Halifax is a town in northeast North Carolina, and is the seat of Halifax County. The population is around 250.
The town was formed near the head of navigation on the Roanoke River, with streets laid out in alignment with the river along the lowlands. It was a leading urban center in colonial North Carolina. Halifax is known as the "Birthplace of Freedom" due to the Halifax Resolves. On April 12, 1776, the Halifax Resolves were signed. The Resolves were the first official action by an entire colony to favor independence from England, and it explicitly allowed North Carolina delegates to vote for independence. Because of this, North Carolina claims to be "first in freedom", although other places in the former 13 colonies also make the same claim.
The original, colonial section of Halifax was largely abandoned as the town shifted south and west towards the railroad in the 1800s. Today, a handful of buildings from Halifax's colonial history remain on the original townsite, and are scattered about in a park-like setting to the north and east of what is now the center of the town.
The Halifax County Courthouse, on King Street. The courthouse was built in 1909.
The Halifax County Clerk's Office, on King Street next to the county courthouse. The office was built in 1880.
The old Roanoke Hotel, on King Street. The structure was built in 1906, and is now used by businesses.
The old Halifax Hardware Store, on King Street. The structure was built in 1915.
The old Bank of Halifax, on King Street. The bank was built in 1923.
The old Post Office, on King Street. The structure was built in 1938.
The Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, on King Street. The church was built in 1889.
The Fletcher Gregory House, on King Street. The house was built in 1910.
Glen Ivey, on King Street. The house was built in 1850.
The Daniel-Hervey-Hill House on King Street. The tripartite house was built in 1826.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, on King Street. The church was built in 1855.
Halifax United Methodist Church, on King Street. The church was built in 1948.
The Dr. K.C. Bond House, on King Street. The house was built in 1834.
The K.L. Applewhite House, on King Street. The hosue was built in 1926.
The C.F. Musselman House on King Street. The house was built in 1917.
The John Brown House, on Pittsylvania Street. The house was built in 1820.
A house on Pittsylvania Street.
The Edward Cheek House, on Dobbs Street. The house was built in 1900.
The Royal White Hart Masonic Lodge, on St. David Street. The lodge was built in 1820.
The Halifax Baptist Church, on St. David Street. The church was built in 1881.
The William R. Davie House, on Norman Street. The house was built in 1783 for Davie, an early Federalist leader who served as Governor of North Carolina from 1798 to 1799, and is considered the father of the University of North Carolina.
The Owens House, on St. David Street. The house was built in 1760.
The Sally-Billy Plantation House, on Fishing Club Road. The house was built in 1808, and was originally located in nearby Scotland Neck. It is a local example of a tripartite house, which was a vernacular style for rural plantation houses in eastern North Carolina in the early 1800s.
The Eagle Tavern, on St. David Street, facing King Street. The tavern was built in 1790. The tavern hosted a banquet for the Marquis de Lafayette on February 27, 1825.
The old county clerk's office, on King Street at Market Street. The office was built in 1833.
The Joseph Montfort Archaeological House, on King Street. The shell of the house was built in 1983 over top of the foundations of an early 19th-century house that were discovered in 1973.
The Tap Room, on King Street at St. David Street. The old tavern was built in 1790.
The Burgess Law Office, on King Street. The office was built in 1808.
The old Halifax County Jail, on King Street. The jail was built in 1838.