Hayes Plantation To Be State
An agreement has been reached between J. Gilliam Wood and the
State Department of Cultural Resources for Hayes Plantation to become
"f, ' a state historic site. Details of the agreement for development of the site
were unveiled by Dr. Larry E. Tise last Friday.
Dr. Tise, director of the Division of Archives and History, and a team
of professionals have said Hayes contains “furnishings, paintings, art
works, and documents (that) comprise what may be the most important
collection of historical materials housed in one dwelling in the entire
state.”
The division has an SBO,OOO appropriation from the General Assembly
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Volume XLIIL—No. 37» Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday,
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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ELECTED Members of the Executive Committee of
the newly-formed Northeastern Rural Health Development Association, Inc., were elected at the
first meeting of the organization Monday night. Serving on the committee are, from left to right:
Ollinß. Sykes of Edenton; Robert E. Lee of Gatesville; T.B.H. Wood of Edenton; Mrs. Fran Voliva
of Columbia; and Lester Simpson of Hertford. Not pictured is Cy Rich of Edenton.
v Health Care System Undertaken
For more than 40,000 residents
of a large, six-county area of
Northeastern North Carolina,
access to a new and innovative
health care delivery system may
be just around the corner, ac
cording to a newly-organized
group of local business, govern
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Dr. Clement Lucus, Jr.
Water System Dedicated
By Flynn Surratt
At practically any other
dedication ceremony, a steady
rainfall would have been less than
appropriate, but the various of
ficials and modest number of
citizens that attended the
dedication of the $3.8-million
Norvell President
William L. Norvell, 109 West
Church Street, has beat elected
president of Edenton Chamber of
Commerce. Norvell is associated
with Quinn Furniture Company.
Norvell and other officers and
directors will assume their posts
at the annual meeting to be held
September 29.
As president, Norvell will
replace Dr. A.F. Downum, Jr.
At a recent board meeting a full
slate of officers were elected. In
addition to Norvell they are:
Charles Creighton, vice
president; Cam By rum,
secretary; and Roland Vaughan,
Jr., treasurer.
Newly elected directors are:
Creighton, Vaughan, Vann John
son, Murray Nixon, Larry
Robertson and Oscar White.
ment and civic leaders who met in
Hertford Monday night.
The name of the group is the
Northeastern Rural Health
Development Association, Inc.
(NRHDA). It is a nonprofit cor
poration and is comprised of 18
representatives from Bertie,
X
Dr. Richard Hines, Jr.
Chowan County Water System last
Thursday all seemed to agree that
rain was right in character with
the event.
The one hour ceremony took
place at the Chowan Cooperative
Exchange at Valhalla and was
punctuated with remarks from a
variety of officials on the local,
state, and federal levels.
Mayor Roy L. Harrell in his
welcome termed Chowan County
“progressive and agressive” in
successfully undertaking the
project and it was Paul Parks,
representative of the Farmers
Home Administrator, that noted
Chowan County was the first to ,
build a water system with FmHA
funds. He added that local leaders
had set an example for the area.
The Chowan County com
missioners wore there in full force
and six of the seven members of
the Planning Board were on hand,
joining R.M. Thompson and
Charlie Overman of the Chowan
County Extension Service, Melvin
Howell of the Farmer’s Home
Administration, John Booth of the
Coastal Resources Commission,
ta Mi in. ra.i.. ... V.r v.
which can be used for maintaining Hayes during the 1977-78 period of
development. The funds were allocated for the development and
promotion of Historic Edenton and Northeastern North Carolina.
‘.‘Because of the proposed use of the resources solely for the operation
of Hayes and because of our obligation to Historic Edenton, the latter
organization should receive positive benefits from the development of
Hayes Plantation,” it was stated.
The first year’s budget is $40,000. The staff would include a site
manager, housekeeper and grounds maintenance person. While the site
'ill not be highly advertised at present it would be open to the public on a
Chowan, Gates, Perquimans,
Tyrrell and Washington counties.
“We’re here tonight to give
serious consideration to means
whereby we can develop and
improve the health care delivery
system in the counties where we
live and work,” said T.B.H. Wood,
an Edenton farmer and,
businessman who was elected
president of the group.
Following adoption of by-laws,
election of officers, executive
committee members, directors
and professional advisory com
mittee members, Wood introduced
Dr. C. Clement Lucas, an Edenton
physician, to discuss the proposed
plan.
“Since moving here three years
ago, I have become increasingly
concerned with the health care
needs of the people in this region of
the state,” said Dr. Lucas.
“Several months ago, Edenton
dentist Dr. Richard Hines and I
began discussing ways in which
we felt the present system of
health care might best be im
proved. We believe the concept...
is a very practical and workable
one.”
Dr. Lucas then explained that
there were two parts to the plan.
“First,” he said, “Dr. Hines and I
have already begun plans to
construct a 25,000-square-foot,
Continued On Page 4
OFFICIALS AT DEDICATION Among the lengthy list of local, state and federal represen
tatives present for the dedication of die Chowan County Water System last Thursday were, from the
right, Dr. Bill Turner, NCSU vice chancellor; Paul Partes, state FmHA representative; Rep.
Vernon James, Sen. Melvin Daniels, and Steve Stevenson of the State Division of Health Services
shown above with his wife, Helen. In addition, at the far left, is Rev. George Cooke, who led the
"jHg C Boaril^^^^^CountjT c * l ®* nnan of the Chowan County Plan-
Deb Ball Diary
Loaded the car in the rain.
Drove to the Capital City in a
downpour.
Unloaded the car in a drizzle,
wondering where our star in the
show could be.
Ate a sandwich while dashing to
the Civic Center. Could have eaten
another while trying to find a
parking space.
Stood for three and one half
hours. The young Terp obviously
knew what to do but trying to
explain it to 200 young ladies and
their chief marshals wasn’t easy.
Dressed in a hot motel room
before rushing across town to
stand for another two hours while
debs renewed friendships, made
new friends and traded yarns
about the summer fun. Parents
mentally totaled the cost.
Took a bath nine hours early
because we prepared for a party to
which we weren’t invited.
Other than that about the only
complaint of being the father of a
deb is that my formal wear came
sans trousers. This was not
discovered until 15 minutes before
downtown stores closed. So, unlike
Buff’s recent episode at church,
kadiMfe couldn’t have dared lose our
pants because we didn’t have any
to lose. This was corrected in time
for us to make the deadline and
have the opportunity (?) to per
form.
In all of this, a system had to be
developed to keep everything
running smoothly. You guessed it,
the bureaucratic numbers game.
We learned it early.
Walking into the handsome new
multi-million dollar Civic Center a
guy with a camera jumped out like
Clark Kent. As rapid as his shutter
was a gal who asked, “What is
your number?” We replied: “We
ain’t got one.” “Come on,” she
begged, “everybody here has
one.”
Before we could remember our
Social Security number our deb
came to the rescue. “Daddy, it’s
19.” For the next three days and
nights we traded the handle our
parents placed on us for “19”,
which meant there were 201 others
just as foolish.
As we walked into the arena
Continued On Page 4
Historic Site
regular basis.
Visitors would be furnished no full-scale interpretive program at this
time, and parts of the structure might be off-limits due to other work
being undertaken, but visitors would be well received and treated in
accordance with historic site standards.
One dilemma which is faced and is said to be the primary reason for a
“low key” operation are problems surrounding the “life estate” gift of
Hayes. Minors have life estate shares; the youngest of these children will
not reach majority for five years, according to the proposal.
The state would not propose to do any extensive developmental work at
Hayes until such time as clear title can be obtained.
The proposal also states: “The staff was most impressed by the ex
cellent physical condition of the house and grounds; it is evident that the
property has received much attention over the years. While some
minimal repair work is necessary including paint, plasterwork, and
marblework —for the most part the house is in an excellent state of
repair.”
The state staff was said to be in unanimous agreement that Hayes is an
extremely valuable historic property and believes that the Division of
Archives and History is the best possible recipient.
Locally the proposal was hailed as bringing many possible benefits to
Historic Edenton, Inc., and the entire community. “I think it’s a fan
tastic thing for us,” said W.B. Gardner, town administrator. C.A.
Phillips, chairman, Chowan County commissioners, agreed saying he
thought the state should accept Wood’s offer and “carry the ball from
there.”
IPRESERV.TTON EFFORTS .WARDED [A l.nj I .
center, director of the Division of Archives and History is shown
above presenting a certificate of appreciation to Citizens to Save
the Edenton Waterfront. Accepting on behalf of the group is Vann
Johnson, committee chairman. Also pictured, from the left, is
Mrs. Ross Inglis, Mrs. R.N. Campbell, and Mrs. Nelson Chears.
Preservation Efforts Lauded
Successful efforts to block a
townhouse development on the
Edenton waterfront were
recognized by the State Depart
ment of Cultural Resources,
Division of Archives and History
through the presentation of a
certificate of appreciation to
“Citizens to Save the Edenton
Waterfront.” The presentation,
only the fourth of its kind, was
Flag Is Stolen
REWARD s2s being offered
for information leading to the
person and-or persons who stole
the flag from Edward G. Bond
Post 40, American Legion, last
Saturday night.
Better yet, says Sheriff Troy
Toppin, is for those involved to
take the flag back where they goi
it. Nothing more will be said, h<
added.
Commander George Stokes said
the post had gone to considerable
expense to erect a flag pole,
landscape around it and obtain an
all-weather flag. It is not the post’s
desire to prosecute anyone, but
that could be the case if the flag is
not returned.
accepted by Vann Johnson,
chairman, and was awarded by
Dr. Larry Tise, division director,
.during an informal meeting held
on Friday.
The document noted “with
gratitude the contribution of
Citizens to Save the Edenton
Waterfront for the preservation
and understanding of our common
history through the saving of an
endangered site on Historic
Edenton Bay.”
The group of concerned citizens
recently banded together when it
learned of a proposal by two
prominent Edenton businessmen.
George Alma and Thomas Byrum,
to construct townhouses at a site
adjacent to the bridge leading to
Hayes Plantation.
Subsequently a $50,000 donation
was pledged by one anonymous
donor and another SIO,OOO by two
other anonymous donors making it
possible for the Town of Edenton
purchase the tract for future use
as a public park.
Mrs. Ross Inglis, chairman of
the Edenton Historical Com
mission and a member of the
citizen group was, however,
clearly apprehensive that the
contributors would be offended by
the award. On Monday she issued
a statement saying, “In accepting
this recognition of our efforts from
the Division of Archives and
History, we are in no way ac
cepting credit for the park whose
purchase was made possible by
anonymous donors.”
Status Granted
Rep. Walter B. Jones has an
nounced that Chowan, Craven and
Jones counties have been
designated as “emergency
drought impact areas.” Federal
relief programs will now be
available to individuals and
communities in these counties.
The action was taken by the
Federal Interagency Drought
Emergency Coordinating Com
mittee. Various assistance
programs will be administered by
the Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, Interior, and the
Small Business Administration.
One program through the Far
mers Home Administration will
provide emergif|w loans to
farmers to and
restore prodrieliML^^^^^ :.-i