Edenton has been called "the South's prettiest town." Established in the late 17th century and incorporated in 1722, it is located on Edenton Bay at the head of the Albemarle Sound, ninety miles southwest of Norfolk, Virginia. A town of 5,000 people, Edenton retains an extensive historic district with a wonderful assemblage of 18th, 19th, and early-20th-century buildings.
During the 18th and early 19th centuries, Edenton was a political, cultural, and commercial center in the colonies and in the fledgling nation. One of it's citizens signed the Declaration of Independence, and another signed the United States Constitution. James Iredell, a local judge, was appointed by George Washington to the very first United States Supreme Court.
Today, the record of accomplishment from earlier days can be seen in the public and private buildings along the streets of this remarkable community, and in the pride its residents take in their past and present. To take a tour of the North Carolina Historic Sites, visit the Historic Edenton Visitor's Center at 108 N. Broad Street, Edenton, 27932. Historic Edenton also offers tours of the life of Harriet Jacobs, believed to be the first African American woman to write her own experience of her enslavement.