As Bennett Place State Historic Site prepares to mark the 160th anniversary of the largest Civil War surrender, we invite our community to help us get ready.
The Community Luminary table is a self-guided reflective experience located on our back patio. Visitors are welcome to learn more about people enslaved in North Carolina and the role of slavery in the American Civil War. Flip through the 1860 Slave Schedule - the final accounting of enslaved people in North Carolina. Commemorate the lives of over 331,000 enslaved North Carolinians by helping Bennett Place staff create luminaries to be used in an upcoming site program on April 25. Visitors are asked to fill bags with approximately 250 grams of sand using a pre-measured cup, with each gram representing one enslaved person in 1860 North Carolina. Site staff will turn these sand bags into 1,324 luminaries for the April program. Visitors are also welcome to commemorate individuals in writing by leaving names, stories, or messages.
The Community Luminary table will be available February 1 - April 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, with the exception of Sundays, Mondays, and State Holidays. Site staff & volunteers will be available for questions.
On April 25, 2025 from 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., join us for our program "The Promise of Peace: Slavery's End in North Carolina," in which Historic Sites staff share stories of people's lived experiences in slavery & freedom. The 1,324 luminary bags will dot our historic site & story trail. Each luminary represents 250 enslaved North Carolinians - appropriately filled with 250 grams of sand. Select visitor reflection messages may also be displayed during the April 25 program, with the author's consent.