Two new murals have been completed in downtown New Bern off Broad Street, showcasing two important features of the city, wild animals and history.
One is located on the exterior of the Chelsea showcasing the site’s history and the other on the back porch wall of the new Flying Fox tavern. The murals were a project initiated by the Craven Arts Council and involved the work of more than 350 volunteers.
The Chelsea fine-dining restaurant, located at 335 Middle St., has operated inside the historic Stanly Building since 1991, a building constructed beginning in 1912 for African American property owner Lucinda Stanly, who owned several properties in the city at the time.
Before the building was erected, the location was the site of a firehouse and stables operated by the Atlantic Hook and Ladder Co. until its relocation in 1910. It was North Carolina’s oldest chartered fire department, organized in 1845.
Upon the building’s completion in 1913, the first floor was leased by the Bradham Drug Co., founded by Pepsi-Cola inventor Caleb Bradham, as his “Broad Street Store,” the first being on Middle Street and featuring a famous soda fountain. Later, it operated as Williams Restaurant from 1930 until 1981 before becoming the Chelsea.
The Williamses claimed it was “known from Maine to Florida” along Coastal Highway U.S. 17 as a good place to stop and have a meal on the way to the beach.
The new mural, titled “From Firehouse to Landmark,” also pays homage to the Sudan Shriners Temple building a bit farther down Broad Street that was recently demolished last month, particularly referencing when Elvis Presley performed there twice in 1955 in its auditorium.
The mural on the side of the building is separated into five panels in chronological order of the transformations of the Stanly Building over time, with one dedicated to the firehouse, one for the Broad Street Store, one for Williams, one for the Shriners building and one for the Chelsea.
The Flying Fox opened in September 2023 and is now described as a premier cocktail bar located at 411 Broad St. The new mural, titled “Party Animals,” was created to highlight both the wild and sophisticated sides of nightlife in downtown New Bern, with animals dressed as people.
This mural depicts an evening scene featuring partygoers participating in bar activities offered at the Flying Fox, such as playing pool, enjoying adult beverages, playing live music and more.
It features a bear wearing a Bern sweatshirt and drinking a beer, a fox playing pool, a rabbit eating popcorn, a barn owl in a gown drinking a martini, a raccoon playing the guitar, a bat playing the harmonica and a lizard leaning against the wall in a suit.
The Craven Arts Council will host a mural dedication ceremony for both murals in September. The first will be on Sept. 12 at 4:15 p.m. at the Chelsea, and the second will be on Sept. 13 at 12:30 p.m. at the Flying Fox. Both murals are the newest work of the council’s Art in Public Places program.
The murals are within walking distance of each other on Broad Street.