New Bern, North Carolina

New Bern, North Carolina
Main façade of the New Bern City Hall
Main façade of the New Bern City Hall
Coat of arms of New Bern, North Carolina
Nickname: 
The Birthplace of Pepsi[1]
Location in Craven County and the state of North Carolina
Location in Craven County and the state of North Carolina
New Bern is located in North Carolina
New Bern
New Bern
Location in the United States
New Bern is located in the United States
New Bern
New Bern
New Bern (the United States)
New Bern is located in North America
New Bern
New Bern
New Bern (North America)
Coordinates: 35°05′45″N 77°04′20″W / 35.09583°N 77.07222°W / 35.09583; -77.07222
Country United States
State North Carolina
CountyCraven
FoundedOctober 1710 (1710-10)
CharteredNovember 23, 1723 (1723-11-23Tmdy)
Founded byBaron of Bernberg
Named forBern, Switzerland
Government
 • TypeCouncil–Manager
Area
 • Total29.95 sq mi (77.56 km2)
 • Land28.46 sq mi (73.70 km2)
 • Water1.49 sq mi (3.86 km2)
Elevation13 ft (4 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total31,291
 • Density1,099.59/sq mi (424.56/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
28560, 28562
Area code252
FIPS code37-46340[5]
GNIS feature ID2404358[4]
Websitenewbernnc.gov

New Bern (formerly Newbern[6]) is a city in and the county seat of Craven County, North Carolina, United States. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 31,291.[7]

It is located at the confluence of the Neuse and the Trent rivers, near the headwaters of Pamlico Sound on the North Carolina coast. It lies 112 miles (180 km) east of Raleigh, 89 miles (143 km) north of Wilmington, and 162 miles (261 km) south of Norfolk. New Bern is the birthplace of Pepsi.

New Bern was founded in October 1710 by the Palatines and Swiss under the leadership of Christoph von Graffenried. The new colonists named their settlement after Bern, the Swiss region from which many of the colonists and their patron had emigrated.[8] The flag and arms of the American city are nearly identical to those of the Swiss canton. The English connection with Switzerland had been established by some Marian exiles who sought refuge in Protestant parts of Switzerland. There were also marriages between the House of Stuart and notable people in the history of Calvinism. The colonists later discovered they had started their settlement on the site of a former Tuscarora village named Chattoka. This caused conflicts with the Tuscaroras who were in the area.

New Bern is the second-oldest European-settled colonial town in North Carolina, after Bath.[9] It served as the capital of North Carolina from 1770 to 1792. After the American Revolution (1775–1783), New Bern became wealthy and quickly developed a rich cultural life. At one time New Bern was called "the Athens of the South,"[9] renowned for its Masonic Temple and Athens Theater. These are both still very active today.

New Bern has four historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places; their numerous contributing buildings include residences, stores and churches dating back to the early eighteenth century. Within walking distance of the waterfront are more than 164 homes and buildings listed on the National Register. Also nearby are several bed and breakfasts, hotels, restaurants, banks, antiques stores and specialty shops. The historic districts contain many of the city's 2,000 crape myrtles—its official flower—and developed gardens. New Bern has two "Local Historic Districts", a municipal zoning overlay that affords legal protection to the exteriors of New Bern's historic structures.

  1. ^ Gary (August 3, 2021). "Visit The Birthplace of Pepsi - NC!". Island Life NC. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "Board of Aldermen". New Bern, Official Website.
  3. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: New Bern, North Carolina
  5. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. ^ Swan, Samuel, ed. (1752). A Collection of All the Public Acts of Assembly, of The Province of North-Carolina: Now in Force and Use. Newbern: James Davis. p. 37. OCLC 655409138. OL 24141080M.
  7. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): New Bern city, North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  8. ^ Colonial Records of North Carolina. n.d. pp. 985–986. LCCN 01006807. OCLC 2864657 – via Internet Archive.
  9. ^ a b "New Bern History". New Bern Visitors. Retrieved April 9, 2019.

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