A Short History of Washington in Beaufort County

In 1663 North Carolina was granted to eight of the political friends of the recently restored King of England, Charles II. These men, known as the Lords Proprietors of Carolina, promoted the settlement of this state. Settlers from Virginia began to push into the Albemarle region of eastern Carolina. As this area became inhabited some of the more adventurous settlers pushed southward and by the 1690's settlers had begun to appear on the Pamlico River. In 1696 the county of Bath was established and in 1705 the present Beaufort County was established as Pampticough precinct. -By: Herbert Paschal

Historic Bath was incorporated in 1705 and is NC's oldest town. . A library sent to St. Thomas Parish in 1701 became the first public library in the colony. During the18th century, Bath's busy streets and docks were frequented by Royal Governors, Colonial Assemblymen, and even the pirate Blackbeard. Bath was the haunt of Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. He is said to have married a local girl and briefly settled in the little harbor town about 1716. There have always been legends that Blackbeard struck bargains in Bath with Royal Governor Charles Eden. Restored buildings include the 1734 St Thomas Church, the 1751 Palmer-Marsh House, the 1790 Van Der Veer House and the 1830 Bonner House.

The Original Washington was founded on the 337 acres granted to Christopher Dudley in 1726. In 1771, James Bonner, then owner of the land, founded a town called "Forks of the Tar River" which by 1776 was known as Washington, the first town to be named in honor of General George Washington.

The Town of Washington played a strategic role during the War for Independence. With the ports of Savannah, Charles Town and Wilmington under British Siege, the Continnental Army relied on Washington as a supply port.

Washington was incorporated by the General Assembly at Hillsboro in 1782. In 1784, the Assembly established a trading port of Washington "for the speedy decision of mercantile transactions with foreign and transient persons."

Washington is in the western part of Beaufort C. In the east-central portion of the Coastal Plains. Located on the Navigable Pamlico River, Washington is 136 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia, and 105 miles east of Raleigh, NC. Highways serving the area include US 17, US264,NC33,and I-95. Washington is the port of entry to ancient Bath, flowery Terra Ceia, wild fowl Lake Mattamuskeet, and the commericial and sport fishing of Pamlico Sound and the Outer Banks.

Washington has unsurpassed water sports, recreational facilities, boating, fishing, swimming, water skiing and sailing. The Washington Yacht and County Club has a yacht basin, an 18-hole golf course and a swimming pool. The Town of Washington has free boat launching facilities, tennis courts, a recreation center, several ball parks, and public library. With the renewed interest in historic preservation, Washington is a city that truly lives up to it motto: "Pride in the past, faith in the future." For more info, contact Washington Chamber of Commerce at 919/946-9168. Click Here to return to Main page.

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© Diane Mason 1997