News Release

Carl Sandburg Home and St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church to Join a Nationwide Commemoration of 400 years of African American History on August 25

Date: August 23, 2019

Flat Rock, NC – Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site and St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church in Flat Rock, NC, will join national parks and communities across the nation to commemorate the first landing of enslaved Africans 400 years ago in English-occupied North America at Virginia’s Point Comfort, now part of Fort Monroe National Monument.

A commemorative bell ringing will take place on Sunday, August 25, at 3:00 pm, at the church. This is part of a national day of remembrance, healing, and reconciliation, with many communities participating in a nationwide bell ringing. Everyone across the country is encouraged to come together in solidarity to ring bells simultaneously for four minutes, one minute for each century of African American history.

This program honors the contributions of African-Americans to the history of Flat Rock. There is a cemetery on the grounds of St. John in the Wilderness with the graves of enslaved persons, and church history includes records of enslaved persons attending services there. Before Carl Sandburg moved to Flat Rock in 1945, the history of the property he purchased includes enslaved workers and African-American laborers.

Aug. 25 also marks the 103rd anniversary of the legislation that established the National Park Service. All national parks will offer free admission for the day. This includes free tours of the Sandburg Home. The parks and programs of the National Park Service connect Americans and visitors from around the world with the nation’s notable landscapes, history, and outdoor opportunities. Each of the 419 national parks tells an important part of the collective story of America. 

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is a unit of the National Park Service. The park is located three miles south of Hendersonville off U.S. 225 on Little River Road, and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Weekdays are less busy than weekends. For parking options, please visit www.nps.gov/carl/planyourvisit/parking.htm. For further information please telephone [phone], or visit our website at:

 www.nps.gov/carl

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov.