Chowan County is one of the 100 counties located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,708. Its county seat is Edenton. The county was created between 1668 and 1671 as Shaftesbury Precinct and later renamed Chowan Precinct. It gained county status in 1739.
Edenton is a town in, and the county seat of, Chowan County, North Carolina, United States, on Albemarle Sound. The population was 4,397 at the 2020 census. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for heritage tourism.
Samuel Johnston was an American planter, lawyer, Grand Master of Freemasons, enslaver, and statesman from Chowan County, North Carolina. He represented North Carolina in both the Continental Congress and the United States Senate, and he was the sixth Governor of North Carolina.
Charles Johnson was a Congressional representative from North Carolina. Johnson was born in Scotland; engaged as a planter; elected to the Continental Congress in 1781, 1784, and 1785, but did not attend; served in the state senate in 1781–1784, 1788–1790, and 1792 ; elected as a Republican in a special election to the Seventh Congress ; interment in Edenton Cemetery.
The Chowan County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Edenton, the county seat of Chowan County, North Carolina. Built in 1767, it is one of the finest examples of public Georgian architecture in the American South. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
The Cupola House is a historic house museum in Edenton, North Carolina. Built in 1756–1758, it is the second oldest building in Edenton, and the only known surviving example in the American South of a "jutt," or overhanging second floor. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
Hayes Plantation, also known as Hayes Farm, is a historic plantation near Edenton, North Carolina that belonged to Samuel Johnston (1733–1816), who served as Governor of North Carolina from 1787 to 1789. Johnston became one of the state's first two United States Senators, serving from 1789 until 1793, and served later as a judge until retiring in 1803. Samuel Johnston died in 1816 at "the Hermitage," his home near Williamston in Martin County, N.C. The residence known as Hayes was completed by his son, James Cathcart Johnston, a year after Samuel's death. There are numerous other structures on the property, some predating the Hayes house itself, including the Hayes Gatehouse, which James Johnston lived in prior to the construction of the Hayes house.
Edenton Historic District is a national historic district located at Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina. The district encompasses 342 contributing buildings, 4 contributing sites, and 3 contributing structures. It includes several buildings that are individually listed on the National Register. The Lane House, possibly the oldest surviving house in North Carolina, is owned by Steve and Linda Lane and is located within the district. Also located in the district are the Dixon-Powell House, William Leary House, and Louis Ziegler House designed by architect George Franklin Barber.
Historic Hicks Field is a historic baseball stadium and national historic district located in Edenton, North Carolina,. The stadium is home to the John A. Holmes High School Aces as well as the Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plain League.
The James Iredell House is a historic home located at Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina. The original section was built 1800, and expanded to its present configuration about 1827. It is a two-story, "L"-shaped frame dwelling with Georgian and Federal style design elements. It was the home of James Iredell, an ardent patriot and Justice of the Supreme Court.
St. Paul's Church, Edenton, is a historic parish church in Edenton, North Carolina. The building, which dates from 1760, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The churchyard has the tombs of governors Charles Eden (1673–1722), Thomas Pollock (1654–1722), and Gabriel Johnston (1699–1752).
Edenton-Chowan Schools is a PK–12 graded school district serving Chowan County, North Carolina, including the town of Edenton. It was formed from the merger of Edenton City Schools and Chowan County Schools in 1968. Its four schools serve 2,393 students as of the 2010–11 school year.
Athol, also known as Benbury Hall and Joshua Skinner House, is a historic plantation house located near Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina. It was built about 1857, and is a 2+1⁄2-story, five bay, "T"-shaped Greek Revival style frame dwelling. The rear section of the house features two-tier porches on either side. The front facade features a full-length two-tiered porch supported by Roman Ionic order columns.
Barker House is a historic home located at Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina. The original house was built about 1782, and expanded during the 19th century. It is a 2+1⁄2-story frame dwelling with Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival style design elements. It sits on a brick foundation and has at both ends a pair of single-shoulder exterior chimneys. The front facade features a full-length, two-tier porch carried on superimposed fluted pillars under a shed roof.
Sandy Point is a historic plantation house located near Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina. It was built about 1810 and later expanded. It is a 2 1/2-story, five bay, Federal / Greek Revival style frame dwelling with a center hall plan. The front facade features a two-tiered full-length porch and the house has two exterior end chimneys at each side.
Wessington House is a historic home located at Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina. It was built about 1851, and is a 3-story house with a full English basement, brick dwelling with a center hall plan. The front facade features a two-tiered full-length porch with elaborate iron railings and balustrade.
Edenton Peanut Factory, also known as Edenton Peanut Company, is a historic peanut factory building located at Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina. It was built about 1909, and is a five-story, brick factory building with a six-story elevator tower and attached engine room. Also on the property is a contributing storage warehouse.
Edenton Cotton Mill Historic District is a national historic district located at Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina. The district encompasses 70 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, 2 contributing structures, and 1 contributing object in a small mill village. It includes industrial and residential buildings developed between 1899 and 1923. Residential buildings are primarily simple one-story, single-pile, frame dwellings and some examples of the Bungalow / American Craftsman style. Notable non-residential buildings include the Italianate Revival style Edenton Cotton Mill (1899-1916), Edenton Cotton Mill Office, and First Christian Church (1916).
Edenton Station, United States Fish and Fisheries Commission, formerly known as Edenton National Fish Hatchery, is a historic fish hatchery and national historic district located at Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina. The district encompasses 17 contributing buildings, 2 contributing sites, 17 contributing structures, and 2 contributing objects. It was established in 1899 by the United States Fish and Fisheries Commission and operated by the federal government until 1954, then sold to private owners in 1961. The hatchery was operated by the Bureau of Fisheries. During the 1930s, the Public Works Administration and Works Progress Administration funded a number of building projects at the hatchery. Notable contributing resources include the Superintendent's House (1900), Fish Culturist's House (1938-1939), terrace (1899-1900), Pump House No. 1, Pump House No. 2, Water Tank (1929), 10 Fish Ponds, Flag Pole (1922-1923), and Daphnia Pools (1939-1940).
The Edenton Colonials were a minor league baseball team based in Edenton, North Carolina. In 1951 and 1952, the Colonials played as members of the Class D level Virginia League in 1951 and Coastal Plain League in 1952, winning the 1952 league championship in their final season of play. The Edenton Colonials hosted home games at the Historic Hicks Field.
