Twenty-first-century Edenton continues to pay proud homage to its rebellious heritage. The home of Penelope and John Barker has been meticulously restored and is now open daily for touring. An enlarged copy of a famous London caricature of Penelope and her Edenton Tea Party hangs in the entry hall. The Barkers’ portraits hang over the double mantels in the parlor, and on a long two-story porch filled with rockers, guests feel free to linger and enjoy the panoramic views of Edenton Bay.
It’s a short stroll from the Barker House to the courthouse green. Here you find cannons that Benjamin Franklin purchased in Paris, as well as the iconic commemorative teapot that celebrates the 1774 Tea Party. The park leads to the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, the most intact colonial-period courthouse in America. Joseph Hewes, a local merchant and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, helped raise money for its construction.
Just a block away stands the impressive 1758 Cupola House and its formal colonial gardens tended with great care by local volunteers. It’s an excellent example of pre-Revolutionary design with finely detailed wood paneling similar to examples found in Williamsburg, Virginia.
In fact, the entire town evokes memories of a stroll through Colonial Williamsburg. This is a town that yearns to be discovered by walkers who peer longingly into block after block of manicured gardens or pause to admire summer porches and fine architectural details.
Edenton’s historical section is a cornucopia of colonial and antebellum homes, churches, and restored public buildings that give you a peek into the lives of our fore- fathers. It’s the kind of town that, like a good cup of tea, makes you linger and sip life slowly. And had it not been for a headstrong Penelope Barker, the Union Jack might still be flying in front of the Chowan County Courthouse.
