It all starts April 12^th, 3pm, at the Hub

April 1865 was a turning point for our country and our community. It marked the end of the Civil War, our nation’s bloodiest conflict, but here in Durham, 1865 ushered in an economic boom. The city established its first textile mills, launched a worldwide tobacco industry and grew more than ten-fold in population.

Gather at the Hub at 3pm on April 12 for sounds and stories from Durham’s surprising Reconstruction years. Music Under the Gazebo: Music and Lore of the Civil War, is a free event co-sponsored by the Museum and the Durham County Library’s North Carolina Collection. On tap will be live music from the Civil War era, a dramatic reading about the Bennett Place surrender, and a talk on the “Cultivated Music” found in middle-class parlors of the time. See Events on the Museum’s blog for performance details.

On view on April 12 will be the Hub’s newest, main gallery exhibit, Durham Beginnings 1865-1885, featuring five dramatic but little-known personal stories evoking the spirit of those formative years. And if you’d like to test your Civil War history trivia chops, take the Museum’s online quiz. For information about events a little later this spring at Bennett Place, Duke Homestead and Stagville, see www.civilwardurham.com.

Plan to bring friends and family to the Hub on April 12 for a glimpse of your hometown’s beginnings – complete with Civil War re-enactors and modern day food trucks.

Special thanks to the  Liggett Vector Brads, Robert D. Teer, Jr., and The Rotary Club of Durham for being the Presenting Sponsors of this exhibit and event. See full list of sponsors here. 

Five generations of Faucette women, circa 1920 (North Carolina Collection, Durham County Library)