HistoricSiteMarkers
Civil War

Vance House

Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina

Marker Inscription

Vance House. Now historical museum, was temporary home of Gov. Zebulon B. Vance after Sherman's capture of Raleigh, April 1865. Is 350 yards southwest.

Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

The Story

Now a historical museum, this house served as the temporary home of North Carolina Governor Zebulon B. Vance in April 1865, after General William T. Sherman's forces captured Raleigh in the closing days of the Civil War. With the Confederate government collapsing, the wartime governor took refuge here in Statesville. The house stands about 350 yards southwest.

Why it matters

It marks the final, chaotic days of the Confederacy in North Carolina, when the state's leadership scattered before Sherman's advancing army.

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Related people

  • · Zebulon B. Vance
  • · William T. Sherman

Related events

  • · Sherman's capture of Raleigh

Themes & tags

Nearby & related markers

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Confederate Soldier Monument

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Stoneman's Raid — Rowan County Skirmish

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