The Palmer Marsh House is located in Bath, NC. The house can be viewed at scheduled tour times for…read more$4. Tickets can be purchased at the Visitor's Center. The house was built in 1744 and became a National Landmark in 1970. It is one of the oldest residences in the state. The Colonial Town House is two stories and has a wood frame. The house has five bedrooms. With the house facing the south, the front door is not at the current street but on the side. The tour is of two floors and the basement which you need to enter from the outside. Unique to the house is an entrance to the parlor that was used for business without disturbing the rest of the house. The house has its original pine wood floors and a section is painted. This was popular at the time as the paint made a sealant and the floors were easier to keep clean. Robert Palmer was a lieutenant colonel in the British Army. He was a customs collector which paid well and his family moved to this house. He was also the surveyor general. Palmer bought the house in 1760 and used one of the rooms for the Colonial Legislature when it held meetings in Bath. The house had two generations of the Palmers before the house passed to the Marsh family in 1802. The house and furnishings are worth a visit and you learn some history in the process.

I was driving down the road and saw the Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza so turned around to go back and…read morecheck it out. It is hard to miss and is the entrance to a park. Street parking was available. I learned it was built on the site of the Sycamore Hill Baptist Church that was the center for the African American community. The panels pay tribute to the area and the people. I'm glad I made the stop to check it out.

Martin County was established in 1774 from parts of Halifax and Tyrrell Counties, it was created to…read moreease the burden on residents who had to travel long distances to reach government seats. The county was named for Josiah Martin, the last royal governor of North Carolina, though after the Revolution, the name came to honor Alexander Martin, a Federalist and later governor of the state. Williamston, the county seat, was incorporated in 1779 and earned the nickname "Tar Landing" due to its strategic location on the Roanoke River. Martin County's courthouse is like none I can remember seeing. The architecture has some Medieval design elements as well as Italianate and Victorian. It was constructed in 1887 and features segmental arched windows and a commanding three-story central square tower, giving it a castle-like silhouette that sets it apart from other North Carolina courthouses of the era. The building served as the county's judicial and administrative center for nearly a century and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Early on a Monday morning, the building was secured and I was not able to see the interior. But the exterior of this historic courthouse was enough today. [Review 831 of 2025 - 4261 in North Carolina - 24390 overall]

The Bonner House was not open for tours while I was in Bath, but I did get to see the outside. The…read moremost impressive part was the view from the house. The house faces, what is now Bonner's Point, and is right on the water. The house has a front and back porch and a large yard. I will try to get back to take a tour of the inside.

Certainly worth spending an afternoon visiting the oldest town in North Carolina. You can visit two…read moreold homes on guided tours and a visitor center that is informative. There is also a self guided walking tour. Information staff. If you visit in the winter be certain to visit nearby Lake Matamaskeet where the Tundra Swans over winter.

Bath, NC, became the first town in the state as European settlers came to the Pamlico River in the…read more1690s. Bath holds many firsts, the first port as well as the first church; first library; and first shipyard. At the Visitor's Center/Museum, there is free parking either on the street or in the parking lot. the Visitor's Center is now located in a former high school that was built in 1922. Admission is free to view the exhibits. when you arrive there is a short film of Bath's history that you can view at your own pace. The exhibits are thorough and nicely done so give yourself enough time to read all the information. Early on, Bath had some turmoil with Cary's Rebellion and then with the Tuscarora Indians. Yellow Fever took more lives. Some of the exhibits cover slavery at the time. Blackbeard even lived in Bath. He got a pardon; married a teenager; and lived at Plum's Point. Bath has a big history in North Carolina so the exhibit center is worth checking out.

This marker might be a bit harder to see as the undergrowth is growing up and around it. The marker…read morepoints out the location of a nearby Civil War fort built by Union forces. It reads, "85th Redoubt. Union fort built by the 85th New York Regiment. It was taken on April 18, 1864, in one of the heaviest assaults of the siege." It is marker number BBB-6 and it was erected in 1961. In April 1864, Union forces under General Henry W. Wessells defended Plymouth, North Carolina, from a major Confederate assault led by General Robert F. Hoke. The town had been under Union control since December 1862, fortified by a ring of earthworks including the 85th Redoubt (Fort Wessells), built by the 85th New York Regiment. On April 17, Confederate cavalry captured a Union patrol, triggering a broader attack that included skirmishes and assaults on Fort Gray and positions along Washington and Acre Roads. On April 18, Confederate forces launched a heavy nighttime assault that captured the 85th Redoubt. After intense fighting on April 19, the final Confederate offensive on April 20 overwhelmed Union defenses from both flanks. Fort Williams fell, and by 10 A.M., Union forces surrendered, marking the end of the Battle of Plymouth. As you tour the sites of the Battle of Plymouth, you'll want to include this. [Review 827 of 2025 - 4257 in North Carolina - 24386 overall]

It can be very difficult to obtain a timely prescheduled appointment these days at a NC DMV. It can…read moreforce one to travel unusual distances, or show up and wait outside to hope for a chance to be assisted. If you fall under that category, and the weather is anything but a clear-skied 70 degrees, do not choose this small outpost location. I was alarmed and profoundly disappointed to witness the, I will say it, *dangerous* disregard this staff showed for the public when unnecessarily *locking their door* thereby forcing everyone, including those with appointments, to wait outside in temperatures that ranged between *98 and 100* degrees. While the foyer and entry hall remained empty, there was only a shallow brick alcove by the doors where you could try to avoid the blistering sun. Even there, my heart rate was pounding while my body tried to adjust to the heat. There was even an amputee outside with crutches. The reasoning the staff gave, when they bothered to, was they were 'short-staffed.' From a customer's view, there were plenty of staff, one of which was doing nothing but sitting in a corner complaining about her back and swapping recipes, and another who was just standing and 'overseeing' and periodically opening the door to ask if anyone had an appointment. I feel certain that person was senior enough that they could have been at a terminal or at least determining what each person was there for. For example, at the Cary, NC Avent Ferry location, even during COVID when everyone had to line up distanced outside, a DMV staff member remained outside and walked the line, triaging each customer. Some were able to go home because they didn't have the right documents with them. At this location, however, I watched as a lovely young woman who had waited in the scorching heat for over an hour, was finally allowed inside to be told something to that effect. She lamented that had she known, she might have avoided that. There were two open terminals where staff could have been at least attempting to assist people, even if they needed to ask other staff for guidance. Regardless, human beings needed to be inside air-conditioned space. They made no effort to e.g. take their number and let them wait in a car with the A/C running, nor to allow people inside. The number of people waiting could have been accommodated in the interior space, or family members accompanying them sent back to wait more comfortably in their vehicles. And it was not a pandemic distancing concern; those had been long ago lifted, and not a single member of their staff was masked. Once we were inside, the space was clean, and the staff who did assist us were for the most part cordial and professional. That is the only reason for the ** and not *.

Absolutely recommend going to this DMV office. Staff is pleasant and they run the office very…read moreefficiently. I had an 8:00 am appointment. I was called at 7:47 am. Out of the office by 8:09 am along with my daughter, who also had an appointment for an ID. Highly, highly recommended!!!!

The Civic Center is a great location for an event! Their website and social media page give a fair…read moreand accurate description of what the inside looks like. I communicated with Charlotte for creating the event on for reserving the space and she is extremely responsive and easy to work with. She answered all of my questions and always offered to help if I needed anything. On the day of the event, staff was there, timely, to open up the space. When you rent the space, you are only responsible for packing up the things you brought there. Staff will breakdown the table and chairs, and well as take out the trash and sweep. Great location with plenty of parking and is wheelchair accessible.

Our daughter and son in law were married at the Washington Civic Center this past Sunday. During…read morethe entire year of planning ReAnne was always available to answer questions and help guide us in the process. She was such a pleasure to work with! The building met all of our needs and was absolutely beautiful for the ceremony and reception. So incredibly thankful we paid the extra money for their staff to come in and clean after. Those guys were awesome also. So happy we looked outside of our immediate area and found this gem. If you're looking for a beautiful venue with great staff, you should tour the Washington Civic Center.