Town of Halifax Historic District
Halifax County, North Carolina
The historic town of Halifax has it all – diverse architectural styles, different building types, and 200 years of history. Halifax, at the mouth of the Roanoke River, is the county seat. Originating in 1757, Halifax's early history typified wealthy plantation culture and the importance associated with
a county seat. This early history
of Halifax is particularly well-known and significant to the story of American independence.
During the last quarter of the eighteenth century, Halifax attracted several educated, civic-minded citizens who took part in the struggles for America's independence, who began work on North Carolina state constitution, and proposed a state university. All the while, Halifax remained a small town, much like it is today.
With 114 contributing resources, the sixteen block historic district focuses on the entire courthouse square and an adjacent commercial street that represent Roanoke River Valley and Albemarle Sound history from 1783 to 1960. The historic district includes government, church, fraternal, mercantile, and residential buildings, as well as a number of cemeteries. The vast majority of these buildings remain in their original location, giving the district a high degree of historic integrity. Some of the original town architecture is well-preserved within the Historic Halifax State Historic Site – an outdoor museum village open to the public. Outside of the historic site, the remainder of the Town of Halifax Historic District covers a wide variety of architectural styles spanning over 200 years of history. Diverse nineteenth-and twentieth-century urban architecture typical of the Albemarle Sound region displayed in the Town of Halifax Historic District include: Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Neoclassical Revival, Craftsman, and Ranch.
To see more photographs of this beautiful and diverse historic district, go to our photostream on Flickr.
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