On October 1, 1706, the first town lots in Bath were recorded and acknowledged in court. The lots belonged to Christopher Gale, the first Chief Justice of the colony. Bath, incorporated in 1705, is North Carolina’s oldest town. In 1707 the town included a gristmill and the colony’s first shipyard. Other North Carolina firsts in Bath include the public library, St. Thomas Church, and the post road.
In the eighteenth century, Bath was a thriving town of vital importance to the fledgling colony. It became the colony’s first port in 1716. An official document stated it was, “the most proper place within the said Province for ships to take in masts, pitch, Tar, Turpentine and other Naval Stores for the use of his Majesty’s Fleet.”
Bath was home to colonial governors Robert Daniel, Thomas Cary, Charles Eden, and Matthew Rowan. When the Beaufort County seat was moved to Washington in 1785, twelve miles away, Bath lost much of its trade and status, becoming the quiet, rural town that it is today. Historic Bath is one of 27 North Carolina state historic sites.
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