Century Farms of Northeastern North Carolina

By Wanda Lassiter, Curator

From the planting of grains by American Indians to the cultivation of tobacco and cotton, soybeans, even lavender and sage, to the care of livestock—through times of hard labor and human toil to the introduction of primitive and now modern machinery—farming has been a mainstay for residents of northeastern North Carolina.

DR. T. I. BURBAGE on his farm in Hertford County, ca. 1920.

Farms that have been owned by the same family for over 100 years are classified as Century Farms, and research conducted in 2016 shows that more than 170 farms in the Albemarle region can be considered Century Farms. Gates County has the largest number, with 48.

FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE SPIVEY FARM IN CHOWAN COUNTY, 2013. The Spivey’s have been farming since before 1824.

The earliest dates to 1735 in Hertford County. Land for that farm was purchased by William Gooch then deeded to Samuel Warren a year later. Since that time, generations of Warrens, Winbornes, Burbages, and Grays have farmed the property, growing fruits, corn, peanuts, soybeans, cotton, and sugar cane and raising chickens, sheep, geese, and cows.