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Drama unfolds Aug. 30 with gunfire, performance by Fife and Drum Corps
NEW BERN, NC – Aug. 30, 2014
Tryon Palace will perform a live reenactment of the Stanly-Spaight Duel during Labor Day weekend. Held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, this dramatic performance includes the loud boom of pistols firing, a performance by the Tryon Palace Fife and Drum Corps, and admission to the Palace gardens.
The story of New Bern’s most infamous duel traces back to Sept. 5, 1802, when prominent New Bern lawyer John Stanly, Jr. met his political rival, Richard Dobbs Spaight. Spaight, who had served as North Carolina’s first native-born governor, was mortally wounded after four rounds and Stanly was forced to flee the city. Stanly was eventually able to return to New Bern when his friend, Judge William Gaston, convinced the governor to grant North Carolina’s first gubernatorial pardon to Stanly.
Admission to the Stanly-Spaight Duel is $6 for adults, $3 for students, and includes admission to the Tryon Palace gardens. A One Day Pass to Tryon Palace includes the duel at no additional cost, as well as admission to the Stanly House and the Regional History Museum, which includes an exhibit of dueling pistols from the early 1800s and a portrait of Judge Gaston, the man who helped Stanly get his pardon.
In the event of rain, performances will be moved into the North Carolina History Center’s Cullman Performance Hall.
For more information about this program call 252-639-3500 or visit www.tryonpalace.org.
Other upcoming events at Tryon Palace include:
Sept. 12: Cedars in the Pines: The Lebanese in North Carolina
Sept. 19: Governor’s Challenge Cornhole Tournament
Sept. 27: Teacher Day at Tryon Palace
Dec. 13 and 20: Eve of Revolution: A Candlelight Celebration
Tryon Palace Media Contact
Craig Ramey
Marketing and Communications, Manager
Phone: (252) 639-3511
E-mail: cramey@tryonpalace.org
Web: www.tryonpalace.org
About Tryon Palace
Tryon Palace, located in New Bern, NC, is part of the Office of Archives and History, an agency of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Tryon Palace is one of North Carolina’s most significant historic sites. It is the home of the Governor’s Palace, North Carolina’s first colonial and first state capitol, and includes historic buildings, gardens and the North Carolina History Center, which revolutionizes the visitor experience through use of the latest interactive technology. The History Center includes galleries, a performance hall, the museum store and a waterfront café. Tryon Palace’s mission is to engage present and future generations in the history of North Carolina from early settlement in 1710, the development of statehood and into the mid-twentieth century. It is dedicated to collecting, interpreting and preserving objects, buildings, landscapes and events that enrich understanding of the making of our state and nation.
Tickets and visitor information are available at Tryon Palace, 529 S. Front St., New Bern. For directions and further information about special events, programs or group tours, employment and more, visit our web site: www.tryonpalace.org or phone (800) 767-1560 or (252) 639-3500.
About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDCR’s mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state’s history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.
Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state’s communities. NCDCR’s Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina’s rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR’s State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for people who are blind and have physical disabilities.
NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state’s creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.