By Renée S. Gordon
Edenton is the second oldest town authorized by legislation in North Carolina and it has been a witness to and participant in our nation’s history for more than 300 years. It is known as the prettiest town in the South and has been designated by the Smithsonian as “one of the 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2015.” This tiny gem has epic stories to tell and walking, riding and sailing tours each deliver a “round, unvarnished tale” that is inclusive of the gentry, farmers, traders, slaves and freedmen. visitnc.com
Archeological excavations have indicated that the Algonquians entered the region approximately 10,000 years ago and it is they that the early explorers encountered. Nathaniel Batts is often cited as the first documented North Carolina settler even though his 1660 deed, granted by Indian Chief Kiscutanaweh, was for land that at the time was part of Virginia. George Durant purchased land the following year from another chief, Cisketando, and his deed is considered the oldest in the state. Additional settlers migrated to the area from Virginia and South Carolina in hopes of establishing farms and finding freedom before the colony was officially founded.
In 1663, England’s King Charles II granted eight Lords Proprietors a charter to a large tract of land and shortly thereafter a governor and council were appointed for the Albemarle River and the colony of Carolina and Albemarle County were established. The western section of the new county was referred to in 1668 as Shaftesbury Precinct and then Chowan Precinct in 1685 after the Chowanoac Indians.
Slavery and slave labor were an integral part of the colonization of North Carolina from its conception. The 1669 Fundamental Constitution legalized the status of slaves and by 1681 land grants were based on a headright system. Unclaimed land was given to an individual based upon how many people he imported including himself and any slaves. The average grant was 50 acres and the system encouraged the importation of slaves. Owners brought in the first slaves to the colony but by 1680 records indicate that slaves were being directly imported from Africa but large numbers of slave ships did not dock long the North Carolina coast because of the treacherous waters of the Outer Banks and ruthless hurricanes. A 1730 count lists 6,000 slaves in the entire colony, 100,572 in 1770 and by the onset of the Civil War 331,059, 1/3 of the population, lived in the state.
As Chowan Precinct developed, it became increasingly apparent that there was a need for a permanent courthouse for business and legal purposes. In response, the General Assembly gave permission for a town to be created at the fork of St. Anne’s Creek in 1712. Half-acre town lots were to be laid out on the land of Nathaniel Chevin. ‘Ye towne on Queen Anne’s creek,’ located at the point where Queen Anne’s and Pemberton Creek merge into Edenton Bay, was named Edenton in 1722 in honor of the recently deceased Royal Governor Charles Eden. chowancounty-nc.gov
The colonial legislature first met in Edenton in 1708, but at that time there was no established capital and meetings were held in a variety of locations. In 1722, Edenton was voted the first official Colonial Capital by the legislature. Twenty-one years later legislation made New Bern the permanent Colonial Capital.
The town had a name and a courthouse but growth was slow because the area was not readily accessible. Nevertheless Edenton was a thriving river port with more than 800 trading ships docking in the harbor in the 1770s. The 2,200-sq. mile Great Dismal Swamp, a morass of cypress, tupelo gum forests, mosquitoes and poisonous snakes, blocked passage from the north. It was not until a 22-mile canal was hand dug by slaves from Deep Creek, Virginia to South Mills, North Carolina that more access by water to Albemarle Sound was possible. It is the oldest excavated water route in America. Work was begun in 1793 and completed in 1805. The canal opened the area to settlement but also caused a decrease in river traffic as commerce increasingly moved to Norfolk. ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/disw/main
More than twenty sites in and close to Edenton are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), consisting of 342 buildings with more than 170 historic buildings situated within one-square mile. Many of the structures were built using black labor in the form of carpenters and architects and two-thirds of the town’s documented carpenters at the turn of the 20th-century were of African descent. Edenton’s Historic District was listed on the NRHP in 1973 and expanded in 2001.
Tours of the historic area are a tour of American architectural history and no place is that more apparent than the Courthouse Green. The structures that surround the public green include Federal, Greek Revival and Queen Anne-styles. The site, oriented toward the water, has been used for public celebrations and commemorations since 1712. The southern end of the green is ornamented with three Revolutionary cannons purchased by the colonies from the French and a 1932 monument to Joseph Hewes a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Secretary of the Navy. Midway the green sits a bronze sculpted teapot, an iconic symbol of Edenton.
At the northern end of the Courthouse Green is the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, the second on the site. An earlier courthouse had been constructed in 1719. No architect is named but it is believed John Hawkes designed it. The classic Georgian building is a five bay brick with a three bay pedimented central pavilion, topped by a two stage cupola. Offices flank the courtroom on the ground floor. The second floor functioned as a meeting room and event space and was considered at the time the largest paneled room in the colonies. The Williamsburg Courthouse is modeled after it.
The courthouse is the most intact colonial courthouse in the country as well as the oldest courthouse still in use. The upstairs is completely original as is the staircase. The lower level has ballast stone floors and columns that were added in the 1800s to support the balcony. James Monroe and John C. Calhoun visited the courthouse in 1819. A small museum showcases artifacts from the courthouse and an example of a lawyer’s wig from the 18th-century. visitedenton.com/1767-chowan-county-courthouse
Replicas of colonial Stocks, Pillory and Whipping Post are located in the rear of the courthouse and have been since 2007. Interpretive signs provide information on crime and punishment in the 1700s and the site is an excellent photo op.
The Jailor’s House and Jail are situated a few yards from the courthouse. The Jailor’s House dates from 1905. The 1825 jail was the fifth built in the county. On each of its two stories there are cells and it was used until the 1970s.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is one of the oldest churches in North Carolina. In 1701 the Vestry Act established a council to tax landowners to generate funds to construct district churches. A simple building was erected in 1702, but was quickly outgrown. A second wooden structure was built and then the current Georgian-style church was constructed of Flemish-bond brick. In the 1800s, a wooden floor and spire were added and chancel woodwork and furniture were designed. The churchyard contains more than 700 internments including that of Charles Eden. stpauls-edenton.org
Recently what is believed to be the oldest house in North Carolina was discovered and dated by dendrochronologists. Owner Steve Lane planned to renovate the four room, two story house for use as a rental property. Carpenters uncovered pegged hand-hewn posts, two chimneys and whitewashed walls that prompted them to bring in a restoration specialist who dated the Lane House between 1718-19.
Thomas and Penelope Barker built a home in 1782 that is a mixture of Georgian and Greek Revival-styles. The house was originally two rooms but was expanded to three floors and contains eight fireplaces. Today it serves as the Edenton Welcome Center. This is a great place to sit on the porch and enjoy the scenery. Edenton Trolley Tours are regularly scheduled and depart from the Barker House. visitedenton.com/barker-house
Penelope Barker was an ardent supporter of the colonists and she felt that women’s voices should be heard. On October 25, 1774, she gathered 51 women to sign a petition to protest King George’s taxation by boycotting tea and other products. The event has come to be known as the Edenton Tea Party, the first organized female protest in the nation.
Francis Corbin, an agent of John Carteret, Earl of Granville, built the Jacobean-Georgian Cupola House in 1758. The octagonal cupola provides both ventilation and a view of the water. The home was purchased by Samuel Dickinson in 1777 and remained in the family for 141-years. In 1918, a descendent sold the first floor Georgian woodwork to the Brooklyn Museum causing residents of Edenton to raise funds to purchase and preserve the property. The woodwork has been reproduced, the second floor is original and the home has been furnished with period antiques. The pattern of the Cupola House Herb Garden replicates the pattern in the lower panel of the wooden entry door. Cupolahouse.org
Colonial Waterfront Park is the perfect place to focus on the maritime history of Edenton. A number of interpretive plaques detail various aspects of the seaside trade and Edenton’s role in the Maritime Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
The 1886 screw-pile Roanoke River Lighthouse is newly reopened for tours after a four year restoration. The lighthouse was relocated to Edenton from the Roanoke River 8 miles west. The two level Arts and Crafts House is 1250-sq. ft. with downstairs living space and bedrooms on the upper level. edentonlighthouse.org
One of the real joys of the waterfront is an Edenton Bay Cruise aboard the “Liber-Tea.” The 40-minute tour aboard the 22-ft. long electric boat is fully narrated and filled with stories that interweave land and sea tales. The legend of the Dram Tree is one of my favorites. A huge cypress was situated in Edenton Harbor when the first colonists arrived. It became customary for trading ships entering the harbor to leave a bottle of the best rum in a hollow in the tree trunk and for the captain to salute Edenton by drinking a dram from a bottle at the Dram Tree when departing. Dire consequences awaited anyone who failed to heed the custom. Regularly scheduled, themed and private tours sail from Colonial Waterfront Park. The phone number for information is 860-367-5786
Edenton’s Cotton Mill Historic District consists of 57 mill houses, built between 1899-1923, for mill “operatives.” The homes are wooden and many were duplexes with a shared kitchen. Houses were assigned to workers based on family size. The intact mill district includes the mill building, a church and an office building. millvillagemuseum.org
Cannon’s Ferry River Walk is dedicated to relating the story of Herring fishing in the region. A boardwalk has interpretive information and provides water views and photo ops and information on Edenton’s seven paddle trails for Kayaking and canoeing is available on the website. Difficulty ranges from beginner to moderate. visitedenton.com/hendrix-park-and-cannons-ferry-river-walk
Waterman’s Grill opened in 1996 to instant acclaim. There are two dining areas, the dress is casual and the seafood is spectacular. Domestic and imported beers are offered and the wine list is extensive. watermansgrill.com/about-us
The Table at Inner Banks Inn, a unique B&B recently opened a restaurant featuring American regional fusion cuisine. Their Sunday Jazz Brunch is exceptional. innerbanksinn.com/edenton-nc-restaurants
Edenton’s Hampton Inn Hotel is centrally located and is accessible to all of the city’s sites and attractions. Amenities include free parking, WIFI, outdoor pool, business center, designated smoking areas, express check-in and a Hampton bed®. Specials are available online. hamptoninn3.hilton.com
Edenton’s history includes the remarkable story of a remarkable woman, Harriet Jacobs, who hid for years in a place too small to stand upright to escape slavery. We will trace her journey in part two. Planning tools for a trip to Edenton are available online at visitedenton.com
I wish you smooth travels!
TRAVEL TIPS:
Having information on places you plan to visit and the people involved in its history can greatly enhance your vacation. Here are some summer suggestions.
“Bad Boy from Jamaica: The Garnett Myrie Story” was written by Dr. Basil Kong and through the story of his personal friend he gives readers an incisive view of Jamaican culture. This picaresque novel introduces readers to a special individual as we travel along on his unique journey. The novel is filled with terms and cultural markers that enhance a trip to the island and give an insider’s view. www.adboyfromjamaica.com
Richard Smith’s “Bishop Mcllvaine, Slavery, Britain &the Civil War” sheds light on the untold role of the bishop in garnering international support for equality and Lincoln’s Union cause. He worked tirelessly to help bring about an end to slavery using the tools at hand, speeches and print and in 1861 he became the diplomatic envoy to Britain to further promote the cause. His efforts resulted in the Episcopal Church taking a stand against enslavement. This was a truly remarkable man. Available online.
Barbara Hambly can evoke early 19th-century New Orleans more vividly than any other author I have read. Her outstanding 13 book mystery series has as its protagonist a free black man named Benjamin January. I strongly suggest you start at the beginning with “A Free Man of Color.” goodreads.com/series/50581-benjamin-january
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