HALIFAX—Visitors stopping by the Historic Halifax may now enjoy two new wayside exhibits featuring Market Square and the state historic site’s government buildings, both current and past.
The wayside exhibits were unveiled in Halifax on Saturday, May 16, at annual meeting of the Society of Colonial Wars, which funded the displays. Each exhibit enables viewers to learn about the site or building through a self-guided walking tour.
A typical “green” found in colonial towns, Halifax’s Market Square was an open area located at the center of town where people gathered, domestic animals were pastured and markets were held. During the American Revolution, because the town was a recruiting station for patriot troops, the square became the site of a military barracks and drill area.
The government buildings exhibit/marker refers to the Halifax County Courthouse and its two predecessors at the same location in town, along with the 1832 Clerk’s Office, which served as an expansion of the county’s first courthouse.
Participants in the unveiling included Dr. W. Keats Sparrow, governor of the Society of Colonial Wars in North Carolina; Keith Hardison, director of the N.C. Division of State Historic Sites; and David White, past governor of the Society of Colonial Wars in North Carolina.
In the spring of 1776, North Carolina’s Fourth Provincial Congress met in Halifax. On April 12 that body unanimously adopted a document later called the “Halifax Resolves,” which was the first official action by an entire colony recommending independence from England.
Halifax’s first 85 years as a town are recalled in the historic site’s preservation. The Owens House, which features a gambrel roof, is furnished as the home of a prosperous Halifax merchant; it is the oldest building on site and dates from about 1760. Nearby Eagle Tavern and the Tap Room are also 18th century.
The Roanoke River Valley’s prosperity during the 18th and 19th centuries is reflected in the many Federal-style plantation homes built here from the 1790s to the 1820s. A particularly elegant example is the 1808 Sally-Billy House. The two public buildings within the historic district — the Clerk’s Office and the Jail — were built by the same contractor.
Other site features reflect bygone days in Halifax. These include Magazine Spring, long a town water source; the cemetery; Market Square, formerly the town park, pasture and marketplace; and the river outlook, near the site of an early ferry landing.
Historic Halifax’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history of Halifax, where North Carolina first declared independence from Great Britain.
The state historic site is located in Halifax County, a little over five miles east of Interstate 95. Take exit 168 onto State Route 903 and follow brown historic site signs to the Historic Halifax Visitor Center. For more information call (252) 583-7191 or check the Web site at http://www.halifax.nchistoricsites.org.
Historic Halifax is part of the N.C. Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2009 theme observance of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com or call (919) 807-7385.