Riverside: New Bern’s First Suburb

Roper Lumber Mill
Postcard of the Roper Lumber Co. Early 20th century. From the Ernest Richardson III collection.

Tim Thompson Presents at Historical Society Lunch & Learn

The New Bern Historical Society’s September Lunch & Learn will highlight one of New Bern’s oldest and most interesting historic neighborhoods.  Riverside resident Tim Thompson will be the featured speaker on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. at the Chelsea Restaurant.  Join him as he presents images and stories ranging from the Civil War to Roper Mill to Maola Ice Cream.  All in Riverside, New Bern’s First Suburb.

Thompson is a native of North Carolina growing up in Salisbury.  Upon moving to New Bern in 2005, he spent four years restoring a circa-1906 house in Riverside. Tim has been deeply involved in preservation efforts in New Bern, serving as the president of the Historic Riverside Neighborhood Association, on the board of the New Bern Preservation Foundation, and on the New Bern Historic Preservation Commission for 6 years, serving as chairman for four of those years.  Since moving to New Bern, his passion has been collecting stories and photos of the Riverside area.  Thompson explains that his “presentation is a chance to share the stories, photos, and architecture about the neighborhood.”

Historical Society President, Joe Hunt tells us, “We are privileged to have Tim back to share his knowledge of this gem of a neighborhood.  We know that many people are looking forward to hearing from him so we encourage everybody to get reservations early.”

Lunch & Learn starts at 11:30 a.m. at The Chelsea Restaurant, 335 Middle Street, New Bern. The cost is $17 for Historical Society members and $22 for non-members; lunch is included. Advance reservations must be made by calling the New Bern Historical Society at 252-638-8558, or can be ordered at www.NewBernHistorical.org/tickets. Lunch choices are Pork Tenderloin with blueberry ginger glaze, garlic smashed potatoes and sautéed green beans; or Shrimp & Grits.

The mission of the New Bern Historical Society is to celebrate and promote New Bern and its heritage through events and education.  Offices are located in the historic Attmore-Oliver House at 511 Broad Street in New Bern.  For more information, call 252-638-8558 or go NewBernHistorical.org or Facebook.com/NewBernHistoricalSociety.

Submitted by: Kathy Morrison, Public Relations, New Bern Historical Society