By John Barnes, New Bern Preservation Foundation
Since 1972, the New Bern Preservation Foundation has been committed to the preservation and protection of New Bern’s architectural and cultural heritage through the rehabilitation and protection of its historical structures.
Starting with the Elijah Clark House in 1972 up to its most recent endeavor, the 6 Sisters, the New Bern Preservation Foundation has rescued and protected in perpetuity more than 70 historic structures, preserving the very reason why New Bern is so interesting and beautiful to its residents and visitors.
The Preservation Foundation recently acquired six identical houses on Pasteur Street, walking distance from the downtown business district and all it has to offer. We affectionately refer to these houses as The 6 Sisters.” They had been rental housing for decades and upon acquiring the houses, the Preservation Foundation launched into a full-scale effort to repair, paint and rehabilitate the structures.
The 6 Sisters houses were built in 1924 to help satisfy the desperate demand for housing after the Great Fire of 1922. Prior to the Great Fire, the community around Pasteur Street was a vibrant and actively growing neighborhood with dozens of businesses, churches, doctor’s offices and homes. Tragically, it was also ground zero during the Great Fire. The fire started on Rountree Street, blocks away from this neighborhood, but in a matter of hours the fire had laid waste to every structure in the community. Every home, business and place of worship was reduced to ashes. Over 600 hundred structures were lost and more than 3,000 citizens left homeless.
In the months that followed, the larger community rallied to address the desperate need for housing in this devastated community and as quickly as possible, homes began to rise from these ashes.
The 6 Sisters were amongst the first to rise from the ashes. So, it is only natural and appropriate that the Preservation Foundation, given the opportunity, would return to ground zero of the Great Fire and seek to preserve the structures that rose from the ashes of that devastation and continue to stand as a symbol of resilience and perseverance that have been defining characteristics of this incredible historic community.
Preservation efforts of this type, size and scope are familiar territory to the Preservation Foundation. In 1983, the Preservation Foundation undertook a very similar effort. There were four endangered houses on the 500 block of Metcalf Street, the Kafer houses. Much like the 6 Sisters, the Kafer houses suffered many of the same challenges; they were abused and neglected and all four structures sat on a single lot, making it challenging to place each house into the hands of independent owner occupants. Under the Preservation Foundation the lots were subdivided, and each house was successfully sold to new owner occupants who restored each structure and in the process positively transformed an entire community. In the 1980s, the houses sold for about $15,000 apiece; they are now assessed on the Craven County tax books for a total of over $1,200,000!
With the 6 Sisters, over the past several months, the Preservation Foundation has collaborated with the city to create independent lots for each home to prepare to put them in the hands of owner occupants, stewards to carry these houses and the important cultural marker in time that they represent into the future. The Preservation Foundation has also teamed with local businesses to effect repairs to rehabilitate the homes to prepare them for sale.
At present, the first of the Six Sisters (Sister number 6) is currently for sale and awaits its new caretakers to carry its rich history forward. Continue to follow our efforts as the remainder of the Sisters become available in early 2026 to new stewards eager to be part of the vibrant revival of this important community.
Preservation efforts like these protect and preserve in perpetuity the architectural and cultural legacy of the communities in which they exist and have lasting positive impacts on New Bern at large. They are all possible only through the diligent efforts of the Preservation Foundation membership and through fundraising, like the Preservation Foundation’s signature fundraising event, its Annual Antique Show.
This year, the New Bern Preservation Foundation will host its 39th Annual New Bern Antique Show & Sale on February 5-8, 2026, at the Maola at Riverside. The 2026 show will feature 25 hand-selected dealers from throughout the country specializing in antiques, vintage items, lighting, jewelry, garden accessories, rugs, as well as restoration experts.
This highly anticipated event will include a First Look Reception and Presale, an exclusive early shopping experience with wine, dinner, and great company, on Thursday, February 5th (5:30 pm – 8:00 pm). First Look Reception tickets provide entry to the Antique Show & Sale for the entire weekend.
The Antique Show starts on Friday, February 6th at 10 am. A special Appraisal Session has been scheduled for Friday, February 6th (10 am – 4 pm) where you can bring your treasures to have them evaluated similar to Antique Roadshow. Booking is required online prior to the show.
Back by popular demand, an enlightening Preservation Session featuring our keynote speaker, Robert Leath has been scheduled for Saturday, February 7th (10 am – 11:30 am) with lunch to follow. Robert’s work has guided challenging restorations of some of the South’s most significant historical sites including Colonial Williamsburg, Old Salem, Hayes, and the Cupola House. He will be providing a captivating lecture titled “Restoring a North Carolina Masterpiece: Edenton’s Cupola House.” The Cupola House project not only restores a physical treasure, but it also reconnects Edenton with a piece of its cultural legacy. Lunch is being offered following Robert’s session.
We are also thrilled to welcome Beth Yarbrough, founder of Southern Voice, artist and author of The Grassroots Guide to Saving What Matters: Historic Preservation for Everyday People as a guest speaker at our Preservation Session on Saturday, February 7th (1 pm – 2 pm) with a book signing to follow. Beth is a seasoned and successful veteran of the gift and home décor industry, having designed products and licensed her original artwork to the trades for more than thirty years. Her work resonates with readers because it blends design, nostalgia, and preservation in a way that’s both soulful and approachable. Beth doesn’t just admire historic homes, she listens to them, shares their voices, and invites others to do the same.
Check our website for our different ticket packages: https://newbernpf.org/antique-show/. There is limited seating to the Preservation Sessions – so get your tickets now! All proceeds go toward preserving the architectural and cultural heritage of New Bern.