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INorth Carolina's oldest town is steeped in history
vj Bath is North Carolina'!
oldest town. It was in
corporated in 1705. There is a
Story that an evangelist, one
l.'fceorge Whitfield, became
unhappy with the toWn people
of Bath. As he crossed the
water leaving the town, he
removed his shoes and shook
the dust of Bath from his feet.
He then pronounced a curse
that the town would not
prosper. Since then the town
bas burned twice, but it now
prospers as a perfect
reflection of the Colonial era.
Why not visit Bath and the
surrounding "Down East"
countryside this weekend?
You will step back into
Colonial history and the
heritage of North Carolina.
Blackbeard is said to have
Carried his thirteenth wife
here, built a home, and
yarned the waters for some
six years, before meeting his
death off the North Carolina
coast. Talk of hidden treasure
Still surfaces.
.Before Bath was
established, the spot was
inhabited by Indians who
fished from the shores of the
Pamlico River.
It is easy to turn back the
Llock in your mind as you walk
through Bath. There are no
crowds and no sense of
urgency. The beauty and
fragrance of camellias,
azaleas and other plants and
flowers are springtime treats.
Historic Bath is maintained
as a state historic site, and
several buildings that drip
with history are open to
iHsitors.
? The Palmer-Marsh House,
built in 1744, is a National
Historic Landmark. It is an
excellent example of early
eighteenth century Carolina
architecture, and one of the
state's oldest remaining
houses.
St. Thomas Episcopal
/"hurch is the earliest North
Varolina chruch still in
existence. The "Queen Anne
Bell", located in a small
English-type belfry, was
pruchased from Queen Anne's
Bounty, a fund established by
her in 1704 for church fur
nishings and charity. On the
second Sunday in June,
couples who were married in
the church return to renew
their vows during "Bride and
Groom Day".
The Williams House, near
St. Thomas Church, is also a
fine example of early con
struction.
Historic Bath is open
Tuesday through Saturday
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and
Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Ad
mission fees are $1 for adults
and SO cents for children.
An hour and a half drive
north of Bath is another pic
turesque and historic city,
Edenton. Edenton is still a
mirror of well-preserved
eighteenth and nineteenth
century homes.
The Barker House is the
Visitor Center for Historic
Edenton. The house was built
about 1782. Thomas Barker,
London agent for the colonies,
lived here and his wife,
Penelope, presided over the
Edenton Tea Party on October
25, 1774, which was the earliest
known instance of political
activity by women in the
American colonies.
The Cupola House (c. 1725),
has been called "the best
example of an existing wooden
house in the Jacobean
tradition." A vegetable
garden at the back, and the
formal garden in the front
have been restored.
The Iredell House (c. 1776)
was the home of colonial
patriot James Iredell and the
birthplace of James Iredell,
Jr., governor of North
Carolina from 1827 to 1828.
The Chowan County
Courthouse was used in
continuous use from the time
it was built in 1767 until early
1980, when a new courthouse
was completed. It is con
sidered one of the finest
Georgian courthouses in the
south.
St. Paul's Episcopal Chruch
has the oldest charter in the
state and is the second oldest
church building in North
Carolina. It was begun in 1736
and completed some thirty
years later.
The Barker House Visitor
Center is the starting point for
a guided tour of the town and a
visit to five buildings. Tours
are given Tuesday through
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., and Sunday from 2 to 5
p.m. Admission prices are:
adults $3.00, students $1.00;
one building: adults $1.50,
students 75 cents.
Somerset Place State
Historic Site near Creswell is
adjacent to Pettigrew State
Park. The two are a perfect
blending of the natural with
the historic ? a discovery of
plantation life as it was long
ago.
Somerset is on the edge of
Lake Phelps, which was once
known as the "Eastern
Dismal", and for many years
the region was called a "haunt
of beasts".
Josiah Collins III began
construction of the 14-room
mansion in 1830. The Collins
mansion was the gathering
place of the plantation society.
Large gardens, lawns, tree
bordered drives and walk
ways were laid out. "The
buildings were so numerous
that visitors often commented
that the dwelling looked like a
village," said one report
The mansion is constructed
of heart cypress cut on the
plantation, and the design is
similar to homes found in New
Bern. The old carriage lane
remains at Somerset Place,
and it's easy to visualize
carriages bringing visitors to
the mansion many years ago.
Sumerset Place is open
from 9 to 5 p.m. Monday
through Saturday and 1 to 5
p.m. on Sunday. Guided tours
are furnished, and there is no
admission charge.
Historic Hope near Windsor
was the home of Governor
David Stone. The Historic
Hope Foundation has gone to
minute detail to restore the
home with precise detail.
It was constructed about
Palmer-Marsh House ;
The Palmer-Marsh House at
Bath, North Carolina, was the
1803, and combines elements
from the early Georgian style
with the Federal Period. The
winter kitchen is one of the
eye-catching attractions at
Hope. Two walls of the library
have floor to ceiling
bookshelves which held the
1400 volumes listed in Stone's
estate. Hope is open Tuesday
through Saturday from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 2 to 5
p.m. Admission: adults $1.50,
hom? of Colonel Robert
Palmer, who prior to the
children 75 cents.
Another area of historical
significance is Historic
Halifax State Historic Site at
Halifax. This was the early
river port town of Roanoke
Valley. Here on April 12, 1776,
North Carolina's Fourth
Provincial Congress
unanimously adopted a
document later called the
"Halifax Resolves", which
was the first official action by
American Revolution, was
surveyor-general of North
an entire colony recom
mending independence from
England.
The gambrel roof Owens
House is the oldest building in
the complex, dating circa
1760. The Sally-Bill House is
an elegant example of a
Federal style plantation
constructed between the 1790's
and the 1820' s. There are
several other buildings of
historical interest, and a
Carolina. The structure, a
National Historic Landmark,
visitors center. Hours are:
Tuesday through Saturday, 9
a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 5
p.m. No admission charge.
Historic Murfreesboro is a
short distance from Halifax.
The William Rea Store, built
in 1790, is the oldest com
mercial brick structure in
North Carolina. The building
is restored and houses a
museum.
Richard Jordan Gatling,
is part of the Historic Bath
State Historic Site.
inventor of the Gatling gun,
was born nearby, and the
museum contains a Gatling
gun and a room with wood
work from the Gatling plan
tation.
Special tours with informed
guides may be arranged for
groups by writing: Mur
freesboro Historical
Association, Post Office Box 3,
Murfreesboro, North Carolina
27855.