Topics Related to Bennett Place State Historic Site

Harriet Ann Daves recalled just how monumental Civil War surrenders were for her family: "When the surrender came my grandfather came to my mother and told her: 'Well, you are as free as I am.'"

James and Nancy Bennett lived along the Hillsborough Road, a major throughway between the county seat of Hillsborough and the state capital of Raleigh. They made money by selling goods & services to passers-by on the roadway.On May 16, Bennett Place State Historic Site brings back that entrepreneurial, small-business spirit with the Old Hillsborough Road Market. Shop local craft, retail, and food vendors while exploring our historic site! The program also features historic trades demonstrations and free ranger-talks in the Bennett home. 

161 years ago, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered nearly 90,000 troops to U.S. Army Major General William T. Sherman. The pair met at the humble farmhouse of James and Nancy Bennett in what later became Durham, North Carolina. On April 25, 2026, Bennett Place explores the importance of that surrender for all North Carolinians with this special event.

Bennett Place hosts several historic sites and museums for a history-packed School Day program. Students rotate through several hands-on stations focusing not just on the Civil War, but many aspects of North Carolina's long, rich history.Advance registration required - space limited. $2 per student payable on the morning of the program.

James and Nancy Bennett lived along the Hillsborough Road, a major throughway between the county seat of Hillsborough and the state capitol of Raleigh. They earned money selling goods & services to passers-by on the roadway. On November 22, Bennett Place State Historic Site brings back that entrepreneurial, small-business spirit with the Old Hillsborough Road Market. Shop from local craft, retail, and food vendors for a perfect holiday gift! 

The modern Thanksgiving holiday stems from a mid-19th century campaign by Sara Josepha Hale for the adoption of a national thanksgiving holiday. President Abraham Lincoln created the federal holiday in 1863 during the American Civil War. So how did our Thanksgiving narrative come to focus on a fantastical meal shared between colonists and American Indians? What messages did Americans hope to convey with the Thanksgiving holiday? What were some popular Thanksgiving foods in generations past? 

In 1923, a committee of influential local leaders commissioned the monument at Bennett Place to inform visitors about the history and significance of the Civil War surrender that occurred here. They inscribed their understanding of history onto the landscape with the Unity Monument, which in turn shaped what future generations learned about Bennett Place & the outcomes of the Civil War.These committee members joined a long tradition of telling stories about the past and its meaning through artwork. 

Join us for a special environmental history guided tour at 11:00 a.m.!

Union armies brought freedom to central North Carolina in the closing days of the Civil War. Emancipation elicited a variety of powerful reactions to news of slavery's collapse. Historian Ernest Dollar shares stories of African American men and women's first moments of freedom in this free Black History Month lecture.

Join us as we commemorate the 160th anniversary of the largest Civil War surrender at Bennett Place! The program features costumed living history and community table displays.