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EDENTON Year Founded:
Established in 1712 as “the Towne on Queen Anne’s Creek,” it was later known as “Ye Towne on Mattercommack Creek” and still later as “the Port of Roanoke.” It was renamed “Edenton” and incorporated in 1722 in honor of Governor Charles Eden, who had died that year. Population: 4,816
estled along picturesque Edenton Bay on the north shore of the Albemarle Sound, Edenton has been making history for more than 300 years. Its founding fathers and mothers were instrumental in establishing principles and values upon which our nation was founded while surviving the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Today, visitors will find historic homes and three National Historic Landmarks in the place awarded the distinction by Forbes.com as “one of America’s Prettiest Towns.” Edenton boasts an active Downtown PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIP SHAW District surrounded with fine examples of Jacobean, Georgian, Federal, Greek revival and Victorian homes, allowing visitors to see the fabric of America’s architectural styles come alive. Guided trolley tours and historic building tours are provided from the Penelope Barker House Welcome Center and Historic Edenton State Historic Site. Seasonal activities on and off the water throughout the year coupled with independent local restaurants and boutique shopping make this short drive away a perfect place to explore and relax. In 2018, the region celebrates the 350th anniversary of the first governmental unit of what would become North Carolina, and regional and local activities will be sprinkled throughout the year in celebration. visitedenton.com Did you know: In 1774, Penelope Barker organized the famous Edenton Tea Party, the first
recorded women's political demonstration in America. She rallied 50 women in Edenton to sign a resolution boycotting British tea in response to the 1773 Tea Act.
L PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BALD HEAD ISLAND LIMITED
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chapelhillmagazine.com March 2018
ocated just 2 miles off the southern coast of N.C. near Southport, Bald Head Island is a hidden gem unto itself. You’ll leave your car on the mainland and travel to the island’s shores via a 20-minute ferry ride, making for a natural transition to “island time.” As your pace slows, you’ll have a chance to take in the lush surroundings – miles of quiet beaches, a rare maritime forest and serpentine tidal creeks. The island’s Federal Road, which once was used to bring supplies down to the Cape Fear Light, tunnels through the maritime forest canopy. Tucked discreetly along this road, you’ll find the Bald Head Woods nature trail, where a short hike leads to the Timmons Oak, a massive, several-hundred-year-old tree that looks like it might be home to the Keebler Elves. For a small donation you can join the Bald Head Island Conservancy, located at the end of Federal Road and join up on a bird walk that takes you to Ibis Pond Sanctuary, a hidden freshwater lagoon where scores of ibises, egrets and herons roost. Captain’s Watch Trail,