Urgent Fundraising Drive To Preserve Historic Civil War Land by Bennett Place

DURHAM, N.C. - Sept. 23, 2014 - PRLog -- Part of the original Hillsborough Road traveled by Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston to meet with Union Gen. William Sherman in April 1865 is for sale. Bennett Place State Historic Site, where the American Civil War ended, is desperately trying to raise $310,000 to purchase the tract located directly across the street by the end of this month.

"The state's option on a piece of wooded land near Durham's Bennett Place State Historic Site (http://nchistoricsites.org/bennett/), where sits one of the most significant Civil War monuments in North Carolina, is about to expire," said Dr. Kevin Cherry, Deputy Secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. "The site needs $310,000 to purchase the land near "The Unity Monument." This monument, located at the site where the Civil War effectively ended, symbolically marks the reunification of the nation. If the site is not able to purchase the optioned land, it is possible that development will mar the historical context in which the monument currently sits."

On April 26, 1865, Johnston surrendered all active Confederate forces in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida at a farm house just outside of present-day Durham. This surrender essentially ended the Civil War. The location of Johnston's historic surrender to Union forces led by William Tecumseh Sherman is currently preserved as Bennett Place State Historic Site. This site is maintained by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources (http://www.ncdcr.gov/).

A number of North Carolina's leading citizens initiated grassroots efforts to preserve Bennett Place before it became a state historic site in 1961. Many gathered at Bennett Place on Oct. 12, 1923, to dedicate two tall white Corinthian columns, one representing the Confederacy and one representing the Union. These two separate columns were joined at the top by a bridge with the text "UNITY" carved into it along with two flanking shields. With this piece of symbolic architecture, descendants of the men who fought this nation's bitterest conflict fulfilled their desire to build a monument to national unity.

"Donations are needed to purchase the adjoining tract and preserve the sanctity of this place," insists Site Manager John Guss. "The need is urgent and immediate." Donations can be made to the Bennett Place Support Fund at 4409 Bennett Memorial Road, Durham, N.C., 27705.

For additional information, please call (919) 383-4345 or email bennett@ncdcr.gov. Bennett Place State Historic Site is part of the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan W. Kluttz, NCDCR's mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state's history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state's communities. NCDCR's Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina's rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR's State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for people who are blind and have physical disabilities.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state's creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.