A city moving ahead: Laying the foundation to revive downtown

Neuse River waterfront late 1970's
Downtown New Bern

 

Trent River waterfront last 1970's
Downtown New Bern



In the 1970’s, the Central Business District (CBD) and city were at a critical juncture. The new mall enticed merchants to the outskirts of the city, roadways and incompatible land uses fragmented the downtown area into many small and marginally useful pieces of land and the downtown tax base continued to deteriorate as residents and businesses moved to the suburbs.

On the positive side, some steps had been taken in an attempt to re-establish a healthy core. The new Highway 70 by-pass was under construction, the urban renewal site (14 acres on the Trent River waterfront) was cleared and available for sale to potential investors. Tryon Palace had been restored and focused its marketing efforts on attracting tourists. 

The downtown was still essentially intact even though the facades of many buildings had been slipped covered with aluminum, tile and other materials in an attempt to compete with the new mall and gaps in the street scape where burned down or demolished buildings, were not rebuilt.

All of this was seen as a base to establish significant change in the downtown area, requiring clearly articulated objectives that would be understood by all segments of the community, strong leadership and a workable plan of action to this end.

In November 1976, the Downtown Revitalization Committee and Urban Renewal Commission contracted with Stephens Associates, Raleigh, NC, to prepare preliminary development plans and a program for downtown.  A month was spent collecting and interpreting market information followed by an intensive two week workshop. The Revitalization Committee (acting client group) met every other morning to review the consultants work.

Conclusions and recommendations (in addition to bringing a new market of recreation, tourism and retirees, creating a locally funded nonprofit to spearhead and coordinate the effort) was creation and adoption of a general physical development policy consisting of the following elements and based on the historic pattern.

·  An open space pedestrian spine along Middle Street connecting to the historic residential area with the urban renewal site.

·  A water edge pedestrian park system along the Trent and Neuse River shorelines.

·  Straight streets extending to the water.

·  Parking and sidewalks along street.

·  Buildings abutting the street right of way, extending the entire property width and two or three stories.

·  Re-establishment of the original building facades.

·  New parking, trash collection and delivery area constructed in the middle of each block.

·  Pedestrian ways established to allow convenient access from mid-block parking to the streets.

·  Develop and enforce a CBD sign ordinance.

The recommended first phase of redevelopment to include:

·  Mid block parking, trash and service area construction.

·  Mid block parking to street pedestrian ways.

·  Building façade renovation.

·  Expanding sidewalks with plantings and a pedestrian crossing on Middle Street.

·  Housing in vacant upper floors.

Redevelopment projects for the future include:

·  Narrowing Broad Street, adding plantings.

·  Underground utilities.

·  A mall on Middle Street.

·  Open space acquisition and construction of water edge park-pathway system.

The Plan was approved and adopted by the New Bern Board of Aldermen on July 19, 1977.

Revitalization Committee: T. Doug Davis, Chairman; Charles  Kimbrell, Mayor; Frank Hargett, County Commissioner; Bailey Dixon, President, Merchant Association; W.J. Edwards, Redevelopment Commission. Ex-officio members: Harry Vatz, Renewal Authority; Charles Taylor, Housing Authority; Nicholas Scholz, Chamber of Commerce. Renewal Authority; John G. Dunn, Chairman; Sam P. Branch; William  Bryan; Walter Jones, Jr.; Harry Vatz, William Edwards, Executive Director. City Officials; Charles Kimbrell, Mayor; Board of Aldermen: Ben Hurst, Pete Chagaris, Tom Davis, Ed Armstrong, Ella Bengal; J.C. Outlaw, City Manager.

Implementation of the first phase and creation of a funding mechanism will be related in a future column.

Susan Moffat-Thomas

Executive Director

Constitution Week Celebration: Why Not At His Gravesite?



Gravesite and sepulcher of Richard Dobbs Spaight



National observance of Constitution Week began on September 17 at 3:30 p.m. with Ringing of the Bells locally at Tryon Palace by the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter, Daughters of the Revolution, other DAR Chapters, schools and groups across the nation. The Ringing of the Bells commemorates the time on Sept. 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, including New Bernian Richard Dobbs Spaight, met for the last time to sign the document they created.

My thoughts, as I read in the Sun Journal, the Ringing of the Bells ceremony by the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter would be held at Tryon Palace, were “why not at his gravesite?”

We are so fortunate to have the honor of having a signer of the constitution buried in our community. Since the purpose of this week of observance is to promote study and education about the constitution, does it not seem we should be commemorating Constitution Week with an observance ceremony at Richard Dobbs Spaight’s gravesite?

This famous New Bernian, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Sr., a Revolutionary War patriot, a delegate to the Federal Constitution Convention of 1787 and the North Carolina Ratification Convention of 1788, and the first native born Governor of the state of North Carolina (serving three terms) is buried in his family’s sepulcher at Clermont adjacent to Madam Moore’s Lane. This property, owned by the MacDonald family for many years, was bequeathed by the late Ms. Hughrena MacDonald to the state of North Carolina as a part of Tryon Palace to insure this historic property/site was preserved for perpetuity.

Constitution Week presents the perfect opportunity to bring public awareness to this very historic site, especially since the actual initiative to have President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Congress officially proclaim September 17 – 23 as Constitution Week was led by Gertrude Caraway of New Bern, a member of the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter and President General of the National Society of the DAR.

Perhaps, Constitution Week 2013, the 226^th anniversary of the signing of the constitution, will include an observance at this hallowed gravesite.

Tell us what you think?

Susan Moffat-Thomas

Richard Dobbs Spaight Gravesite Improvements

Gravesite and sepulcher of Richard Dobbs Spaight

The article in the Sun Journal on the duel that ended Richard Dobbs Spaight’s life on September 6, 1802, brought to mind the Spaight Gravesite Improvement Project I initiated as a part of the Richard Dobbs Spaight Committee established by the Craven County Commissioners in 1987 to plan activities and events in celebration of the Bicentennial of the Constitution in 1989. Locally, the Committee was initiated by Gertrude Carraway to honor and promote recognition of New Bern’s famous patriot and signer of the constitution.

Myself and a number of others were appointed to serve on the Committee, chaired by Tom Ward. Each member was asked to initiate and organize a project or event as a sub-committee for the celebration that would be held throughout 1989 culminating on November 21, the 200^th Anniversary of our state’s ratification.

The project I chose was to make improvements to the Richard Dobbs Spaight gravesite, located on private property on Madam Moore’s Lane, erect a historic marker and make this historic site accessible to the public. Like every project we undertake, it took the time, talent and contributions of many to come to fruition.

Harold Talton, Swiss Bear’s Chairman and I met with Ms. Hughrena MacDonald owner of the property (historically called  Clermont*) and discussed our interest in improving the deteriorating grave site and sepulcher, erecting a historic marker and finding a way to make it accessible to the public. Ms. MacDonald was very supportive, on the condition we could find a way to make the site accessible to the public which would not compromise her privacy.

Charlie Potter, a Swiss Bear Board member and Chairman of the County Commissioners, with the Board of Commissioner’s support, agreed the County would develop the site and maintain it into perpetuity. Dick Smith, Smith Design Group, provided a landscape plan with an entry point into the grave site from the road. Improvements included installing a culvert in the drainage ditch adjacent to Madam Moore’s Lane, construction of a road into the site and putting a bench near the grave site. Neuse Memorial donated the cost of the repair work needed within the sepulcher which included repair to the ledger and marble chips on the interior space to eliminate weed problems. The grant I received from the Kellenberger Historical Foundation paid for the state marker to erect near the site to clearly identify this very significant cemetery  and pay tribute to a New Bernian who was a Revolutionary War patriot, a delegate to the Federal Constitution Convention of 1787 and the North Carolina Ratification Convention of 1788. Richard Dobbs Spaight also had the distinction of being the first native-born Governor of the state of North Carolina, serving for three terms.

At the Dedication Ceremony, August 23, 1989 the ceremony opened and closed with a USNC Color Guard, speeches by dignitaries, the New Bern Police Department honored Richard Dobbs Spaight with a 21 gun salute and the marker was unveiled. 

It was an outstanding occasion and a project I take great pride in. New Bern’s historic role in the founding and development of our country including having a signer of the constitution’s gravesite in Craven County is quite impressive. The opportunity to initiate and coordinate the restoration of this historic gravesite and making it available to the public was another example of people working together for the greater good of the community.

*On this property known as Clermont, a colonial brick mansion was constructed for Col. William Wilson in 1735 whose daughter married Richard Spaight.  The mansion was demolished during the Civil War. The MacDonald family owned the property for many years that bequeathed to Tryon Palace and the state by Hughrena MacDonald when she passed away several years ago.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director