The North Carolina Department of Transportation Presents
	Later Settlers at the Site (1720-1740s)       In 1719, North Carolina governor Charles Eden purchased the Eden House property Period II Artist's Reconstruction from the sons of former owner Henry King. By this time, people had lived at this location for over forty years. At least several of the original buildings were still standing. Eden constructed a fine plantation house north of the original site and renovated at least two of the buildings that were later excavated by Coastal Carolina Research.       By the time Charles Eden arrived on the property, many of the conditions that had made life hazardous for earlier inhabitants in the Albemarle Sound region had vanished. Settlement was underway in the nearby town of Edenton, and the pirate Edward Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard, had been captured and killed. Piracy continued to be a problem for several more years, but starting around 1720 settlers began to expand their farms. The 1715 peace treaty with the Tuscarora Indians effectively removed the threat of Native American hostility.       In this period of newfound peace and expansion Eden used the plantation as a seat of government. Eden's ownership of the property was not destined to be long-lived, however. He died there on March 16, 1722, from yellow fever, only four years after purchasing the property. Archaeological Findings (1720-1740)       In the years before he moved to Eden House, Charles Eden's name had become linked with the infamous pirate, Blackbeard. Perhaps Eden thought it wise to move his government activities away from the town of Bath, where Blackbeard lived. After purchasing the plantation from Henry King's heirs, Eden set it up as the seat of government for the colony. there, the recently widowed Eden lived in his fine home with two stepchildren.       Renovation and repair to standing buildings during Wine Glass Stem the years 1720- 1740 reflected the changing use of the site during this period. It also informs us about the larger political and social changes taking place in the Albemarle region. At the site, new owner Charles Eden moved the main part of the plantation away from the area excavated in 1996 when he constructed a new home well to the north of Structures 1 and 2.       Only a few historical records about Charles Eden survive today, so little is known about what his plantation looked like. Archaeology tells us that Structures 1 and 2, both originally built during the early years of the site, underwent major renovations when Eden bought the land. An outside basement entrance opening towards the river was added to Structure 1. This new entrance may have been built to make it easier to move goods brought up from the river in and out of the cellar. In earlier years, when the colonists were nervous about the threat of Indian and pirate attacks, an outside entrance to the basement would have been a way unwanted visitors could get into the house. After the danger of outside attack diminished around 1720, the settlers were more comfortable about their safety and added this entrance.       By 1720, Structure 2 had been standing almost half a century and was beginning to show its age. Interior of Structure 2 Artist's Reconstruction Rotting wooden structural posts in Structure 2 were replaced. A new fireplace, chimney, and staircase were also built in Structure 2 at this time. Sometime after 1715, a fence line was built off the northeast corner of Structure 2. Since this fence ran right through the location of the seventeenth-century barn, its location tells archaeologists that the barn was no longer standing by the time the fence was built. The outdoor privy had also been filled in around the time Governor Eden bought the land, but the well continued to be used.       Although the ways Structures 1 and 2 were used after Eden acquired the property are not known, archaeology suggests several possible answers. The artifacts found at the buildings are the kinds found around places where people lived. Because a lot of people were needed to keep a large southern plantation running smoothly, these two buildings were probably used as workers' houses. By 1720, these workers would have been mostly enslaved Africans and African Americans. Structure 2 contained five large holes cut through the soil beneath the building's floor. These types of pits, which appear to have been used for storage, are often seen in association with places where enslaved people lived.       It is also possible that Structures 1 and 2 served as a sort of combination hotel View of Excavation of Structure 2 and restaurant called an ordinary. Many people would have come from long distances to see the Governor on business. These people would have needed a convenient place to stay, and it is possible that Structure 1 was used in this way. In that case, Structure 2 may have been refitted as a kitchen for the ordinary. This interpretation fits nicely with the newly built fireplace and chimney. Even in its role as a kitchen, Structure 2 would have likely served a double function as housing for the enslaved. It is also possible that Structure 1 could have served as a store for people living along the Chowan River, or as a house for a ferryman employed by Eden.
	For unknown reasons, people stopped living at this part of the site sometime in the 1740s or early 1750s. The building that stood over the cellar in Structure 1 was removed or destroyed, and the cellar hole was filled with trash, stone, brick, and wood from the structure. The well and Structure 2 also fell out of use around the same time.
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