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The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people
Remember, April is Clean Up/Fix Up
Month in Perquimans County.
Participate in this effort to show off
our county when the federal agencies
send representatives here on May 5
and 6 and visitors arrive for Catfish
Hunter/Old Timers Day on May 8.
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37:'j
.PK 2 8 1999
NC 27944;.
April 29, 1999
Vol. 67, No. 17 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Weekly
350
Hunter
nears
The Historic Hertford
Business Association will join
the celebration of Jim
“Catfish” Hunter Day May 8.
From 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.,
local artisans will demonstrate
their crafts and entertainers
win perform downtown.
Joyce and Wallace Hobbs
will weave baskets, Tina
McClannahan will paint and
Viking Silver will demonstrate
silversmithing. Also, the
Perquimans Arts League will
have a variety of items on dis
play and for sale.
A trolly from Memorial
Stadium at PCHS to the his
toric downtown area will be
available.
Anyone interested in
exhibiting or demonstrating
crafts, bake sale spaces, volun
teering or information should
call Mary White at the
Wishing Well.
Tickets are still available
for the barbecued chicken din
ners to be served from 11 a.m.-
4 p.m. at the high school. They
are on sale in several down
town stores and at The
Perquimans Weekly office.
Ribbons for RELAY
a?
Rachel and Molly Newbern purchase purple bows from Dozier's Florist to display in honor
of their granny, Edith Mansfield, who was diagnosed with cancer 14 months ago. Purple is
the signature color for the American Cancer Society’s RELAY FOR LIFE, an event that
mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate survivorship and raise money
to battle cancer. The local RELAY FOR LIFE planning committee and fundraising teams
would like to see the counties of Chowan and Perquimans covered in purple bows during
the week leading up to this year’s event, which will be held on May 21 and 22. Residents
can show support for the fight against cancer by displaying a bow purchased for $3 from
BJ’s Unisex, Dozier’s Florist, and Country Fiair. Ali proceeds benefit RELAY FOR LIFE.
County and towns looking to heritage
tourism for economic development
Federal visitors
will discuss
possible grant
access in May
By Jeremy Desposito
The Daily Advance
The Perquimans area com
munity could be facing its
toughest challenge for heritage
development—employing its
own ideas.
Last Wednesday, state rep
resentatives visited Hertford
and enjoyed a tourism and
heritage tour and plenty of
good cooking. Hertford was
one of two towns chosen as a
model community that state
and federal agencies would
visit and assist along the her
itage highway. Hertford was
chosen—along with Bryson
City, in the mountains—for a
variety of components, accord
ing to LuAnne Pendergraft.
Besides being on the National
Register of Historic Places, the
Hertford area has three his
toric districts, and approxi-
niately 77 percent of structures
are historical contributors.
Local tourism and heritage
leaders used the state visit to
gain knowledge of available
grants as well as feedback on
what they need to do to futfUl
their vision of becoming a her
itage haven. A federal
resource team wUl visit May 5
and 6. Agents from the
Department of the Interior,
U.S. Department of Commerce,
Environmental Protection
Agency, Smithsonian
Institution and Library of
Congress Folk Life Center
have committed to visit.
Representatives of other agen
cies may also be members of
the federal team.
With the exception of grant
assistance, the state was
impressed by the strides this
area has already made and
flatly advised the communi
ty—as the catch phrase goes—
there ain’t nothin’ to it but to
do it.
The state offered a few tips
to enhance the area, but said
Perquimans has an abundance
of the right components, the
two most important being
cooperation between the towijs
and county, and a vision.
At Wednesday night’s din
ner at the Newbold White
House, Amy Brennock, Arts
and Tourism Director of the
North Carolina Arts Council
said, “To your credit, you’re
working so closely together.
You already have a vision. The
state can’t do this for you, you
have to do this for you. This is
not a state presentation but a
conversation,” she said. “This
(project) belongs to the com
munity and it seems like you
know what you want to do.”
Brennock added, “I don’t
know a lot of communities
where the town manager
(Hertford’s John Christensen)
would spend the whole day dri
ving the bus around.”
Narrowing down the ques
tion of feedback, John
Matthews, Perquimans
County Attorney, asked the
state representatives, “What
did you see today that we take
for granted, that my organiza
tion could work with to
improve?”
Christensen added,
“Anyone can say it’s a beauti
ful town, but quite frankly,
what are the things we’re
missing or not doing right.”
One of the state’s recom
mendations is training public
contacts that tourists are like
ly to meet initially, such as gas
attendants, who could offer
some local history as well as
direct tourists to sites in town.
“Educate the people on the
front line in hospitality train
ing,” said Carol Kline, ’’You
can hold a series of communi
ty meetings, have incentives
and award progams. And local
businesses helping other local
businesses—when a customer
comes in you can tell them
about a place down the block
where they can find something
else.”
Pendergraft, Development
Officer for the Division of
Tourism, Film and Sports
Development assigned to the
Newbold White House, sug
gested appropriate signs and
landscaping to guide visitors
into Hertford’s downtown
area. Perquimans County
Restoration Association presi
dent Chris Lane suggested
erecting uniform signs
throughout the 19 regional
counties to spread tourism
strength.
“How can downtown be the
best we can be and retain who
we are, so we’re not a cookie-
cutter design?”" asked
Harriette Woodard of
Woodard’s Pharmacy.
Meanwhile, Brennock sug
gested the idea of assigning a
syrnbol that visitors and the
community could associate
with Hertford.
“Whatever image you want
to portray, make a mascot for
official stationery that says
‘this is who we are,”" she said.
“The turtle is sacred and a
sign of longevity in American
Indian heritage. It’s something
to think about.”
From what Beverly
Patterson saw on the tour, the
town has plenty of stories that
could be focal points for in-
depth history.
“The river must have lots of
stories,” said Patterson,
Folklife Specialist for the state
Arts Council. “And you have
interesting place names—
Drinking Hole Road, Missing
Mill Park. We find these
May weekend
to focus on
county history
names interesting. You have
lots of wonderful place names.
It all can be a focal point that
tells a larger story of your
community.”
Other concepts formed by
local involvement included the
creation of a pedestrian pier
along the water, so others
besides boaters could utilize
the water, and a center for per
forming arts.
Students can play a big role
in coming up with ideas as
well as planting trees and
painting murals and smaller
size art, Brennock said.
Kline stressed that data
must be collected, even though
it can be drudge work.
“I know research isn’t very
sexy,” she said. “But data
research is vital. Collect data
about visitors, what they enjoy
and don’t enjoy, who they
are...and that’s related to mar
keting.”
Jeri Oltman, president of
the Perquimans Chamber of
Commerce, felt the visit was
successful and could lead to
better things.
“Today’s experience has
been very positive, not only
because we showed off our
community, but also because
we got to hear so many ideas
from knowledgeable visitors,”
she said. “The federal agencies
are going to be able to tell us
how we might go about access
ing federal grants and techni
cal assistance. And you never
know what side benefits pop
up.”
Lane also felt the state visit
to be beneficial.
“It was an absolutely won
derful experience, both for the
state heritage tourism team
and the people involved in giv
ing the tour. The town and
county looked beautiful.
Community support in this
heritage effort was amazing.
They were aU very receptive.”
Tours, garden
party, dinner on
the green, art
show and more
set for event
The rich history of
Perquimans will be highlight
ed during Perquimans Spring
Weekend, May 21-23.
Sponsored by Preservation
North Carolina and the
Perquimans County
Restoration Association, the
weekend wUl feature a tour of
some of the county’s finest
architectural structures, a pig
pickin’ on the courthouse
green, entertainment and the
annual garden party.
Perquimans was founded in
1668 and, according to
Preservation North Carolina,
is home to some of the state’s
most significatant restored
historic homes and structures.
“This tour will showcase
some of the most historically
significant structures in the
entire state,” said Peter
Rascoe, director of
Preservation North Carolina’s
Northeast Regional Office in
Edenton. “Collectively, these
beautifully restored historic
homes and buildings represent
a huge resource for
Perquimans County — as well
as the northeast region and aU
of North Carolina.”
Perquimans County boasts
three National Register
Historic Districts: Historic
Hertford, Old Neck Rural
Historic District and Belvidere
Rural Historic District. Many
of the 24 homes and buildings
on the toim are located in these
districts.
Tour highlights include:
Land’s End: Described as
one of the state’s most spectac
ular houses, the massive two-
and-one-half story dwelling
was built about 1830 by Col.
James Leigh, a wealthy
planter. The house Was built of
the finest materials and fea
tures two-tiered piazza and
columns on the front and rear.
Richard Pratt House: Dating
to about 1760, the Richard
Pratt House was relocated to
this spot in the Bethel commu
nity in 1974 by Ben and Jackie
Hobbs. The couple have assem
bled a collection of pre-Civil
War buildings on the site.
Today, the house is the center-
piece of the Hobb’s Beechtree
Inn, a bed and breakfast inn.
Church of the Holy Trinity:
Listed in the National Register
of Historic Places, this
Episcopal church is a beautiful
example of a simplified Gothic
Revival featuring buttresses
and arched windows and
doors. The antebellum struc
ture was built in 1848. Dan
Kidd, an architectural histori
an by training and the her
itage tourism manager for the
N.C. Division of Tourism, Film
& Sports Development, will
deliver the lecture on the topic
of historic churches in the
Holy Trinity parish haU.
Also featured on the tour
are some homes that currently
are undergoing restoration.
Architectural buffs are sure to
appreciate this insider’s view
of the historic preservation
process. Many of the home-
owners will be on hand to
answer questions about the
process and share their first
hand experiences. These
homes include:
Mitchell Ward House: This
house, one of the county’s
finest examples of Federal
style, was included in the
January 1998 issue of Old
House Journal. Built in 1832 it
was named “Snow HUl.
Gen. Jonathan Hill Jacocks
House: Originally buUt in 1815,
this house is one of the largest
in the county. It is an uncom
monly large six-bay traditional
coastal house, complete with
two-story front porch.
John White House, “Shady
Croft:” This two-story house,
circa 1825, represents a house
that was typical of the many
Quaker families who lived in
the area in the early 19th cen
tury.
Weekend events get under
way Friday evening with din
ner and music on the court
house lawn. Dubbed Pig-Out in
Perquimans, proceeds from
the $8 ticket price wUl be used
to purchase 4th of July fire
works. The downtown shops
win stay open untU 8 p.m.
The Perquimans Arts
League will also open its
Spring Art Show on Friday,
and will have its gallery in
downtown Hertford open dur
ing the weekend. Many items
in the show will be for sale.
Saturday features a high
light of the weekend — a
Garden Party at Riverside
Plantation from 6-8:30 p.m.
Guests win delight in the beau
ty of the grounds of this 1813
plantation home. Music and
delectable edibles whl enhance
the elegance of this seasonal
tradition. Proceeds benefit the
restoration association.
Tickets are $20 and reserva
tions are required in advance.
Tour hours are 10 a.m.-5
p.m. on Saturday and 1-5 p.m.
on Sunday. Tickets are good
for both days. Tickets are $20
per person.
To order tickets by man for
an events, send a check for $48
per person to Preservation
North Carolina, NE Regional
Office, 420 Effiott St., Edenton,
NC 27932. Call 482-7455 for
information. Advance ticket
orders must be received by
May 14.
For the homes tour only,
advance tickets may be
obtained by contacting
Preservation North Carolina
at 482-7455 or at the Newbold-
White House. Advance ticket
sales do not require registra
tion the dates of the tour. A
map with sites win be mailed
with tickets.
Tickets for the homes tour
wni go on sale at the Newbold-
White house during the tour at
9 a.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m.
Sunday.
Tickets for Pig-Out in
Perquimans: Dinner and
Music on the Courthouse
Green are available at
Woodard’s Pharmacy and the
Wishing Wen.
Can the restoration associa
tion at 426-7567 for garden
party ticket information.