Historic Edenton, North Carolina
The exact year of the settlement of what is now Edenton will probably never be known, but as far back as 1658 intrepid adventurers from the Jamestown neighborhood, drifting down the eastern streams and hewing a path otherwise through the wilderness from Virginia, effected a location on the bank of a natural harbor of exquisite beauty, the site of the future Edenton. Many, many years before, maybe a century prior, Amadas and Barlow, explorers from one of the initial Raleigh expeditions, entered the waters of the Chowan river, they reported, where they found an established colony of Indians, numbering 800 and known as the Chowanokes. Their stories of their travels were vague, but from the hardy pioneers of the northland there was no uncertainty. more....
Historic Hertford Walking Tour
Hertford
This self-guided walking tour of this picturesque town takes you by exquisite waterfront homes, the historic 1828 Perquimans County Courthouse, and into the commercial district featuring antique stores and local cafes. Incorporated in 1758, the Historic Hertford District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a North Carolina Main Street community and was selected as one of just two heritage tourism pilot communities in North Carolina. Wander a bit through town and discover the community's waterfront parks, Municipal Park and Missing Mill Park. Enjoy a stroll along its boardwalk and piers. Perquimans County Tourism
Historic Hertford
Hertford
Historic Hertford, incorporated in 1758, features waterfront homes and parks, antique and gift shops, cafes, bed & breakfast inns, and the historic Perquimans County Courthouse. The home of Jim ''Catfish'' Hunter, the town is a North Carolina Main Street community and was selected as one of just two heritage tourism pilot communities in North Carolina. Perquimans County Tourism
Historic Hope Foundation: Hope Plantation/King Bazemore House/Samuel Cox House/Margaret Long Tyler Library
Windsor
The Historic Hope Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, owns and operates the Hope Plantation, the 1803 Palladian mansion of former North Carolina Governor David Stone (1770-1818), and the King-Bazemore House, a 1763 structure significant for its gambrel roof and brink end walls, as well as a spacious visitor center and a small research library. Both homes are furnished with period pieces and are open to the public for tours and educational programs. The visitor center houses the library and some exhibits on the Stone family and 19th century Bertie County life and is available for meetings, programs, and social functions. Historic Hope Foundation maintains these facilities for the benefit of the public to illustrate and interpret agrarian life in eastern North Carolina 1760-1840 and the heritage of the Roanoke-Chowan Region. ## Hope Plantation is located in southern Bertie County on the edge of Roquist Pocosin, four miles west of Windsor, adjacent to NC Highway 308. It was a grant in the 1720s from the Lords Proprietors of the Carolina colony to the Hobson family. Zedekiah Stone, of New England, acquired the property in the late 1760s with his marriage to Elizabeth Shriver, the widow of the previous owner, Francis Hobson. In 1793, Zedekiah Stone gave the plantation to his and Elizabeth's son, David Stone (1770-1818). During David's ownership the plantation was further developed and prospered. After his death, the then 1,051 acre property was sold by his son in 1836. A precocious youth, David Stone was graduated, first in his class, from Princeton in 1788. His education and various fields of endeavor proved him, like Thomas Jefferson, to be an heir of the Eighteenth Century Enlightenment. By 1803 David Stone had built an impressive mansion at Hope to accommodate his wife, Hannah Turner, eleven children to be, his many guests and as a fulfillment of his interest in architecture and as a haven to pursue his other many interests. Built on an ''above ground'' basement, the Hope mansion portrays basic Palladian design with some neoclassical elements. The five bay facade features a pedimented double portico. The hipped roof is topped by a ''widow's walk'' surrounded by a Chinese Chippendale balustrade. The floor plan is adapted from Abraham Swann's ''The British Architect,'' a copy of which David Stone owned. The first floor rooms are entered from a center through hall. On the second floor are a large drawing room and a library, which housed Stone's 1,400 volumes. In addition to the main stair, a service stair runs from the basement to the attic. Hope was a self-contained plantation as was Stone's other plantation, Restdale, in Wake County. He owned at one time 8,000 acres in both Bertie and Wake. His estate inventory lists by name 138 slaves of African descent. At Hope he operated a water powered grist mill, a still, and, probably, as indicated by his inventory, a saw mill, a blacksmith shop, a cooper's shop and houses for spinning and weaving. His farm lands produced wheat, corn, oats, rye, flax, and cotton, for which he had a ''cotton machine.'' On his pastures he raised cattle, sheep and horses, in his woods he raised hogs, while his forests produced timer for the sawmill. David Stone was a member of the 1789 State convention at Fayetteville at which he voted to ratify the United States Constitution. By age 33, he had become an attorney, a Superior Court judge, and a member of the North Carolina General Assembly for a number of sessions. He also had been appointed to the Board of Trustees for the University of North Carolina on which he served the rest of his life. In addition to these honors, he had been elected to the United States Congress, in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Later, he served, again, as a Superior Court judge. In 1808, he was elected governor of North Carolina for two terms after which he returned to the United States Senate. Always interested in education, in his last years he established an academy in Wake County. David Stone's life was that of a planter, statesman, and scholar. Moved four miles from its original site to Hope is the 1763 King-Bazemore house, now ''one of only two gambrel roofed houses in North Carolina with brink end walls.'' Evidence indicates that the house is similar to the eighteenth century Hobson house which first stood at Hope. The King-Bazemore house and the Hope mansion represent a continuing agrarian culture during the Colonial and Federal periods in northeastern North Carolina. Historic Hope Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, owns and operates these two rare and outstanding buildings and approximately forty-five acres surrounding them to preserve and promote their historical, architectural and archaeological assets for their educational and recreational benefits to the visiting public. Visitors are first introduced to this historic site at the reception facilities in its Roanoke-Chowan Heritage Center situated in the Hope Forest at Hope Plantation. Here, they receive background information on Hope and its environs through such educational tools as orientation films, exhibits, and the Hope Research library. In addition, the assembly room, classroom, 60-seat theater, and conference room are available for lectures, symposia, seminars, and workshops promoting the heritage of the area. The museum gift shop provides books and other supplementary material to complete the story of Hope and the Roanoke-Chowan region. Over a mile and a half of nature trails and picnic areas are available in the surrounding Hope Forest. Hope Plantation is on the Historic Albemarle Tour. hopeplantation.org
Historic Halifax State Historic Site
Halifax County
In the spring of 1776, North Carolina's Fourth Provincial Congress met in Halifax and unanimously adopted a document called the "Halifax Resolves," the first official action by an entire colony recommending independence from England. Historic Halifax, one of North Carolina's State Historic Sites, interprets the first eighty-five years of the town of Halifax. The Historic Halifax Visitor Center has an audio visual presentation as well as displays and exhibitions on the history of the town. Visitors can tour several authentically restored and furnished on the grounds of the site, including the home of a Halifax merchant dating from 1760, the Eagle Tavern, the Tap Room, a Federal-style plantation dwelling, a law office, the town clerk's office, and the jail. There is also the Montford Archaelogical Exhibit, a shell building that was constructed over the excavation of Joseph Montford's house . There are walkways over the excavated foundation, and exhibits educating visitors about historic archaeology. NCDCR
Ironclad CSS Albemarle
Edenton, Plymouth
Civil War: the May 1864 battle between the ironclad CSS Albemarle and escorts and Union navy vessels waiting in the Albemarle Sound. The Confederates managed to damage several Union ships, then escaped back to its base in Plymouth. The town, like many in the area, contributed troops to both sides. livinghistoryweekend.com
Historic Jackson
Jackson, Northampton County
Self-guided walking and driving tour with architecture dating to the late-18th century. Includes the Northampton County Courthouse (c. 1858), one of the best examples of full-blown Greek Revival architecture in a public building in the South. On the National Register of Historic Places. Free. historicnenc.com
The Legend of Betsy Dowdy
"Bessie, pretty Bess, my black, sleek, beauty, the British thieves shan't have you. We are going after General William Skinner and his milish!! They'll beat me off of you." She almost sang to the docile pony as they went on their journey. Through the divide, on through Camden, the twinkling stars her only light, over Lamb's ferry, into Pasquotank, by the "narrows" (now Elizabeth City), to Hartsford's ford, up the Highlands of Perquimans, on to Yoepim Creek, and General William Skinner's hospitable home was reached. http://www.fmoran.com/dowdy.html
The Lords Proprietors
King Charles II made 8 loyal supporters Proprietors of his new colony, Carolina, which reached from the southern boundary of Virginia to the northern boundary of the Spanish colony of Florida. The western boundary of Carolina was to be the "South Seas."
Museum of the Albemarle
Elizabeth City
Permanent and temporary galleries feature the story of the people who have dwelled in the Albemarle region - from the Native Americans, to the first English-speaking colonists, to adventurers, farmers and fishermen. Regional museum branch of the North Carolina Museum of History. Free. ## The Museum of the Albemarle, a regional branch of the North Carolina Museum of History, promotes the understanding of history and material culture of the Albemarle region and for the state for the educational benefit of all people. Through regional collections, historical interpretation and professional assistance, the museum encourages citizens and visitors to explore and understand the past; to reflect on their own lives and their place in history; and to preserve regional history for future generations. The museum collects items with connection to Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties. ## Civil War: Civil War exhibit describes area events including the Battle of South Mills. Includes artifacts from the battlefield. museumofthealbemarle.com
Murfreesboro Historic District
Murfreesboro
Twelve-block historic district, listed on National Register of Historic Places. Guided tour headquarters at Roberts-Vaughan Village Center (c. 1790). Walking and guided tours offered daily . ## The mission of the Murfreesboro Historical Association, Inc., is to preserve and interpret the architectural and cultural heritage of the Town of Murfreesboro, North Carolina. The Association collects, researches, and preserves historical objects and artifacts that relate directly to the cultural values of the area. These artifacts are offered to the public to illustrate realistically the broad patterns, themes, and trends that constitute Murfreesboro's history. Murfreesboro Tourism
NCEast Pictorial Histories - Edenton
Pictorial History Books of NCEast dating from about 1880 to 2000. Facinating pictures and caption stories. Edenton and Chowan County. more....
Newbold-White House: A Colonial Quaker Homestead
Hertford
From its location on the Perquimans River, the Newbold-White House tells the story of Abraham and Judith Sanders, a colonial Quaker family. Dating to 1730, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is authentically restored and features period furnishings, enormous fireplaces, pine woodwork and a winding corner stair. Period furnishings help recapture the rugged charm of early 18th-century life. A seasonal garden features herbs and flowering plants used by early settlers for dying, medicinal purposes, culinary uses and decoration. The Newbold-White House hosts a number of events during the year including the annual Hearth and Harvest Festival, the second weekend of September. The Museum Shop features an eclectic array of merchandise including locally handmade toys, pottery, jewelry and books on local history. A picnic site is available. The site is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ## The Newbold-White House is the oldest brick house North Carolina. It stands exactly where Abraham Saunders, a Quaker farmer and merchant, built it in 1730 on a small rise overlooking the Perquimans River. The expansive grounds feature a Quaker gravesite dating to the 1600's, a period seasonal herb garden, and a large visitors center. The Perquimans County Restoration Association, as the directing body of the Newbold-White House, is a non-profit educational association that strives to foster in Perquimans County, the surrounding area, and throughout the US, a respect and reverence for the past by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of Perquimans County from its Native American occupation until the present with specific emphasis on the period 1730-1750's. newboldwhitehouse.com albemarle-nc.com/newbold-white
Northampton County Museum
Jackson, Northampton County
Exploring the history of Northampton County, the museum offers hands-on activities, especially for youngsters. Several of the permanent exhibits are child-sized and range from prehistoric to current events with a strong empasis on natural resources. The Northamptonian exhibit changes several times each year and various collections from local people are displayed. ## The Northampton County Museum is dedicated to preserving and protecting the history, material culture, and heritage of Northampton County from prehistoric times to the present. The museum is not just a repository for artifacts but a working, educational, interactive museum providing opportunities for young people to experience firsthand knowledge. This museum serves as a functional educational exhibition center for cultivating and enhancing community awareness of the abundant historic, cultural, and natural resources unique to Northampton County. northamptonchamber.org
Historic Plymouth
Plymouth
Historic Plymouth, on the south bank of the Roanoke River in northeastern North Carolina, played an important role as a major port in bygone years. The town was laid out in 1787 and designated as a Port of Entry. It had its own Customs House and a collector. Shipments of cypress shingles, lumber and other wood products and agricultural produce to the northern ports of Norfolk, Baltimore, New York and Boston as well as the West Indies made it prosper until the outbreak of the Civil War. That same prominence as a shipping center made it in great demand during the Civil War, sought by both Union and Confederate forces. The sinking of the confederate ironclad the C. S. S. RAM Albemarle on October 27, 1864 preceded today's reenactments of the many nearby battles of the war. On April 14, 1898 a raging fire destroyed most of the commercial district, but you'll find today's historic district down shady lanes amongst the dogwoods, azaleas and crepe myrtles. Begin your visit at the Port O'Plymouth Museum on Water Street. Walking tours and a waterfront boardwalk are available. Historic Plymouth is on the Historic Albemarle Tour. visitplymouthnc.com
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