Cultural and Natural Heritage Coexist at Bennett Place

In the distance stands the Bennett farmstead where Generals Johnston and Sherman met to negotiate surrender in 1865. It's fitting that one of the biggest steps towards peace took place in a location that is also special ecologically. These hallowed grounds preserve not only a pivotal moment in the nation's history, but also a unique natural heritage.

The lawn may look unremarkable, but in unmowed areas to the right of the photo grow native wildflowers seldom encountered elsewhere. Lewis's Heartleaf, a rare species of wild ginger, caused the state to designate Bennett Place a Natural Heritage Site. Large Whorled Pagonia, Sundew and Leopard's Bane are some of the other unusual wildflowers growing here.

Back in the 1930s, H.L. Blomquist and other esteemed botanists from Duke University would come here to explore and do field work. In more recent years, volunteers with the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association have worked with Bennett Place staff to preserve the site's natural heritage.

In the foreground of the photo, to the right of the fence, a planting is being planned to show off the site's many kinds of prairie wildflowers and grasses.