News
Third Tuesday Evening Adult Program
Death & Dying:Customs and Culture During the Civil War
On May 15, from 7-9 pm, join Museum Educator, Lori Duppstadt, for a "lively" discussion of mourning practices during the Civil War. Discover how these customs shaped a culture, both north and south, suffering from war and disease. Although bullets were taking fathers, sons, and cousins, dreaded diseases running rampant destroyed soldier and family alike. Learn how sexual roles and familiar relationships drove the fashion of death and changed funerary practices.
The program will be held at the Southport Community Building, 223 East Bay St., Southport. Light refreshments will be served. Program is free, call the Museum at (910)457-0003 to register.
Learn about the ironclads of the Lower Cape Fear
Just 150 years ago, the Lower Cape Fear was patrolled by two Confederate ironclad warships. On Tuesday, April 17, at 7 p.m., the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport offers a free program about the most powerful ships of the Civil War - ironclads. Speaker Jim Mckee of the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson Historic Site will discuss ironclad construction, shipbuilding technology and how often the environment, not weaponry, brought about their demise. The program will be held at the Southport Community Building, 223 East Bay St. Light refreshments will be served. Call the Museum at (910)457-0003 to register.
"Spring Into History"
SOUTHPORT – Culture and heritage are in full bloom with the “Spring Into History” program at the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport.
On Monday, April 23, the Museum will offer a daytrip to the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“We’ll enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum before we begin our exploration of the 20,000-square-foot exhibit, “The Story of North Carolina,” said N.C. Maritime Museum Educator Lori Duppstadt. “After looking at the exhibits, we’ll be treated to a potluck lunch by Museum of History volunteers.”
The trip includes bus fare, museum tour, luncheon, refreshments and snacks for the trip home. Space is limited. Registration is $35 for Museum members, $40 non-members. Registration for the April trip ends on Saturday, April 7.
For details call (910) 457-0003.
Museum at Southport joins N.C. Science Festival
SOUTHPORT – The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport uncovers the science behind coastal history by offering events in the upcoming North Carolina Science Festival, April 13-29.
“We want to highlight the close interconnection between subjects,” said N.C. Maritime Museums Director Joseph Schwarzer. “Science, math and other disciplines make it possible for us to learn about history and archaeology. The N.C. Science Festival and the North Carolina Maritime Museums will show students the importance of the interrelationships in real life, while making it amazingly fun at the same time.”
Spy a different kind of science with “Up, Periscope!” Celebrate the Museum’s newest, hands-on addition in the exhibits – a U.S. Navy periscope. On Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., kids of all ages are invited to build their own periscope, and learn the engineering and physics used with them. The program is free. For more information call (910) 457-0003.
For a full list of N.C. Science Festival sites, visit http://www.ncsciencefestival.org/.
Park Day 2012
More than 150 years after the first shots of the Civil War were fired, another wave of volunteers is about to descend on America’s storied battlegrounds – only this array of dedicated men and women will be armed with paint brushes, trash bags, and weed whackers. The N.C. Maritime Museum in Southport needs volunteers to help with clean up and fix up on Park Day 2012.
On Saturday, March 31, history buffs and preservationists from around the country will team up with the Civil War Trust to help clean and restore America’s priceless battlefields, cemeteries and shrines. The nationwide effort – dubbed Park Day – is underwritten with a grant from History™ and has been endorsed by Take Pride in America, a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Park Day, now in its 16th year, is an annual hands-on preservation event created by the Trust to assist local groups with the maintenance of Civil War sites. This year, more than 100 sites in 25 states are expected to take part in the effort, with activities ranging from trash removal to trail building. In exchange for their hard work, volunteers receive t-shirts and learn the site’s history from local experts.
The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport, located on the historic Fort Johnston grounds will participate in Park Day 2012. Volunteers are needed to clean out shrub beds and plant raised gardens with provided plants. Additionally, volunteers will be cleaning up the Fort Johnston Civil War fortification along the Cape Fear River. The Museum will offer a hotdog lunch for all those involved with the project. Tools will be provided, and volunteers need to wear clothing and closed toe shoes that can get muddy. Individuals need to supply their own sun screen and insect repellent. Along with the free T-shirts, badges will be given to participants of this event. For more information about Park Day at the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport / Fort Johnston, please contact Sharon Venis by phone at 910-457-0003, by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
WHAT: “Park Day” historic preservation event at NC Maritime Museum at Southport, located on the historic Fort Johnston grounds.
WHEN: March 31, 2012, beginning at 9:00 a.m. / Rain Date: April 14, 2012, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: NC Maritime Museum at Southport, 204 East Moore Street, Southport, N.C. 28461
The Civil War Trust is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its goal is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War sites and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism. To date, the Trust has preserved more than 32,000 acres of battlefield land in 20 states. Please visit the Trust’s website at www.civilwar.org, the home of the Civil War sesquicentennial.
