Chowan County: History and Nature in Edenton

When looking for a hotel in Chowan County, it’s worth organizing your itinerary around specific interests. Edenton offers historic buildings, commercial history, seasonal market dates, and a wetland boardwalk to suit a range of interests.

Historic Buildings and Edenton’s History

Built around 1767, the Chowan County Courthouse is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in North Carolina. The Chowan County Historic Jail in Edenton was built in 1825 by Ebenezer Paine, based on plans John Hawk had drawn as early as 1773. The jail’s construction date and the much earlier date of its plans tell two different parts of its history.

Edenton’s churches also represent different aspects of history. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was the first parish in the colony of North Carolina. Its church building is considered the second-oldest in the state and the oldest still in regular use. Kadesh A.M.E. Zion Church is built in the Gothic Revival style and was constructed by Hannibal Badham Jr.

Historic homes include Cupola House, built by Francis Corbin in 1758, and Penelope Barker House, built by Thomas and Penelope Barker in 1782. At Cupola House, restored formal gardens in the colonial style complement the architecture; the interior contains historic furnishings dating from 1680 to 1820. These details each emphasize different aspects: construction date, garden design, and historic furnishings.

Industrial history can be seen at Edenton Cotton Mill. The Edenton Cotton Mill Museum of History is located in the Cotton Mill’s more than 100-year-old office building in Mill Village, at 420 Elliott Street. The main Cotton Mill building was constructed in 1900 as an Italianate Revival-style industrial brick complex. Colonial Wharf, in turn, conveys Edenton’s early importance as a trading center and the significance of its waterway to the region and the history of the United States.

Plan Tours and Market Dates

The Historic Edenton Trolley Tour is a 50-minute guided ride that offers an overview of more than 300 years of Edenton’s history. It runs Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays at 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, and 2:30 p.m. Reservations can be made by phone or email through the Barker House Gift Shop; seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Since schedules and reservation details are operational information, it’s a good idea to check them before you arrive.

The Edenton Farmers Market follows a seasonal weekly schedule: It takes place on Saturdays from April through December. In January and February, there is a Saturday winter market; from April through the end of November, an additional market is held on Wednesdays. So planning depends on both the month and the day of the week. Unlike the guided trolley ride, market dates fall across different parts of the year.

Harbor Views and Nature in Edenton

The fully restored Roanoke River Lighthouse was built in 1886 and stands in Edenton Harbor. It originally guided ships traveling through Albemarle Sound into the Roanoke River. Colonial Park offers views of Edenton Bay and the lighthouse.

The Edenton National Fish Hatchery offers a different landscape experience: a 200-foot-long, wheelchair-accessible elevated boardwalk passes through a hardwood swamp forest and ends at a fishing pier. The park and boardwalk offer different highlights—views of the bay and lighthouse, and a route through the swamp forest to the fishing pier.

Kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards can be rented at Edenton Harbor daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Check current rental hours before your visit. This makes it easy to distinguish between different interests for your trip: historic buildings and tours, seasonal market days, or landscapes and harbor views.

Discover more destinations: Edenton, Nash, Duplin County, Hertford County, Polk County, Cumberland, Mecklenburg, Pender.

For the main travel overview: North Carolina.