Edenton Excursion

Thanks to generous sponsors and to celebrate National Preservation Month, we’ve made this event more accessible with a new ticket price of $197 per person!

Close out National Preservation Month with a specially curated tour for preservation enthusiasts in one of NC’s oldest towns! Limited to just 30 attendees, participants will meet for a bus ride from Raleigh to Edenton where they’ll embark on a day-long architectural study with exclusive access to the best at Edenton has to offer! Reserve your seat today!

LIMITED TICKET EVENT: only 15 seats remain!

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Properties On Tour:

Penelope Barker House: The Penelope Barker House, built in 1782 by Penelope and Thomas Barker, now serves as Edenton and Chowan County’s Welcome Center. Originally located two blocks north, the house was moved to its current waterfront site in 1952 and turned 180 degrees. Its architecture blends Federal, Georgian, and Greek Revival styles, with three floors and eight fireplaces. n 1952, local groups saved the Barker House from demolition, and it is now preserved and operated by the Edenton Historical Commission. Today, it stands as a symbol of women’s early political activism and Edenton’s rich colonial history.

Cupola House (1758): Built in 1758 by Francis Corbin, land agent for the Earl of Granville, the Cupola House is a National Historic Landmark and one of the South’s finest examples of Jacobean architecture. Overlooking Edenton Bay, it became home to the Dickinson family for 141 years, including Elizabeth Penelope Ormond, a signer of the Edenton Tea Party resolution. By the early 1900s, the home had fallen into disrepair. When several of its original room interiors were removed to the Brooklyn Museum of Fine Art in 1918, Edentonians rallied to preserve the remaining structure. The missing woodwork was replicated in the 1960s, but now the original woodwork has returned to Edenton! Attendees will have behind-the-scenes access to the preparations being made to remove the reproduction woodwork, and see the original at Coastal Warehouse!

Hayes Farm (1814-17): Originally settled in the late 1700s by Samuel Johnston—North Carolina’s fourth governor and U.S. senator—Hayes Farm has long stood as a symbol of influence and heritage in Edenton. Passed from Johnston’s son to friend Edward Wood, the estate remained in the Wood family for over 150 years. In 2022, the State of North Carolina acquired the 194-acre site to ensure its preservation, partnering with the Elizabeth Vann Moore Foundation. Home to 28 structures, including six enslaved workers’ cottages and a rare five-part Palladian villa, Hayes is both architecturally and historically significant. Restoration plans aim to open the site to the public as a state historic site, featuring walking trails, education programs, and water access to the Albemarle Sound. Hayes Farm reflects Edenton’s deep roots and a renewed commitment to honoring and sharing its full story.

Kadesh AME Church (1897): Founded in 1857, Kadesh A.M.E. Zion Church moved into its current Gothic Revival sanctuary in 1897, a testament to the skill of Black carpenter Hannibal Badham Jr. and his renowned Edenton family of builders. The 400-seat church stood as a spiritual and cultural beacon. Severely damaged by a fire in the 1970s, and again by Hurricane Isabel in 2003, the church was stabilized but remained unrestored — until now! Partnering with Down East Preservation, grassroots community groups have come together to rehabilitate the structure inside and out. Over the past two years, the project has begun work on restoring the church’s stained glass windows and successfully replaced the building’s spire — allowing Kadesh to regain its position as the tallest building in Edenton. Attendees will have exclusive access to the ongoing preservation and rehabilitation efforts, and will have the opportunity to tour Kadesh inside and out!

Frinks Freedom House: Private tour of Freedom House (1958), home of Civil Rights leaders Golden and Ruth Frinks. The house, which has seen a major restoration funded through the National Park Service and the State of North Carolina, will reopen as a museum to share an important story of our state’s Civil Rights Era history.

Beverly Hall (c.1810): We’ll conclude the day with a special reception at the stately Beverly Hall (c.1810), built as a private bank, later the State Bank of North Carolina, and now the private home of Sambo and Gray Dixon.

Access the our Edenton Excursion Itinerary here. 

Thank You To Our Sponsors To Date!

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