Edenton, NC

The town of Edenton, NC has a rich history and they have done a marvelous job conserving and promoting that history.  Edenton was the first official capital of the North Carolina colony from 1722-1766.  Although it is forgotten by most, NC was also the first colony to call for independence from Great Britain. 

Southern Style in our slip in downtown Edenton

She kind-of-sort-of-fits (almost).

We only stick out of the slip a little bit

Once we squeezed into the slip, Pengi was ready to go exploring

We decided to take the trolley tour of town to get us started.

Here are just some of the highlights from town.

There was a very historically significant "tea party" that occurred in Edenton, led by a woman named Penelope Barker.  Born in Edenton in 1728, Penelope was married to her 3rd husband Thomas Barker at the time when the British Parliament was imposing taxes on its colonies that were gaining increasing protests.  Thomas Barker had left for England in 1761 as an agent of the North Carolina colony.  Penelope was a strong, intelligent woman and ran the household and took care of affairs at home during her husband's absence.   As tensions with England rose, her husband could not safely return to the colonies.  In October of 1774 Penelope organized 51 other Edenton women to boycott the use of tea and cloth taxed by Great Britain.  They wrote and sent a signed letter/resolution to this effect to the King of England.  Although the women were applauded in the colonies; London papers portrayed them as bad mothers with loose morals.  The event is significant in that this was the first recorded women's political demonstration in America.  It took place just months after the Boston Tea Party; and unlike in Boston where participants wore disguises, the women of Edenton signed their names leaving no doubt as to their identities.  Penelope's husband was finally able to return to America in 1778, 17 years after he left.

Penelope Barker House

Bronze Tea Pot erected in 1905 to commemorate the women of the Edenton Tea Party

The Roanoke River Lighthouse was built in 1886.  It was originally located in the Albemarle Sound at the entrance to the Roanoke River.  This lighthouse was a screw pile lighthouse which meant the structure rested on a base of wooden screw piles (the piles were carved with threaded grooves) that were quite literally screwed into the bottom of the sound.  This design was a new innovation at the time as previous lighthouses rested on round or square piles driven into the bottom.  Although the first lighthouse was lost to severe weather within the year, another was built the following year in 1887.  This one was two stories instead of one and had steel screw piles.  It had a fourth-order Fresnel lens and survived until it was decommissioned in 1941.  Eventually the lighthouse was moved to land and then moved again over land to its current location over the water at the town park and docks in Edenton.

Edenton 1887 Lighthouse

The Chowan County Courthouse is the oldest public building in North Carolina.  Originally built in 1718 and rebuilt in 1724, the final building as it stands today was constructed in 1767.  With Edenton as the capital of the North Carolina colony, the courthouse was a very important building.  Many prominent North Carolinians used this courthouse including a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Joseph Hewes and the signer of the U.S. Constitution, Hugh Williamson.  George Washington's Supreme Court Appointee James Iredell also conducted business here.  The courthouse is still used for private and public functions.  Court cases are also conducted here periodically by the North Carolina Supreme Court.

1767 Courthouse

View out over the town green from the second floor of the courthouse

Revolutionary War cannons were delivered by Captain John Boritz who was commissioned by the provincial government of North Carolina to acquire and deliver the cannons in 1778.  He was able to procure 8 cannons in France and despite bad storms and British blockades made it to Edenton.  Lore has it that upon arriving in Edenton, the North Carolina colonial government could not pay for the cannons.  Instead of incurring additional expenses to off-load and store the cannons, Captain Boritz is said to have dumped them into Edenton Bay.  They were recovered in the mid 1800's and are on display along the waterfront today.  The larger cannon seen below is a Civil War cannon.  These were cast from bronze bells taken from the courthouse and local churches in order to build the cannon for the Albemarle Artillery in 1862.  These howitzers were called the Edenton Bell Battery.

View of the waterfront and one of the howitzers of the Edenton Bell Battery

Three generations of the Badham family lived in Edenton and were known for their expertise in carpentry.  Between the early 1800's through about 1930, family members built numerous homes, churches, schools and other buildings in the Edenton area.  The house below was one of the families personal homes which shows the rounded peaked roof and ornate cornice work the family was well known for.  The home has obviously fallen into disrepair but hopefully can be restored in the future.

Hannibal Badham House

Saint Paul's Church is a lovely spot in town.  The parish was established in 1701 and the first church building was built in 1702.   The current church and location was built in 1736.  Many prominent people of the area are buried here.  Perhaps the most notable is the first Colonial Governor of North Carolina, Governor Charles Eden.  The oldest material possessions of the church are its book of vestry minutes begun in 1701 and a silver chalice given to the church in 1725 by Edward Moseley (Surveyor General of the Province of North Carolina).

The Cupola House was built in 1758 by Francis Corbin a prominent citizen of Edenton.  He had a long and somewhat controversial political career and died in 1767.  The house today is restored and open for tours.  There is a colonial garden that has also been restored at the front and back of the home.  It is considered one of the finest examples of Jacobean architecture south of New England.

The Cupola House

I really have only scratched the surface of all the historical information about Edenton that is around town.  Hopefully this will give everyone an overview.  In addition to all its history, there are also several shops and restaurants around town.  A great place for boaters or other visitors.  It is a small town well worth a stop.  Edenton certainly lives up to its name as one of the "Prettiest Little Towns in America".