Wedding DJ at Commission House in New Bern, NC

The Space

The Commission House, also known as the Lehman-Duffy House, is an Italianate-style home built circa 1886 through 1888 in New Bern, North Carolina. The structure incorporated an earlier dwelling presumably built by the Daves family sometime between 1791 and 1867, giving the house layers of history spanning more than two centuries of Southern life. Nathan Eby Mohn purchased the house and served as its owner until 1973. Tryon Palace then acquired the property, restored it for use as offices and meeting spaces, and since 2010 has made it available as a rental venue.

The Commission House is part of Tryon Palace Historic Sites and the North Carolina History Center complex, available for intimate ceremonies, receptions, dinners, and cocktail parties. The home features spacious Victorian-era rooms with period character, exposed woodwork, and the refined finishes of an Italianate mansion. The front lawn is graced by stately magnolia trees, and the back garden showcases a late Victorian-style design with plantings of magnolias, camellias, azaleas, and gardenias representing quintessential Southern home gardens.

Capacity & Layout

The Commission House is designed for small, intimate celebrations rather than large receptions. The Italianate mansion’s interior rooms naturally limit capacity, making the venue ideal for rehearsal dinners, small weddings, or close-family celebrations. Outdoor ceremony space on the front lawn provides a backdrop framed by the magnolia trees, while the Victorian garden behind the house offers an enchanting setting for photographs and smaller gatherings. The natural flow between interior rooms and outdoor spaces allows your celebration to unfold across both the historic home and surrounding gardens.

The garden’s seasonal plantings mean the setting changes throughout the year, with spring azaleas and camellias giving way to summer gardenias and green foliage, and fall colors providing a different aesthetic. The layout provides intimate separation between ceremony, reception, and dining areas, preventing any single space from feeling crowded while maintaining connection between zones.

Amenities

The Commission House includes kitchen facilities on the property for catering preparation and service. Multiple rooms within the mansion accommodate different functions: dining in one room, dancing or mingling in another, creating natural flow and separation. Restrooms are available, and the venue is situated within the broader Tryon Palace grounds, which provide additional context, historic spaces, and character. The Victorian garden provides an outdoor entertaining space with natural beauty and seasonal interest.

Parking is available at the North Carolina History Center entrance and in the Eden Street Parking Lot on the Palace grounds’ west side, with handicapped parking spaces provided for accessibility. The setting places your celebration within a living history context: the Commission House is part of an operating historic site, meaning guests experience the day within a preserved 18th and 19th-century district rather than an isolated venue building. The surrounding Tryon Palace grounds add cultural and historical richness to your celebration.

Location & Getting There

The Commission House sits at 610 Pollock Street in New Bern, North Carolina, in the heart of this historic colonial-era town on the Neuse River. New Bern, founded in 1710, is one of North Carolina’s oldest cities and served as the state capital during the early years of the republic. The town remains a charming historic district with tree-lined streets, preserved architecture, and cultural institutions centered on Tryon Palace and its surrounding homes. The location is roughly 120 miles southeast of Raleigh and within easy driving distance of the North Carolina coast.

The Commission House’s Italianate interior with high ceilings and hard period finishes naturally reflects sound well, allowing music and conversation to carry through multiple rooms clearly. The open floor plan allows easy movement between spaces and natural sound distribution. The Victorian garden and open outdoor ceremony spaces benefit from natural sound projection, and the surrounding historic district’s quiet streets mean external noise is minimal, allowing a DJ to operate with clean acoustic conditions throughout your celebration. The period construction and materials create warm, resonant acoustics natural to historic homes.