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. 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, 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 oSee also
* List of National Historic Landmarks in North Carolina * National Register of Historic Places listings in Chowan County, North CarolinaReferences
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 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