Tryon Palace (New Bern, N.C.)

Tryon Palace, formerly called Governor's Palace, Newbern, was the official residence and administrative headquarters of the British governors of North Carolina from 1770 to 1775. Located in New Bern, North Carolina, the palace was often at the center of state occasions and hospitality. The residence was seized by patriot troops in 1775. Shortly after the state capital was relocated to Raleigh in 1792, the main building burned to the ground. A modern recreation faithful to the original architect's plans and some period appropriate support structures were erected on the site in the 1950s and opened to the public in 1959. The palace garden was also recreated, with 16 acres (6.5 ha) of plantings, representing three centuries of landscape and gardening heritage. Today, the palace is a state historic site.