A gift for the New Year will be presented to the CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center Jan. 20 at 2 p.m., in the form of a cannon carriage crafted by students at Lenoir Community College. The wooden carriage has been reconstructed based on original drawings and will be placed in the casemate, a fortified structure where the cannon would be located. It is part of the Civil War 150th anniversary commemoration administered by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.
N.C. Division of State Historic Sites Director Keith Hardison approached Lenoir Community College (LCC) President Brantley Briley about collaboration on this effort. Briley immediately agreed and students in the computer-integrated machining, sustainable technologies and welding technology classes completed the project. The effort demonstrates the practical value of education and also is a gift to the city's citizens and visitors.
"We are reminded of the value of cooperation between state agencies and community colleges," observes Hardison. "Through efforts of the staff and students at Lenoir Community College, visitors to the CSS Neuse Center will see a factual rendering of the forward portion of the Neuse."
The carriage anchored the cannon and traveled on tracks to be fired from different ports aboard the Neuse. The casemate contained the two Brooke rifled cannons. Most vessels of the time had one cannon for each gunport, however, the CSS Neuse had one cannon for every five gunports. This construction by LCC students will allow visitors to see how cannons aboard the CSS Neuse operated.
For additional information call (252) 526-9600, ext. 232. The CSS Neuse Civil War Interpretive Center is part of the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. It is located at 100 N. Queen St., Kinston.