Martinique House Revealed: Getting History Right Through Archival Evidence

Jun 19

1 min read

Much has been written in the past about an early house in the Rocky Hock area of northern Chowan County, NC, called Martinique, including its description as "northern Chowan's oldest surviving house." There are also claims Martinique was built ca. 1752 on a Granville land grant and that it is "unique in being the only grant in Chowan County still held by the descendants of the original owners." These claims are incorrect. This article uses archival evidence to correct the record and get the history of the house and property right. This evidence suggests the house was built in the 1790s or early 1800s.

Recent Posts

See All

Edenton's 1718 House, Mr. Ogilby's Tavern

This book—Edenton’s 1718 House, Mr. Ogilby’s Tavern—was first published in hard-copy form in late 2024 and explores possible original sites of the oldest known house in North Carolina. Tree ring datin

Robert Kirshaw, Edenton Carpenter & Joiner

Recent publications have established that a British cabinetmaker named Samuel Black and individuals working for him were responsible for the construction of Edenton’s Cupola House for Francis Corbin,

A Chair from Monticello and Carrie Randolph of Edgehill

The stated purpose of this article is to document what appears to be an important, early Virginia side chair, so its history will be preserved and available for future researchers.