Climbers Club of New Bern
Be a part of Legacy --- One Brick at a Time!
This incredible building has been a New Bern landmark since 1947, originally serving the community as the West Street Colored Library! Today, proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it thrives as the vibrant Charlotte S. Rhone Cultural Center—hosting vital community outreach, exciting youth programs, educational tours, and so much more!
We need YOUR help to preserve this phenomenal legacy!
Our history runs incredibly deep. As early as 1865, scores of free Black individuals poured into New Bern, North Carolina, as word of President Lincoln's handwritten Emancipation Proclamation spread throughout the state. The Cultural Center proudly maintains this powerful history dating back to the 1800s!
Miss Charlotte S. Rhone, a charter member of the Climbers Club of New Bern, was a true trailblazer. Her resume was quite long and involved projects that improved the African American community and the New Bern community at large. In 1936, she accepted the invitation to join a diverse group of six concerned citizens whose main goal was to provide a dedicated library for the colored population. The library opened and operated for 27 years until local libraries were desegregated. The Board of Directories renamed the building in honor of Miss Rhone and transferred ownership to the Climbers Club.
The Climbers Club’s inspiring motto, “Lifting as We Climb,” lays the foundation for everything we do—creating a closer bond of unity among the citizens of our city, state, and nation!
Leave your mark. Honor your personal commitment to unity, history, and progress! Purchase your very own personalized 4” x 8” engraved brick for just $115! Your custom brick will be permanently installed on the grounds in front of the Cultural Center, cementing your place in this century-long story.
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We humbly THANK YOU in advance for purchasing a brick and supporting this capital campaign! Complete the information below, then hit continue to customize your specialized engraved brick!
