Near the center of the State is the capitol city of Raleigh, NC. The Capitol Building is located on Union Square in downtown Raleigh. The present building was built in 1840 after the previous building burned in 1831.
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The new Legislative Building was completed in January of 1963. It houses the Senate Chamber, House Chamber, General Assembly, and all support facilities necessary for the efficient operation of each.
The Executive Mansion (Governor's Mansion) was completed in 1891 and sits on Burke Square, a short distance from the Capitol Building. Most of the building materials came from North Carolina and the Mansion was built using Prison Labor.
Located in Moore County near Carthage, on land within a horseshoe bend in the Deep River, this house still bears scars inflicted by a Tory force on August 5, 1781. At the time, the house was owned by Whig Colonel Philip Alston. The Tories were under the command of David Fanning, a notorious Tory leader. Alston and his group were finally forced to surrender. In 1798, the house was acquired by Governor Benjamin Williams who renamed the plantation "Retreat".
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The battle of Guilford Courthouse, located near Greensboro, NC, was one of the bloodiest of the Revolutionary War. It was here that Militiamen under the command of General Nathanial Greene stopped Lord Cornwallis's advance through the Carolinas. It is estimated that the British lost more than one-quarter of their troops. This defeat for Cornwallis forced him to return towards the sea and was instrumental in causing his final surrender at Yorktown.
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In 1799, twelve-year-old Conrad Reed found a pretty yellow rock in a creek bed. His family used it as a doorstop for almost three years. In1802, a visiting jeweler identified the rock as a 17 pound gold nugget.The next year, John Reed, Conrad's father, opened the Reed gold mine. The first gold rush in the United States began here and was to continue until 1848 when the California gold rush began.
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The "Confederate Last Stand" was fought in North Carolina around Bentonville, a crossroads close to Newton Grove. With the defeat of Joseph E. Johnson's Southern forces by Union troops under the command of William T. Sherman, the stage for surrender had been set. On April 26, 1865, the largest surrender of the Civil War took place at the farmhouse of James and Nancy Bennett (Bennitt) close to the city of Durham.
Town Creek ceremonial site is located in Montgomery County on a bluff overlooking the point at which the Little River and Town Creek come together. The original settlement is beleived to have been built by people of the Pee Dee Indian culture around the year 1200 AD. The site has been patially reconstructed and includes the large mound, two temples, a burial hut, and the stockade.
North Carolina is home to three major motor speedways: Rockingham (The Rock), Charlotte, and North Wilkesboro. Here you can see The Winston Cup and NASCAR racing at their finest, as well as International Drag Racing.
Ericsson Stadium, in Charlotte, is the home of the NFL Carolina Panthers. North Carolina also has professional hockey with the NHL Huricanes located in Raleigh. A number of minor league baseball teams call North Carolina home, including the Durham Bulls.
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North Carolina is proud of its military. A number of strategic bases are located here: Fort Bragg, Home of the Airborne and Golden Knights Parachute Team; Pope Air Force Base, which supports the 18th Airborne Corps and 82nd Airborne Division; Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, part of our Strategic Line of Defense; Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point Marine Bases; and other installations.
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North Carolina has many lakes for recreational purposes. Kerr Lake, at the Virginia border, is well known for its beauty and as a fine boating and fishing lake. No matter where you go in North Carolina, you will not be far from lake.
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Located approximately 15 minutes South of Charlotte on Interstate 77 is one of the finest theme parks in the United States. Carowinds straddles the border of North Carolina and South Carolina and covers more than 100 acres. It boasts more than 50 rides for children of all ages. There are eight different rollercoasters; thrill rides like Drop Zone and James Bond: A License To Thrill; Water Works for fun in the water including a 1,000 foot long gentle river and Tidal Wave ride; and several entertainment shows and movie themed experiences.
