Billboards into Kinston once proclaimed the city the “world’s foremost tobacco center.” Factories and warehouses kept the money and the people flowing in, including jazz and soul greats like Duke Ellington and Ray Charles, who played to crowds in those warehouses into the 1960s.
High-end clothing stores, salons, banks, and restaurants lined the “Magic Mile” along Queen Street. As in so many other towns in the 20th century, though, the decline of the tobacco industry seemed to signal the end of Kinston’s prosperity. But Kinston is resilient, and its residents weren’t ready to give up on their community.
In 2006, Chef Vivian Howard, born and raised near Kinston but trained in the New York culinary scene, and her husband, Ben Knight, opened their hugely successful fine-dining restaurant, Chef & the Farmer, proving that businesses could once again thrive downtown. Others followed.
Today, in every bite at farm-to-table restaurants, in every sip of craft beer, in every note that rings through Kinston Music Park, you’ll find that enduring Kinston spirit.
Editor’s Note: The Chef & the Farmer is temporarily closed. Check here for reopening updates.
Chef & the Farmer. Sustainably sourced ingredients from local farmers are the backbone of Vivian Howard’s creative seasonal dishes, like the summer pizza (left) with peach preserves, country ham, jalapeño, and mint.
120 West Gordon Street, Kinston, NC 28501
(252) 208-2433 or vivianhoward.com/chef-the-farmer
Whiskey Pig Craft Butchery. Mother-daughter team Sandra Garner and Genell Pridgen source their meat directly from local farms, including Pridgen’s. Pick up a fresh cut of pork, beef, turkey, or chicken (or even lamb or rabbit), or enjoy a sandwich, soup, or salad from the deli.
214 North Herritage Street, Kinston, NC 28501
(919) 921-8535 or facebook.com/WhiskeyPig
Mother Earth Brewing. Kinston natives Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring’s landmark brewery is committed to sustainability. Mother Earth Brewing uses all locally grown ingredients, and the solar-powered taproom was built from repurposed materials.
311 North Herritage Street, Kinston, NC 28501
(252) 208-2437 or motherearthbrewing.com
Kinston Music Park. Part of North Carolina’s African-American Music Trail, this park celebrates Kinston’s musical heritage through tile mosaics depicting local musicians, engraved song lyrics, and the 23-foot-wide glass sculpture Intersections (left).
Spring Hill and South Queen Streets, Kinston, NC, 28501
africanamericanmusicnc.com/kinston-music-park
Neuseway Nature Park. Along the Neuse River, this sprawling park features a planetarium with daily shows, an interactive health and science museum, a nature center, train rides, and a campground.
401 West Caswell Street, Kinston, NC 28504
(252) 939-3302 or neusewaypark.com
Caswell No. 1 Fire Station Museum. Built in 1895, Kinston’s first fire station is now a museum filled with memorabilia that spans more than a century, including helmets, fire extinguishers, and a 1922 LaFrance pumper, where resident Dalmatian Truckie keeps an eye on things. This museum is run by volunteers, so check their webpage for tour hours.
118 South Queen Street, Kinston, NC 28501
(252) 527-1566 or facebook.com/Caswell-No-1-Fire-Station-Museum
Harriet’s Chapel. At the First Battle of Kinston Battlefield Park, an 18th-century church, similar to the one that stood here during the Civil War, marks the site of the battle’s most intense fighting. The chapel was later used as a hospital for both Union and Confederate troops.
Highway 258 about quarter of a mile from the Kinston Visitors and Information Center, 301 North Queen Street, Kinston, NC 28501
hmdb.org/harriett’s-chapel
Tucked into a historic neighborhood, a backyard in Forsyth County holds hundreds of Southern wildflowers collected by one wild flower woman.
John Champlin has traveled across the state — and the nation — in search of hard-to-find spots that serve an unforgettable hot dog. After 11 years, what he’s discovered goes way beyond the bun.
In the early 20th century, textile mill owners sponsored baseball teams, providing entertainment for their employees and nurturing a passion for the game that’s been handed down through generations of North Carolinians.
Our writer reflects on where his love of vinyl began, and how the snap, crackle, and pop of a needle sliding across a turntable will always satisfy his soul.
