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What People Are Saying About Bennett Place Historic Site
Featured Review
Contributor
Contributor
In Short – Few know about Bennett Place, a small homestead where Union General William T. Sherman and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston signed surrender papers for Southern armies in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. Seventeen days after Lee's surrender the two finally came to an agreement on April 26, 1865. This site is an unassuming place featuring a simple farmhouse, kitchen, smokehouse and garden that represents the home of James and Nancy Bennitt.
Editor's Tips
- Know Before You Go:
- Every year in April costumed reenactors take over the place. Witness the surrender and visit the civilian camp area.
- Fun Fact:
- A 1921 fire destroyed everything except the stone chimney, so what visitors see is a meticulous reconstruction of the original. A guide points out all the 19th-century "amenities" like the iron crimpers used for curling hair, the rope bed and the corn husk mattresses.
06/30/07
A Terrific Visit to Bennett Place Historic Site
by cwfilms at Citysearch
One of the best kept secrets in Durham, North Carolina. We had a wonderful experience visiting Bennett Place. The staff is very knowledgeable about the surrender and the Bennett Family. There is a great museum with some unique artifacts of the Civil War and the film was up to date with modern technology as far as museums go. They also have a pretty nice gift shop with a good book selection on the surrender and the Civil War in North Carolina. Interesting to now know the Civil War did not end at Appomattox, and that this was the largest of the surrenders. I can't wait to come back to see the annual Surrender Commemoration living history event.
- Pros: Nice Gift Shop, Good Movie and Museum, Knowledgeable and Friendly Tour Guides
- Cons: The actual Bennett Home no longer stands, but it is a nice reconstruction
11/19/06
simple history
by hdevil at Citysearch
How do you know your friend was born in durham? Ask if they've been to the Bennet Place. A favorite elementary school outing, few durhamites have missed it. That doesn't mean you should avoid the simple landmark yourself. This site, so important to the civil war, could be easily over looked, tucked away in residential durham. However it is very well kept up and worth any history buff's time.
- Pros: parking, upkeep, service
- Cons: not much to see
