“Edenton’s waking up,” says Inner Banks Inn proprietor Susan Martin Cyr about the scenic town tucked into the Albemarle Sound and surrounded by water on three sides in the state’s northeastern region. While it has long been considered a historical gem, Edenton has also been what Susan “would call a sleeper.” But now, she says, “it’s waking up.”
Recently recognized as one of North Carolina’s best small towns by Travel + Leisure, among the prettiest small towns in the South by Forbes, and one of Expedia’s most beautiful towns in America, there’s good reason travelers are awakening to the wonders of Edenton.
Despite being just an hour and 15 minutes from the Norfolk area and a straight shot on I-440 from the Triangle, Susan says that many people still haven’t heard of Edenton. “It’s had this small-town sort of unknown for a long time,” she explains, despite the town of 5,000 boasting a historical status that rivals far larger and more prominent American cities.
The first colonial capital of the state for over 20 years, Edenton is steeped in historical and cultural significance. Named after the first governor of North Carolina, the former port town is home to three signers of the Constitution and continues to boast its influence in numerous historical sites and what Lorrie Dablow, who owns the Edenton Tea Company with her husband, Patrick, refers to as a sense of “stewardship” that continues to exist in the town’s younger generations.
The Roanoke River Lighthouse and Maritime Museum
After moving to Edenton several years ago, Lorrie and Patrick recognized that visitors were looking to buy replicas of the teapot that appears throughout the town and started a business that blends world-renowned artist Patrick’s devotion to painting with Lorrie’s love of tea. After all, it was in Edenton in 1774 that the earliest organized women’s political action in the country’s history occurred, with 51 women signing a statement in support of a boycott of British goods. Sending this resolution to King George was a bold revolutionary statement in a male-dominated era, a protest that later became known as the Edenton Tea Party.
The brave expression of colonial spirit, led by Penelope Barker, whose 1782 house serves today as the first touchpoint for visitors as Edenton and Chowan County’s welcome center, and is home to the Edenton Historical Commission, hasn’t watered down in a town whose population has barely changed since the 1880s.
But just because the past is so pervasive in Edenton doesn’t mean that progress isn’t palpable. As Susan says, “Preservation has been at the heart of everything that has driven business in the town for decades and decades and decades.”
Among the notable restoration efforts underway is the Hayes Farm Project, which Susan declares “is going to be to North Carolina what Mount Vernon was to Virginia.” After being sold to the state in 2023 following more than 300 years of private ownership — originally by the state’s fourth governor, Samuel Johnston — the 194-acre property with 28 structures, including a carriage house and six enslaved workers’ cottages, recently revealed one of its many treasures in the form of a rare copy of the Constitution discovered in a filing cabinet that later sold for $11 million. An important part of the state’s heritage rests in this single remarkable property, and its preservation will only strengthen Edenton’s historical standing and provide public access to educational and recreational resources.
Also being restored to its former status as a cultural center is the Kadesh A. M. E. Zion Church, one of the most important African American places of worship in the South. Built in 1897, in a rare Victorian adaptation of gothic revival style by a formerly enslaved carpenter who became Edenton’s most prominent architect, the church sustained hurricane damage in 2003 and fell into a state of disrepair that lasted for over 20 years while the congregation worked tirelessly to secure funding for restoration. With the original Tiffany stained-glass windows recently reinstalled, the future of the church is once again dazzling.
Such is the commitment to preservation in Edenton: The community will band together to conserve what would otherwise be lost or forgotten.
Sometimes, preservation involves cutting a building in half and moving it on two flatbed trucks, as is the case with the Inner Banks Inn’s Pack House, originally a tobacco barn and the property’s newest building … at 110 years old. The entire campus encompasses 2.75 acres and spans approximately 250 years of history with its four homes and converted carriage house restaurant that serves three-course breakfasts daily for guests and is open to the public for five-course dinners on the weekend.
About restoring the lovely Inner Banks Inn, which remains the only B&B that started in Edenton, Susan says, “It has been a labor of love” — a fitting representation of how the preservation and restoration movement continues to rouse the greater town.
And make no mistake: The past is Edenton’s main draw. But even if you’re not a history buff, there’s plenty of natural polish to make your visit worthwhile.
The Chowan County Courthouse, circa 1767, is still in use today.
From the panoramas to the people, the beauty of Edenton is very much contemporary. This is the kind of small town where you’re trusted to purchase your vintage trolley tour tickets after you take the comprehensive 50-minute historical overview of the town; when confronted by “a walker and traffic” (which comprises a couple cars), driver Clayton takes the opportunity to impart nuggets of wisdom unearthed from his personal history in Edenton.
It’s also the kind of place where, over breakfast, Terric, who is on staff at the Inner Banks Inn, refills locally roasted coffee and says, “My two great joys are to pour and drink coffee.” And, given his enthusiasm, you believe him.
If it is apparent on Broad Street — which serves as the town’s main street and boasts surprisingly varied dining, shopping, and nightlife options — that residents know each other’s business, their shared business unmistakenly involves welcoming tourists to the town. “It’s Southern hospitality personified here,” Susan describes. And, as if a mind reader, because people here are that considerate, she adds, “And it really is genuine. Everyone here is vested in people coming to Edenton and having a wonderful, authentic experience.”
“Prettiest small town of the South” Edenton is picturesque in ways that could be expected — glorious sunsets and sunrises over Little Creek at Queen Anne Park; trees, whose individual roots are the width of most trunks, which settled several centuries ago in dirt that still produces cotton and soybeans — but there’s also a dreamlike quality that distinguishes Edenton from other coastal towns.
The fully restored Roanoke River Lighthouse, decommissioned more than 80 years ago but still watching vigilant over the water. Cannons that stay aimed at any ship which might dare an approach. Houses, architectural marvels from the late 17th century to the present that can choose whether they want to display their historical status or not, but which cannot possibly hide their rich pedigree. All are emblematic of the specialness — and public spirit, solicitude, and sense of humor of Edenton as an evergreen destination for romantic weekends, girls’ trips, family vacations, corporate retreats, and more.
While you may come to Edenton for the past, you’ll stay for the present. This unforgettable town is what dreams are made of.
See
Historic Trolley Tour (ehcnc.org/836-2/trolley/)
The Taylor Theater, which was built in 1925 as an opera house and retains its classic décor and fittings, shows the newest movie releases. (taylortheater.com)
Hayes Farm (townofedenton.com/public-works/park/hayes-farm)
One of the enslaved workers’ cottages on Hayes Farm due to be restored as part of the Hayes Farm Project
If you prefer a DIY tour of the richest historical assets Edenton has to offer, walk the Edenton Museum Trail — a self-guided, mobile-friendly walking tour throughout the Historic District that includes sites such as the Edenton Teapot. (visitedenton.com/edenton-museum-trail-2)
Newly reinstalled Tiffany stained-glass windows in the under-renovation Kadesh A. M. E. Zion Church
Kadesh A. M. E. Zion Church (kadeshedentonrestoration.org)
The Cupola House and Gardens is one of the state’s most important structures, but the home’s last owner was forced to sell its elaborate interior Georgian woodwork to an antiques dealer, who then sold it to the Brooklyn Museum. The town was without the woodwork for one of the South’s finest colonial homes for almost a century until, in 2024, the Museum announced it would start returning the original 18th-century carved woodwork to Edenton, where it is currently being reinstalled. (cupolahouse.org)
If the trolley tour leaves you longing for more time in the mill village, Edenton Cotton Mill Historic District — comprising 57 mill houses, a brick office building, industrial building, and the First Christian Church — also houses the Edenton Cotton Mill Museum of History. (millvillagemuseum.org)
The Penelope Barker House Welcome Center (ehcnc.org)
Abandoned British cannons and cannonballs — the Penelope Barker House in the background — still serve as a warning.
Circa 1767, the Chowan County Courthouse is the oldest government building in the state. This National Historic Landmark is also the oldest colonial courthouse still in use in the country. (nccourts.gov/locations/chowan-county/chowan-county-courthouse)
Roanoke River Lighthouse and Maritime Museum (historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/historic-edenton)
Note: Although the town caters to guests year-round, check opening times prior to any visit for a seamless experience.
Stay
Bed & Breakfasts
Captain’s Quarters Inn (thecarolinaexperience.com)
The Inner Banks Inn
Take it from us, the Inner Banks Inn is a very deserving Diamond Collection Inn and top-rated Bed and Breakfast and Dining Experience in Tripadvisor’s NC Coast Region. With knowledgeable staff and all sorts of special touches (think charcuterie boards at check-in, king-size beds throughout, and bicycles on loan), this historic inn’s 20 rooms and suites located within five restored homes (the Reagans, Walter Cronkite, and Dolly Parton were all guests in The Lords Proprietor’s, the elegant 19th-century Victorian mansion) all boast modern amenities and a proprietor who goes above and beyond to ensure that her guests enjoy “a very customized, curated experience in a beautiful town with a prolific waterfront.” (innerbanksinn.com)
Granville Queen Inn (thecarolinaexperience.com)
Boat Slips
Edenton Town Harbor offers a complimentary two-night stay to boaters and cruisers with luxury amenities or easy access to all that Edenton has to offer. (townofedenton.com/edenton-harbor)
Shop
Broad Street Bazaar, Edenton’s only two-story shopping experience, includes Coastal Threads: casual coastal men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, and locally made goods. (facebook.com/BroadStreetBazaar; coastalthreadsnc.com)
Coastal Threads
The contractor responsible for the preservation of many of Edenton’s homes and buildings, to include the Kadesh Church, Down East Preservation showcases a design studio and retail space for home décor and furniture. (downeastpreservation.com)
Byrum Hardware and Gifts has been owned by the same family for over 100 years and has every home and garden project, as well as every gift-giving occasion, covered. (byrumhardwareco.com)
Edenton Tea Company sells looseleaf teas, hand-painted Edenton teapot replicas, and other high-quality accessories; it also serves as a showroom for Patrick Dablow’s artwork. (edentontea)
Savor
Shout-out to the smashburger Chief Photographer Jonathan Fredin enjoyed at Broad Street Diner. (facebook.com/broadstreetdineredenton)
Edenton Coffee House is the kind of brew shop where you’ll get to experience a true cross-section of the town’s population. From seniors gathered at a round table to Gen Zers on MacBooks, hearty and homemade — and Roanoke Roasting coffee — are on the extensive menu. (edentoncoffeehouse.com)
The Herringbone
Huckleberry’s Ice Cream Parlor (@huckleberrysicecreamparlor)
The Herringbone on the Waterfront was built in 1898 and was originally a herring icehouse. One of the town’s old trolleys was commissioned to sit in front of the white building and sometimes functions as a snack bar. Inside, the cuisine is upscale casual, and the facility features a full bar and event space. (Decorative vases of cotton on tables and an unmatched view of the bay are perks.) (theherringboneedenton.com)
Old Colony Smokehouse (oldcolonysmokehouse.com)
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