New Bern Then & Now, Again!

New Bern Then and Now
Middle Street in 1901 and Middle Street in 2017

Encore of Images of “Used to Be” from the New Bern Historical Society Collection
You’ve heard it, “used to be”. Captain Ratty’s used to be Duffy’s Drug Store, Morgan’s used to be True Tread Tires, First Citizens Bank sits where used to be the Hotel Queen Anne. The New Bern Historical Society’s Curator Jim Hodges will reveal the past and current status of more than 30 New Bern landmarks in an encore presentation on June 27th. This program was originally seen at the sold-out Lunch & Learn in May. It filled up so quickly that the Historical Society has decided to present it again, on June 27th at 6:30 pm at the Cullman Performance Hall at the North Carolina History Center at NO charge. Once again, early arrival is recommended!

Jim Hodges has scoured the New Bern Historical Society collection to share with you these wonderful images from our past.  In some cases, the buildings have been carefully renovated and saved in their original condition. In others they have been saved and re-purposed, while sometimes they are simply lost. In any case, you will be fascinated by these historic images.

Curator Jim Hodges was reared in New Bern, matriculated to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and a post graduate dental degree. After satisfying a military commitment and enjoying several years of international travel, Jim returned to New Bern and practiced dentistry until his retirement in 2012. His current life chapter involves his passion for New Bern and its rich history as a member of the Historical Society and the Tryon Palace Foundation Board of Directors. As the volunteer Curator of the New Bern Historical Society he spends his days maintaining, conserving and finding ways to share the collection.

Board President Joe Hunt reminds, “Whether you are a New Bern native or a transplant from elsewhere, you will be fascinated by these images. We are grateful to our friends at Tryon Palace for facilitating this presentation at the Cullman.”

This program is sponsored by the New Bern Historical Society in partnership with Tryon Palace. The Historical Society’s mission 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, New Bern Historical Society