunday in Bertie County.

The ceremony for the Bazemore v. Bertie County Board of Elections court case marker is to begin at 1 p.m. at the intersection West Watson and Sterlingworth streets in Windsor.

“The case originated in May 1960 when Nancy Bazemore, a 47-year-old African American resident of Bertie County, walked into the Woodville precinct to register to vote. What followed was a legal battle that would reach the North Carolina Supreme Court and reshape voting rights across the state,” according to information provided by the Highway Historical Marker Program, which is a collaboration of N.C. departments of Natural and Cultural Resources and Transportation.

“Bertie County’s racial demographics told a stark story. Black residents outnumbered white residents by a 3-to-2 ratio, yet registered white voters outnumbered registered Black voters by nearly nine to one. County registrars maintained this disparity through a literacy test, a tool created in the late 19th century specifically to disenfranchise Black voters across the South,” the program continues.

For the test in Woodville, the registrar read aloud the state constitution and the applicants transcribed what they heard with spelling errors counting against them, though the state attorney general had declared in March of that year that spelling-based dictation tests were illegal.

Bazemore received a failing grade and was denied registration and appealed immediately.

Her attorney, James R. Walker Jr., an Ahoskie native and University of North Carolina School of Law graduate, announced at her hearing a week later that Bazemore refused to submit to another dictation test.

When the board rejected her appeal, Walker filed a lawsuit which ultimately landed before the North Carolina Supreme Court, where the attorney argued that the literacy test as administered in Bertie County was unconstitutional under the state constitution’s separation of powers clause, because it effectively granted legislative authority to local election officials.

He documented that the dictation requirement was applied exclusively to Black applicants, and identified the test’s inherent vulnerabilities to abuse, stating that a registrar’s pronunciation, reading speed, a voter’s hearing or speech patterns, and the registrar’s own discretion in grading could all determine the outcome, with little accountability. The court ruled in Bazemore’s favor in April 1961.

Though the justices declined to find bad faith on the part of Bertie County officials, they found the test as administered unreasonable and beyond legal intent.

“The significance of the court case extended beyond Bertie County. Federal civil rights reports and subsequent voting rights discussions cited the case as evidence of the burden of literacy tests imposed on African American citizens,” the program explained in the press release.

For more information about the historical marker, visit the Nancy Bazemore blog post or call 919-814-6625.

Visitors to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras can see what happened on the Outer Banks during the American Revolution through a new temporary display.

“The Raid on Ocracoke Inlet” unveiled April 15 focuses on events that took place at Ocracoke between patriots and loyalists during the American Revolution. 

The display features a diorama and several panels that provide additional context for some of the main characters behind the raid and the stories as they unfolded.

“We’ve been exploring ways to help bring local stories about the Revolutionary War to our community and visitors,” education curator Molly Trivelpiece said in a release. “This new display helps us do that.” 

The museum, under the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

The display is part of the state’s America 250 NC initiative, which commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and is led by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. For more information about America 250 NC, visit america250.nc.gov.

Residents and visitors to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher have a little more than a month to visit the state’s southernmost aquarium before it temporarily closes for major renovation and expansion.

The aquarium in Kure Beach will close May 26 for construction to include a 400,000-gallon sand tiger shark habitat, a 10,000-gallon Pacific coral habitat, an interactive shark and ray touch pool featuring bottom-dwelling sharks, and a state-of-the-art education center.

Construction is expected to take about 30 months.

“This transformative project is beginning as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the North Carolina Aquariums,” Pamela B. Cashwell, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, said in a release. “It is a thrilling way to honor a legacy of conservation, exceptional visitor experience and dedicated animal care, while launching a bold vision for the future.”

Plans for the renovation and expansion project have been underway for more than 10 years. The project is made possible with state funding, along with support from the N.C. Aquarium Society.

During the closure, residents and visitors to the area can enjoy Discovery Bay, which will feature a gift shop hosted by the N.C. Aquarium Society, habitats with seahorses, dart frogs, and lionfish, and a carnivorous plant exhibit at Independence Mall in Wilmington.

The public may continue to visit the state’s other aquariums, including Pine Knoll Shores, Roanoke Island, and Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head.

“We look forward to beginning construction, while continuing to engage our community in new ways,” NCAFF Director Joanna Zazzali said in a release. “Discovery Bay allows us to stay connected with our visitors, advance our conservation mission, and continue to inspire wonder, as we look toward our next chapter.” 

Animal care, facilities and safety teams will remain at Fort Fisher Aquarium to care for the animals that will remain at the facility throughout construction.

Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets ahead of the closure and share their experiences on social media using the hashtag #PoseBeforeWeClose.

For updates, follow the aquarium on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram.

Four new historic districts and 19 properties across the state, five of which are on the coast, have been added to the National Register of Historic Places in the last year, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced this week.

Part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources, the National Historic Register is the “official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation,” that was authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and is under the National Park Service.

“Each addition to the National Register of Historic Places represents another step in preserving North Carolina’s unique story,” said the department’s Secretary Pamela Cashwell in a statement Thursday. “These sites help connect our communities to their past while supporting cultural tourism and local economies.” 

In Beaufort County, Pantego School No. 2 was listed Feb. 24. The Rosenwald-funded school building was completed in 1926 and remained operational as an integrated school after 1968, until it closed in the spring of 2001, the application states.

Winnabow is an 1845 Greek Revival frame house with a double-pile center-passage plan at 677 Governor Road, in Brunswick County that was was Dec. 29, 2025.

Clubfoot and Harlow Canal in Carteret and Craven counties, which was listed Feb. 23, is a roughly 3-mile artificial channel dug that opened July 1827 across a peninsula connecting Clubfoot Creek and the Neuse River at the north to Harlow Creek and the Newport River to the south.

The 1850 Adam Dough Etheridge House in Dare County was listed Aug. 11, 2025. The two-story, single pile, vernacular dwelling features a side-gabled roof and partially enclosed full-width porches on the façade, common among houses on Roanoke Island in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Located in Pasquotank County, Oak Grove Cemetery, which was listed Aug. 11, 2025, is Elizabeth City’s oldest extant Black cemetery. The Black community formally established it on 2.53 acres in 1886, expanded it twice in 1921, and again in 1955 to approximately 8 acres, which it remains today within a 14-acre parcel, according to documents.

The listing of a property in the National Register places no obligation or restriction on a private owner using private resources to maintain or alter the property.

Over the years, various federal and state incentives have been introduced to assist private preservation initiatives, including tax credits for the rehabilitation of National Register properties.

As of Dec. 31, 2025, there have been 4,455 completed historic rehabilitation projects with private investments of $4 billion statewide.

North Carolina State Archives’ staff plan to explore during an hourlong webinar the historic records of various ethnic groups coming to North Carolina from the late 19th century to the present.

Scheduled for noon Wednesday, April 22, register in advance using the Zoom link to participate in the program offered at no charge.

For the program, America 250 Educator Alana Gomez will highlight the stories of several individuals and patterns in various counties with an overview of  “‘Alien,’ Naturalization and Citizenship Records (1880s-1950s).”

Government records archivist Evanna Derkach will focus on the papers of Hugh MacRae, a businessman and white supremacist who was a leading figure in the 1898 Wilmington coup and who also planned six rural farming communities in southeastern North Carolina. MacRae recruited 800 immigrants to populate these areas during the early 20th century.

Oral historian John Horan will discuss the launch of the “New Americans” oral history project, which captures the perspectives of more recent newcomers to this state with their own voices, according to the state.

All three panelists are first- and second-generation Americans themselves, representing Italian, Latin American, Lebanese, and Ukrainian descent.

The State Archives is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which is leading the America 250 NC, North Carolina’s commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary.

America 250 NC focuses on two broad concepts. The commemorative themes explore “Revolutionary US,” or the historical events of the Revolution and “North Carolina and When Are We US?” that explores the ideas of freedom, civic responsibility, overcoming challenges, and change as we lean into the ideals of democracy. This program is part of the “When Are We US?” theme.

For more information about America 250 NC, visit america250.nc.gov.

For more information, contact Adrienne Berney at adrienne.berney@dncr.nc.gov or 919-814-6863.

Part of an ongoing series on North Carolina’s observance of America’s 250th.

When Halifax was founded in 1760 on the south bank of the Roanoke River, the town became a thriving commercial and social hub, largely because of its access to the Albemarle Sound, but as the American Revolution took hold in the 1770s, the town found itself at the epicenter of North Carolina’s move from British rule to independence.

North Carolina’s Fourth Provincial Congress met in Halifax in the spring of 1776, when delegates from across the colony unanimously adopted a document recommending freedom from England that was later called the “Halifax Resolves,” according to state historians.

“North Carolina played a significant role in winning America’s independence,” Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement. “The creation and adoption of the Halifax Resolves on April 12, 1776 was the first official action by any colony calling for independence from Great Britain, forever cementing North Carolina’s place in history as ‘First in Freedom.’”

The state will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the document with “Prelude to Revolution: Halifax Resolves Days,” at the Historic Halifax State Historic Site in Halifax County.

Scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, there will be living history vignettes, lectures, live colonial music, Tryon Palace Fife and Drum Corps performances, historic trades and weapons demonstrations, a military parade, food trucks, vendors, exhibits, tours and themed photo booths.

The site, which holds a smaller-scale observation each year in April, features several authentically restored and furnished buildings including the 1838 Jail, the 1790 Eagle Tavern and the Underground Railroad Trail. 

Halifax Resolves Days is a signature event for America 250 NC, the state’s official initiative led by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and celebrate the state’s role in the American Revolution.

Signature events like this “honor our state’s pivotal role in shaping the American story. From historic reenactments to cultural festivals, these events will inspire, educate, and unite communities across the state.”

N.C. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources Assistant Communications Director Michele Walker told Coastal Review that some event highlights include a ceremony with the state-recognized Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe, a living history reenactment of the Provincial delegates debating independence, the annual Halifax Resolves Day Ceremony April 12 at the colonial courthouse site, and live music and a drone show at dark on King Street.

A full schedule is available on the event website.

As part of “Halifax Resolves Days,” the state will officially open Historic Halifax State Historic Site’s newly renovated visitor center at 25 St. David St., “unveiling a modern facility and a new exhibit detailing Halifax’s significant role in the state’s history,” according to the release.

Starting Friday and continuing through Oct. 6, visitors to the center will have the unique opportunity to view the Halifax Resolves document on loan from the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

This is the first time the Resolves document – the only known copy to exist — is believed to be returning to Halifax since it was sent to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1776. The State Archives of North Carolina holds the journal copy of the Resolves that will be displayed in Halifax this fall, the state said.

“The opportunity to view this 250-year-old document in the place where it was created is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience,” N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell said in a statement. “The Halifax Resolves is one of the most important pieces of our state’s story — its date is emblazoned on our state flag — and we’re so excited for North Carolinians to see it in person.”

Halifax’s role in the American Revolution

The Roanoke River, which is one of the five largest rivers in the Southeast that flows from the foothills of the Appalachian into the Atlantic Ocean, begins in Montgomery County, Virginia, enters North Carolina in Warren County and flows through Halifax, Northampton, Bertie, Martin, Washington counties, before emptying into Batchelor’s Bay of Albemarle Sound, according to state documents.

English colonists from Virginia in the early 18^th century settled in the Roanoke River Valley and began farming the fertile land. In the following decades, a plantation system evolved that relied on slave labor to grow wheat, corn, peas, tobacco, and other staple crops for markets outside of the colony.

At the behest of the merchants, Halifax was founded in 1757 to use to their advantage the river’s access to the Albemarle Sound and its ports. Though a smallpox epidemic in 1758 stalled settlement, the town was settled in 1760 as the seat of Halifax County, which was designated Jan. 1, 1759. There were nearly 60 houses and public buildings at the time.

“This new town was at a major crossroads between North-South trading paths between the American colonies and West-East trading paths between the coast and the interior of the state. With this advantage, the small town quickly became a major trading center and river port for good moving between the backcountry, the plantations, and Virginia,” the state continues.

Not long after, the town became the backdrop for monumental political events during the American Revolution.

After the patriot victory Feb. 28, 1776, at Moores Creek Bridge in Pender County, the battle that effectively ended British rule in the colony, 83 delegates met in Halifax April 4, 1776, for the Fourth Provincial Congress of North Carolina.

Related: Rainy remembrance marks Revolution’s first decisive win

The delegates unanimously adopted on April 12, 1776, the document now called the “Halifax Resolves.”

“The Halifax Resolves were the first official action by any of the 13 colonies to call for independence from Great Britain. It is acknowledged as an important precursor to the Declaration of Independence,” Walker told Coastal Review.

The document gave William Hooper, Joseph Hewes and John Penn, the state’s representatives to the Second Continental Congress, authority to vote for independence. The Second Continental Congress was the governing body for the colonial governments that coordinated resistance to British rule during the American Revolution.

The Fourth Provincial Congress adjourned on May 15, 1776, after appointing a single Council of Safety to rule the entire colony. While the council was meeting in Halifax on July 22, 1776, the group learned that the Declaration of Independence had been signed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.

“The council adopted a resolution declaring North Carolinians ‘absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown’,” according to the historic site’s webpage.

Cornelius Harnett, a resident and Revolutionary patriot, was selected for the North Carolina’s first public reading of the Declaration of Independence to the town of Halifax Aug. 1, 1776.

The Fifth Provincial Congress assembled in Halifax that November, and by Dec. 18, the delegation had approved the new state’s first constitution. As its last official act Dec. 23, 1776, the congress appointed Richard Caswell as the first governor of the State of North Carolina.

“This one small town of Halifax saw the adoption for national independence, the first state constitution and the election of the first governor after colonial rule. Clearly Halifax was a front runner for the independence movement in not only North Carolina, but the entire nation as well,” according to the site.

Walker said that this was the state’s big moment in Revolutionary history, and Historic Halifax State Historic Site preserves this important action for all North Carolinians.

Visitor center renovation

Division of State Historic Sites Public Information Officer Terra Schramm told Coastal Review that in 1976, during the nation’s Bicentennial, this visitor center first opened its doors to welcome guests to Historic Halifax State Historic Site, which was established in 1965.

The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $5.2 million to renovate the visitor center in 2022 and to complete the restoration of the William R. Davie House, a part of the historic site, in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary this year, she continued.

“The renovation of this building is now complete the interior has been thoroughly replaced, new climate control systems installed, the building foundation sealed, a clerestory added to light the lobby, and the conditioned interior space expanded from 4,900 square feet to just over 6,000 square feet,” Schramm said.

Of note, is a specially designed document display case that has been built to meet security and environmental control standards outlined by the National Archives and Records Administration.

“The case will be used to exhibit a rotation of significant historical documents, starting (appropriately) with the Halifax Resolves,” Schramm explained in her email response.

Clearscapes of Raleigh was hired to design and oversee the work, with Calvin Davinport Inc. of Rocky Mount serving as the general contractor. New historical exhibits for the building were designed by Design Dimensions of Raleigh, she said.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park will be under new leadership, North Carolina State Parks announced last week.

Steve Rogers, most recently the superintendent of Merchants Millpond State Park in Gates County, has been selected to serve as the superintendent for the Dare County destination featuring the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic Coast. He succeeds longtime Jockey’s Ridge superintendent, Joy Cook, who retired in January.

Rogers said he is committed to preserving natural resources, enhancing visitor experiences, and fostering community partnerships at the park, according to the release.

Rogers began his parks career with the Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space Division as a seasonal employee in 1998 and was hired full time in maintenance the following year. He acted as herd manager for the nonprofit organization Corolla Wild Horse Fund from 2006 to 2009 before becoming a ranger for Pettigrew State Park in Creswell. There he was promoted to superintendent in 2015. He has served as superintendent of Merchants Millpond State Park since 2017.

“Steve’s leadership, experience and commitment to park stewardship have made a lasting impact at every park he has served,” State Parks Director Brian Strong said. “We are confident he will continue that legacy at Jockey’s Ridge, ensuring this iconic landscape is protected and enjoyed for generations to come.”

Park superintendents manage operations and administration at a park and have wide-ranging responsibilities that include staffing, training, law enforcement, planning, resource management, interpretation and education, and visitor services.

The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, a part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, features 35 state parks, 25 state natural areas, four state recreation areas, seven state lakes, four Natural and Scenic Rivers, and 15 state trails, spanning over 264,000 acres of iconic landscapes and welcoming 18 million visitors annually, state officials said.

The Museum of the Albemarle is to welcome the author of a recently published book on the United States Coast Guard’s 235-year history on the North Carolina coast for its monthly “History for Lunch” program.

Starting at noon Wednesday, April 22, inside the Elizabeth City museum’s Gaither Auditorium, retired U.S. Coast Guard Capt. George E. Krietemeyer is scheduled to discuss his book, “Guardians of the Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

His talk is to begin with the arrival of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Diligence in 1792, which was built in Washington to Alexander Hamilton’s design and specifications, the vessel’s primary mission was to collect tariffs but soon became involved in chasing pirates and aiding vessels in distress. The Coast Guard now has more than 5,000 members working in North Carolina, saving lives and overseeing oil spills all over the world.

Registration is not needed to attend the lecture in person but those wishing to attend virtually must sign up in advance to receive the meeting link. Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle support the virtual program.

The Museum of the Albemarle is a part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, under the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The Museum of the Albemarle is at 501 S. Water St., Elizabeth City, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

A state historical marker commemorating the life and accomplishments of Zachariah Jacobs, a free-born African American patriot soldier who served in multiple regiments during the Revolutionary War, will be dedicated next week in downtown Wilmington.

The North Carolina Highway Historical Marker will be dedicated at 10 a.m. on Thursday at the corner of Third and Grace streets in Wilmington.

Jacobs was in his 20s when he was drafted into the Bladen County Regiment of the North Carolina Militia as a private in late 1778.

In only a matter of a few months, Jacobs marched with his regiment through South Carolina into Georgia, where he fought in the Battle of Briar Creek in March 1779.

That battled ended in defeat for the American forces, “and amid the confusion of retreat, Jacobs returned to his home in Brunswick County,” according to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Roughly two years later, in early 1781, he rejoined the militia, serving a nine-month term during which in March of that year he fought in one of the most significant battles in the Southern campaign, the Battle of Guildford Court House.

It was during this battle that Jacobs sustained a wound to one of his legs. After spending time recovering in a hospital, he started his journey home, only to be captured by Loyalist soldiers and taken to British Maj. James Henry Craig in Bladen County.

Craig later paroled Jacobs, who returned briefly returned to civilian life before enlisting for another nine-month term in October 1781 in a North Carolina Regiment of the Continental Line.

In March 1782, under Maj. Michael Rudolph in operations near Charleston, South Carolina, the unit in which Jacob served captured the British galley Alligator on the Ashley River, a move notable for its disruption to British supply lines.

Jacobs spent a majority of that tour stationed at Ashley Hill, after which time he marched to Wilmington and was discharged in December 1782.

He lived out his remaining years in Brunswick and New Hanover counties.

After successfully applying for a federal pension in April 1835, Jacobs received $28.33 semiannually for 17 months of service as a private.

He died April 10, 1847 in New Hanover County. He was 93.

His widow, Sally Jacobs, would later secure a pension in recognition of her late husband’s contributions.

“Jacobs’ story underscores the vital role played by free people of color in the Revolutionary War. His perseverance through multiple enlistments, wounds, captivity, and eventual recognition reflects the broader struggle for liberty that defined the era,” according to NCDNCR.

The Highway Historical Marker Program is a collaboration between the North Carolina departments of Natural and Cultural Resources and Transportation.

More information about the historical marker is available at https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2026/02/06/zachariah-jacobs-d-125 or by calling (919) 814-6625.

To commemorate Women’s History Month in March, Somerset Place in Washington County is highlighting the contributions that enslaved and free women made to the development, maintenance, and infrastructure of the 18th century plantation with guided tours.

The fee is $10 for the tours being offered at 10 a.m. on March 14, March 18, March 21, March 25 and March 28. For 15 or more people, group reservations are required. The site is located at 2572 Lake Shore Road, Creswell.

Somerset Place was an active plantation from 1785-1865. Rice, corn, oats, wheat, beans, peas and flax were planted on hundreds of acres, and sawmills turned out thousands of feet of lumber. By 1865, Somerset Place was one of the upper South’s largest plantations.

Now an historic site, Somerset Place is a representative state historic site offering a comprehensive and realistic view of 19th-century life on a large North Carolina plantation.

During its 80 years as an active plantation under slavery from 1785-1865, “enslaved persons converted thousand of acres into high yielding fields of rice, corn, oats, wheat, beans, peas, and flax. Meanwhile, enslaved and free millwrights operated sophisticated sawmills that turned out thousands of feet of lumber. By 1860, Somerset Place was one of the Upper South’s largest plantations,” according to North Carolina Historic Sites.

Almost 200 Black and white, enslaved and free men, women, and children were assembled as a labor force by 1790. “Over the life of the plantation, three generations of owners, around 50 white employees, two free black employees, and more than 861 enslaved people lived and worked on the plantation,” , the sites website continues.

By the mid-19th century, there were more than 50 buildings on-site including barns, saw and gristmills, stables, a hospital, an Episcopal chapel, a kitchen complex, 26 houses for members of the enslaved community, and homes for overseers, tutors, ministers, and the owner’s family, along with a kitchen/laundry, dairy, storehouse, and smoke and salting houses.

Nearly all the emancipated Black families left the plantation by the end of 1865 after the Civil War. The owners eventually sold and left the property. The plantation remained functioning through 1945.

Somerset’s plantation house and six adjacent structures were incorporated into what was the newly formed Pettigrew State Park in 1939, and in 1969, became a state historic site under the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Regular hours for the site are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The Stamp Defiance Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is planning to dedicate a plaque later this month to commemorate the country’s “Forgotten Patriots of the American Revolution.”

The Wilmington-based group has scheduled the ceremony, part of the nationwide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, for 10 a.m. Friday, March 20, at USS North Carolina’s Battleship Park in Wilmington.

Speakers include USS North Carolina Director Dr. Jay Martin. The Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard will present the Colors. The Eugene Ashley High School’s NJROTC will serve as Honor Guard and lead the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Tryon Palace Fife and Drum Corps will perform traditional 18th-century military tunes. A reception will follow the ceremony.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has partnered with America250, the nationwide initiative led by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. America250 NC, North Carolina’s 250th commemoration, is a program under the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

When the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act of 1765, Wilmington residents showed their opposition with protests and militia actions, causing the resignation of the distributor of stamps and two other crown officers. As a result, the Stamp Act of 1765 was never enforced. In September 1921, the Stamp Defiance Chapter formed in Wilmington, and was named after those who opposed the act, according to the chapter’s website.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort plans to resume this month its outdoor field programs.

The museum offers each year during the warmer months three field programs: “Hiking and History on Shackleford Banks,” “Exploring Coastal Habitats on the Rachel Carson Reserve,” and “Kayak the Salt Marsh.”

Related: Beaufort Maritime Museum reopens after yearlong closure

“We designed these programs to help the community explore our rich environment, history and culture while also learning about the diverse habitats found here,” Education Curator Courtney Felton said in a statement.

The first two programs take participants to local barrier islands and through the various habitats found just off our mainland.

“Exploring Coastal Habitats on the Rachel Carson Reserve” is set to resume for the year 8:30 a.m. to noon March 11. Participants will be guided on a walking tour through maritime forest, salt marsh and sound-side habitats while learning about the plants and animals that make the estuarine system unique. Additional dates for this program are April 23, May 26, June 24, Sept. 8 and Oct. 6. Cost for each program is $25, which includes transportation by local ferry to the islands.

“Hiking and History on Shackleford Banks” is scheduled to resume for the year 8:30 a.m. to noon March 25. The guided hike combines natural history with stories of the people who once called the island home, offering insight into maritime lifeways, shipwrecks and the wild horses that roam the island today. Additional dates for this program are May 12, June 9, Aug. 19, Sept. 22 and Oct. 20. Cost is $35, including ferry transport.

“The Rachel Carson program is perfect for those interested in coastal ecology,” Felton said. “And the Shackleford tour is perfect for history buffs and nature enthusiasts alike.”

“Kayak the Salt Marsh” is a guided 1.5-mile paddle in one of the museum’s sit-in kayaks that will resume 9 a.m. to noon April 2. The tour winds through Gallants Channel’s marshes, focusing on the plants and wildlife that can be found within. Additional dates for this program are May 5, June 3, Aug. 13 and Sept. 1 and 30. Cost is $35, or $30 with your own kayak.

“Some kayak experience is helpful,” Felton said. “However, we provide basic kayak instruction on shore and work with the tides to keep the program accessible to all skill levels.”

A special “Science and Exploration on the Rachel Carson Reserve” program is to take place April 27 as part of the NC Science Festival. During the monthlong effort April 1-30, sites and organizations offer science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, programming to spread science education.

The hike will be guided by a museum educator and the Central Sites manager from the N.C. Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve. They will additionally highlight how the reserve’s ecosystems are managed for research, education, and long-term stewardship. Participants will also learn how they can support the reserve through citizen science efforts. Cost is $25, which includes transportation by local ferry to the islands.

“These field programs provide an opportunity for visitors to experience the coast in a deeper way,” Felton said. “We hope participants leave with a greater appreciation for our natural resources and a sense of stewardship for these special places.”

All of the museum field programs are recommended for ages 12 and up, with adult supervision required for those under age 18. Members of the Friends of the Maritime Museum, which sponsors the programs, receive a 10% discount. Advance registration is required.

To register or for more information, visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com or call 252-504-7758.

The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management has objected to the proposed Wilmington Harbor project, concluding that a federal study of the plan is too scant on details and that, as presented, deepening and widening the channel would have “significant adverse impacts to coastal resources.”

The Army Corps of Engineers’ review lacks an evaluation of PFAS in the sediment in the lower Cape Fear River, fails to adequately assess cumulative flooding impacts or thoroughly detail areas where dredged material would be placed, and does not sufficiently account for potential effects on fisheries habitat, freshwater wetlands, shorelines, or state, historic and other properties along the river, the division concluded.

The draft environmental impact statement, or DEIS, the Corps released last September also falls short in analyzing the project’s economic benefits and evaluating “potential economic losses associated with environmental degradation,” Division of Coastal Management Director Tancred Miller wrote to the Corps’ Wilmington District in a 15-page letter dated Feb. 24.

A Corps spokesman, in a statement Wednesday, called the state’s objection “disappointing” and highlighted what the Corps describes as offering “numerous opportunities” to engage with the public and work with state and federal agencies.

The Corps “felt we had been working hand in hand with all our State and Federal partners and resource agencies since we began coordination regarding this project nearly 3.5 years ago,” Jed Cayton, a public affairs specialist with Wilmington District, said in an email. “Given all the integration and engagement throughout this process, the objection provided at this late stage in the process is disconcerting.”

The Corps and North Carolina State Ports Authority are reviewing the division’s letter “to determine how we will proceed,” Cayton said. “Since we are very early in this review, we cannot yet give a specific date for completion.”

The Corps may pause the project and work with the state to try and resolve the state’s concerns or initiate a formal dispute resolution process.

The division’s objection comes a little more than a month after the division granted the Corps’ request to pause its review of whether the proposed project was consistent with state coastal management program laws, regulations and policies.

Miller wrote that, during that pause, the division “detailed its concerns along with possible paths forward to address the information deficiencies.”

On Feb. 16, the Corps asked the division in an email to resume its review of the project, one that has been highly scrutinized for its potential effects to the environment, shorelines and historic and culturally significant areas along the shores of the lower Cape Fear River.

“Our objection was based on a combination of lack of sufficient information to determine the impacts from PFAS and flooding and anticipated significant adverse impacts to fisheries resources, wildlife habitat and cultural and historic resources,” Miller told the Coastal Resources Commission during its meeting Wednesday in Atlantic Beach.

In his letter, Miller wrote that the lack of information regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances was “of particular concern.”

“The DEIS does not evaluate the potential for contaminant resuspension during dredging and the resulting fate and transport of these chemicals into nearby water bodies and land areas,” the letter states. “This is of particular concern since extensive scientific research has documented the presence and persistence of PFAS over the past decade within the [Cape Fear River Basin], including a growing body of research indicating significant negative ecological implications of PFAS in fish, birds, and reptiles.”

The proposal calls for extending the entrance of the federal navigation channel farther offshore, deepening the channel by 5 feet and widening portions of it from the mouth of the Cape Fear River more than 25 miles to the Wilmington port.

The ports authority says the project is needed to accommodate larger ships, which will attract more import and export business to the port, ease shipping congestion on the East Coast and keep the state’s ports competitive.

But opponents of the proposed project argue it will accelerate erosion and exacerbate flooding, destroy habitat, disperse PFAS in the riverbed’s sediment into marshes and onto public beaches, is not economically justified, and threatens historic and cultural resources along the river.

One such historic site is Orton, a privately owned property that spans some 14,000 acres off the lower Cape Fear River’s western bank in Brunswick County and that includes a former plantation.

Orton owner Louis Bacon has spent millions restoring an expansive rice field system and earthen dike that enslaved Africans built more than two centuries ago to protect the rice fields from the river.

In a statement to Coastal Review on Wednesday, Bacon said the Division of Coastal Management’s objection to the proposed harbor project, “is proof that facts and persistence matter.”

“My concern has always been simple: this project, as proposed, puts undue and unacceptable risk on important historical and ecological sites,” Bacon stated. “The corps has not provided the analysis or safeguards the law requires. At Orton, dredging so close to a 250-year-old earthen dike creates a very real risk of catastrophic failure according to two separate expert firms – collapsing and flooding 350 acres of freshwater rice fields and exceptional wetlands with Atlantic saltwater, thereby eradicating the legacy of enslaved African Americans who built these systems over centuries, a monument to their efforts that I have spent years restoring.

“My objection is rooted in the fact that the project cannot be considered ‘consistent’ with North Carolina’s coastal protections if it causes this much damage,” he continued. “Large infrastructure decisions must be grounded in rigorous scientific evaluations, transparent disclosure, and enforceable protections, because these valuable resources cannot be rebuilt once lost.”

Several towns in Brunswick and New Hanover counties have adopted resolutions urging state and federal agencies to protect a series of islands within the lower Cape Fear River that support 30% of the state’s coastal shorebird population. Those towns have also asked for the creation of a comprehensive, long-term, and fully funded environmental and adaptive management plan to cover costs related to monitoring and mitigation to prevent and repair environmental harm.

Last month, the Wilmington City Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling for state and federal decision makers to further review the proposed project.

In his letter, Miller noted that an overwhelming majority of the written comments the division received last year regarding the proposed project opposed it. And everyone who spoke at a public hearing the division hosted in downtown Wilmington last November opposed the project.

Kerri Allen, coastal management program director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, which publishes Coastal Review, was one of the 72 people who expressed their concerns about the proposed project at that meeting.

“I’m encouraged to see DCM thoughtfully consider the many strong public comments submitted on this project,” Allen said in an email on Wednesday. “The level of engagement from coastal residents, local leaders, and partners shows how much people care, and it matters when that input is reflected in decisions. Our public trust waters belong to everyone, and transparent review like this helps lead to better, more resilient outcomes for our coast.”

Southern Environmental Law Center Senior Attorney Ramona McGee echoed similar sentiments in a release Wednesday.

“This decision is welcome news for the people of Wilmington and beyond who cherish the lower Cape Fear River and its surrounding natural areas,” McGee stated. “This $1.3 billion project would put at risk the communities and wildlife that call this region home by exacerbating flooding, destroying habitat, and damaging wetlands. The Lower Cape Fear is already threatened by sea-level rise and industrial pollution – we shouldn’t be further damaging this special place with an unnecessary and costly project.”

Fort Fisher State Historic Site plans to resume its annual summer artillery program after a two-year pause for a construction project.

The event is scheduled for 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at the historic site. Parking is available at the visitor center in Kure Beach. A food truck will be on site during the program begin offered at no charge.

“Known as the Gibraltar of the South, Fort Fisher protected the port of Wilmington during the American Civil War until it fell to U.S. forces in January 1865. In 1962, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark,” according to the state.

There will be 19th-century artillery demonstrations at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. and ongoing living history demonstrations and displays. Retired Col. Wade Sokolosky will lecture on his book “North Carolina’s Confederate Hospitals, 1864-1865: Volume 2″ at 1:30 p.m.

A full event schedule is available on Fort Fisher State Historic Site’s website and social media channels.

Fort Fisher is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The 160th anniversary of U.S. forces capturing Fort Fisher will be recognized later this month with living history demonstrations and programs.

The daylong commemoration of the January 1865 capture is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Fort Fisher State Historic Site in Kure Beach.

Activities include 19th century weapons demonstrations at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m., as well as ongoing living history demonstrations and displays. Civil War historians are scheduled to speak throughout the day about Fort Fisher and the Wilmington Campaign. The schedule is available online.

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources manages the Fort Fisher State Historic Site, which “played a crucial role in the Confederacy’s defense of the port of Wilmington, which was vital for maintaining supply lines.”

The commemoration is the first major event for Fort Fisher State Historic Site since opening a new 20,000-square-foot visitor center and reconstructed earthworks late last year, organizers said.

The site features a variety of tours, exhibitions and educational programs that explore the fort’s strategic importance, the battles fought there and the soldier’s daily life.

Admission to the event is free. Parking is available at the visitor center. Concessions will be provided by the Federal Point History Center.

A contentious provision that would all but eliminate protections for archaeologically significant resources was stripped from an energy and environmental bill at the eleventh-hour last week, just days after an altercation at a site where Native American human remains were found during construction.

Sen. Norm Sanderson, R-Pamlico, asked the Senate late Wednesday evening to approve the amendment for House Bill 385, “Various energy/environmental changes,” that removed a section dealing “with all the archaeological situations that we have in North Carolina that have kind of sprung up on us recently.” Sanderson also represents Carteret, Chowan, Dare, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Washington counties.

The bill first stirred up controversy when a provision was introduced June 6 during a Senate committee meeting that targeted the Coastal Area Management Act, which turned 50 this year. Among the changes were to restrict the Division of Coastal Management’s authority when issuing CAMA permits, including the division’s ability to consult other state agencies, such as the Office of State Archaeology.

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, in a June 10 response after the provision became public, explained that the language was “associated with a subdivision in Carteret County that is currently under construction where extensive Native American human burials and an undisturbed Woodland period (1000 BC – AD 1600) village site have been found.”

The bill’s language was edited after the June 6 meeting. The proposed CAMA overhaul was removed June 19, and then the attempt to simplify the Office of State Archeology’s involvement in development was tweaked during committee meetings June 25 and 26.

Sanderson continued that striking the section would allow more time to work on the language and bring in more stakeholders, to ensure that “this is an adequate bill and a very good bill going forward. We’ll do that in the long session,” he said, referring to the North Carolina General Assembly’s odd-year session that begins in January.

The Senate voted 29-18 to send House Bill 385 back to committee in the lower chamber. The measure still included controversial points, including a proposed terminal groin for Bald Head Island, and it appears stalled for now.

“We appreciate that the Senate paused legislative changes related to the Office of State Archaeology. We will continue to work with legislators as we seek to protect our state’s invaluable archaeological resources,” Cultural Resources Communications Director Schorr Johnson said Thursday.

Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina Public Relations Officer Rahnàwakęw Donnie McDowell told Coastal Review that while Tuscarora Nation considers the removal of the archaeological provisions was “a giant win,” he said that knowing that the issue will return again next session, “continues to drive our concern that developers and their legal allies will use their money and clout to grow their support for completely removing archaeological protections from all sites across the state.”

McDowell expressed his concern that “HB 385 has gained so much attention no one is talking about our tribal reaffirmation bill, HB 970.”

Tuscarora leaders are concerned that the attention to the archaeological provision has undermined the bill that would grant state recognition to the Tuscarora of Eastern North Carolina, add two members of the Tuscarora to the State Commission of Indian Affairs, and make Tuscarora people eligible for federal benefits and services.

House Bill 970 has been stalled in the House appropriations committee since early May.

Sanderson didn’t mention a specific archaeological situation last week during the Senate meeting, but the move to strike the provision came just days after a confrontation at the Bridge View development.

Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina, the Occaneechi Saponi and other extended Indigenous relatives, allies and supporters met in Cedar Point, “to peaceably honor the ancestors’ remains unearthed by construction and surveys,” Tuscarora leaders said in a June 24 statement.

Residents of the nearby development proclaimed that the 17 Rivers North Carolina American Indian Movement and Tuscarora participants “should get off the land across the road from the development, which is currently undeveloped,” the statement continues. “Tuscarora Nation members, witnessing this outrageous experience, report that a resident of the Cedar Point development physically assaulted a Native woman and her children.”

The Carteret County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement June 25 saying that when deputies arrived on scene, they discovered that an altercation had occurred and one resident had been stabbed in the arm with a small pocket knife. One suspect had been identified and warrants were obtained. The sheriff’s office said that this is an ongoing investigation and details would be released when appropriate.

Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, a citizen of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation and co-founder of 7 Directions of Service, an Indigenous-led environmental justice and community, explained during a press conference June 26 that she was in Cedar Point for the prayer.

“I am personally traumatized as one of the participants who escaped and naively waited for the others only to be told by legal, political, and spiritual leaders I trust that I could not rely on law enforcement protection in that county and to get my victims to safety. Because we were afraid for our lives, we drove three hours until we arrived safely at a place we trusted and a physician could see and address their physical damages,” said Cavalier-Keck.

Bridge View residents issued a statement June 27 that “As a community, we respect the ongoing archaeological efforts and the preservation of history. We ask that our safety, privacy and property investment, as well as the laws regarding trespassing on private property, receive equal respect from stakeholders and citizens and that these priorities are taken into account in future words and actions because they are at the forefront of our minds,” WRAL reported.

“We are discouraged to see inaccuracies being reported about our neighbors and the beautiful place that we call home. Bridge View residents are largely learning about archaeological finds within our subdivision alongside the general public through the media. We have little to no prior knowledge of what has been unearthed and where, or the future of development within our gates,” the statement continues. “Those questions are best directed to the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology and the residential developer, not the Bridge View residents who have been the subjects of unsolicited attention and aggression and placed in the middle of a debate beyond our control.”

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will celebrate its 50th anniversary as a state cabinet-level agency in 2022 with celebrations and online content through the year.

The department celebrate this anniversary with online campaigns, regional “DNCR Days” to showcase the department’s offerings across the state, and more. Follow #DNCR50 on social media to find out about future events.

“The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is the department of everything people love about North Carolina. We have the honor of managing, enhancing, and celebrating our state’s rich history, diverse arts and culture, science, and spectacular natural areas,” Secretary D. Reid Wilson said in a statement about the anniversary.

“From hiking trails to museums, historical spaces to wildlife conservation, cultural celebrations to live concerts, for 50 years our department has been part of the lives of all North Carolinians. Our sites and stories create a shared sense of identity among North Carolinians, and literally provide common ground. All are welcome,” he added.

Wilson explained that the year ahead promises to be transformational as the department makes good on substantial new state budget investments in operations, grants to local organizations, and numerous capital projects.

Using those funds, Wilson said the department plans to do the following:

• Expand its efforts to educate children about inclusive history, science, and diverse culture.
• Improve public health through expanded outdoor recreation and clean water projects;
• Stimulate local economies.
• Strengthen diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across the department.
• Strengthen community resiliency to climate change; continue enhancing our existing facilities, add some new ones, and extend outreach efforts.

The North Carolina Department of Art, Culture, and History was created in February 1972, becoming the first cabinet-level office of any state in the country to manage the state’s history, arts, and culture. The department’s first secretary was Sam Ragan, a poet and arts advocate who later became North Carolina Poet Laureate.

The department was renamed N.C. Department of Cultural Resources in 1973, when Grace Rohrer succeeded Ragan, becoming the first woman to hold a cabinet-level office in North Carolina.

In September 2015, the department name was changed to Department of Natural and Cultural Resources following a legislative transfer of several divisions to the department, including North Carolina’s state parks, aquariums, zoo, Museum of Natural Sciences, the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, now the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program.

Today, the department oversees 27 state historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, three science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 41 state parks and recreation areas, North Carolina Zoo, North Carolina Symphony, State Library, State Archives, North Carolina Arts Council, the State Historic Preservation Office, Office of State Archaeology, African American Heritage Commission, Office of Land and Water Stewardship, Highway Historical Marker Program, and the new American Indian Heritage Commission.

RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday appointed Rep. Susi Hamilton of Wilmington as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and Reid Wilson as the chief deputy secretary.

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources oversees projects in the state’s parks, art institutions, libraries and museums “to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina,” according to its website.

Hamilton, who is a Wilmington Democrat who has represented New Hanover and Brunswick counties since 2011, owns a business consulting firm, Hamilton Planning, which specializes in city planning and downtown economic development. She’s also a commercial real estate broker.

“Susi Hamilton has a strong appreciation for North Carolina’s natural and cultural heritage and a deep commitment to serving our state,” Cooper said in a tweet.

Reid Wilson has been the executive director of the North Carolina Conservation Trust since March 2003, where he managed government relations, land protection and assisted with land trusts. Prior to that, he worked as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as the national Political Director of the Sierra Club and as a public affairs consultant in Washington, D.C.

“Reid Wilson has helped preserve lands from the mountains to the coast and will be a great asset to the Department,” Cooper said.

Learn More

• Read Rep. Darren Jackson’s letter of congratulations to Hamilton