The Penelope Barker House is one of the most iconic buildings in Edenton.
This gorgeous and picturesque building sits right at the edge of Edenton’s Albemarle Sound and is essentially the center of the tourism industry in Edenton.
At the Barker house, you can schedule tours, learn about Edenton’s history, get your tickets for Edenton’s Trolley tour, and find out everything you can do around Edenton.
Here are four things you don’t know about the Penelope Barker House.
The Barker House is the perfect place to watch the sunset.
The Barker House sits right on the western-facing bank of the Albemarle Sound, and its front porch looks out over the waterfront to a wide-open sky.
The sunsets over the water are absolutely stunning, and there is an array of rocking chairs sitting out on the front porch of the house for you to sit on and enjoy the sunset as the oranges, purples, and yellows of the setting sun bounce off the water as it slowly sinks behind the trees.
Whether you are finishing up a day walking around Edenton or simply want to take in a perfect sunset, this is the place to do it.
The Barker House is also a museum.
Edenton has a lot of history. From the Cupola house to the Iredell house, to the Chowan County 1767 courthouse, there are a lot of things to explore in Edenton.
But if you tour upstairs, you’ll discover an excellent one-stop shop for Edenton’s history. It’s the perfect place to start your Edenton exploration.
You’ll learn about Penelope Barker and the Edenton Tea Party, Edenton’s development over the years, and so much more.
The Barker House didn’t originally sit on the Albemarle sound
The house is such an iconic part of Edenton’s waterline and fits so seamlessly into the waterfront you’d never know it, but it didn’t move down to its current location until relatively recently.
Originally, the house was built two blocks north of where it stands today. Then, in 1952, it was moved to its current location and turned around to face the Albemarle Sound.
Today, you’ll park and enter through the rear of the house, a sign that you are welcome and encouraged to come back as often as you can.
The Barker House has one of the best collections of 18th-century furniture anywhere.
The Barker House isn’t just a building that exudes beautiful architecture. It’s full of period-specific pieces. The Barker house has 8 fireplaces and is decked out with an extraordinary furniture collection.
One of the more fascinating things about visiting the Barker House is seeing how so much of its original furniture and decoration is still intact.
The Penelope Barker House is a treasure trove of interesting tidbits about Edenton’s history.
No matter how many times you walk through it, you’ll always find something new.
It’s the place you begin your exploration of Edenton and the best place to learn about this incredible town.
There’s a reason that the Barker House is an Edenton Favorite.
It’s a unique treasure-trove of one-of-a-kind items and the perfect place to learn about Edenton’s fascinating history.
When you plan a trip to Edenton, The Barker House will be an essential stop.
