Cupola House (Edenton, North Carolina) facts for kids
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Cupola House
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Cupola House
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 408 S. Broad St., Edenton, North Carolina |
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| Built | 1758 |
| Architect | Francis Corbin |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000889 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | April 15, 1970 |
The Cupola House is a really old house in Edenton, North Carolina, that you can visit like a museum! It was built a long, long time ago, between 1756 and 1758. Scientists figured out its exact age by studying its wood, which is called dendrochronology (say: den-dro-kron-OL-uh-jee). This house is the second oldest building in Edenton.
What makes the Cupola House super special is its "jutt," which means its second floor hangs out over the first floor. It's the only house like this still standing in the southern United States! Because it's so unique and important, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
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What Makes the Cupola House Special?
The Cupola House is a two-story building with a pointed roof, called a gable roof. It has brick chimneys on the outside walls. Today, the house is covered with wooden boards called weatherboards. But some experts think it might have originally had special siding that looked like stone, similar to the siding on the cupola itself.
Unique Design Features
One of the most interesting parts of the house is its cupola. A cupola is a small, dome-shaped structure on top of a roof. The Cupola House's cupola is shaped like an octagon (an eight-sided shape). It's covered in wood that was carefully cut to look like real stonework.
Inside the house, the main floor has two large rooms with a hallway in the middle. This kind of layout was not very common in North Carolina when the house was built, but it was seen in other early American colonies.
Inside the Historic Home
When you step inside the Cupola House, you'll notice how fancy some parts are. The staircase in the main hallway has beautiful carved flowers and decorations. The doors leading to the two main rooms have special triangular decorations above them, called pediments.
Both the first and second floors have detailed fireplaces and woodwork. To get to the cupola, you go up a unique spiral staircase from the attic. It's called a "barrel stair" because it's enclosed in wood, making it look like a giant barrel!
A Look Back in Time
The land where the Cupola House stands used to be much bigger, stretching all the way to Edenton Bay. Over the years, several important merchants owned the property. In 1756, a man named Francis Corbin bought the land and built the house we see today. He was an agent for the Earl of Granville, who owned a lot of land in North Carolina back then.
The Cupola House is just one of many historic places you can visit in Edenton. Other cool spots include the James Iredell House, the Roanake River Light, the Barker House, the Chowan County Courthouse, and St. Paul's Church.
See also
