News From the Department
Saving One Of North Carolina’s Largest National Treasures-The CSS Neuse
For more information contact Contact: Tommy Lee at (252) 522-2091.
( Kinston--June 19) - The CSS Neuse is in a second battle for survival—not against Union forces but against the elements of nature and time. One of North Carolina’s largest artifacts is endangered and must be saved. The CSS Neuse remains are housed in a temporary shelter at the CSS Neuse State Historic Site in Kinston.
“The gunboat is rapidly deteriorating,” said Jane Phillips, chairwoman of the newly formed Friends of the CSS Neuse. A proposed museum will house the gunboat in a climate-controlled facility and guarantee its survival. However, funding for this endeavor is needed. Anyone may help with the preservation of this amazing historic relic by joining the Friends of the CSS Neuse, a recently created arm of the Gunboat Association dedicated to raising funds for the long-term preservation of the gunboat.
The CSS Neuse and is the only commissioned Confederate ironclad on display in the country is one of North Carolina’s largest national treasures. The relic, when recovered from its Neuse River grave in 1963 yielded nearly 15,000 artifacts. The ironclad remains an extremely rare link to Civil War naval history.
To date, the CSS Neuse Gunboat Association, Inc., the non-profit support group connected with the state historic site, has purchased property in downtown Kinston that includes an existing 12,000-square-foot office building, an adjoining vacant lot, and a 33-space parking lot. Acquisition of two adjacent parcels is currently being pursued to allow even more space for the gunboat to be housed. The property is approximately two blocks from where the CSS Neuse was originally outfitted and docked. Plans call for the vacant lot and other adjacent property to be converted into the facility to house the remains of the gunboat, and for the office building to be renovated into a museum that will focus on the Civil War in eastern North Carolina. This project will also serve as a focal point in Kinston's downtown revitalization and heritage tourism efforts.
The Gunboat Association has received a grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation to be used in the design of the gunboat enclosure, but approximately $3 million must be raised to see the project through to completion. Any and all donations are appreciated and special naming opportunities exist for especially large gifts.
For information on how to join Friends of the CSS Neuse and how you can support funding for this project, contact Tommy Lee, CSS Neuse State Historic Site, (252) 522-2091; e-mail: cssneuse@ncmail.net. To learn about the history of the CSS Neuse please visit the following websites, www.cssneuse.nchistoricsites.org and www.cssneuse.net.
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