Jones Jarvis House

Jones-Jarvis House, also known as General Foster's Headquarters and Jarvis-Slover House, is a historic home located at New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina. It was built about 1810, and is a 2 1/2-story, three bay, side-hall plan, Federal style brick dwelling. It has a one-story brick and frame rear wing. During the American Civil War, General John G. Foster moved into this house, and it served first as his residence and later as part of the headquarters of the Eighteenth Army Corps.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Historic New Bern

New Bern is the second oldest city in North Carolina settled in 1710 by the Swiss and the German. It is named after Bern, Switzerland. It is the home of Tryon Palace which was “the seat of the province’s Colonial government” through North Carolina’s statehood in 1789. The city was captured and occupied by Union troops on March 14, 1862.

New Bern sits at the confluence of two rivers, the Trent and Neuse Rivers, and only 37 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The influence of the rivers and nearby ocean had a significant impact on its history. In the 1800’s, it grew into a major port and trading center. Large ballast stones which were used to provide weight and stability to unladen ship can be found in the basement of the Jones-Jarvis House and in the yard.

Jones-Jarvis House and Federal Architecture

The Jones-Jarvis House is one of New Bern’s outstanding examples of federal architecture. The lot was purchased by Frederick Jones in 1810 for $1,575 and later sold to Moses Jarvis. It was occupied and listed on tax records in 1816. It is described as:

“one of a small number of brick Federal houses in New Bern, all built on a side-hall plan, and all similar. Either because of site, or finish, or the occupations of their owners, however, each possesses a distinct architectural and historical character. This house, with its lots fronting on the Neuse River, is part of a group of nineteenth century brick houses at the corner of Union and East Front streets which is one of the finest architectural complexes in the state[3]."

The Eli Smallwood House next door and the Jones-Jarvis house are nearly identical. Across the street is the Slover-Bradham House. It was General Burnside’s headquarters and later the home of Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist who invented Pepsi-Cola in 1898. Timeline[3]

• 1810 Lot purchased by Frederic Jones for $1,575 • 1811 Purchased by Moses Jarvis • 1816 House occupied and listed in tax records • 1817 Transferred to Sylvester Brown • 1822 Returned to Moses Jarvis, Jr. • 1858 Purchased by Alonzo T. Jerkins • 1862 – 1865 Occupied by Union Army as part of headquarters. Became private residence for General John Foster. • 1868 Purchased by Mary C. Slover

List of Resources

- National Register of Historic Homes Nomination Form. This is rich in architectural detail, the history of the house and surrounding homes. - The Attic Guest by Robert Knowles referenced in the Historic Register is based on a true story of a minister who stayed in the attic. - The Foscue Plantation cites the Jones-Jarvis House and Eli Smallwood House as inspiration to Simon Foscue for the plantation’s design. - Historic American Buildings Survey completed by Thomas T. Waterman 1940, includes a photo of a cover page and the survey showing the address as 99 East Front Street. - Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division "1920's General View of Front and Side" photograph of Jones-Jarvis House. - U.S. Military Institute "Crow nest signal station, Jones-Jarvis house. Southeast corner of East Front and Johnson streets, ca. 1863." photograph showing the signal station built atop the catwalk between the two chimneys. According to A New Bern Album: Old Photographs of New Bern, North Carolina and the Surrounding Countryside by John B. Green III, Union troops used flares, lanterns and flags to communicate with the fort and troops on the other side of the Neuse River. - New Bern history.

Related Names

Jarvis-Slover House, Jones-Jarvis-Hand House, Jones-Jarvis House, General Foster's Headquarters, Tryon Palace