Climbers Club of New Bern

Be a part of the Legacy. One Brick at a Time!

Help preserve the legacy of the Charlotte S. Rhone Cultural Center, a landmark of history in New Bern since 1947. Originally the West Street Colored Library, this historic site now serves as a hub for community outreach and cultural heritage, proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As early as 1865, scores of free blacks poured into New Bern, North Carolina, when word of the Emancipation Proclamation, handwritten by President Lincoln, spread throughout the state. The Cultural Center maintains this phenomenal history dating back to the 1800’s.

Miss Charlotte S. Rhone was the third president and a founding-Charter member of the Climbers Club. In 1936, she joined a diverse group of six concerned citizens forming a movement to provide a library to serve the colored population. The library opened in 1947 and operated until libraries were desegregated in 1973; at that time, ownership of the building was transferred to the Climbers Club of New Bern and renamed the “Charlotte S. Rhone Cultural Center”. The Climbers Club’s motto, “Lifting as We Climb,” lays the foundation of its purpose to create a closer bond of unity among the citizens of our city, state, and nation.

Support our capital campaign by purchasing a personalized 4” x 8” brick for just $100. Your engraved brick will become a permanent part of this historic site, honoring your commitment to unity, history, and progress.

Leave your mark. Build the legacy. Your brick will be on the grounds in front of the Charlotte S. Rhone Cultural Center. Visit our Facebook page, Climbers Club of New Bern, for updates and to stay connected.

We humbly THANK YOU in advance for purchasing a brick in support of our capital campaign! Complete the information below then hit continue to complete your specialized engraved brick information.

Question:
Is it recommended that all capital letters be used on the bricks? On the second page should we mention the suggestion to use all capital letters on the brick? And/or should the first page show this brick instead of the one pictured which shows both upper and lower case letters.