highest point of land in Beaufort. Built in 1 709 

 for a group of sea captains, it also is the town's 

 oldest home and one of the most intriguing 

 because of its association with the famed 

 pirate Blackbeard. 



"Blackbeard lived here and brought one 

 of his 14 brides," says Willis. "The bride was a 

 teenager. When Blackbeard left to go on a trip, 

 she was isolated and lonely and had a party 

 where she found a boyfriend." 



Later, Blackbeard came back and 

 challenged the boyfriend to a duel, she adds. 

 "That is why there are still blood stains on 

 the stairs." 



One legend has it that the home's 

 residents often are awakened by the sound of 

 women crying. "It is supposed to be a haunted 

 house," Willis adds. 



One of the last stops on the trip is the 

 Blare House, a gothic-style home on Marsh 

 Street. "The home has an octagonal-shaped 

 back room," she says. It reportedly sold for a 

 cow and half-a-calf in the 18th century. 



Walking Tour 



After the bus returns to Turner Street, the 

 walking tour begins at the Beaufort Historic 

 Site — which includes the Carteret County 

 Courthouse of 1796, the oldest wood-framed 

 courthouse in North Carolina. 



The Church of England originally used 

 the small-framed building as a meeting place, 

 according to Daniel W. Barefoot's Touring the 

 Backroads of North Carolina 's Lower Coast. 

 "During the War of 1812, the courthouse 

 quartered American troops from Beaufort, 

 Lenior and Craven counties," the author says. 



Today, the courthouse's interior is painted 

 Spanish brown to match the outside of the 

 building. Trials were held at the courthouse 

 until the mid- 1 800s, when it became a home, 

 says the guide. In 1977, the building was 

 moved from the square to its current site. 



Next to the courthouse is a two-story jail 

 that was constructed in 1836. The building has 

 several cells and a jailkeeper's quarters, as well 

 as some unique artifacts. An upstairs holding 

 room contains only one object: a rope last used 

 for hanging a prisoner in 1 875. 



Another interesting stop is 

 the apothecary. Authentic medical 

 instruments, bottles and prescriptions 

 are on display — from Lydia 

 Pinkham's vegetable tonic to an oil 

 of youth "that won't make you young 

 but make you feel young." 



"The oil of youth was one of the 

 favorites," the tour guide says. "It sold 

 for 50 cents a bottle. What a deal!" 



In the back of the apothecary is 

 a doctor's office constructed in 1825 

 and filled with a variety of artifacts 

 from 1936 or earlier — including an 

 old stethoscope and a Red Cross flag 

 from World War I. 



"Dr. George Davis practiced 

 here in the late 1800s to early 1900s," 

 the guide says. 



Across Turner Street, the Mattie 

 King Davis Art Gallery is decorated 

 with colorful wreaths. The building, 

 which was constructed in 1732, was 

 originally called the Rustell home and 

 moved to its present location in the 

 early 1970s. 



Nearby is the Leffers Cottage, a 

 good example of "story and a jump" 

 or a one-and-a-half story house. 



Built by schoolmaster and clerk Samuel 

 Leffers, the house is decorated with simple 

 early American furnishings — from a 

 spinning wheel to handmade rope bed. The 



CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 

 Women play the harp in the parlor at the Josiah 

 Bell house. ♦ 1 he Old Burying Ground is a 

 popular stop for visitors. ♦ The sanctuary of 

 St Paul's Episcopal Church is shaped like the 

 inverted hull of a ship. 



10 HOLIDAY 2005 



