Historic Edenton State Historic Site

10/13/2026

In 1777, John Lewelling founded a secret society that recruited dozens of farmers from Martin, Bertie, Tyrell, and Pitt counties. This society traded secret signs and used symbols to identify other members: a stick with three notches, three fingers raised, or a complex passcode. Many assumed this secret society was, at its core, a simple religious gathering. Fewer knew that it would grow into something more sinister.

Join us on November 6 and 7 to learn more about Edenton’s role in the Gourd Patch conspiracy, and hear the dramatic rendition of a pivotal trial in NC history!

10/09/2026

America declared it’s independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, but that didn’t mean that everyone agreed. In North Carolina, men from Martin, Tyrell, Bertie, and Pitt counties felt that their religious freedoms were being taken away. In secret, they began a society that would eventually result in violence, prison, and a trial that would make its mark on history.

Our understanding of this secret society is limited by the records that survive. While we have documentation for many men from these counties, we don’t know exactly how many people were involved. It’s likely that people from Halifax and Edgecombe counties were involved, and possible that this society was even larger.

09/24/2026

Remember those 167 documents detailing the Gourd Patch Conspiracy? We’ve been reading nothing else! It takes a lot of time (and red string) to bring to life an event like this… you can’t blame us if we look a little frazzled these days!

Many, many thanks to Katie Hatton and all those who worked to gather and transcribe the Gourd Patch documents, so we don’t have to. History is so interesting, but reading 18th century handwriting isn’t.

09/17/2026

Are you coming to the Friends of State Historic Sites Edenton trivia night at Edenton Bay Trading Company tonight??? It’s shall be a jolly good time!

09/17/2026

Trivia Tonight!!! Come test your knowledge!

🧠🍻 TOMORROW NIGHT! 🍻🧠
Think you know Edenton? Tomorrow night, we're putting that knowledge to the test!
Join us for Pour Me a Fact: Historic Edenton Trivia
📅 Thursday, September 17
⏰ 7–8:30 PM
💰 $2 per person
Grab your crew, come up with your best team name and get ready for some seriously fun local-history competition!
🏆 1st Place
🥈 2nd Place
😎 Best Team Name
👗 Period dress encouraged!
Come thirsty. Come competitive. Come prepared to discover that your friend who “knows everything about Edenton” may not actually know everything. 😂
See you tomorrow! 🍷🧠🏆

09/10/2026

High treason was a sentence given to those trying to overthrow the government or aiding the enemy. In 1777, conspiracy leader John Lewelling was accused of this most devious crime. The lead prosecutor? Edenton’s own James Iredell.

As the Attorney for the State, 26 year-old James Iredell served as the legal architect who drafted the indictments for members of the Gourd Patch Conspiracy and put ringleader John Lewelling on trial for his life. On November 6th and 7th, you can meet Lucas Crumling as he portrays the young Iredell during Historic Edenton State Historic Site’s event, Harvest of Dissent: The Gourd Patch Trials of 1777.

09/05/2026

We are so excited to host our NC State Historic Sites Division Director Michelle Lanier for her talk at our Historic Courthouse.

09/02/2026

Pedal on over and check out our new traveling exhibit- History on Two Wheels. Find it at the Historic Edenton State Historic Site Visitor Center located at 108 N. Broad St!

08/28/2026

In 1777, John Lewelling was brought to trial for high treason. The first of many trials held for participants in what became known as the Gourd Patch Conspiracy, Lewelling’s trial was a pivotal case for North Carolina’s newly-minted legal system. How would he be sentenced?

This moment has been preserved in 167 documents ranging from depositions, indictments, and warrants, to correspondence and petitions for mercy. Join Historic Edenton State Historic Site as we recreate this trial on November 7 in our event, *Harvest of Dissent: The Gourd Patch Trials of 1777.*