Rev. Edward M. Forbes. . Rev. Forbes was rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Elizabeth City, 1844-59 and 1860-60. The present church building, which stands as a memorial to his skill and determination, was begun in October 1856: Used for the first time in December 1857: and was consecrated by Bishop Atkinson on May 9, 1858. He was more than just rector of Christ Church: Truly he was the father of the community , baptising its children, marrying its young and burying its dead. At a time when there were no public schools he organized a private school and taught it as an extracurricular activity. At the capture of Elizabeth City by Federal naval forces in February 1862, when the town was in flames and its inhabitants in flight, Rev. Forbes donned his clerical vestments and met the Union commander at the wharf to surrender the town on the best terms he might obtain. Never did he waver in his responsibility as either a citizen, a spiritual leader, or as a friend to all who came within his sphere of activity.
Rev. Forbes was rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Elizabeth City, 1844-59 and 1860-60. The present church building, which stands as a memorial to his skill and determination, was begun in October 1856: Used for the first time in December 1857: and was consecrated by Bishop Atkinson on May 9, 1858. He was more than just rector of Christ Church: Truly he was the father of the community baptising its children, marrying its young and burying its dead. At a time when there were no public schools he organized a private school and taught it as an extracurricular activity. At the capture of Elizabeth City by Federal naval forces in February 1862, when the town was in flames and its inhabitants in flight, Rev. Forbes donned his clerical vestments and met the Union commander at the wharf to surrender the town on the best terms he might obtain. Never did he waver in his responsibility as either a citizen, a spiritual leader, or as a friend to all who came within his sphere of activity.
Erected 1995 by Christ Episcopal Church, Pasquotank Historical and Genealogical Soceity, Elizabeth City Historic Neighborhood Association
Location. 36° 17.892′ N, 76° 13.135′ W. Marker is in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in Pasquotank County. It is at the intersection of South Water Street and East Church Street, on the right when traveling north on South Water Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 214 S Water St, Elizabeth City NC 27909, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 14, 2025
Credits. This page was last revised on June 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 22, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 137 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on June 22, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
