New Bern NC Rentals

I bet you did not know the Tyson Group handles rentals properties. Yes, we have both short term and long term rentals. Check out our web site www.Rivertownerentals.info. The cute 3 bedroom house on the left is located in the popular Creekside area near Taberna and is only 10 minutes from New Bern and 15 minutes from Cherry Point.

Old Growth Timber

Old growth timber is one of those terms you run across on occasion but almost never hear defined. For the cabinet maker and timber frame carpenter old growth timber is the ideal medium for strong and stable furniture and framing. But what exactly is old growth timber?

Once upon a time in the forest primeval white pine and other trees grew close together in dense stands of timber. Since light was scarce under the thick canopy of leaves and pine boughs, young trees grew slowly but very straight as they strove to reach the sunlight far above them. Since there wasn’t much light near the ground, trees expended little energy growing branches and leaves low on their trunks. As a result the trunks of old growth trees were not covered with knots and produced clear lumber when milled.

The slow growth means growth rings were very thin, so the wood is very dense and stable. Another product of slow growth was a much higher percentage of fine heartwood. White pine was especially straight grained with little wane (i.e. the natural taper to a tree trunk) because the trees grew straight up to reach the sunlight of the canopy above.

In comparison to lumber sawn from true old growth timber, lumber today less dense, straight grained and much more liable to twist and warp. Below is a cross section of the sill from an 1882 depot from Chaksa, MN. This example has up to 20 growth rings per inch and is quite heavy and dense. Much pine harvested today has around 6 to 10 rings per inch and is far less dense in comparison. Anyone who has sorted through a pile of twisted, wracked and warped lumber at a lumberyard or supplier can appreciate the qualities of the old growth timber. It is little wonder that even some the most hastily built furniture from the 19th century survives with so little warping, splitting and decay.


Since virtually all of the old growth timber was harvested in the eastern U.S. and most of the remainder is now protected, old growth is now salvaged from building demolitions and remodels. A fair amount is also being recovered from lake and river bottoms where logs sank during the 19th century. Unlike the 19th century, when it was used for the most mundane purposes, old growth is scarce and expensive and used only for special projects.

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Things to do in New Bern

The first in a classic movie series to be presented throughout the year at the historic Athens Theatre The MGM Classic, “Easter Parade” Arrives Just in Time
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Sponsored by New Bern Civic Theatre

Grab your Easter Bonnet and follow the parade to the Athens Theatre Saturday April 11 to see the classic film “Easter Parade”. It arrives just in time for family gatherings. Starring Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Ann Miller this Oscar-winning MGM musical has it all.
The music and lyrics of Irving Berlin excel in this diverting film. Songs such as "Steppin' Out With My Baby," "We're a Couple of Swells," and the incredible Fred Astaire dance number "Drum Crazy" frame a story of Don Hewes’ (Fred Astaire) rise to stardom with Hannah Brown (Judy Garland), while his ex-partner Nadine Hale (Ann Miller) makes it big on Broadway. The “We’re a Couple of Swells” number in which Fred and Judy are dressed like hobos, complete with blacked-out teeth, became one of the numbers most identified with Judy Garland, despite the fact that it was so contrary to type. “My Goodness, Alice! They tried to make that beautiful girl look ugly!”
There will be one screening of Easter Parade Saturday April 11, 2009 at 8p.m. Tickets

are $5 and will be available at the door. Price includes popcorn and soda .

Don’t miss your chance to see this great classic musical on the big screen.

The Athens Theatre, the home of New Bern Civic Theatre, is located at 414 Pollock St., New Bern.
For more information call 252-633-0567 or go to www.NewBernCivicTheatre.org

New Bern things to do.

Looking for things to do while visiting New Bern. Check this out.

HAUNTED EVENING This popular drama is back! Join the mourners as they observe funeral customs of the South during the post Civil War occupation; meet the fascinating 'spirit' of Miss Mary Oliver who will tell you about growing up in New Bern; and view the paranormal investigation film which reveals surprising results! Saturday, May 16 at 8 pm. Presented by Candlelight Productions, all proceeds benefit the New Bern Historical Society. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at the door. Dinner package at The Chelsea available. For tickets and information call the New Bern Historical Society at 638-8558.

New Bern Home Sales

For the week of March 29 through Sunday April 6 there were 17 closed homes in our multiple listing service. The homes sold ranged from $35,000-$337,000 and the average price was around $200,000.

There are currently 1520 homes on the market and at the current absorption rate we have about 20 months worth of inventory.

Something Completely Different

Since it is old and it is a house (of a sort) I am featuring one of my favorite buildings in my latest post on the Old House Blog. The Peterson, IA blockhouse is one of those architectural surprises you can find in many small towns across the country. Built in 1862 from hewn logs, this structure is an extremely rare example of a wooden military fortification from the upper Midwest.

First, a bit of history. Relations between the native Dakota Indians and white settlers in Iowa and southern Minnesota were extremely poor after years of tension and occasional violence. Armed conflict, including the Spirit Lake Massacre of 1857 and the Dakota War of 1862, and the absence of federal troops due to the Civil War led Iowa governor Samuel Kirkwood to form the volunteer Northern Border Brigade in 1862. As a part of this defensive scheme, a series of fortified blockhouses were constructed near white settlements such as Correctionville, Cherokee, Peterson, Estherville, and Chain Lakes, IA. Each was to be garrisoned by members of the Northern Border Brigade militia. However, the need for protection had diminished greatly after the rout of the Dakota in the Dakota Territory by Union troops in September 1863 and the forced resettlement of most of the Dakota remaining in Minnesota after the Dakota War. The garrisons were deemed unnecessary and the Northern Border Brigade was disbanded by the Iowa adjutant general in 1864. The blockhouse, which had been garrisoned by as many as two dozen soldiers, was abandoned sometime between 1865 and 1866 by the few, remaining federal troops.


The Peterson blockhouse was constructed by members of the brigade using locally harvested and hewn 10” oak and ash logs. The structure was surrounded by a stockade which provided protection for the garrison, its horses and supplies. Rather than a typical stockade made from a series of upright, pointed logs, the garrison constructed a fence made from massive, sawn oak planks and hewn oak and ash timbers that were as thick as 6”. Both the upper and lower levels were equipped with small, defensive gunports. The structure was built using square, lapped (and most likely pinned) joints rather than the more common half-dovetail or square-notch. The building was originally roofed with joined maple planks with grooves to lead away rain water.

After its abandonment the timber from the stockade was removed by settlers and used to construct other buildings while the blockhouse itself was dismantled and reassembled on a farm two miles west of Peterson. In 1977 Peterson Heritage acquired the building and moved it back to town. Although its original location was unknown, Peterson Heritage rebuilt it at the most likely spot, in the boulevard on Park Street just south of the intersection with Highway 10. In the mid 1980s volunteers restored the structure (without a stockade) using the original plans, replaced several logs and put the building on a concrete foundation. The restored building was dedicated in 1986.

The blockhouse can be visited anytime, but is open for visits during Peterson's heritage celebration held on even numbered years.

Tryon Palace happennings

TRYON PALACE HISTORIC SITES & GARDENS Sunday Afternoons are FREE in the Tryon Palace Gardens! NEW BERN, NC (4/01/09) --- Spend Sunday afternoons FREE in the Tryon Palace Gardens!Beginning on Sunday, April 5 the Gardens at Tryon Palace will be open to the public at no charge on the first Sunday afternoon of each month through October.This is a wonderful opportunity to stroll through our many gardens and enjoy what's blooming, simply sit down and read a book in a peaceful environment, or take family photographs in your Sunday best. For photography lovers, take some great garden photos, e-mail them to us and we'll post them on our new Facebook page! Be sure to stop by our new gift shop in the Daves House right next to the Palace gates. If you want to come inside to tour the Palace and historic houses, our all-inclusive two day Governors Pass will be available at a reduced price of $12 for adults and $5 for students.Make it a monthly event for friends & family and take a stroll through Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens. For more information about visit the website www.tryonpalace.org or call 1.800.767.1560 or 252.514.4900. # # #