GOV. ZEBULON VANCE BIRTHPLACE SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR PARK DAY

(Weaverville, NC) – Nearly 150 years after the final shots of the Civil War were fired, a new wave of volunteers will descend on America’s battlefields and historic sites – only these dedicated troops will wield paint brushes, trash bags and hammers in the line of duty.

On Saturday, April 6, 2013, history buffs and preservationists from around the country will team up with the Civil War Trust to help clean and restore America’s priceless battlefields, cemeteries and shrines. Park Day is the nationwide volunteer effort created by the Civil War Trust, underwritten with a grant from History™ and endorsed by Take Pride in America, a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Now in its 17th year, the annual hands-on preservation event comprises more than 100 sites in 24 states. Volunteers will participate in activities ranging from trash removal to trail building, while learning more about each site from local experts. In exchange for their effort, volunteers receive t-shirts or patches. Individuals of all ages and ability levels are welcome, and many activities are appropriate for groups, like scout troops or corporate outings.

In Weaverville, NC, the Gov. Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace State Historic Site will participate in Park Day with a focus on fence restoration. Noted Civil War Historian, Michael Hardy, will present a lecture and book signing at 1 p.m. Refreshments will be provided for volunteers free of charge thanks to The Vance Birthplace Support Associates along with water and coffee. For more information about Park Day at the Gov. Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace, please contact Chris Morton at (828) 645-6706 or chris.morton@ncdcr.gov.

WHAT: “Park Day” historic preservation event at Gov. Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace State Historic Site.

WHEN: April 5, 2013, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

WHERE: Gov. Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace State Historic Site, 911 Reems Creek Road, Weaverville, NC 28787.

The Civil War Trust is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its mission is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefields and to promote appreciation of these hallowed grounds. To date, the Trust has preserved more than 35,000 acres of battlefield land in 20 states. Learn more at www.civilwar.org, the home of the Civil War sesquicentennial.

The Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace State Historic Site, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, is the childhood home of Zebulon Vance, North Carolina’s Civil War Governor. The site consists of the reconstructed Vance Home, six log outbuildings, a modern Visitor Center, and a picnic shelter. Located in the Reems Creek Valley, the site is twelve miles north of Asheville on Reems Creek Road. For more information call (828) 645-6706.