A Visit to Cupola House, Edenton

The march through Edenton continued after the courthouse, the next port of call being the truly beautiful Cupola House. Possibly my favorite site of the day, the Cupola House has a decidedly Jacobean look, though it was built in the 1750s. 

The house was built for a rather unscrupulous gentleman named Francis Corbin, who eventually ran afoul of the locals (I suppose that tends to happen when you embezzle from the Lord Proprietor and sell townsfolk overlapping parcels of land) and was forced out of Edenton. So much the worse for him, as it meant leaving this charming dwelling.

According to our guide, in the early part of the 20th century the last of the family that had inhabited the house for generations was at the point of needing to raise funds. She sadly sold off part of the home's paneling to a fellow from a museum somewhere in Brooklyn, though happily some of the Edentonians helped keep the paneling from the second floor intact in the home. It must be said that the first floor's reproduction paneling is pretty well done, and definitely helps the visitor imagine the Colonial paneling in all its glory.

The central hall is the most Jacobean part of the house, to my mind. The dark, rich wood paneling and back staircase feel almost gloomy, perhaps the remnants of Francis Corbin's dirty deeds and the fallout therefrom. 

Upstairs one can view three delightful bedrooms, and we were treated to another story of the origins of a rather commonplace turn of phrase: saving face. It all makes perfect sense, if you think about it. Back in the Colonial era when the makeup was much more bothersome than it is today (and contained arsenic, which was probably a bad idea and definitely not safe), makeup worn by ladies of the day tended to melt if faces were too close to the warmth of a fire. A firescreen, therefore, helped a lady save face by keeping her makeup from running as she sat by the fire. 

Cupola House was probably my favorite of the buildings on the Edenton tour, though if some of the other homes in town had been open to the public it might well have had some fierce competition. Additional photos of the home below. 

   


[photos copyright Megan Petty]

A Visit to Chowan County Courthouse, Edenton

After a visit to Iredell House and to St. Paul's Church, the next stop on the Edenton tour was the old Chowan County Courthouse. Built in 1767, this attractive brick courthouse positively oozes Colonial history. 

According to the informational pamphlet one can pick up in town, the edifice was possibly designed by John Hawks, who designed the famous Tryon Palace (one of the sites on offer in New Bern, NC). And if that wasn't impressive enough, the pamphlet also puts forth the thought that the "courthouse in Colonial Williamsburg is modeled after it." As a Virginia girl, I bristle somewhat when anything claims to influence something in my abundantly historic state, but perhaps it's true in this case.

In any event, the courthouse made for a pleasant stop on the Edenton journey. The main function, of course, was for legal activities, and as such the largest space is the first floor courtroom. I found the dark, central columns of particular interest, though our guide let us in on the fact that the columns were less decorative and more structural (to combat a buckling floor above). The stone floor and dark wood accents made the space feel solemn and official, both what you might expect from a courthouse of the period. 

Our excellent guide was enlightening on several fronts, and in the courthouse revealed an a-ha origin of a term everyone knows today: pass the bar. In colonial times, the expression referred not to the exam aspiring lawyers in the US must pass before they can practice law, but instead referred to...actually going beyond a point (a bar) in the courtroom. Walking past that point is undoubtedly much simpler than taking the bar exam! 

Upstairs revealed a large paneled room, used over the years for various Masonic and community functions. One panel was removed to show the brick structure underneath, which I enjoyed. I do so like to see the hidden workings of buildings, to see what makes them tick. More photos of the Chowan County Courthouse below. 

 


[photos copyright Megan Petty]

A Visit to Iredell House, Edenton

Today saw the realization of a dream of several years. I was able to visit Edenton, known throughout the US as one of the prettiest little small towns in the South. A second straight impossibly lovely October day proved a fitting backdrop for a first visit to this charming spot, and I enjoyed my time in Edenton immensely. 

The first stop on the itinerary was the Iredell House, home of Colonial Bigwig James Iredell. Iredell was a justice on the very first United States Supreme Court, appointed, according to the incredibly well-informed guide, by none other than George Washington himself. 

Sadly, Iredell did not enjoy the house for long, as he died before renovations were complete. His family, however, did get to live in the house. 

The large white clapboard house is, as can be said about many a Southern home of the period, gracious and welcoming. It amazes me sometimes to think of the important folks who lived in homes that the nouveau riche of today would balk at. I think they're wonderful, however. 

From the parlor to the graceful double arch details of the dining room, to the rather large bedrooms upstairs, the Iredell House is perfectly period, and well-maintained in the not-quite-pristine manner that hallmarks smaller historical sites. Wide-plank floors and true, bright Colonial colors abound. Just one piece of furniture in the home can be tied to the Iredells, but much of the home is peppered with furnishings and decor that accurately represent the Colonial era. Iredell House was a great place to start a day in Edenton, and a visit to this refined home is recommended. More photos below. 

[photos copyright Megan Petty]