A humble, one-room building in Edenton has just been revealed as one of North Carolina’s oldest surviving colonial structures.
The Edenton Village and Museum Foundation—or EVM—has announced that the "little red house" located at the historic Hayes Farm is the oldest building on the property. While the farm’s famous main plantation house dates back to 1817, scientific testing has proven this small cabin is nearly sixty years older.
Using a process called dendrochronology—or tree-ring dating—experts have confirmed the timber used to build the house was harvested around 1760. That places its construction more than a decade before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Historians say the structure likely survived by "hiding in plain sight" for generations. It is believed the house was moved a short distance from its original location decades ago to make room for the construction of modern grain bins. Because of that move, its true age remained a mystery until this recent scientific breakthrough.
The E-V-M Foundation, which manages the 184-acre farm, says it is now moving into the planning phase for a full restoration of the cabin. Once completed, this rare colonial survivor will serve as a centerpiece for the museum’s mission to tell the complete story of life in eighteenth-century North Carolina.
