New Bern, North Carolina has Loads of History!

We serve many communities in North Carolina. One community is New Bern. New Bern is located near the North Carolina coast and where the Trent River and Neuse River meet. New Bern is east of Raleigh, northeast of Wilmington and one of it’s claim to fame is that New Bern is the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.

 About New Bern, NC

• New Bern has History! Founded in 1710, New Bern is the second oldest town in North Carolina.
• New Bern is named after Bern, Switzerland! The Swiss and German settlement of New Bern was named in honor of the founder’s home, Bern, Switzerland. When Bern, Switzerland was founded, it was named by a group of hunters.
• New Bern was named after the first animal that settlers saw! They named the city for the first animal they came upon on their hunting expedition. It was a bear. Bern is the old Germanic word for Bear, and the bear became the symbol of the city. It has been adopted by New Bern, as well.
• New Bern was the Capital of North Carolina! New Bern is home to the First State Capital of North Carolina, Tryon Palace.
• George Washington Was Here! New Bern was the first city in America to celebrate George Washington’s birthday. Washington visited New Bern and danced at the Tryon Palace.
• Christ Episcopal Church is famous for the architecture! The interior of Christ Episcopal Church was designed in the style of Christopher Wren, the famous English architect. It is a ‘must see’ for visitors.
• New Bern is the home to NC’s first printing press! The state’s first printing press was set up on the corner of Broad Street and Middle Street in New Bern in 1749.
• New Bern is the home to NC’s first bank! In 1778 the first public banking institution in North Carolina was established in New Bern.
• New Bern is the home to NC’s first bookstore! In 1783 the state’s first bookstore opened in New Bern.
• New Bern is the home to NC’s first postal service! North Carolina’s first Postal Service was established in New Bern in 1790.
• New Bern is the home to NC’s first Presbyterian Church! North Carolina’s First Presbyterian Church organization and building in Presbytery was established in New Bern in 1817.
• New Bern is the home to NC’s first Roman Catholic Church! New Bern is home to the first Roman Catholic Church and parish in North Carolina.
• New Bern is the home of Pepsi Cola! Pepsi was invented and first served in New Bern in 1898 by local pharmacist Caleb Bradham.
• New Bern is the home to the birthplace of the Pepsi logo! Bayard Wootten, the groundbreaking female photographer, designed the first Pepsi-Cola logo.
• New Bern is the home to NC’s first motion picture theatre! The first motion picture theatre in North Carolina was built in New Bern.
• New Bern is the home to NC’s first Registered Nurse! On June 4th, 1903, Josephine Burton of Craven County became the first Registered Nurse in North Carolina and therefore the first Registered Nurse in the United States.
• New Bern is the home to one of the largest Marine Corps Stations in the country! Havelock is home of Marine Base Cherry Point. Cherry Point is one of the country’s largest Marine Corps air stations, occupying nearly 16,000 acres.
• Elvis Presley was here! In the 1950’s Elvis and his small band performed in New Bern. During his stint here, he played at the Sudan Temple for a sold-out one night show, and ate lunch at the drug store on the corner where the Chelsea Restaurant is now located.
• New Bern is the home to the first African American to join the NYPD. New Bern native, Samuel J. Battle was the first African-American policeman in New York City.
• New Bern is the home to the first African American to join the Detroit Lions. New Bern native and NFL football player Bob Mann, was the first African-American to play for the Detroit Lions, and later the Green Bay Packers.
• New Bern has history! New Bern has over 150 sites included in the National Register of Historic Places.
• New Bern is home to the mouth of the longest river in NC! Stretching 248 miles, the Neuse River is the longest river in North Carolina; at its mouth, it is the widest river in America at 6 miles across.
• New Bern’s clock on Pollock Street is on the National Register! The four-faced turn-of-the-century Baxter clock located on Pollock Street is extremely rare; it is one of three Seth Thomas post clocks still in use and is now listed on the National Register.
• New Bern was the set for “The Notebook!” In 1996 The Notebook, set in New Bern and written by New Bern resident Nicholas Sparks, was the first novel in America to be on both the hardcover and paperback bestseller lists for over a year.
• New Bern is the home to one of the Greenest public buildings in NC! In 2011 The North Carolina History Center opened and is currently classified as one of the greenest public building in North Carolina.
• New Bern is the home to the first Chartered Fire Department! New Bern is home to the first Chartered Fire Department in North Carolina.