Dixon House, mid 19th c

The Dixon House – Open for touring Tuesday through Saturday. See below for times.

George W. Dixon built this dwelling in the early 1830s. Dixon was a merchant tailor who briefly served as town commissioner. He purchased the lot the house stands on in 1826. It was part of the original Tryon Palace grounds sold after the Palace burned in 1798. The dwelling stands on its original foundation.

At the time they built this home, George and his wife Antoinette enjoyed an upper middle-class lifestyle. The household was typical of an early 19th century urban dwelling in a city that was majority Black. It included the White family members, enslaved individuals, and White, and free and enslaved Black apprentices.

In the 1830s, New Bern declined economically, slipping from its position as the largest city in the state. Dixon lost his business to fire. He mortgaged the house, its furniture, and enslaved individuals four times between 1833 and 1836. He lost the house to foreclosure in 1839.

During the Federal occupation of New Bern during the Civil War, the Dixon House served as a hospital for the 9th Vermont Infantry.

19th century Architecture

Federal in style with some Greek Revival features, the house is a good example of the popular side-hall plan dwellings built in New Bern during the early 19th century. Originally two and one-half stories high, the house received a two-story addition at its east elevation by the Stevenson family in the late 19th century. Tryon Palace added a small one-story wing when they purchased the house from the Stevensons in the late 1950s.

Tours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM; on the half hour with a break 1:00 – 1:30 PM. Tours start at the Waystation, corner or Pollock & George Street.