Exploring Bennett Place

Bennett Place... I can't count the many times we've passed signs for this site but never stopped. We finally visited earlier this summer.

Located at 4409 Bennett Memorial Road in Durham

Bennett Place is the historic location where Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston and Union General William T. Sherman met to negotiate terms of surrender. At the time, troops were still fighting in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

This occurred on April 17, 1865 and was the Civil War's largest troop surrender.

Bennett Place was once a working farm. Crops such as potatoes, wheat, oats, and corn were grown there. Hogs were also raised on the farm. And in addition to farming, James Bennett (Bennitt), the property owner, wore many hats. His titles included cobbler, tailor, and he sold various goods.

I won't pretend to be a history buff nor to remember all of the information we read/saw. Instead, I suggest visiting the website for a full overview. You'll learn about this location's history as well as more Civil War details.

Now, let me walk you through our visit.

The property was easy to find and there's a spacious parking lot. Upon entering the visitor's center, we saw a large selection of books and other Civil War based items to purchase. An extremely friendly tour guide gave us a rundown of what to expect as we walked the premises.

First, we were led into a theater room to watch a movie depiction/reenactment of historic events at Bennett Place. If I recall correctly, the film was about 15 minutes or less. From there, our guide walked us through a small portion of the center sharing interesting facts and other trivia.

His storytelling style was very entertaining and kept us engaged.

There are a number of informative exhibits within the building that are full of artifacts. Give yourself plenty of time if you like reading the descriptions. After spending time in this area, we went outside to walk the property. Restrooms are right outside this door.

You can choose to pay a small fee for a guided tour or browse on your own. We chose the self-guided option.

The Unity Monument, Bennett House, Kitchen House, Dairy House, Ash Hopper, and Smoke House are just a few things you'll see. We especially enjoyed walking through the buildings and getting an idea of how James Bennett, his wife Nancy and their family lived.

Surprisingly, in 1921 the kitchen and farmhouse were destroyed. Just the stone chimney was left standing. In the 1960s, the buildings were reconstructed.

Be sure to refer to the paper/brochure you're given while touring. It explains what you're seeing and where you are as you step back in time.

We only spent a short time outside because of high summer temperatures. And although my mom and daughters were intrigued by the history of Bennett Place, it wasn't long before they were ready to head back inside. Therefore, I suggest visiting on cooler days.

We may return at some point just to comfortably linger a bit longer and walk the nature trails we didn't get to. I'm curious to see what we missed.