Collection (1898, 1908-2009) consists of research materials related to the history of Edenton and the Albemarle-Chowan region of North Carolina. Elizabeth Vann Moore (1912-2010) of Edenton spent her life researching local and family history topics. Her notebooks and correspondence reflect her involvement in writing Historic Edenton Guidebooks, the 300 year history of St. Paul's Parish in Edenton, a North Carolina Historical Review article on John Mare, and extensive information about the Edenton Tea Party, as well as work with the Edenton Historical Commission and the North Caroliniana Society. Also included are personal items such as her poetry, diplomas, plaques, and DVDs of interviews with Miss Moore done in 2007 by Martha Daniels.
Elizabeth Vann Moore, daughter of John Augustus Moore, Sr., and Mabel Vann Moore, was born in Henderson, N.C., on February 3, 1912, and died on January 1, 2010, in Edenton, N.C., where she had lived since 1933. She graduated from St. Catherine's School in Richmond, Va.; attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia in 1929; earned a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1933 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and earned a Master of Arts in English in 1938 from Columbia University. Miss Moore taught English at All Saints' School in Vicksburg, Miss., for four years and subsequently at St. Catherine's School in Richmond. During World War II she worked for the American Red Cross at the Edenton Marine Base.
She was well-known for the accuracy of her research in Edenton and Albemarle-Chowan regional history and genealogy. She worked with many local and state groups on historical projects such as the Edenton Historical Commission, from which she received the Lifetime Service Award; Cupola House Association, from which she received the Lifetime Service Award; Historic Edenton Incorporated; Chowan County Courthouse Research Committee; Queen Anne's Park development committee; Edenton's Woman's Club; the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association; North Carolina Federation of Historical Societies; Carolina Tercentenary Committee; America's 400th Anniversary Committee; Historic Preservation Society of North Carolina; North Carolina Committee for Continuing Education in the Humanities; North Carolina Confederate Centennial Commission; and was a charter member of the North Caroliniana Society, from which she received its annual North Caroliniana Society Award.
She received numerous awards for her work including the Ruth Coltrane Cannon Cup from the Historic Preservation Society of North Carolina, a Certificate of Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution, Woman of the Year from the Edenton Business and Professional Women's Club, Lifetime Member of Friends of the Library, and Life Patron membership from The Friends of the Archives. For her contributions to the Edenton community, Nov. 20 was declared as Elizabeth Vann Moore Day. This celebration of her passion for historical research is honored with the Elizabeth Vann Moore Biennial Series for Preservation Studies.
Miss Moore wrote several editions of the Guide Book to Historic Edenton and Chowan County, served as consultant to and editor of A Celebration of Faith: 300 Years in the Life of St. Paul's (concerning St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Edenton), and was instrumental in the development of other published works, including Edenton, An Architectural Portrait. She also was the author of unpublished manuscripts on the Edenton Tea Party, and the colonial gardens of Edenton.
The Elizabeth Vann Moore Papers contain extensive research on Edenton and Albemarle-Chowan regional history and genealogy materials, as well as brief materials documenting Elizabeth Vann Moore's education and early childhood. The collection also includes individual research materials related to Northeastern North Carolina furniture design, French refugees located in Northeastern North Carolina, John Mare, History of Towns: Edenton publication, Thomas Rolfe Family and Pocahontas, Edenton as the First Capital of North Carolina, Cradle of the Colony publication, Maritime Edenton, Josiah Collins, Jr. Family, and Samuel Johnston.
The collection is organized into series based on: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Edenton, North Carolina; Northeastern North Carolina Churches; Edenton, North Carolina; Chowan County, North Carolina; Edenton Tea Party Research; Other Research Projects; Work with Committees and Commissions; Genealogy Research References; Eastern North Carolina Family Name Inquiries; Biographical Materials, and Oversized Materials.
Series 1
The St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Edenton, North Carolina series is arranged into 7 subseries. This series contains extensive research materials related to the 300 year history of the Northeastern North Carolina church. Included within this series are biographical histories of the church clergy; historical information regarding the church building, church renovations and repairs, artifacts and possessions owned by the church; photographic images of the church; information on churchyard plots and tombstones; and secondary research sources related to the church. The series culminates with manuscript drafts and published copies of A Celebration of Faith: 300 Years in the Life of St. Paul's, and correspondence with author Anne Edwards Greer.
Series 2
The Northeastern North Carolina Churches series contains materials related to the histories of Bethel Baptist Church; Yoepim Baptist Church; Edenton Baptist Church; Edenton Methodist Church; Evans United Methodist Church; Beaver Hll Church; and McBride's Methodist Church.
Series 3
The Edenton, North Carolina, series is arranged into 10 subseries. This series contains extensive research materials regarding the historical development of the town including buildings, homes, governmental facilities, owned property, and the Edenton Woman's Club guide book publications. The 1712 Old Building Plan focuses on lot numbers East of Broad Street during the original development of Edenton. The 1722 New Building Plan focuses on lot numbers West of Broad Street during town expansion. This series includes historical research materials related to the Chowan County Courthouse, Edenton Jail, Cannons on the Green, and the Confederate Monument of Edenton. This series also includes brief materials focused on the Iredell House, Barker House, Cupola House, historic buildings and sites, and Hope Plantation.
Series 4
The Chowan County, North Carolina, series is arranged into 3 subseries. This series contains research materials related to the New Chowan County Courthouse property, Chowan County wills and deeds from the period of 1711 to 1830, and historical information on buildings located in the county.
Series 5
The Edenton Tea Party Research series is arranged into 4 subseries. This series contains extensive research materials related to the resolution that was signed in Edenton on October 25, 1774. Extensive research materials include historical information regarding families that might have been associated with the resolution signing, historical research on Northeastern North Carolina counties during the period of 1727 to 1813, and secondary sources for a future manuscript. Correspondence regarding the Edenton Tea Party is alphabetized by last name of the correspondent. The series culminates with unpublished drafts of the Edenton Tea Party manuscript written by Elizabeth Vann Moore.
Series 6
The Other research projects series is arranged into 11 subseries. This series contains research materials related to Northeastern North Carolina furniture design, French refugees in Northeastern North Carolina, John Mare, History of Towns: Edenton publication, Thomas Rolfe Family and Pocahontas, Edenton as the First Capital of North Carolina, Cradle of the Colony publication, Maritime Edenton, Josiah Collins, Jr. Family, and Samuel Johnston. Research materials related to Northeastern North Carolina furniture design includes correspondence with the Museum of Southern Decorative Arts and the American Interiors: New England and the South magazine (1983). Research materials on French refugees in Northeastern North Carolina include the Caburrus Family and correspondence during the period of 1957 to 2000. Historical research material on the life John Mare includes correspondence with author Helen Burr Smith regarding two publications: John Mare Portraite Painter of New York and John Mare Merchant of Edenton, North Carolina and John Mare: A Composite Portrait. Research materials related to the life and history of Thomas Rolfe Family and Pocahontas written for the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy (1985). Research materials for the study of the town of Edenton as the first capital of North Carolina includes the manuscript draft of The First Capitol of North Carolina: Edenton and correspondence during the period of 1960 to 2002. Correspondence with Tom Parramore regarding the revision of the Cradle of the Colony publication (1964-1968). Correspondence with Peter Wrike regarding Martime Edenton during the period of 1750 to 1830 (1998). Research materials on the Josiah Collin, Jr., Family includes correspondence with John Collins Sykes III (1992-2002). Research materials on Samuel Johnston, of Edenton, includes manuscript drafts of Samuel Johnston of Edenton, Leader of the American Revolution in North Carolina and Samuel Johnston and the Ratification of the Federal Constitution in North Carolina by Anne Withers Bair (1968). Also included in this series are miscellaneous correspondence files alphabetized by last name of correspondent or topic and brief research materials on Aunt Abby House and James Davis, the first North Carolina journalist.
Series 7
The Work with Committees and Commissions series is arranged by the name of the group. This series contains membership status, meeting minutes, establishment of new committees and commissions, awards presented to Elizabeth Vann Moore, and committee projects. Committees and commissions included in this series are the Carolina Charter Tercentenary Commission (1960), Carolina Charter Cooperation (1964), Edenton Historical Commission (1962-1982), North Carolina Literary and Historical Association ( 1971), Queen Anne's Park development committee (1977-1986), America's 400th Anniversary Committee (1978), Historic Edenton Inc. (1966-1986), North Caroliniana Society (1976), Historic Preservation Society of North Carolina (1950-1995), Edenton Woman's Club (1971), Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies (1976), Cupola House Association (1974-2008), and the North Carolina Confederate Centennial Commission (1960-1963). Awards presented to Elizabeth Vann Moore in this series include Woman of the Year (1980), Life Patron membership with The Friends of the Archives (1994), Ruth Coltrane Cannon Award (1977), and North Caroliniana Society Award (2004).
Series 8
The Genealogy Research References series is arranged by interrelated family lines. This series contains research materials concerning the interrelated family lineage of the Moore, Denman, Creecy, Charlton, Hoskins, Armistead, Ellison, Hind, Skinner, Rice, and Blount Families of Northeastern North Carolina. Extensive genealogy research materials concerning the Moore, Vann, Skinner, and Blount Families are included. This series also includes correspondence (1920-2008) regarding inquiries concerning the Moore, Blount, Skinner, and Vann Families. See the container list for genealogy research related to the families.
Series 9
The Eastern North Carolina Family name inquiries series contains correspondence alphabetized by the family surname. These inquiries were not related to the families discussed in the previous series.
Series 10
The Biographical materials series is arranged by 4 subseries. This series contains personal items, academic records, information regarding Elizabeth Vann Moore Day, and personal correspondence.
Series 11
The Oversized Materials series is arranged by 3 subseries. The series contains materials related to Edenton and Albemarle-Chowan regional maps and family lineage charts. This series also includes Elizabeth Vann Moore's academic diplomas.
Gift of Carter Rowe
Completed June 9, 2016, by Jenny Snyder
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law. Copyright for the unpublished manuscripts in this collection is retained by the donor Carter Rowe and his permission must be obtained before using any of the material in any publication.
For Related Collections see:
Augustus Moore Family Papers (#1216) East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
Elizabeth Vann Moore Family Papers (MC 00486) Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA