The Chowan County Courthouse was built around 1767 and is the oldest courthouse still in use in North Carolina. Edenton’s historic buildings include homes, churches, and the Cotton Mill industrial complex. Seasonal market days take place in Edenton; you can rent kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards at the harbor.

Plan dates and activities

The Historic Edenton Trolley Tour is a 50-minute guided ride offering an overview of more than 300 years of Edenton history. It runs on Mondays and Wednesday through Saturday at 10:30, 11:30, 13:30, and 14:30. Reservations can be made by phone or email through the Barker House Gift Shop; places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Check the schedule and reservation details before your trip.

The Edenton Farmers Market also follows a seasonal weekly schedule: From April through December, it takes place every Saturday. In January and February, there is a winter market on Saturdays; from April through the end of November, an additional market takes place on Wednesdays. For an additional weekday market visit, consider going on a Wednesday from April through the end of November.

Kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards can be rented at the Edenton harbor daily from 9:30 to 17:30. The stated rental hours may change; check them before your visit.

At the Edenton National Fish Hatchery, a 200-foot-long, wheelchair-accessible elevated boardwalk runs through a hardwood wetland forest and ends at a fishing pier. Edenton’s Colonial Park offers views of Edenton Bay and the Roanoke River Lighthouse.

Buildings and their different periods

The Cupola House in Edenton was built by Francis Corbin in 1758. Its interior is furnished with historic furniture dating from 1680 to 1820; the restored formal gardens in the colonial style offer another facet of the property. The Penelope Barker House was built by Thomas and Penelope Barker in 1782.

At the Chowan County Historic Jail in Edenton, the construction date and design date are clearly distinct: Ebenezer Paine built the jail in 1825 based on plans John Hawk had drawn in 1773.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Edenton is the second-oldest church building in North Carolina and the oldest still in regular use. It was also the first parish in the colony of North Carolina. Kadesh A.M.E. Zion Church in Edenton was built in the Gothic Revival style; Hannibal Badham Jr. is named as its builder. Its spacious sanctuary seats 400 people.

The industrial history can be explored at the 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 building of the Edenton Cotton Mill was built in 1900 as a brick industrial complex in the Italianate Revival style.

The Roanoke River Lighthouse also stands in Edenton harbor: it was built in 1886 and fully restored. Originally, it served as a guide for ships traveling through Albemarle Sound into the Roanoke River.

Discover more destinations

Edenton, Jackson, Clay County, Pasquotank County, Cabarrus, Cherokee County, Greene County, Transylvania County

For the main travel overview: North Carolina.