Heritage Place is one of the leading genealogy research facilities in the state. It houses a special reserved collection of genealogical and local/state historical materials including 19th century newspapers of the Kinston area, census records, church records, land grants, and other colonial records of counties in eastern North Carolina.
Jesse Cobb built this colonial showplace in 1772, four years before the American Colonies’ War for Independence. Richard Caswell, Revolutionary War hero and the first governor of the state of North Carolina, once owned the house and for a brief time it became the state’s capital, housing important records and accounts. Listed on the National […]
The Second Battle of Kinston, often called the Battle of Wyse Fork, was fought March 7-10, 1865, near Southwest Creek. Confederate forces numbered 8,500 against 12,000 Union troops as the federal army advanced from New Bern toward Goldsboro. Their goal was to secure the New Bern- Goldsboro Railroad so it could supply Gen. William T. […]
Harriet’s Chapel – Walk in the footprints of Civil War soldiers at the site of a 19th Century church where the heat of the battle took place. Harriet’s Chapel was used as a defensive position before the battle. Imagine the horrendous scene in this area following the bloody battle. The church, an old barn-like structure, […]
On December 14, 1862, Union forces under the command of Gen. John G. Foster launched their second attack on Confederate Gen. Nathan G. Evans at the First Battle of Kinston. Foster’s men had approached Kinston the day before and came upon the Confederate defensive forces. After a heated exchange, Evans withdrew to earthworks along Southwest […]
The historic Caswell No. 1 Fire Museum building was constructed following a devastating fire that destroyed most of downtown Kinston in 1895. It is reported as the oldest brick building in Kinston. Exhibits include photographs of major downtown fires, vintage and antique fire-fighting equipment including helmets, ladders, fire extinguishers, nozzles, memorabilia and a 1922 American […]
Serving people with developmental disabilities since 1914. Caswell Developmental Center was the first mental retardation facility in North Carolina. The Caswell Museum and Visitor’s Center portrays institutional life from the early 1900s to the present through a collection of historical information and artifacts. These displays tell the Caswell story and relate the Center to its […]
Visit the world’s only full size facsimile of a Confederate ironclad gunboat to realize what a sailor’s life was like during the Civil War. The 158 ft. long boat rests a short distance from the “cat hole” in the Neuse River where the original ironclad was fitted with iron plating and hardware.
The story of Gov. Caswell’s life is memorialized in a museum on property that was once part of his “Red House Plantation.” The house is no longer there, but the family cemetery remains for the public to visit. Caswell was a Revolutionary War hero, NC’s first elected governor and a prominent businessman, lawyer and surveyor. […]
Become captivated by the story of the CSS Neuse Ironclad’s design, construction, engagement in battle, destruction and eventual recovery. The exhibits focus soon what life was like for the crew of the CSS Neuse, civilians in Lenoir County, and the soldiers stationed in the area during the Civil War. There are 12,000 artifacts that were […]