The Chowan County Courthouse is a historic
courthouse
A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...
in
Edenton, the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
. Built in 1767, it is one of the finest examples of public Georgian architecture in the
American South
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is census regions United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...
. It was declared a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in 1970.
[ and ]
Description and history
The old Chowan County Courthouse is located in downtown Edenton, at the northwest corner of East King and Court Streets. It is separated from the city waterfront by a one-block park. It is a two-story, T-shaped
Georgian style building. Its brickwork is laid in
Flemish bond
Flemish bond is a pattern of brickwork that is a common feature in Georgian architecture. The pattern features bricks laid lengthwise (''stretchers'') alternating with bricks laid with their shorter ends exposed (''headers'') within the same cou ...
. It has a one-story semicircular apse at its center rear and features a two-stage wooden cupola with ogival roof surmounted by a tall-weathervane. The interior has a large courtroom on the ground floor, and a ballroom on the second. The building has seen only relatively modest alterations.
Edenton was settled in 1658 and incorporated in 1712, and is counted as the first permanent European settlement in North Carolina. Its first courthouse, built in 1719, was also the seat of the colonial assembly, and was located on the land of the park. This courthouse was commissioned to be built in 1766, and completed in 1767, and its design has been attributed to
Gilbert Leigh
Gilbert Henry Chandos Leigh, DL, JP (1 September 1851 – 15 September 1884) was a British Liberal Party politician.
Background and education
Leigh was the eldest son and heir apparent of William Leigh, 2nd Baron Leigh, and Lady Caroline Am ...
, who was living in Edenton at the time of its construction. It has also been attributed to
John Hawks, who designed Tryon Palace in New Bern, was active in North Carolina at the time.
It is the oldest courthouse building in North Carolina.
The courthouse is one of several sites o
Historic Edenton Other historic sites open for tour include the
James Iredell House,
Roanoke River Light
The Roanoke River Lighthouse is a historic, decommissioned lighthouse, located on the waterfront of Edenton, North Carolina. The lighthouse once stood in Albemarle Sound at the mouth of the Roanoke River, across the Sound from its current locat ...
,
Barker House,
Cupola House and
St. Paul's Church.
See also
*
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Chowan County, North Carolina
References
Works cited
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowan County Courthouse
1767 establishments in North Carolina
Clock towers in North Carolina
Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
Brick buildings and structures in the United States
Colonial architecture in North Carolina
County courthouses in North Carolina
Georgian architecture in North Carolina
Government buildings completed in 1767
Historic American Buildings Survey in North Carolina
National Historic Landmarks in North Carolina
National Register of Historic Places in Chowan County, North Carolina
North Carolina in the American Revolution
Museums in Chowan County, North Carolina
Tourist attractions in Edenton, North Carolina
Brick buildings and structures in North Carolina