Hone Glyde R.» Hoey
Executive Office

My dear Governor Hoey:

You will recall that several weeks ago (on

Thursday, June 2, to be exact), When Rev. A. Ge D- Noe of Bath, his

brother, Reve We R+ Noe of Wilmington, and I were in your office, you

asked that I investigate and report to you on the proposed restoration
of the old town of Bath, in which these two brothers and other persons
are interestede On Saturday, June 18, I went to Bath and conferred
with Reve A. C. D. Noe and with other inhabitante of Beaufort County,
so that I am now ready to report on this subject.

 

The town of Bath is a place of great historical
Laterest. The firet town in North Carolina (chartered 1705), it was
the dwelling place of several governors and the legislature met there
upon a number of occasionse The pirate Blackbeard for a time made it
his headquarterge The first chief justice of North Carolina, Christopher
Gale, lived theree The first library in the colony was there, and the
oldest church building now standing in North Garolina is St. Thomas
Episcopal Church, built in Bath in 1734e In the colonial period Bath
was an important commerical, religious, and political center, but the
growth of the town of Washington farther to the west sapped its life,
and since the Revolution it has amounted to littlee Today, with a
population of only 350 or 400 it is hardly more than a crosseroad settle.
mente The very fact that it has not been bitten by the bug of progress,
however, means that a number of old buildings in the town have been
allowed to remain much the same as they were in times gone bye St» Thomas
Episcopal Church, the Marsh house (with a remarkable chimney measuring
seventeen feet across),ihe Bonner house, the Williams house, recently —
purchased for the Episcopal rectory, and other old buildings give

evidence of the importance and prosperity of the old place in a period
long paste

This historic old town has been too long neglected
and richly deserves whatever attention it may now receivee A well planned
and well executed restoration no doubt would arouse a great deal of
interest and would draw large numbers of tourists:

The present movement to restore the town begins
with the desire for the better care of St. Thomas Churche For a number

of years various members of this church and Episcopalians elsewhere in
the State have realized that something needed to be donee Since Reve.

Ae CG». D. Noe went to Bath as rector of the church in 1936, thie realizae
tion has taken concrete form and a movement has gotten under way to

take better care of the old building. A sum of more than $3,000 has been
raised, and some work on ‘Abe church is contemplated imnediatelye

 
Furthermore, the old Yilliame house next to the church has been pur-
chased for a parsonage, and this structure is now nonag eee:

 

: As Mre Noe and his associates went more fully
into the subject, they became convinced that they should not limit their
efforte to the church and the parsonage, but that something more ambitious
should be undertakene They now hope to restore also the Marsh house,
the Bonner house, and perhaps other buildings; to conduct an age abasiay

pageant every June (before the Opening of “The Lost Colony" o

Island); and to hold an annv enominational religious acsombly
ina great epencair amphitheatre on 1 the banks of Bath Creeks

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

that began as a project mainly of concern cake 4a Episcopalians, ms
now grown until it will appeal to people of all daneninnt iene»

:  guch a program of course involves moneys ire lice
. ois inaken that $150,000 will do the job, but I believe that p
several times that amount will be requirede Mre Noe is optimistic abo
waising the funds, and I hope that his optim : kn gentittots Nevere
theless, before anything too ambitious is undertaken, at. would be well
-M know that Ape. Senay’ was availables 3

    
 

  

 

 

a There is no reason why cutinda, steps should not be
‘anhen immediatelye Mr. Noe and his associates can go ahead with work
on the church and the parsonage, for which they have already raised some
fundes In undertaking the more ambitious program the first step would
seem to be a campaign for money» and for this purpose a corporation
probably should be formed, to be known as The Bath Restoration, Incors
porated, or something of the kinds It is likely thet many leading
North Carolinians would be willing to allow their names to be used in
this connections Provided sufficient money can be raised to go on with
the work on a large scale, the program should by all means be put in
the hands of an expert in restoring historic placese A fairly large
ameeeg ds would be needed to command the services of the proper mane

 

 

 

 

   

   

 

 

The plan has interesting possibilities, and I believe
that it is sortie of our supporte Certainly the Historical Commission
will be wes to coeoperate in eid way possible.

I am sending copies of thie letter ie. Senator W. B.
Rodman, Mr- Junius D. Grimes, and Miss Elisabeth Mallison, all of Wash-
ington, KN. Ce5 to Reve Ae Ce De Hoe; and { eve Ve Re Noee |

 

‘Yours sincerely,

Secretary —

ece b