Many people overlook the northeastern corner of North Carolina. But if you want to spend time in a quiet coastal area, you can hardly go wrong by visiting Elizabeth City and Hertford, the two primary communities in Albemarle country.
Elizabeth City takes a novel approach to greeting its visitors. At the city dock on the Pasquotank River, “Rose Buddies” greet those who arrive by boat, giving them a red rose. The practice, started in 1983 by two longtime residents, has given Elizabeth City the moniker “Harbor of Hospitality.” It’s enough to make us car travelers leave our vehicles on the side of the road, find a boat for hire, and arrive via the water ourselves! That’s not to say that if you arrive by car, Elizabeth City will give you the cold shoulder. Far from it. But the town was once one of North Carolina’s prime ports of entry, and the tradition remains along the waterfront. When you visit Elizabeth City, be sure to go to the waterfront to listen to the multitude of languages spoken by the sailors who dock there.
Located on the Perquimans River, nearby Hertford is one of the oldest permanent settlements in the state. As you drive between Elizabeth City and Hertford, you’ll see a wealth of historic architecture. The area also offers lots of bird-watching opportunities at wildlife refuges and state parks, as well as places for easy walks and canoe paddling.
Where to Stay
A plantation house, 1812 Bed and Breakfast Inn (252-426-1812) is located in the Old Neck community outside Hertford. To stay in Hertford proper, consider the Eagle and Anchor Bed and Breakfast (252-426-8382). If you’d like to stay in the heart of Elizabeth City’s historic district, try either the Culpepper Inn (252-335-9235) or Elizabeth City Bed and Breakfast (252-338-2177).
Where to Eat
Curious recommendation perhaps, but the truth is that some of the best Mexican food in North Carolina is served at Mamasita’s in Elizabeth City. Go early to avoid the crowd. You’ll find local color and home cookin’ at their best at Frankie’s Café in Hertford! Be sure to look at the ceiling if you step inside for a quick lunch. The pictures along the walls near the booths also provide an interesting slice of Americana. Captain Bob’s is the place for barbecue and seafood in Hertford.
Ways to While Away the Day
Antiques
Perquimans County is a great place to look for antiques. At last count, 17 shops populated downtown Hertford and the surrounding community.
Architecture
North Carolina’s oldest home is only a short drive outside Hertford. The Newbold-White House, built in 1730, is an excellent example of European building techniques; guides there tell how present-day English visitors have marveled at some of the details they’ve seen, like Flemish-bond brick walls. Though it’s not large, the sturdy and (for its day) elaborate structure will surely impress you. The Newbold-White House is open from 10 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Monday through Saturday from March to November. An admission fee is charged. For more information, call 252-426-7567.
Elizabeth City’s historic district makes for a nice walking tour. Taking in about 30 blocks, the district contains one big, beautiful Victorian home after another. Walking-tour maps are available from the local chamber of commerce (252-335-4365).
If you venture into downtown Hertford, be sure to see the courthouse, parts of which date to 1732. While you’re there, you might also drive through the community of Old Neck to see the several antebellum mansions that dot the countryside. Signs point to Old Neck from U.S. 17 just north of Hertford.
Golf
Pine Lakes Country Club (252-335-0278) in Elizabeth City and Sound Golf Links at Albemarle Plantation (800-535-0704) in Hertford are open to the public.
Heritage
In 1763, George Washington visited the Great Dismal Swamp, called it “a paradise,” and founded the Great Dismal Swamp Land Company. He planned to drain the swamp, log the huge cypress trees, and establish farms. In short order, Mr. Washington set his employees to digging ditches to drain the swamp. But by 1795, not having realized his grand dream, he dissolved the company. In the 1800s, though, people gave it another try, determined to connect Chesapeake Bay and the Elizabeth River in Virginia with the Pasquotank River and Albemarle Sound in North Carolina. They successfully completed the 22-mile Grand Canal and started floating boats back and forth between Elizabeth City and Portsmouth, Virginia. Today, the remnants of the canal have been designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. You can visit them at South Mills, about 13 miles north of Elizabeth City on U.S. 17. Though only a marker and the remnants of trenches and breastworks exist there today, South Mills once saw a spirited battle between Confederate and Union forces over who would control the lock. Nine hundred Confederates repelled a Union force of 3,000. For more information on the swamp and the canal, call 252-771-8333 or visit www.icw-net.com/DSCwelcome/.
Tidbits
Legend has it that Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (he of the immortal quote,“We have met the enemy and they are ours”) visited the Dismal Swamp to get “juniper water” to take with him on various sailing trips.
According to Daniel W. Barefoot, author of Touring the Backroads of North Carolina’s Upper Coast, poet Robert Frost owed his life to the Dismal Swamp. Jilted by a girl, Frost arrived in 1894, ready to take his life. However, he found beauty in the swamp and was able to put his heartache behind him. Returning to Lowell, Massachusetts, he married the girl who had previously rejected him.
Elizabeth City is the home of the moth boat, a small sailboat that can take on the shallow waters of inland lakes and rivers. It is so named because of its ability to flit over the water.
This part of the world boasts lots of interesting place names. One of the more curious is Perquimans, said to come from a Yeopim Indian word meaning “land of beautiful women.”
Museums
The story told at the Museum of the Albemarle begins when North Carolina was a thank-you gift from King Charles II to eight friends, the Lords Proprietors, who had helped restore him to his throne. Recently reopened on the Elizabeth City waterfront, the museum traces the failed attempts of the Englishmen who tried to settle the New World and captures the stir that the residents of Edenton created when they decided to have a tea party of their own. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. and Sunday from 2 P.M. to 5 P.M. For more information, call 252-335-1453 or visit www.northeast-nc.com/moa/.
Outdoors
Fresh Air
If the weather is fine, be sure to visit Mariner’s Wharf in Elizabeth City. Part shopping area, part park, the wharf is a pleasant place to enjoy the Pasquotank River.
Natural Areas
Like getting waaay off the beaten path? Always loved that last segment on Charles Kuralt’s Sunday Morning that showed wildlife and marvelous natural landscapes? Then follow the Charles Kuralt Trail, a driving/ walking tour that takes you to some of the wildest areas in coastal North Carolina. Many of these areas—including the Great Dismal Swamp and Mackay Island and Currituck National Wildlife Refuges—are near Elizabeth City. Once you arrive at your destination, park the car and do a little walking—and remember the binoculars! The best times to go, unless you like snakes and mosquitoes, are fall, winter, and early spring. In the cool months, you’ll see lots of ducks, geese, and swans that winter in North Carolina. For more information, call 252-473-1131 or visit www.northeast-nc.com/kuralt/.
Paddling
To canoe, go to Merchants Millpond State Park, located about 30 miles northwest of Elizabeth City near the junction of N.C. 32 and U.S. 158. Originally the site of an 1811 gristmill, the land in the area is not more than 10 feet above sea level. Therefore, the builders designed a dam that didn’t need a vertical wheel; it used a horizontal one instead. Although none of the millhouses have survived, the dam has. Today, you can rent a canoe and paddle around the millpond, watching the birds and studying the cypress trees. If you paddle far enough into the millpond—buoys mark the way—you’ll reach the remnants of a stand of bald cypress trees estimated to be between 800 and 1,500 years old. Nine miles of easy hiking trails weave about the park. For more information, call 252-357-1191 or visit www.ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/memi/home.html.
Other Points of Interest
A short drive south from Elizabeth City on N.C. 34 will take you close to the site of the former Weeksville Naval Air Station, which housed naval lighter-than-air operations from 1943 to 1956. You’ll know you’ve found it simply by looking; you’ll see an enormous hangar to the left of the road. Three hundred meters in length, the hangar is longer than the Queen Elizabeth II; it’s also more than twice as wide. The 500-ton clamshell doors allow ingress and egress of vehicles up to 150 feet in height. A privately operated business now occupies the hangar, so be sure to heed the No Trespassing signs. Still, you can drive close enough to appreciate the size of the building.
Festivals/Events
| April | The Flower and Garden Members Show is sponsored by the Pasquotank Arts Council. |
| September | The Moth Boat Regatta celebrates the heritage of boat racing. |
| October | For 45-plus years, the Albemarle Craftsman’s Fair has been showcasing the talents and artwork of local artisans. |
| December | Elizabeth City Historic Ghost Walk Perquimans County Ramble Tour of Homes |
For more information, contact the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce by calling 252-335-4365 or visiting www.elizcity.com.
For other nearby activities, see the “Weekend in the Colonial Capital” chapter.