N.C. Maritime Museum holds annual Fall Into History Symposium

The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport presents “Fall Into History: Lighthouses, Pilots and Plying the Waters of the Lower Cape Fear” on Saturday, Sept. 15. The event includes presentations, lunch and a walking tour of Southport’s waterfront. Photo courtesy of the Old Baldy Foundation.

SOUTHPORT – Learn the history of the lighthouses, river pilots and the waters of the Lower Cape Fear in the annual “Fall Into History” event on Saturday, Sept. 15, at the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport.

The program, held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes presentations, lunch and a tour of Southport’s waterfront.

“Discover a history of people who have been here since the earliest beginnings, while enjoying lunch and great lectures,” said Museum Educator Lori Duppstadt.

Presentations include:

• “The Lost Lights of the Cape Fear” program –featuring Rebecca Taylor and Gayle Keresey of the Federal Point Historic Preservation Society
• “Bringing Home the Light” program on North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse – by Mary Beth Springmeier of the Old Baldy Foundation
• “Cape Fear Shipwrecks & Shoals” program – featuring Captain Don Albert of Bald Head Island

Participants will enjoy lunch before concluding with a walking tour of the Southport waterfront, led by Captain Bert Felton.

The program is $30 for Museum members and $40 for non-members. Registration is required and space is limited.  Please call the Museum at (910) 457-0003 for more information and to register. www.ncmaritimemuseums.com

The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport is located at 204 E. Moore St. The three North Carolina Maritime Museums are the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum located in Hatteras, the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport.

All three museums are part of the Division of State History Museums in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported  Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council, and the State Archives.

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources serves as a champion for North Carolina’s creative industry, which employs nearly 300,000 North Carolinians and contributes more than $41 billion to the state’s economy.  To learn more, visit www.ncdcr.gov.