In New Bern, developers of a new neighborhood (Ghent) and a popular park with a recreational pavilion and casino two miles west of the town, were responsible for developing the town's streetcar line. With help from Virginia investors, they organized the New Bern-Ghent Street Railway. The company began operation 1913 from various points in New Bern, including the new (railroad) Union Station, to Ghent. The streetcar system started with storage battery-type cars (similar to Concord's) but shortly switched to an electric system that lasted until the late 1920s.

New Bern had Ghent Park, with a pavilion as the centerpiece, featuring a skating rink, dance hall, casino, and porches overlooking the baseball fields. The town's current YMCA occupies the site of the former pavilion.

CREDITS: Excerpts: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historical Landmarks Commission-City of New Bern, North Carolina