"Resolved, That the delegates for this Colony in the Continental Congress be empowered to concur…read morewith the delegates of the other Colonies in declaring Independency..." - The Halifax Resolves, April 12, 1776 I have seen other Charters of Freedom installations in other cities. This one is slightly different as it uniquely includes the Halifax Resolves, the 1776 document that marked North Carolina's formal call for independence from Britain. It authorized North Carolina's representatives - Joseph Hewes, William Hooper, and John Penn - to join other colonies in declaring independence, a bold move that helped pave the way for the Declaration of Independence less than three months later. The installation was spearheaded by Foundation Forward, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to civic education, and supported by local leaders and donors who recognized Halifax's pivotal role in Revolutionary history. Far more than a monument, the site serves as a hands-on educational resource, especially during annual events like Halifax Day, when reenactments, artisan fairs, and living history demonstrations bring the past vividly to life. The display is open to the public year-round and is a centerpiece of the Historic Halifax State Historic Site, offering visitors a tangible connection to the ideals and debates that shaped the United States. [Review 931 of 2025 - 4335 in North Carolina - 24487 overall]

The historical marker is in front of a beautiful home just to the north of Halifax and points out…read morethe hero that lived here. It reads, "William R. Davie. 1756-1820. A militia officer during the Revolution; governor, 1798-99; envoy to France; "father" of University of N.C. Lived in this house." The house is in the Georgian Federal design with a two-story façade. There is also a caption in front of the house. But this is marker number E-4 and it was erected in 2014 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. William Richardson Davie, born in England in 1756 and raised in South Carolina, was a distinguished Revolutionary War officer, eloquent statesman, and founder of the University of North Carolina. After studying at Princeton and briefly practicing law, he joined the Patriot militia, rising through the ranks and earning acclaim for his daring cavalry raids and strategic supply work under General Nathanael Greene. A committed Federalist, Davie served in the North Carolina legislature and played a pivotal role at the Constitutional Convention, advocating for Southern interests while supporting compromise to secure union. As governor, he helped navigate tense diplomatic waters with France, later serving as a U.S. envoy and negotiator with the Tuscarora tribe. Though his later years were marked by personal loss and political retreat, Davie remained engaged with the university he helped establish, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, education, and public service when he died in 1820 at his South Carolina plantation, Tivoli. I'm not sure if the home is private or open for tours. There is room to stop for photos and to read the marker. [Review 929 of 2025 - 4333 in North Carolina - 24485 overall]

Hope Plantation is in Windsor, NC. It was the home of former NC Governor David Stone…read more Hope Mansion and the King-Bazemore House can be toured with a docent on certain days and times so check the website before visiting to make sure it will be open. You start your visit and buy your ticket at the Roanoke-Chowan Heritage Center. It has restrooms, a gift shop and two rooms to view that provide background information about the property. You can either walk or drive to the houses as they are a distance away. I was not sure what to expect when I decided to visit Hope Plantation and did not expect that the tour would be as long as it was and so thorough. It is possible that my tour was longer than normal as I was very interested in all of the facts provided. I was very impressed with this property; the history and the restoration. I try my best to find the hidden gems to visit so was excited that I found another. Both houses are on the National Registry for Historic Places. The land of the plantation sits was from a land grant by King Charles II of England. It was to lure settlers from Virginia and was given to Francis and Elizabeth Hobson. Elizabeth inherited the property after her husband died and later married Zedekiah Stone. The story told is that Elizabeth missed her homeland Hope Parish so the property was named Hope. David Stone was given the Hope tract of land as a wedding present. He constructed the Hope Mansion. The house was completed in 1803. It is of a Georgian style with Federal Period influences. The enslaved community provided the labor to run the plantation. The highly skilled labor can be seen with the craftsmanship of the home. After David Stone died, his son sold the property. It changed owners many times. In 1960 though the property was deteriorated and Bertie Country residents worked to save the property. They created a historical association and raised the funds to purchase the property. Then went on to restoring the mansion through research. The outside was completed in 1969 and by 1972 the restoration was completed. The King-Bazemore House was relocated to the plantation in 1974 to be restored. It is an example of a colonial home and would be compared to the Hobson-Stone House that was destroyed when the mansion was built. I highly recommend visiting this property in Bertie County if you love history and historic properties. You will not be disappointed. These properties are amazing and the restorations impeccable.

From the owner: Restored home of former North Carolina Governor David Stone (1770-1818). Located four miles west of…read moreWindsor, NC, the plantation complex offers unique insights into the late 18th & 19th century rural life in eastern North Carolina and the South.

This marker points out one of the reasons Halifax is an important city in the Colonial journey. It…read morehas the same text on both sides and reads, "North Carolina Constitution. The first constitution of the independent state was adopted in Halifax on December 18, 1776." In November 1776, delegates to North Carolina's provincial congress convened in Halifax and appointed a committee - led by Samuel Ashe - to draft a state constitution. Drawing on guidance from Mecklenburg and Orange counties and a pivotal letter from William Hooper, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the committee reviewed other newly adopted state constitutions before presenting their proposals a month later. After minor revisions, the congress approved the Declaration of Rights on December 17 and the state constitution on December 18, following six sessions of debate. Though adopted separately, the two documents are generally regarded as a unified foundation for state governance. The exact location in Halifax where they were drafted remains a subject of historical uncertainty. There is more information online. This is marker number E-98 and it was erected in 1988 by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. It's a quiet road so there is room to stop and read. [Review 928 of 2025 - 4332 in North Carolina - 24484 overall]

Yes, I drove an hour round trip to take a picture of a sign but this one is special. It denotes the…read moretime that the United States bombed North Carolina, nearly a hundred years after the end of the Civil War. The marker reads, "Nuclear Mishap. B-52 transporting two nuclear bombs crashed, Jan. 1961. Widespread disaster averted; three crewmen died 3 miles south." Okay, all kidding aside. Three Air Force crew died and in the process, prevented what would have been an unspeakable tragedy. It is a serious matter. During the height of the Cold War, the United States had a policy of keeping armed aircraft in the air at all times in the event of a conflict. Nuclear deterrence and all that. Well, this B-52G Stratofortress took some structural damage during an air refueling and while preparing to land at nearby Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, it experienced a major failure of the right wing. The plane broke up and exploded at 8000 feet. "As a result of the breakup of the plane, two MK39 nuclear weapons were released at a height of between 10,000 and 2,000 feet. Seven of eight arming, fusing, and firing switches and devices in one bomb automatically actuated. Only a crew-controlled switch prevented a nuclear detonation. Since its parachute deployed, one bomb had only minor damage when it fell about a mile from the crash site. The second bomb fell free, without its parachute deploying, and broke apart on impact." "Components of the bomb were sought for several weeks. The decision was made to leave remaining portions of the weapon containing uranium, believed to have entered the water table, in the ground. As a precaution, the government purchased part of the site and still maintains an easement in order to prevent digging in the vicinity. Periodic groundwater tests, still conducted by the state, have revealed no contamination." As the sign mentions, the actual crash is three miles away and the grounds are secured. Here in downtown Eureka, there isn't much. A small sandwich shop is near the sign if you're hungry. [Review 15486 overall, 990 of 2021, number 3029 in North Carolina.]

This place is pretty amazing even if you're not a history buff. Kids enjoyed the place. There's…read moreunmark parking available. Picnic tables available for a luncheon. They have a visitor center for all your questions. They offer ghost tours as well! If you're in the area definitely stop by and check it out!

Built in the 1600's. At one time the largest private dwelling in colonial America. One of 3 large…read moreplantations. 17 fireplaces, 33 bedrooms! Burned down in 1916. This house has been through a lot over the past centuries. A nice stop to see an interesting architectural feat. Stop by the visitor's center for admission and information about this mansions previous grandeur and storied history.

This confusing setup has a bunch of national park land adjoined to a privately owned historical…read moresite. Focusing only on the national park site, I found a visitor center with an introductory movie. While I was perusing the exhibitions right outside the theater, they managed to close it and lock it without letting me know the movie was starting. Which is a little irksome, but may have worked out for the best as I got to the outdoor site and managed to get a run of it and take some pictures just as a weather front was heading in. Some people had traveled from Michigan to tour the area, which I think was a good decision for them as you don't get this kind of history up there. The national park site has some ruins and signage after crossing a boardwalk over the swamp. While not huge in scope; I spent maybe an hour on the site in total, it gives you a feel for the challenges that settlers would have faced. The signage provides compelling information for visitors of all ages, and the views of the waterfront and nearby ferry are majestic as well. You'll get a sense of historical nuance with a lot of players in the area, and an aesthetic experience as well. There is a wildlife drive and this place does have a parkway running to Yorktown, albeit currently not fully open due to major construction. I did not have time for everything the area has to offer on this passing visit, but there is a lot regardless of how much time you have.

September 2024- I visited the historic & original Jamestown , the colony was established there in…read more1607. Jamestown is remembered for its iconic historical figures like Pocohontas and Captain John Smith. In the Visitor Center, there is a small museum exhibit of Jamestown. The admission to explore all of Jamestown requires the purchase of two tickets since Jamestowne managed by two separate organizations, Preservation Virginia (Jamestown Rediscovery) and the National Park Service (Colonial National Historical Park). This can be very confusing when entering and getting admission inside Jamestowne. Entrance inside the visitor center & museum as well as the grounds are free for active military and their families, who get free passes to all the national parks. Standard fee is $15. An additional ticket of $15 is required to purchase by ALL (even with a free military entrance pass to all National Parks). It was worth it to me and a fair price to pay. Jamestowne was a fascinating visit to walk through the well maintained and reconstructed historical buildings & ancient ground of Jamestown. I like how they reconstructed Jamestown to show how it appeared during colonial times and showcased the ruins of the old church within its duplicated replica. I spent most of my time in the church, drinking in the views by the River, and walking through the grounds of Jamestowne. We ended our visit at Jamestown by going to the Archaearium, the archaeology museum, last. It covers the history of Jamestown 1607-1624. There was so much unknown information uncovered there about Pocahontas and the dark history of the colonists during times of famine. 1609 - 1610 was a dark and horrific time period of cold winter weather & starvation for the colonial settlers of Jamestowne. Many starved to death, some resorted to cannibalism of dead corpses or killing the living for food to survive. They reserved a room about this dark period and restrict the use of cameras & taking photography/ videos of that area in the museum out of respect for the remains of the dead in the room. Very macabre yet still fascinating. There were many areas we did not have time to explore due to time constraints and our travel agenda, yet we made the best of what little time we had there.

Ghent is a melting pot of cool architecture, museums, schools, churches, unique shopping, music,…read moreupscale dinning, antique stores, sidewalk cafes, street performers and yes hippies. The main drags of the business district are Colley Ave, Colonial Ave and 21 St. The residential area is eclectic pre turn and turn of the century Queen Anne, Tudor and Colonial Revival. Development began in the 1890's. It's name Ghent hales from from a city in Belgium. Neighborhoods include Ghent, West Ghent, East Ghent, Ghent Square. It is a city within a city since its Norfolk. This is where the most wealthy Industrialist of the day resided. The Ghent Historic District is on the National Register of Historic places. The most historic buildings of Ghent on a little research that I did Warren (c. 1925), the Holland (1904), the Mowbray (c. 1914), Eastern Virginia Medical School, Sarah Leigh Hospital (1902), Fergus Reid residence (1892), the Frank S. Royster residence (c. 1900-02), the William H. White residence (c. 1892), the Richard B. Tunstall residence (c. 1892), the Robert M. and Robert W. Hughes residence (c. 1895-1900), and the William Tait residence (c. 1895). On several of my visits on foot I came across residents running, walking, maintaining their yard and even conversing with their neighbors. It seemed like on every block a resident had a renovation underway whether big, or small. I stopped and talked with at least three Ghent residents and found them all to be super friendly. Interestingly even though the homes are very old, most have only turned over two, to three times in ownership per a local. I spent a great deal of time taking pics for this review, I urge you to check them out. My recommendation is to experience Ghent on foot as I have done on almost a half dozen visits. If you have yet to explore this gorgeous and historic area there is no time like the present. Christmas decorations will soon be up and from what I am told it will be spectacular. I think you will agree that it's a treasured place for us all to enjoy no matter where you reside in Hampton Roads.

This is the nicest part of Norfolk. A city that's already on the ocean has a smaller island that is…read morequieter and more expensive (read, more cared for and historical architecture). It's a walking tour paradise.

Hello everyone, I had an absolutely fantastic, once in a lifetime experience at Patrick Henry's Red…read moreHill. The property is beautiful, relaxing and well-maintained. I highly recommend checking out this place. The admission is very affordable and the experience is worth the cost. I really enjoyed learning about the property from Patrick Henry's descendant. He was very kind and well-informed about the life of Patrick Henry. The first part of the experience includes a short film about Patrick Henry's life and family. Patrick Henry's descendant explained everything about Patrick Henry and was passionate about history. My family and I were very fortunate to have the whole property to ourselves. The property has breathtaking views and is very peaceful. I enjoyed walking the grounds and seeing the different historical buildings. The whole experience was truly memorable and enjoyable. I will definitely visit again when I travel to Virginia from Florida. I went to purchase a book in the gift shop about Patrick Henry and his descendant gave me a free copy. I really appreciated that and enjoy learning more about the founding fathers.

It's off the beaten path but a neat look back to Colonial times. A great patriotic look at one of…read morethe more outspoken voices of the American Revolution. Also has a nice display to honor the slaves and freedmen who made their homes there. It was a nice history lesion and afternoon spent in the beauty of the Virginia countryside