Area Information

In 1663 North Carolina was granted to eight friends of the King of England, Charles II. They promoted settlement and the settlers from Virginia began to push into eastern NC. In 1696 the county of Bath was established and in 1705 the present Beaufort County was established. Historic Bath was incorporated in 1705 and is North Carolina's oldest town. Restored buildings include 1734 St. Thomas Church, the 1751 Palmer Marsh House, the Van Der Veer House and the 1830 Bonner House. Bath has several buildings of interest, including the earliest NC church still in continuous use. A library sent to St Thomas Parish in 1701 became the first public library in the colony.

Climate is mild with wet summers and dry winters. Temperatures rarely climb above the average high of 90 degrees F in July or below the average low of 30 degrees F in January. A little snow may fall once or twice in the winter, but the peak precipitation hits in August with an average of 6 inches of rainfall. Beaufort County Schools offer excellent public education facilities to "provide a safe harbor where all children are successful." SAT scores for Beaufort County Schools are higher than those for most counties in the area. Beaufort County Community College in Washington, NC, offers quality education in a positive learning environment. Varied programs of study include arts & sciences, college transfer, allied health, business and industrial technology. Area health care facilities include Beaufort County Hospital, Cherry Hospital (NC Department of Health and Human Services), Department of Transplant Surgery (East Carolina University), and Heart Center (University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina). The Pamlico River, as well as many navigable creeks and the Intracoastal Waterway run through Beaufort County, making it clearly the Waterfront Capital of eastern North Carolina.  Hyde County, located on the Pamlico Sound, is also the home of Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina's largest natural lake. To the east of the Pamlico Sound are the beautiful Outer Banks and the Atlantic Ocean. If you enjoy nature, water sports, golfing or just like to relax and watch a flaming sunset melt into the water, you'll love this part of eastern North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources operates the Historic Bath Visitor Center on Carteret Street (NC 92) as part of the state historic site and offers tours of the Palmer-Marsh House, the Van Der Veer House and the Bonner House. Other visitor services include a free orientation film, special events and a waterfront picnic area on Front Street. Recreational access to Bath Creek and the Pamlico River is available at the Back Creek Bridge. Gift shops and overnight lodging are available in the town. Camping is available at Goose Creek State Park located near Bath.

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