PEOPLE & 



PLACES 



Historic 

 Bath 

 Celebrates 



300 Years 



By Ann Green 

 Photos by Scott Taylor 



D. 



uring the 1 700s, the fiery revivalist 

 George Whitefield placed a curse on the town of 

 Bath because he felt mistreated, according to a 

 town legend. 



While shaking the dust of the town from 

 his feet on leaving, Whitefield condemned Bath 

 "forever to the life of a small village," says the 

 Bath Town Guidebook. 



His curse may have been fulfilled, but folks 

 there don't seem to mind. 



As North Carolina's oldest town, Bath 

 has grown little since its creation in 1 705 when 

 it consisted of a few houses. The town — which 

 had a 2000 census count of 286 residents — has 

 a handful of shops; quiet, tree-shaded streets 

 with old homes; and a marina on Bay Creek. 



Also, many historic structures still adorn 

 the streets, including St. Thomas Episcopal 

 Church, the oldest North Carolina church still in 

 existence. 



This year, the town of Bath is celebrating its 

 claim to fame with 300th birthday celebrations 

 continuing through November. 



Tours and open houses are scheduled. A 

 replica of the Elizabeth II is set to sail over from 

 Manteo to Bath in late September. An outdoor 

 drama also is in the works. 



"The people of Bath are happy to share 

 their town's history with everybody dunng this 

 year of celebration," says Patricia Sanford, 

 the manager of the Histonc Bath Site that 

 provides tourist information. "The events being 

 held throughout the year range from formal 

 assemblies to street dances. There will be 

 something for everyone to enjoy." 



Located near the Pamlico River and 50 

 miles across the sound from the Ocracoke 

 Inlet, Bath was North Carolina's first port and 



produced the state's first shipyard and gristmill. It 

 also was the home of North Carolina's first public 

 library. 



WALKING TOUR 



The best way to see Bath is to take a guided 

 walking tour. Start at the Bath State Historic Site's 

 Visitor Center just a block from the RayS. Brooks 

 Bridge over Bay Creek. The center shows a short 

 film that includes a brief history of the town first 

 settled by French Protestants from Virginia. One of 

 the earliest settlers wasjohn Lawson, author of the 

 first history of Carolina. 



"As plantations flourished, Indians were 

 pushed further away," according to the film. "An 

 epidemic of yellow fever took many lives." 



After the epidemic and drought in the early 

 1 700s, citizens began to rebuild the town. Trade in 

 turpentine and other naval store products, as well 

 as furs and tobacco, helped the town to become 

 the first port of entry into North Carolina. 



As deeper ports were built in Edenton and 

 other towns in the 1700s, Bath's trade diminished. 

 Later in 1 785, the town also lost its role as the seat 

 of Beaufort County government to the new town 

 ofWashington. 



The walking tour directs visitors to a cemetery 

 behind the town's oldest home, the Palmer-Marsh 

 House. 



As Leigh Swain of the Visitor's Center 

 points out the grave of Capt. Michael Coutanch, 

 she explains that he was the first owner of the 



22 HIGH SEASON 2005 



