BURGAW – A driving tour of the Pender County African American Heritage Trail was launched today.
The trail encompasses all of Pender County and includes highlights such as Canetuck Community Center, a restored Rosenwald school, the community of Edgecombe’s Manhollow Missionary Baptist Church and Sloop Point School, Poplar Grove Plantation, which is part of the Gullah Geechee National Corridor, the Pender County Courthouse, and Moores Creek National Battlefield’s Old Stagecoach Road.
“This project could not have been accomplished without the help of 23 local historians and families who want to preserve the history and legacy of African Americans in Pender County,” said Tammy Proctor, Pender County Tourism Director.
The African American Heritage Trail draws upon family histories, such as the community of Edgecombe, where five families can trace their ancestry to the children of an enslaved couple named Tuney and Janey.
Months of research, interviews and committee meetings have led to the start of a project that will continue to expand.
“The African American Heritage Trail in Pender County is a project that will never be finished,” said Proctor. “We will continue to expand and add to the trail as more fascinating histories are uncovered.”
“We, as a team in the tourism office, felt it was important to launch the Pender County African American Heritage Trail on Juneteenth Day, a day of celebration of freedom,” said Stephanie Key, Pender County Tourism Assistant.
“We selected sites in this inaugural launch where visitors can park and see a location,” said Olivia Dawson, Pender County Tourism Assistant. “We hope visitors will take selfies and photographs as they travel the African American Heritage Trail and send them to us to share on Facebook.”
The trail is featured on the app, Pocketsights.com. The link to the trail is https://pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Hampstead-Pender-County-African-American-Heritage-Trail-5823.
The link to the African American Heritage Trail can be found on visitpender.com and Pender County Tourism’s Facebook page or download the Pocketsights app onto a smartphone through Google Play or the Apple Store.
