County Project: Beaufort County, NC

County History Project: Beaufort County, NC

Matt Clatworthy


It had to start somewhere -North Carolina, that is. And what better place than in Beaufort County? In 1705, Bath became the first incorporated town in North Carolina. It was selected by the English colonists for much the same reasons people choose to move both their businesses and their families to Beaufort County today: the agreeable climate, the vast expanses of oak and pine forests, and the miles and miles of waterfront property. Today those same waters are still punctuated by the shrill cry of seagulls and the slap of canvas sails capturing summer breezes. But instead of English traders hauling goods in wooden sloops and pirates plundering in three-masted frigates, one finds families slicing through the waters in sleek fiberglass sailboats, or canoe clubs navigating the moss-laden curves of cypress-lined creeks. Joining Bath in the line-up of historic waterfront communities in Beaufort County, Washington, the Cou...