Edenton in Chowan County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Penelope Barker House
Organizer of 1774 "Edenton Tea Party"
America's first political action by women
| | Edenton Historical Commission Museum Trail | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 16, 2023
1. Penelope Barker House Marker
North Carolina History Project website entry:
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
A Brief History of the Barker House
1757
Thomas Barker marries Penelope Padgett. Penelope, 28 years old, twice widowed, had inherited substantial wealth.
1761
Thomas travels to London as North Carolina Colony Agent. Stayed 17 years, as Revolutionary War broke out he escaped via France. Penelope was busy in Edenton.
1774
Penelope summons 50 brave ladies to petition King George, publicly opposing the British Tea Act; "Edenton's Tea Party", first political action by women in America.
1775
British newspapers publish the famous caricature ridiculing the Tea Party women and lists their names. Creates a storm of interest.
1782
Thomas and Penelope build the Barker House on Broad Street, two blocks north of its current location.
1952
Owners sell land for commercial property. Donated house, if moved as a community building. Edenton organizations fund move to waterfront property provided by Town.
1972
House fully restored. Placed on National Registry of Historic Sites. Becomes home to Edenton Historical Commission and Penelope Barker Welcome Center.
[other photo captions]
Penelope Barker's women of Edenton signed an agreement declaring they
this page online
Moving Barker House, 4 chimneys in place, took three weeks, movers place a bottle on window sill to prove their skill. Bottle did not fall.
House at its waterfront site. Rotated 180 degrees to front the Bay, awaiting years of restoration, eventually home to Edenton Historical Commission and Welcome Center.
This self-guided museum trail is numbered for convenience. However participants can begin or end where desired.
The Museum Trail Signs are presented by the Edenton Historical Commission with support from the Edenton Womans Club. Special Thanks to Kip Shaw Photography and William Ahearn Arts.
Erected by Edenton Historical Commission Museum Trail. (Marker Number 1.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era • War, US Revolutionary • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1782.
Location. 36° 3.37′ N, 76° 36.573′ W. Marker is in Edenton, North Carolina, in Chowan County. It is on South Broad Street south of East Water Street, on the left when traveling
2. Marker detail: The Living Room
Lovingly referred to as Edenton's Living Room; restored Penelope Barker House has thousands of visitors, who enjoy events, tours and exhibits, truly the welcoming center of Edenton and Chowan County.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Penelope Barker (here, next to this marker); Edenton Bell Battery (a few steps from this marker); Silent Service Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Sea Port Fame Brings Famous Forefathers Nation's Leaders, to Edenton (within shouting distance of this marker); Edenton (within shouting distance of this marker); Maritime Underground Railroad
3. Marker detail: British Caricature
British caricature is published in London newspapers, including names of the signers, mocking Edenton ladies who signed the petition of protest.
Other markers no longer nearby. Escape Via Maritime Underground Railroad (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Our Confederate Dead (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).
Regarding Penelope Barker House. National Register of Historic Places #72000931.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Edenton Historical Commission Museum Trail
Also see . . .
1. Penelope Barker House & Welcome Center. Visit North Carolina website entry:
Home of Thomas and Penelope Barker. Penelope was one of 51 ladies who signed their names to a petition resolving not to buy or use British goods because of taxes levied by the king. Their protest in 1774 became known as the Edenton Tea Party.(Submitted on May 26, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Penelope Barker House: National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.
4. Marker detail: Penelope Barker
Penelope's petition stated they could not be "indifferent on any occasion that appears nearly to affect the peace and happiness of our country." There were 51 signatures.
The house has undergone several changes, perhaps in as many as three eras. Constructed in 1782 as a story-and-a-half dwelling with two interior end chimneys, it had four rooms over a full cellar. Early in the 19th century the house was raised to two stories with an attic. Finally in the second quarter of the 19th century, the north side of the house was extended ten feet and the porch added to the front. At this time the interior chimneys were replaced by exterior ones and the interior partitions rearranged to form a center-hall plan, two rooms deep.(Submitted on May 26, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 16, 2023
5. Penelope Barker House Marker
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 16, 2023
6. Penelope Barker House
National Register of Historic Places Marker
National Register of Historic Places Marker
Barker House
ca. 1782
was placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior in 1972
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 16, 2023
7. Penelope Barker House (southwest elevation)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 16, 2023
8. Penelope Barker House (southeast elevation)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 16, 2023
9. Penelope Barker House (west elevation)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 25, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 548 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 25, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on May 26, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
