Wednesday, November 2, 2016

New Bern, Tyron Palace Tour: 11 '16




Tryon Palace, located in New Bern, North Carolina, is a replica of the mansion built in the late 1760s for the Royal Governor of the Province of North Carolina Completed in 1770, During Colonial times, Royal Governor William Tryon and his family brought architect John Hawks from London to design and build the Georgian-style structure. Completed in 1770, Tryon Palace served as the first permanent capitol of North Carolina and home to the Tryon family.


Tryon Palace was the site of the first sessions of the general assembly for the State of North Carolina following the revolution and housed the state governors until 1794. In 1798, fire destroyed the original Palace building. An extensive 30-year campaign to rebuild the Palace and restore the grounds was launched by the people of New Bern, state leaders, world craftsmen, and generous, dedicated citizens such as Mrs. James Edwin Latham. Their efforts led to the triumphal reopening of the Palace in 1959. Today, the Palace lives on as a testament to history, community and rebirth.


Tryon Palace has numerous tour ticket options designed to accommodate individuals, families, tour groups, and school groups. We chose the One Day Pass, which allowed us to see everything Tryon Palace has to offer, including the Governor’s Palace, Historic homes, Gardens and the North Carolina History Center. 


Our tour guide showing us the General Assembly Room in the Palace.

All tours are led by docents in costumes of the colonial period, and costumed specialists are available to answer questions about specific skills like blacksmithing, or cooking.


The Govenor's Office


The Palace Formal Dining Room



Govenor Tyron, and his familly and visitors dined on fine china imported from Europe.



The floating mahogony staircase was used by the Govenor and his adult guests to reach the second story rooms. Children ( under the age of 14) and servants used a smaller less decorative set of stairs.


A light and airy guest bedroom faces the Trent River, and was decorated to impress visitors with the wealth and importance of the Colonial Government.


A second guest bedroom was more confining and probably reserved for guests that the Govenor wanted to leave quickly.


The Govenor's wife had her own sitting room in which she could entertain her freinds in private.


She also had her own personal dressing room


But she and the Govenor shared a bedroom which had a distinctly masculine flair.


Next door the the Governor's bedroom was a bedroom and sitting room of their only daughter.


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