New Bern, city, seat of Craven County, eastern North Carolina, a port at the confluence of the Neuse and Trent rivers, near Pamlico Sound; incorporated 1723. It is a commercial, manufacturing, and distribution center situated in an agricultural and summer-resort area. A U.S. Marine Corps air base is nearby. New Bern is the site of Tryon Palace (1767-1770; restored 1950s), a colonial capitol of North Carolina; the New Bern Firemen's Museum; and New Bern National Cemetery. The community, settled in 1710, is named for Bern, Switzerland. In 1774-1775 it was the site of provincial conventions that voiced opposition to the British. During the American Civil War, New Bern served as a fortified port for the Confederacy until it was captured by Union troops in 1862. Population 14,557 (1980); 17,363 (1990); 23,128 (2000).
