Edenton, North Carolina - History

History

Edenton was incorporated in 1722 and named for Governor Charles Eden, who had died that year. It had existed as a settlement for a number of years before that. Edenton served as the capital of North Carolina from 1722 to 1743, the governor establishing his residence there and the population increasing during that period.

A landmark in Women's History occurred in Edenton in 1774. 51 women in Edenton, led by Penelope Barker, signed a protest petition agreeing to boycott English tea and other products, in what became known, decades later, as the Edenton Tea Party. The Edenton Tea Party is the first known political action by women in the British American colonies. In fact it so shocked London that newspapers published etching depicting the woman as uncontrollable. Her home, the Barker House, is open seven days a week, without a fee, and is considered by many as Edenton's living room.

Joseph Hewes, a resident of Edenton and a very successful owner of a merchant marine fleet, was appointed the first Secretary of the Navy in 1776. John Adams said that Hewes "laid the foundation, the cornerstone of the American Navy." Hewes also signed the Declaration of Independence.

James Iredell, also of Edenton, was at 38 the youngest member of the first United States Supreme Court. He was appointed by George Washington. His son James Iredell, Jr. served as the Democratic-Republican Governor of North Carolina and then became a United States Senator. His home may be toured through the Historic Edenton Visitors Center.

Supreme Court Justice James Wilson, a signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, died in Edenton on August 21, 1798 at age 55, while riding his Judicial Circuit.

In 1862, during the American Civil War, the Albemarle Artillery was recruited at Edenton by a local attorney named William Badham, Jr. Its guns were cast from bronze bells taken from courthous and churches in the Edenton area. Known as the Edenton Bell Battery, its four howitzers were named the Columbia, St. Paul, Fannie Roulac, and Edenton. Two of the guns, the St. Paul and Edenton, have been returned to Edenton and can now be seen at Edenton's waterfront park.

Edenton is also the home of the 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse. The lighthouse is called a screw-pile design because of its original support system. Each piling was literally screwed into the river or sound bottom so they would not pull out in heavy storms and hurricanes. The Roanoke River Lighthouse, now located at Edenton, is believed to be the last extant example in the United States of a rectangular frame building built for a screw-pile base. The lighthouse was in commission from 1887 until 1941.

North Carolina's Department of Cultural Resources and Department of Transportation are jointly engaged in a project to restore the lighthouse and open it to the public. Once restored, it will be furnished by the Edenton Historical Commission in an historically appropriate fashion.

Edenton is home to numerous, original historic homes and public buildings including the Cupola House. It was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The U.S. National Register of Historic Places also list the 1776 Chowan County Courthouse as a National Historic Landmark. The courthouse is still used for official court events.