Documenting the American South

Doc South header logo Home
Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
Commemorative Landscapes banner

Source:  Craven County WWI and WWII Memorial, New Bern. Courtesy of Waymarking.com

  • Monument Name

    Craven County WWI and WWII Memorial, New Bern

  • Type

    Obelisk

  • Subjects

    World War I

    World War II

  • City

    New Bern

  • County

    Craven

  • Description

    The obelisk was initially erected to honor Craven County citizens who lost their lives during the World War I, with the list of names on the back of the memorial. WWII dead were added later to the base of the monument. The obelisk rests on a two-tier granite base.

  • Inscription

    Front Top: SACRED/ TO THE MEMORY/OF/CRAVEN COUNTY/ DEAD/ OF WORLD WAR/ NO. 1 & 2

    Back Top: WORLD WAR 1 / SAM PARROTT / J.F. BENNETT / KENNETH REA / WYATT STALLINGS / DEPPE ROWE / W.J. WEATHERLY / JODIE IPOCK / DANIE ADAMS / BERY STILLEY / D.R. EVERINGTON / W.H.TOLER / H.L. LANCASTER / MILAM C. PRICE / GEORGE T. SKINNER / F.L.TILLEY / J.E. DAUGHERTY / RAYMOND HAWKINS / EMMETT JENKINS / W.VAN DONNERSON / BEN O. CIVILS

    South Face: WORLD WAR II / ROBERT J. CONDERMAN / CHARLES E. COOK / ELVIN ALLEN HERRING / HENRY PUREFOY WHITEHURST JR. / WADE MEADOWS JR. / FURNIFOLD M. SIMMONS / DOUGLAS PEEK / H. EDWARD TILGHMAN / WOODROW W. CONNOR / DONALD IVAR RYMAN / CLYDE A. BALLENGER JR. / DONALD F. PATTERSON JR. / THOMAS WETHERINGTON / FRANCIS C. CATON / JOSEPH ROUSE / SOLOMON CLAUDIUS JACKSON / SAM N. MILLS

    East Face: JAMES CLEVELAND HAWKINS / EDWARD DANIEL BOWDEN / HARDY PERRY MOORE / HARDY PERRY MOORE / RICHARD GRAY MORRIS / HAROLD WETHERINGTON / GEORGE PHILLIP POPKIN JR. / CHARLES PERCY MASON / WALTER RALPH JONES / MARCUS CICERO DAUGHERTY / PAUL F. MILLS / LEROY T. BANKS / JESSE M. BLAND / JAMES H. CATON / WALLACE R. CLEVE / DAVID L. DAUGHTERY / HAL L. DILL / THOMAS D. FAULKNER / CLENNIE MARSHBURN

    North Face: WALTER R. JONES / ED S. LAUGHINGHOUSE / JAMES J. LEWIS / BEN L. SMITH / JOE STALLINGS / ZEB TRIPP JR. / JAMES R. HARDISON / OLLEN B. TOLAR / JOHN M. POWLES / RICHARD STAPLEFORD / FRED P. WILLIS / WM. M. MITCHELL / RADFORD COWARD / GUION V. HEATH / JULIAN C. CHERRY / TOLER C. HERRING / CARL L. MANNING

    West Face: WILBUR SLADE WILLIAMS / MOSES ALLEN / JOE N. HARPER / GEORGE ALFRED IPOCK / CHARLES W. HARDISON

  • Custodian

    Junior Chamber of Commerce

  • Dedication Date

    November 12, 1944

  • Decade

    1940s

  • Geographic Coordinates

    35.108450 , -77.038420 View in Geobrowsemap pin

  • Supporting Sources

      "Craven County World War Memorial, New Bern, North Carolina," Waymarking.com, (accessed May 21, 2015) Link

      "Craven County World Wars 1 and 2 Memorial," The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org, (accessed may 21, 2015) Link

      Book, Sue. "World War I memorial is missing many names," Sun Journal (New Bern, NC), March 4, 2010

      Hand, Bill. "New Bern and the War to End All Wars," Sun Journal (New Bern, NC), June 29, 2014 (accessed May 21, 2015) Link

      New Bern-Craven County Public Library. "Craven County in World War I," (accessed May 21, 2015) Link

      “Craven County Courthouse in New Bern, North Carolina,” Bobbystuff.com, (accessed November 19, 2023) Link

  • Public Site

    Yes

  • Materials & Techniques

    Granite

  • Monument Dedication and Unveiling

    On November 12, 1944, the memorial was dedicated with a ceremony on the lawn of the Craven County Courthouse. Speakers included Rep. Graham A. Barden and Brig. Gen. John T. Kennedy. A Sun Journal report of the event said that it was dedicated as a memorial "to the servicemen who lost their lives in the First World War and those who have and will make the supreme sacrifice in the present world struggle."

  • Controversies

    Research conducted by Victor Jones, reference librarian at the New Bern-Craven County Library, revealed that twenty African American veterans who died while in service in World War I were not originally listed on the memorial. Advocates for historical accuracy addressed the Craven County Board of Commissioners to consider having missing names chiseled into the stone.

  • Location

    The Craven County World War I and World War II Memorial is on the grounds of the Old Craven County Courthouse, 302 Broad St, New Bern, NC 28560. The so-called "Governors Boulder," that honors Richard Dobbs Spaight (Sr.), Richard Dobbs Spaight (Jr.) and Abner Nash is located to the right of the memorial if facing the main entrance to the courthouse building. Other memorials on the grounds include Purple Heart Memorial and the Craven County War Memorial.

  • Landscape

    The monument seats on the front lawn surrounded by shady trees.

Icon for reporting missing/incorrect information Know anything else about this monument that isn't mentioned here? If you have additional information on this or any other monument in our collection fill out the form at the Contact Us link in the footer. Thank you.