Tryon Palace, first colonial and state capitol building of North Carolina was designed by the English architect, John Hawks. the palace was completed in 1770. It was a political center during the Revolution, the then governor fled the capitol for safety in 1775, and the port sheltered many privateers during that War. Even before the Revolutionary War, New Bern was known and visited by the pirates who terrorized the Carolina shoreline.

First settled in 1710, New Bern is rich in history. Pirates roamed the coast, and Blackbeard used to stay at Hammock House in Beaufort, some 40 miles east on the coast. The wreckage of his ship Queen Anne’s Revenge was recently discovered (March 1997) in waters offshore. The town was a political hotbed during the Revolution and later became the first capital of the state. In the heart of New Bern is the Tryon Palace, once the residence of 18th century English royal governors. The redbrick Georgian palace, set on 14 acres of lush gardens and rounds, is among the town’s more than 150 landmark buildings, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Nearby Beaufort has one of Blackbeard's houses, "Hammock House" where purportedly his men and/or a wife stayed on shore leave. Blackbeard's famous ship "Queen Anne's Revenge" was discovered in the shallow waters off the Beaufort coast.New Bern, the second oldest city in North Carolina, was settled in 1710 by German Palatine and Swiss colonists led by Baron Christopher Von Graffenreid. He purchased the land from the Tuscarora Indians who had a small settlement here known as Chattawka, which meant "where the fish are taken out."

As a point of interest, the oldest water elm tree in the US still stand in the historic section of downtown,and under that tree the treaty with the Indians was signed!

Named for the city of Bern Switzerland, the town was located on the triangle of land where the Trent and Neuse Rivers meet. The original settlers suffered with the climate, a lack of provisions, diseases and Indian problems.

Because “Bern” is German for “bear”, the animal is the traditional symbol for both Bern, Switzerland and New Bern, North Carolina, named in honor of New Bern founder, Baron Christopher DeGraffenried.

The town was captured and occupied by Union forces early in the Civil War (1862). Many of the soldiers called New Bern “home” for the duration of the war, and consequently, the homes and fine mansions were spared much of the devastation that took place in other Southern cities. In June of 1973, the Downtown Historic District was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. In January 1981, the City of New Bern locally designated the Historic District, along with several additional blocks on its northern periphery, as an “overlay zoning district” in which all exterior changes to buildings and sites would be monitored to ensure the beauty, character and history of this lovely city. As part of the on going restoration in the downtown historic area, many of these homes are open for year-round tours as part of the Tryon Palace Complex, and even private homes are periodically open to the public for special tours. Among the many restored homes, the New Bern visitor can enjoy a restful stay at one of the Bed & Breakfast Inns.