Rare structure discovered ‘hiding in plain sight’ on eastern NC farm, test shows

Test conducted on a sun-blistered shanty in eastern North Carolina have revealed the core of the building pre-dates the American Revolution, preservationists say.

The one-room structure sits along the Albemarle Sound near Edenton and is part of the 194-acre Historic Hayes Farm, a National Historic Landmark managed by the Elizabeth Vann Moore Foundation.

“It is official. This little red house at Hayes is the oldest structure on the farm,” the foundation wrote in a March 26 Facebook post.

“Dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) tells us it was built around 1760. What an amazing survivor from the Colonial Period that has been hiding in plain sight for generations. The EVM Foundation looks forward to planning the restoration of this ancient structure.”

The tests were conducted at Oxford Tree Ring Laboratory with timbers chosen by Andrew Ownbey, a building restoration specialist focused on 18th and 19th century structures in eastern North Carolina.

The lab “produced a felling date for the structure of winter 1769/70,” Ownbey told The Charlotte Observer.

“That means the trees were cut then, but the building would have likely been constructed soon after since they were typically framed with ‘green’ timers,” Ownbey said.

“We knew based on construction and the use of wrought nails throughout the structure it was likely an 18th century building, but we didn’t have any reason to think it was necessarily a pre-war structure.”

It has also been determined the right half of the building is original, and the left half was added in the 19th Century, he said.

There are “quite a few Colonial-Era structures in North Carolina,” but most of the 18th century structures at Hayes Farm have been lost over time, Ownbey added.

One thing that remains a mystery, he said, is the intended use of the building, which includes a loft. It was moved a short distance to its current location, when grain bins were constructed at the farm, officials say.

“I’ve spent a lot of time studying that structure and ... I can’t say it was actually a house,” Ownbey said. “It could have been, but it also could have been a kitchen. There are a lot of indications that it served as a kitchen at one time at least. ... More study will come in the future along with stabilization work.”

Historic Hayes Farm is a “19th century plantation complex” that dates back to 1765. The complex includes a large home built in 1816, along with a Gin House, stables, Carriage House, Dairy, Bath House and Smoke House, according to Hayesfarm.org. A once endangered structure that housed slaves has also been preserved.

Edenton is about a 140-mile drive northeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 9:03 AM.