The Gateway, Fall/Winter 2018 | Vol.38

300th Anniversary of the Pirate

Exhibitions

Our Story: Life in the Albemarle

The Albemarle represents a unique place—half land, half water. The story of this place comes alive in Our Story, a tale of how our communities have adapted to the challenges and opportunities of our unusual home.

Audio Tour

Virtual tour provides in-depth overview of the region and its progression through various eras of transportation.

North Carolina Shad Boat

The official State Historical Boat of North Carolina was first built in the early 1880s by George Washington Creef, of Roanoke Island. The shad boat on display here at MOA was constructed in 1904 by renowned boatbuilder and decoy carver Alvirah Wright.

Tar Heels in the Trenches: The GreatWar and the Albemarle

A special exhibit marking the centennial of America’s formal entrance into “the war to end all wars.” Experience the first truly modern war through multiple perspectives, from doughboys in the trenches to the Red Cross volunteers on the Home Front.

50 Years of Museum History

MOA celebrates its 50th birthday with a special exhibit highlighting objects from our collection.

Celebrating 60 Years of the Albemarle Craftsman’s Fair

Learn about the six-decade history of the Albemarle Craftsman’s Fair.

Museum of the Albemarle

501 South Water Street, Elizabeth City, NC 27909 252-335-1453 • museumofthealbemarle.com facebook.com/museumoftheablemarle • Free admission

River Bridge: Sunken Secrets

Excavations at a site along the Pasquotank River have yielded more than 10,000 artifacts, dating from the middle of the 18th century to the early 20th century.

Memorable Sands: Beaches of Northeast North Carolina and Southeast Virginia

View images from African American beaches in the region, including Chowan, Bias, Hargraves, Bogues, and Seaview beaches.

Stop and Smell the Roses

The 35-year history of hosting Rose Buddies receptions to welcome visiting boaters to Elizabeth City is documented in this exhibit.

Artifacts of Outlander

Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in Maryland, home to the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, is traveling this exhibit that features artifacts related to the detailed history of the Outlander book and television series.

The Boomer List

This traveling exhibit from the Newseum features framed photographs, artifacts, informational panels, recorded videos, and a scent station—all to discuss the baby-boomer generation.

A Contemporary Response to the Harlem Renaissance

Information panels and artifacts in this MOA exhibit relate to the African American cultural movement of the 1920s and early 1930s.

Museum Hours

Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

State of North Carolina

Roy A. Cooper, Governor

Daniel J. Forest, Lieutenant Governor

Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

Susi H. Hamilton, Secretary

O ce of Archives and History

Kevin Cherry, Deputy Secretary

Division of State History Museums

North Carolina Museum of History

Kenneth B. Howard, Director

The Museum of the Albemarle is a part of the Division of State History Museums.

FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM OF THE ALBEMARLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Ben Speller, President

Mathew Scribner, Treasurer

Nancy Bailey Muller, Secretary

Hilton Barrett, Kimberly Baumbaugh, Marjorie Berry, Johnson Biggs, Kim Castle,

Samantha Crisp, Brenda Felton, Reba

Green-Holley, Millie Gri th, Russ Haddad, Jinger Hickman, Dr. John Hill, Harriett

Hornthal, Buddy Madrin, Jason Phelps, Dr. Charles Reed, Barbara Snowden, Capt. Lamar VanBrackle, Barbara Putnam, Ex O cio

MUSEUM OF THE ALBEMARLE STAFF

Marjorie Berry, Public Information Specialist

Rosana Castilho, Event Rental Coordinator

Jessica Cosmas, Collections Specialist

Matt Ferrell, Carpenter

Caitlin Forney, Museum Technician

Ken Howard, Director, Division of State History Museums

Leonard Lanier, Collections Assistant

Wanda Lassiter, Curator

Wayne Mathews, Facilities Manager

Lori Meads, Museum Educator

Charlotte Patterson, Education Curator

Barbara Putnam, Operations Manager

Tish Rivas, Public Information Specialist

Lynette Sawyer, Museum Specialist

William Seymore, Facilities Maintenance

Ben Shipley, Facilities Maintenance

Jonathan Smith, Public Information Specialist

Rebecca Stiles, Administrative Assistant

Mary Temple, Museum Gi Shop

Bruce Topping, Event Rental Assistant

Paul Vincent, Collections Assistant

TheGateway

Stephen Evans, Copyeditor

Caitlin Forney, Graphic Designer

Jessica Cosmas, Ken Howard, Leonard Lanier, Wanda Lassiter, Lori Meads

Charlotte Patterson, Barbara Putnam, Paul Vincent , Contributors

TheGateway is published two times per year by the Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle. Published articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources or any other state agency.

Unless noted otherwise, images used are courtesy of the Museum of the Albemarle.

© 2018 by the Museum of the Albemarle

Museum Gift Shop

Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Queen Anne’s Revenge cannon Courtesy of Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Lab, Greenville, NC

From the Director

by Ken Howard, Director, Division of State History

Museums

As Director of the North Carolina Division of State History Museums and the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, it is my pleasure to write the Director’s Column for this issue of Gateway. With Bill McCrea, the former director, becoming the Director of Tryon Palace and a new director not yet hired at the time this is being written, it is my job to “fill in.” Our plan is to replace Bill with a new director to be located here at the museum. Hopefully by the time you are reading this a new director will be in place.

Things are going well at the Museum of the Albemarle. With the opening of the new River Bridge exhibit, the staff has, once again, done an excellent job of creating another wonderful exhibit on the history of the Albemarle region. If you have not yet seen this exhibit, you do not want to miss it. It is incredible the number of artifacts that have been discovered.

And don’t forget all the interesting programs the museum produces. With 2018 being the year of Blackbeard, there will be lots of “pirate” activity at the museum. Be sure to visit the museum’s website, museumofthealbemarle.com, to see all the activities happening at the museum.

The museum continues to be a center of activity in Elizabeth City with many programs, wedding receptions, meetings and other community functions being held here. If you are looking for a place to hold a meeting or reception, please consider the museum as a possible location for your event. With our 200-seat auditorium, our multiple classrooms, our boardroom and our covered outdoor space, we can accommodate all types of functions.

As we like to say at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh, “History Happens Here” and it certainly happens here at the Museum of the Albemarle. We hope you will come visit us soon and make your own history.

Pirate Festival on Ocracoke Courtesy of Charles Ellms, The Pirates’ Own Book, London, 1837.

3 for 300: Common Blackbeard Myths

Leonard Lanier, Collections Assistant

Three hundred years ago, Blackbeard came to a sudden and violent end along the North Carolina coast. Over the centuries, numerous myths sprouted and took root about him. To commemorate three hundred years of pirate lore, here are three myths and the real history behind them.

He married Mary Ormand

Residents of Bath take great pride that the pirate took a bloom of their female youth as his bride. Exactly why the town thinks so highly of this claim remains a good question. According to the pirate’s principal 18th century biographer, Blackbeard had the “Custom to invite five or six of his brutal Companions to come ashore, and he would force her to prostitute herself to them all, one after another, before his Face.” The sole contemporary evidence of Blackbeard marrying a Carolina girl comes from a letter sent to Virginia authorities by one of the Royal Navy captains who destroyed the pirate’s operation. Exactly how the commander acquired his information is unknown, though it possibly slipped from the lips of one of Blackbeard’s imprisoned crewmembers. Even then, while he mentions the marriage, the captain does not provide a name. Local legend in Bath claims the unfortunate woman was Mary Ormand, scion of a prominent landowning family. Land records, however, indicate that the first Ormand arrived in Beaufort County about 1735, seventeen years after Blackbeard’s death.

The boast that “Blackbeard Lived Here” is the North Carolina equivalent of “George Washington Slept Here” (although the state makes several of those claims too). Period accounts reveal that Blackbeard arrived along the Carolina coast in June 1718. He was dead by November. By their very nature, pirates, like most outlaws, are transients. They cannot afford to stay in one place too long. During his brief life as a privateer and pirate, which historians gathered lasted roughly ten years, he visited numerous places, but other than possibly Jamaica, he did not live anywhere. He certainly made several calls on colonial officials in Bath, but no documentary evidence exists of Blackbeard owning property there. He and other pirates used Ocracoke as a base, but even members of his crew described their dwellings there as a temporary “camp.” During his sojourn in North Carolina, Blackbeard spent most of his time doing what pirates do best—sailing the ocean and capturing booty.

Fictional portrayal of Blackbeard and his “wife” from the 1977 production of Blackbeard: Knight of the Black Flag in Bath.

Courtesy of Special Collections, J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University.

His Head Became a Skull Cup

Between 1966 and 1989, a municipal court judge in Greenville, Charles Harry Whedbee, published several collections of coastal North Carolina folklore. In his final volume, he relayed a fantastic tale involving secret societies, death rituals, and Blackbeard’s skull. While an undergraduate at UNC-Chapel Hill, Whedbee purportedly partic ipated in a clandestine meeting held on Ocracoke in “Blackbeard’s Castle” (the lack of stone in Eastern North Carolina apparently did not faze his imagination). The event culminated with each man taking a sip from a silver-plated skull with the inscription “Deth to Spotswoode.” Since its publication thirty years ago, Whedbee’s story led numerous people to try and track down “Blackbeard’s Skull Cup.” A cup in the shape of a skull at the Peabody Essex Museum attracted attention in the 1990s until a pirate enthusiast revealed the cup’s “silver” decoration as radiator paint. All contemporary accounts indicate that after removing Blackbeard’s head, Royal Navy lieutenant Robert Maynard hosted the skull on his sloop’s bowsprit. Upon its return to Virginia, affixed to a wooden stake, Blackbeard’s cranium stood watch along the shores of Hampton Roads, a warning to all pirates not to mess with the Old Dominion. No period evidence suggests that the skull ever became a drinking cup.

Further Reading: Butler, Lindley S. Pirates, Privateers, and Rebel Raiders of the Carolina Coast. Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2000.

Duffus, Kevin P. The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate—Within Every Legend Lies a Grain of Truth. Raleigh: Looking Glass Productions, 2008.

Old Brick House Blackbeard’s alleged home in Pasquotank County. Courtesy of the Museum of the Albemarle collection.

Excavations at the home of Governor Charles Eden Wanda

Lassiter, Curator

Beginning in 1996, the archaeology firm Coastal Carolina R esearch, in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, conducted excavations at the Eden House site (31BR52), one-time home of proprietary governor Charles Eden. The excavations yielded a total of 217 units, 588 features, and artifacts datin g to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Artifacts from the site—including a trade token issued by Ambrose Ambler, Delft tiles (made in Netherlands), a North Midlands (England) slip cup, and a pewter button with the likeness of King Charles II—are currently on display in MOA’s main gallery, Our Story: Life in the Albemarle.

Artifacts of Outlander Exhibit

Rebecca

S tiles, Administrative Assistant

“Do you think anyone would be interested in an Outlander -themed exhibit?”

How do I begin to answer this question? It’s not one I ever expected to be asked while working for the museum; but I didn’t hesitate with my answer, which was an overwhelming: Yes!

And, so, at the beginning of 2019 , the Museum of the Albemarle will host a traveling exhibit, Artifacts of Outlander , that showcases a variety of real 18th-century artifacts that compare to the world featured in the Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon and the television series that airs on the Starz network.

Artifacts of Outlander was produced by Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, home to the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory. Staff members there, who are big fans of the Outlander series, were inspired to feature some of their own artifacts, of the colonial period in Maryland, so that people could compare them to props used in the 18th-century Scotland depicted in the novels and television show.

The world of Outlander revolves around the story of a 20th-century World War II nurse, Claire Randall, who mysteriously travels back in time to 18th-century Scotland, where she meets and falls in love with a Highland warrior named Jamie Fraser . As the story evolves, Jamie and Claire must leave Scotland behind, and they eventually find themselves in the American colony of Georgia. From there, they settle down and build a home, Fraser’s Ridge, in what is today Alamance County, near Boone. The story also mentions Wilmington, Edenton, and New Bern and many historical figures, including Governor William

Tryon, Charles Stuart, and Benedict Arnold, to name a few. Those connections are fun for me because I like telling friends I live near Edenton and Alamance County.

Eight novels have been published, and a ninth is in the works, all written by Arizona native Diana Gabaldon. She has stated a tenth novel will complete the series, which is being impressively adapted into the Starz television show.

To say that these novels are dense is an understatement. It takes time and dedication not only to read Gabaldon’s work but also to follow the story she’s telling. Each book is roughly 1,000 pages of historical fiction that paints a vivid picture of 18thcentury Scotland and the Highlands. The farther you read, the more familiar her surroundings and characters become. Her work shows a breadth of historical knowledge and information that I didn’t know until I started reading it. To any future readers, I toast your good health: Sláinte! And I hope you enjoy the exhibit. Being a fan myself, I’m very interested to see everything this exhibit has to offer.

Left: Delft tile depicting the Bible verse Matthew 2:13, the flight into Egypt. Right: Delft tile depicting a dragon from the Bible verses Revelation 16:12–13. Photos courtesy of Jessica Cosmas, Museum of the Albemarle.

Below: Panel from Artifacts of Outlander Exhibit Photo courtesy of Patricia Samford.

The Boomer List

Wanda Lassiter, Curator

Beginning January 23, 2019, and running to April 5, 2019, the museum will host a traveling exhibit from the Newseum titled The Boomer List: Photographs by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders . This exhibit features framed photographs alongside artifacts, informational panels, recorded videos, and a scent station. Athlete Ronnie Lott, journalist Maria Shriver, environmentalist Erin Brockovich, artist David LaChapelle, fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, and author Amy Tan are a few of the individuals included.

Did you know that over 70 million baby boomers, people born between 1946 and 1964, live in the United States? This active group of people are community volunteers, local business owners, and school testing proctors. Through portraits and recorded interviews, visitors can learn about the boomer generation and the achievements and struggles its members lived through. A comment station at the end allows visitors to leave recollections about their own boomer years.

This exhibit was developed by the Newseum (newseum.org) in collaboration with AARP. The Newseum, an interactive museum of news that serves to increase public understanding of the importance of a free press and the First Amendment, is located in Washington, DC.

AARP (aarp.org) is the exclusive sponsor of The Boomer List exhibit.

Amy Tan

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Erin Brockovich

Courtesy of the Newseum.

Washington-Taylor Flasks from River Bridge Paul Vincent, Collections Assistant

Among the myriad of artifacts recovered at the River Bridge archaeological site, a modest assortment of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century glassware includes some of the most delicate yet intricate treasures found there: two portrait flasks, bearing the likenesses of Presidents George Washington and Zachary Taylor. These two objects are of special interest for their highly-revered status among collectors of early American, illustrated glass. An estimated 37 variations of the “Washington-Taylor” flask alone are known to exist and a few, at least, exhibit such minute contrasts they can be easily misidentified. However, through the diligent efforts of husband and wife experts George and Helen McKearin, these two recovered flasks, along with other examples of moldblown glass from the Colonial and Federalist periods, were catalogued with a unique letter/number designation.

The two “Washington-Taylor” flasks on display in the museum’s River Bridge: Sunken Secrets exhibit were both blown at the Baltimore Glass Works, in Baltimore’s Federal Hill, sometime during the second quarter of the nineteenth century and are rare examples of the GI-17 and GI-22 variants. Apart from their coloration, the former blown of an aqua-tinted glass and the latter of an amber tint, nothing initially stands out as markedly different between them. Nevertheless, a couple of small yet exceptional attributes confirm these flasks as distinct from one another. They concern the manufacturer’s label, “Baltimore Glass Works.” The GI-22 variant exhibits a miniature “x” in-between the first two words of the maker’s name whereas the other does not. Secondly, the GI-22 variant shows all three S’s in this label in reverse, unlike those of its GI-17 counterpart.

Portrait flasks featuring patriotic motifs including the shield and eagle, George Washington, and other notable political figures such as Secretary of State Henry Clay remained popular in America throughout the nineteenth-century. Production of the “Washington-Taylor” flasks likely peaked around the late 1840s, when Zachary Taylor’s victory over Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana at the Battle of Buena Vista played no small part in his ascendancy to the Presidential office. Apart from the glass works in Baltimore, the Dyottville Glass Works in Philadelphia produced the bulk of the several different variants of the “Washington-Taylor” flask. While an untold number of these flasks were shipped out across the country and overseas during mid-nineteenth century, at least two we know of found their way to River Bridge.

Washington-Taylor Flasks, ca. 1830-1840 Portrait flasks featuring the likenesses of Presidents Zachary Taylor (left) and George Washington (right).

Photo courtesy of Paul Vincent, Museum of the Albemarle.

An Eye on River Bridge

Jessica Cosmas, Collections Specialist

One of my favorite artifacts featured in the museum’s newest exhibition, River Bridge: Sunken Secrets , is a small bowl that likely dates to the first-half of the 19th century. At that time, most domestic ceramics were still being produced in British factories and being exported to America. My chosen piece may have originated in Staffordshire, England, thus it traveled over 3,500 miles to reach North Carolina.

The transformation of a lump of clay into a household staple relied on a series of skilled artisans. Each craftsman was well-versed in one-step of a labored process. To begin, a worker kneaded the clay to expel any trapped air that could compromise its structure. Next, the clay moved to a wheel, where a potter had to pump their leg to power the revolutions. All the while, wetting the clay into a workable mud and finding the sopping mass’ center of gravity so clay may be evenly distributed into a symmetrical form. My preferred bowl cuts an elegant shape. Straight sides taper down to a pronounced base that curves further inwards towards a rounded foot ring.

Once the object had dried to a leathery hardness, it passed to yet another set of hands that imparted character with a capricious design scheme a technique now known to collectors as the cat’s eye. Below two black bands, these curious swirls of periwinkle, black, and pumpkin pop against a wide swath of butter yellow. These decorations were made with slip, a clay saturated with water until its texture is like that of heavy cream. This cat’s eye decoration could only be applied with a special multi-chambered slip cup. Each chamber was filled with different colored slips that only converged when poured from the single spout. Once dropped onto the dried clay body, the slip quickly set and decoration was complete.

The piece was then ready to be fired under the watchful eye of a kiln operator. The initial firing, known as bisque-firing, reached temperatures of just be low 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. At that temperature, the air-dried clay matured to a durable hardness that made it suitable for everyday use. Once cooled enough to be safely handled again, the piece was dipped in a clear, lead-based glaze. A glazed firing, at slightly higher temperatures, was then executed. This second and final firing set the glaze to ensure the bowl was liquid safe.

The effort and amount of time needed to produce this single bowl makes it all the more astonishing!

Cat’s Eye Pottery

Photo courtesy of Jessica Cosmas, Museum of the Albemarle.

NCVIP: Charles Eden Leonard Lanier, Collections Assistant

North Carolina’s Proprietary Period leadership fell well short in the honesty and integrity department. The very first governor, William Drummond, finished life at the end of a hangman’s noose for his role in Bacon’s Rebellion. Governor Seth Sothel infamously stole land from a 10-year old orphan and swiped lace from a widow’s trunk. Compared to other members of this rogue’s gallery, Charles Eden’s sins seem tame by comparison. Unfortunately, he remains the “Pirate Governor.”

Eden came from good ole English stock. Either his brother or cousin became the First Baronet of Auckland, and the family later produced Anthony Eden, Foreign Secretary to Winston Churchill and his successor as Prime Minister. Sadly, for Charles Eden, however, the law of primogeniture meant no chance whatsoever of receiving the family title or lands. Like thousands of other younger sons within the gentry, he had to seek his fortune elsewhere— as a colonial official.

The Colony of North Carolina was at absolute rock bottom when Eden arrived as governor in 1713. the previous three years, the colony endured an Indian war, a yellow fever epidemic and a political rebellion. Stress from the job probably contributed to the death, at age 45, of Eden’s immediate predecessor Edward Hyde. Slowly, Eden began to put the pieces back together, reforming government and trying to resolve the colony’s boundary dispute with Virginia. Then the pirates arrived.

Pirates were not new to Proprietary Carolina. As, in essence, the red-headed stepchild of Britain’s North American colonies, since it did not produce any significant cash bonanzas like tobacco or sugar, the province suffered from the high-handed mercantile policies of the mother country. English laws pertaining to the shipment of goods made imports expensive and exports not worth the trouble. In order to survive, the colonists frequently turned to purveyors of goods with questionable origins— pirates.

According to evidence presented at two later trials, Eden’s involvement with Blackbeard started on the up-and-up. The pirate requested a royal pardon, which the governor issued following several interviews with Blackbeard. After the pardon,

though, things went downhill in a hurry. Despite foreswearing any future involvement in piracy, Blackbeard began showing up at the governor’s residence in Bath with supposedly-abandoned ships and their cargoes. Local colonists also reported fist-a-cuffs with members of the buccaneer’s crew. Instead of acting against the pirates, Eden authorized Blackbeard to sell the contents of a “deserted” French merchantman.

To this day, historians debate Eden’s degree of responsibility for all the criminal hijinks. Some, such as Lindley Butler, lay the blame primarily on the shoulders of Tobias Knight, the colonial secretary. After Blackbeard’s death, the Royal Navy discovered documents in his ship’s cabin incriminating Knight in the dispensation of stolen property. Knight later faced conviction for bribery and other related offenses, but a sympathetic North Carolina jury acquitted him. Focusing on Knight’s guilt does not prove Eden’s innocence, however. Especially since Knight answered to Eden, who held final authority in the colony.

Despite everything, Eden suffered no major repercussions from his dealings with Blackbeard. If anything, the affair increased his wealth and status. A year after Blackbeard’s death, Eden moved into his newly-built plantation home in Bertie County, “Eden House.” The Lords Proprietors also made him a landgrave, the highest honor in Proprietary Carolina’s order of nobility. He remained governor until his death in 1722.

Inset of Eden House Historical Marker. Photo courtesy of Courtesy North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program, NCDNCR.

Inset: Coffin handle, ca. 1889.

Kept by J. Bryan Grimes as a macabre souvenir following the move of Charles Eden’s body from Eden House to Edenton. Courtesy North Carolina Museum of History.

The Harlem Renaissance

Charlotte Patterson, Educator

The Harlem Renaissance (1920s–mid-1930s) encouraged African Americans to celebrate their heritage, and the museum revived that celebration during Black History Month in February 2018 with the traveling exhibit Harlem Renaissance Through this exhibit, visitors learned about the literary, artistic, and intellectual movement that kindled a new black cultural identity and were inspired by the words of Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Zora Neale Hurston, as well as the art of Aaron Douglas, musicians of the era, and even a dance step.

To continue that theme, MOA will develop an exhibit titled A Contemporary Response to the Harlem Renaissance . It will feature panels that explain the history and relevance of the Harlem Renaissance and, with assistance from Albemarle Voices for Diverse Culture, will showcase objects from local lenders and include clothing and accessories of the time.

A Contemporary Response is scheduled to open on Friday, February 15, 2019, with a FOMOA members-only, themed reception, An Evening at the Dark Tower . A ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception will mark the public opening on

Saturday, February 16, 2019, with scheduled presentations of poetry, music, and performing arts as highlights. In addition, AVDC will lead make-and-take art crafts for youth.

Before the exhibit officially opens, elementary students will be invited to participate in a special School Day on Friday, February 8, 2019, with presentations by Atumpan - The Talking Drums and break-out sessions led by AVDC. Middle- to high-school students may attend presentations during the day on February 15, 2019. Both School Day programs will feature age-appropriate lessons about the Harlem Renaissance movement, its key figures, and its influence on literary, musical, visual, and performing arts today. Art created by all students during these sessions will be on display at the museum. Photo opportunities will be available at programs and events. Stay tuned for more details on this exciting exhibit!

A New Look Is Coming to our Discovery Room

Lori Meads, Educator

Ever since the museum collaborated with staff from the Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies in 2016, the two organizations have wanted to develop a project that would benefit the museum and assist in the learning process of NEAAAT students. One idea, since the Discovery Room was due for a redesign, was to create a new pirate/maritime theme, especially with the upcoming celebration of Edward Teach, who was better known as Blackbeard.

Students in the charter school’s 7th and 8th grades partic ipated in the project, which came to be known as Shark Tank: Discovery Room Redesign. The students worked as teams to develop ideas that would be presented to staff at NEAAAT. Seven of those teams were then selected to make presentations to museum staff, who made a final decision.

To get started, students traveled to the museum and met various staff members, to get a better understanding of the different roles and steps involved in redeveloping the room.

• The Education Department stressed that the room needed to be exciting for all ages, family friendly, and efficient to maintain.

• The Design Department gave pointers on what had to be considered when coming developing ideas, such as dimensions of the room, existing items that could be re utilized, safety of the visitor, and construction and painting needs.

• Other museum staff provided students with a budget and stressed that they consider unexpected costs and potential problems.

Students were free to ask questions at any phase of the project. Selecting the winning team did not come without discussion and debate. The teams presented their ideas well, and something was liked about each one—each group had its own unique ideas, ways to implement the idea, and ways to target different audiences. But, in the end, the winning team was determined and consisted of members Amy Bishop, Zoe Sawyer, and Worth Elliott.

And, now, the Museum of the Albemarle invites you to the unveiling of its new Discovery Room, Discover: Sail the High Seas, at our annual meeting, scheduled for Monday, Sep tember 17. You’ll even have the opportunity to meet some of the students who had a part in this redesign.

Volunteer S potlight

Lori Meads, Educator

Many of you know volunteer Anne Weil from her work with programming; others from seeing her enjoying lectures. Well, Anne and her husband Eric, an English professor at Elizabeth City State University, have decided to return to their Raleigh roots.

Anne, a retired educator, began volunteering at MOA in the fall of 2006. She just stopped by one day to ask if the museum needed volunteers—and so her journey began. She was soon cleaning artifacts, before we even had a gallery. Everyone who knows Anne knows she does not get ruffled, no matter the situation. She is perpetually calm and states, “It will wor k itself out.” Anne has worked with school groups and summer educational programming and is a master at the “wash day” program. She has also contributed a number of hours to Christmas programming over the years alongside other volunteers. Staff cannot count on one hand the number of times she has not been available to assist with programming. She has been a dedicated volunteer over the years. Anne states, “It is a joy to see kids learn something new about this area, and they always ask such interesting questions!”

It should be noted that Anne not only volunteers at the museum but also helps with the Albemarle Commission’s Senior Nutrition Program, the food pantry associated with Food Bank of the Albemarle, and the La Casa after-school tutoring program at First United Methodist Church; she also makes blanke ts for Project Linus. In her spare time, Anne enjoys her children and grandchildren, making quilts, and tending the garden.

We will miss Anne and her smooth, calm, easy-going self. The organization that is lucky enough to gain Anne as a volunteer in the Raleigh area will be very pleased and blessed. The Museum of the Albemarle wishes her the best in her new adventures. Anne, enjoy the additional time you’ll have with your family by being closer to them!

What’s Happening with Affiliate Museums Ken Howard, Director, Division of State History Museums

The North Carolina Division of State History Museums includes six other museums in addition to the Museum of the Albemarle. If you are traveling across the state, be sure to stop by these museums.

North Carolina Museum of History

Over 400,000 visitors to the Raleigh museum’s North Carolina and World War I exhibit have experienced some of what it felt like to walk in the boots of Tar Heel soldiers. Open since April 2017, this exhibition re-creates the trench environment of “the war to end all wars” through historical film footage, compelling artifacts, and educational interactives.

The newest exhibit in Raleigh, The North Carolina Roots of Artist Ernie Barnes , features paintings by former pro-football player Ernie Barnes and chronicles his personal experiences in football, music, dance, sports, church, and life in the South. Barnes, wh o grew up in Durham, was the first professional American athlete to become a noted painter. His celebrated Sugar Shack dance piece was featured in the 1970s television show Good Times.

Other Regional Museums

At the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center in Old Fort, a variety of permanent and temporary exhibits, along with two cabins, generally feature life in western parts of the state.

At the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, An Unlikely Refugee: The Story of a Python Named George (through Dec. 2) exhibits original artwork from a graphic novel about George—a python from Vietnam who lived at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for 25 years—that was written by Triangle residents Morrow and Max Dowdle. Visitors can also explore two floors of other exhibits, a park, and a historic house to learn about life in southeastern North Carolina, from its original inhabitants to an early 20th-century general store and more.

Anne Weil

FOMOA President’s Report to the Community

Dr. Benjamin F. Speller Jr., FOMOA President

We are pleased to report that an infusion of young adult board members has enhanced the efforts of the staff and Friends to make the Museum a place that will attract more visitors to enjoy and learn about the Albemarle’s diverse heritage. The cooperative planning efforts of the Marketing and Membership Committees are resulting in consideration of new strategies for attracting more supporters of the Museum’s mission. Samantha Crisp, Mille Griffith , and Jinger Hickman are advocating for a more interactive environment to get visitors attention to the Museum’s exhibits and programs. They want to use Metaverse, a computer based virtual reality system, to attract more tourist, students, and teachers to MOA in both learning and recreational settings.

The Marketing Committee has investigated tourist habits and its significance for contemporary semiotics. Hilton Barrett, Committee Chair, is promoting constructing of an interactive sign as particularly relevant to the museum’s brand as a “welcoming community facility.” The Marketing Committee’s recommendations for an interactive informational sign are being reviewed by the Finance Committee for consideration by the Board’s Executive Committee.

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources extended our 2017-2018 grant relating to the “Underground Railroad in

the Albemarle.” We are hiring a video producer to help us craft a short DVD on the UGRR in northeastern NC that is based on our successful 50th Anniversary symposium. We are also planning a symposium on “The Underground Railroad and Hannah Crafts: A Literate Slave. “ Topics will focus on literacy and the intellectual abilities of slaves in Antebellum Northeastern North Carolina. This event will be held in Hertford County in Murfreesboro.

We sincerely appreciate Marjorie Berry’s leadership of the Fundraising Committee’s hard work in soliciting donations for our support of the Museum’s signature programs and exhibits. Our major fundraiser for 2018 is the “Casino Royale New Year’s Celebration” on December 31st at the Museum of the Albemarle.

Membership Matters

January 1, 2018 - July 16, 2018

RENEWALS

Individual

Membership

Grafton Beaman

Marjorie Berry

Sandra Culpepper

Margene Curtice

Ann Dixon

Gary Dunstan

W. Brian Forehand

Mimi Galgano

Rachel Gragson

Sharon Greene

William Hoffman

Linda Hofler

Betty Ingram

Arthur McPherson

Mable Jean Moore

Nancy Bailey Muller

Jason Phelps

Flora Robinson

David Seymour

Craig Winslow

Jeanne Potter

Dian Williams

Daniel McAuliffe

Gillian Hatch Carlsen

Elizabeth Taylor

Margaret Wilshusen

Mackey Swain

Jimmy Westbrook

Emily Jennings White

Johnson Biggs

Timothy Orton

Barbara Snowden

Family

Bill & Chris Barber

Kim & Jack Baumbaugh

Ron & Mary Black

Phyllis Bosomworth

Linda & Shel Davis

Ed & Nancy Eadie

Oliver & Linda Etheridge

Clay & Cathy Foreman

Creig & Karen Foreman

Doug & Diana Gardner

Bobby & Barbara Fitchett

Alden & Patty Hoggard

Lennie & Ann Parke Hughes

Eddie & Cindy Jennings

Alex & Sandra Leary

Joyce & Justina Long

Paul Stevenson & Nancy

Rascoe

Jack & Sarah Neal

Thomas & Becky Phelps

Thomas & Mary Ponte

Fred & Jan Riley

Ann & Luther Sanders

William & JoAnn Small

Bob & Judy Thorne

Charlotte Underwood

V. Lamar Van Brackle

Faye Ellen & Beans

Weatherly

Elouise White

Brenda Felton

Andrew & Maryann

Kreutzer

Bob & Anita Green

Mary Temple

Helen Cornell

Donald & Miriam

Alexander

Sara Francis & Dr. Alexander Kehayes

Cyn Owens

David & Jane Harris

Jeff & Suzan Small

Rod & Barbara Mueller

Vidal & Georgene

Falcon

Julie & Harry Robinson

Harriett & Tony

Hornthal, Jr.

Bill & Edie McCrea

Linda & Waverly

Sawyer

Mark & Frances Gass

Patron

Bill & Carol Allen

Gretchen Blacksmith

Karl Brandspigel & Nita

Coleman

Brenda & Terry Daniels

Archer & Janet Farmer

Mickey & Roy Golden

Anne-Marie Knighton

Don & Mary-Lee Kosik

Alden & Peggy

McPherson

Di Small & Neal Blinken

Nancy Nicholls

Jim & Dixie Sakolosky

Mary & Stacy Small

Wayne & Dee Talley

Paul & Joyce Wheeler

Dr. & Mrs. Cleveland

Hawkins

Bren O’Sullivan & Joe

Inqui

Maureen & Ray

Donnelly

George & Mary Thomas

Ethel Sutton

Linda Hassell

Sam & Janet Jones

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Dewey

Burgess

Sponsor

Al & Min DelGarbino

Robert & Elana Muir

Kirk & Anita Oldham

Kurt & Bobbi

Hunsberger

Lifetime

Hilton & Mary Leigh

Barrett

Arthur & Patti Bergman

Anna & Bruce Biggs

Geoff and Penny Byrd

George Converse

Carol & Ed Cowell, Jr.

Sam & Faye Davis

Nancy Ferebee

Edwin T. & Diana D.

Hardison

James & Jackie

Hathaway

Dr. Karen Ray & Dr.

John Hill

Dr. Charles & Brenda

Mahaffey

Cynthia & Joe Maestro

Michael & Sherri

McDaniel

Ed & Claudia Merrell, Jr.

William Parker, Jr.

Tapp & Charlie Robinson

Matt & Breanne Scribner

Norman & Susan Scurria

Beverly Small

Dr. Ben Speller

Marvin Stokely

Jim & Jo Thomas

Mary Tirak

Byrum Charitable Trust

Buddy & Beverly Madrin

Bill & Katherine

Wassink

Flint & Janet Harding

Maughan & Kay Hull

Chris & Whitney Paullet

Chad Hull

Russ & Courtney Hull

Beverly Small

NEW MEMBERS

Student

Anita Waters

Rhonda Holmes

Individual

Karen Askew

Marylee Blevins

Mae Heyer

Freddy Poulos

Phyllis Timmerman

Verna Wall

George Haislip

MerryDee McFarlin

Paula Sage

Terry Britton

Millie Griffith

Jinger Hickman

John Morehead

Jean Cubeta

Vero Brentjens

Gray Little

Kim Castle

Skip Riley

Pam Brett

Dick Collier

Judy Collier

Kimberly Turner

Family

Donna Circelli

Marlene True & Derry

Firehouse

Judy & Joe Evans

Robin & Wilton Forbes

Sandra & Bob Justiss

Butch & Sandra Ray

Nona & Kevin Smith

Valerie & Harvey Taylor

Mr. & Mrs. Marion

Harris

Larry & Stacy Spencer

Virginia Wood

Linda Thornton & Brian

Fitzsimons

Grace & Chris Beans

Harvey & Ian Binns

Lisa Dunagan

Phil & Ginny Van

Dongen

Turner Sutton Patron

Marvyn Siders

Lynne & Johnny Layton

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Waff

Sidney & Betsy Rabon

Tom Moriarty

P E N E L O P E

B A R K E R H O U S E W E L C O M E C E N T E R

I M A G I N E Y O U R S E L F

I N T H I S 1 7 6 2

H I S T O R I C H O M E .

T h i s b e a u t i f u l h o m e i s f r e e t o t o u r a n d m a n a g e d l o c a l l y b y t h e E d e n t o n H i s t o r i c a l C o m m i s s i o n , a r e g i s t e r e d 5 0 1 ( c ) ( 3 ) n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n . V i s i t o u r w e b s i t e t o l e a r n m o r e a t w w w . e h c n c . o r g

H O M E O F T H E E D E N T O N

H I S T O R I C A L C O M M I S S I O N

C H R I S B E A N , C H A I R M A N

The Twiford Law Firm, P.C. is a proud sponsor of Museum of the Albemarle’s 350th year celebration of the Albemarle Region!

The Twiford Law Firm offers comprehensive legal services including: Family & Domestic Law ~ Criminal & Traffic Law (including DWI & Speeding) ~ Real Estate (Commercial, Residential & Litigation)

Governmental Law ~ Social Security/Disability & Workers

Compensation Civil Litigation ~ Administrative Law ~ Health Care Law

Wills & Estates

Courtney S. Hull

Lauren Arizaga -Womble

Whitney A. Young

John S. Morrison

R. Mark Warren

Megan E. Morgan

Daily Advance Reader’s Choice Award

Voted “Best Law Practice” for 2018

Elizabeth City, NC 27909

museumofthealbemarle.com

Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle 501 South Water Street Elizabeth City, North Carolina 27909

Postcard photograph, by Thomas R. Draper: Men digging for Blackbeard’s gold at Plum Point, Teach’s Point, in Bath, 1917.

Courtesy North Carolina Museum of History