Sec. Kluttz with Tryon Palace historic interpreter Haron Beatty in the Palace kitchen
Though this was Secretary Susan Kluttz’s second trip to New Bern, it was her first chance to experience all of Tryon Palace’s diverse offerings, which include the Governor’s Palace, the North Carolina History Center, a number of historic homes and beautiful gardens. During a tour of the grounds led by Tryon Palace Interim Director Philippe Lafargue, Sec. Kluttz got to experience history and not just see it. The Govenor's Palace kitchen was what really caught Secretary Secretary Kluttz’s eye. The staff at the Palace—and several surveys of museums and historic sites—will tell that you that visitors spend more time in the kitchen than anywhere else, and the Secretary was no exception. While visiting it, Sec. Kluttz got to cook alongside Jonkonnu "Fancyman" and historic interpreter Haron Beatty. She also tried her hand at churning butter with local school kids and sampled a few of Tryon Palace’s popular 18th century recipes. (Check out the Palace’s Facebook page to try a few of them yourself!) The experiential approach to history didn’t stop there. On the grounds, Sec. Kluttz and Deputy Secretary Kevin Cherry met an interpreter playing graces, which was a popular children’s game during the Colonial era. The game involves players tossing a hoop back and forth using two roads each. The first player to catch the hoop ten times wins.
Sec. Susan Kluttz and Deputy Sec. Kevin Cherry play the game of graces
While in New Bern, the Secretary also attended a meeting of the Tryon Palace Commission, of which she is an ex-officio member. As part of that meeting she met Commission chair and long-time supporter Bill Cannon, and got a preview of the exciting new things to coming to the site during the next five years. Two noteworthy pieces of that news are that the N.C. Symphony will perform on the Palace grounds on June 2, and that Pepsi, which was founded in New Bern, will hold its board meetings at the North Carolina History Center, located on the Tryon Palace ground for the foreseeable future. The company will also require all its new senior management team members to travel to New Bern within a year of being hired. This is truly great news worth sharing!
Members of the Tryon Palace Commission
Check out more images of the trip here. You can also see pictures of the secretary's trip to Tryon Palace with Governor McCrory here.