The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1959-04-17
EDENTON TREASURY OF
COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

from the days when the city was
capital of the Colony of North
Carolina.
The charming Edenton of today,
situated on U. S. II, "the Ocean
Highway" offers travellers a
chance to study historic buildings
at any time of the year, and its
biennial Pilgrimage of Colonial
Edenton and Countryside opens
colonial residences to visitors.
Edenton and the Albemarle coun-
tryside are the setting for many
historical novels by Inglis Fetch
er, who lives at Bandon Plantation
in home built about 1870.
On Edenton Green is unique
tribute to the Edenton Tea Party:
a bronze teapot mounted on the
barrel of an ancient cannon. The
Tea Party marker is on the site
of the residence of Mrs. Elizabeth
King in the 1770's. Here 81 Eden
ton ladies met on October %, 1774,
to "solemnly engage not to con-
form to that pernicious practice of
drinking tea or we wear of any
manufacture from England until
such time that all acts which tend
to enslave this our native country
shall be repealed"
1t is said that the ladies drank
a substitute "tea" made of dried
raspberry leaves and ate tea cakes
baked by Mrs. Penelope Barker.
penelope Barker Tea Cakes" are
an Edenton tradition, and are al
ways served during the Pilgrim
age.
Known as Queen Anne's Towne
until 1922, when it's name was
changed in honor of Royal Cover
nor Charles Eden, Edenton was at
one time capital of the Colony of
North Carolina and residence of
the Colonial Governor. AS a polit-
ical, commercial and social center
in the 18th Century, Edenton was
the home of men and women who
played prominent parts in defying
the British Crown, assisting the
Revolutionary forces, and launch
ing the new Democracy. Edenton's
merchant prince, Joseph Hewes,
was one of the three North Caro-
lima signers of the Declaration of
Independence and placed his ships
at General Washington's disposal.
The men of Edenton dispatched to
beleaguered Boston a shipload of
corn, flour and pork.
Edenton Green formerly the
Publick Parade) slopes down from
the Chowan County Courthouse,
built in 1867, to Edenton Bay on
Albemarle Sound. Overlooking the
bay is the Penelope Barker House,
former home of the Edenton mat
ron who organized the Tea Party.
The Barker House was presented
to the city in 1852 and moved from
the business section to it's present
location, where it is used as a
community building.
On Broad Street { U. S. ~ is
St. Paurs Episcopal Church, sec
ond oldest church still standing in
North Carolina. The present build
ing was begun in 1876 by a parish
organized in 1901. 1t has been re-
paired and restored to its original
appearance, and contains original
interior furnishings and memori-
ais. Gravestones in the surround
ing church yard date back to the
early 1770's. The Church is al
ways open to visitors, who are
welcomed as sightseers and at
church services.
Also on Broad Street is the Gu
pola House, built about 1725 and
considered the finest Jacobean
type dwelling south of Connecti-
cut. Since 1921 it has been used
for the Shepard-Pruden Memorial
Library and a small museum, and
is open to visitors.
The James Iredell House on
East Church Street dates back to
the 1750's and was long the home
of James Iredell, Attorney Gener-
al of North Carolina at 20 and AS
sociate Justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States at 80.
His son, James Iredell, Jr., be-
came Governor of North Carolina.
Now State-owned, the house is in
the care of the James Iredell Asso-
citation, Inc, and the Tea Party
Chapter of the D. A. R. Visitors
can view the interior of the Iredell
House by making application to
the resident caretaker.
Many other historic dwellings, in
the city are privately owned, and
some are occupied by descendants
of the original owners.
In the countryside, there are
beautiful old plantations along the
ChoWan River and Albemarle