Many thanks to Claiborne Young for contributing to our website. If you would like more information about his Cruising Guide Series, or wish to order any of his works, click here. |
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Many thanks to Claiborne Young for contributing to our website. If you would like more information about his Cruising Guide Series, or wish to order any of his works, click here. |
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Bath, the state's oldest incorporated community, is an enchanting, lovely village that sits quiet and serene on the eastern shores of Bath Creek. This fortunate stream makes into the Pamlico River north-northeast of flashing daybeacon #5. Bath is steeped in history, lovingly cared for, and well preserved. The village lies almost entirely within the boundaries laid out by John Lawson in the late 17th century. It is a memorial to the courage and diligence of our ancestors. Visiting cruisers are welcome to use the state dock lining Bath Creek's eastern banks just short of Bath Creek Bridge, located north of flashing daybeacon #4. These piers, rebuilt in 1994, are much sturdier than their predecessors. In fact, Hurricanes Fran and Bertha, which caused widespread dock destruction elsewhere on the Pamlico River, did not disturb these piers whatsoever. Depths alongside run about 6 feet near the outer portion of the state dock, 5 to 5 feet on the middle section, and 4 feet nearer to shore. With this new state-sponsored facility, Bath can now lay claim to some of the best public dockage on the Pamlico River. Closer to Bath Creek Bridge, also on the eastern shore, Bath Harbor Marina gazes out over the waters of Bath Creek. This facility has recently been purchased. The new owners plan to refurbish the facility and set aside two slips for transients. Dockage is provided at fixed wooden piers with water, 30-amp, and some 50-amp connections. Depths alongside range from 6 feet at the outermost slips to 4 and 5 feet nearer to shore. Shoreside showers are available. The new management will probably be able to help with transportation to the nearby restaurant and grocery store (see below). If your craft can clear the charted 13-foot fixed bridge, you may cruise 0.1 nautical mile upstream from Bath Creek Bridge in depths of 6 feet as long as you hold to the creek's mid-width. If you are seeking a secluded anchorage, this upstream portion of the creek is an excellent bet. Bath Attractions The Historic Bath Commission has restored three of the town's many old houses, including the Palmer-Marsh House, one of the oldest surviving homes in North Carolina. Within the Bonner House, visitors can view an interesting display dedicated to Bath's historic renovation efforts. The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources offers guided tours of these splendidly renovated structures. It is a short and pleasant walk from the state docks to the Historic Bath Visitor's Center. Simply walk up the grassy plot behind the docks to Water Street and turn left. Two blocks will bring you to Carteret Street (N.C. 92), the main road through Bath. Turn right. Two more blocks will bring you to the visitor center, housed in a brick building to the right of the main road. A modest fee will enable you to view a movie portraying Bath's colorful history and take a guided tour of all three restored homes. After you have completed your tour, make sure to visit St. Thomas Church, the oldest church building in continuous use in the state. The church itself was organized in 1701, but the present building was constructed between 1734 and 1759. It is generally open on weekdays and is a short walk from the last stop on the guided tour. Be sure to study the silver candelabra on the altar, which dates back to the time of King George III. The church bell was a gift from Queen Anne around 1732. Bath boasts a restaurant and a small grocery store. Both Old Towne Country Kitchen and Brooks Grocery Store overlook the northern flank of Carteret Street approximately 0.25 mile east of the Historic Bath Visitor's Center. This location is very convenient to anchorage on Back Creek (see below) but is a bit of a walk from the state dock and Bath Harbor Marina on Bath Creek. Old Towne is open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week and for the evening meal every night except Sunday. Bath History Most books say that Bath was named for the English town of the same name. However, some historians suggest it was more likely named for Lord Proprietor John Granville, the earl of Bath. The town's primary founder, John Lawson, was commissioned by the Lords Proprietors to make a survey of the Carolina interior and to map the province. Lawson, in addition to being an explorer, surveyor, and mapmaker, was a natural scientist and the region's first historian. There is today in the British Museum an exhibit of carefully pressed leaves of 30 species of trees labeled "Lawson's Virginia Trees." Lawson had ambitions for Bath as a major port and center of culture and politics. Deeply concerned about relations between settlers and Indians, he said the Indians "met with enemies when we came among them." It is ironic that he lost his life to a band of Native Americans while exploring the Neuse River in 1711. At dawn on September 22, 1711, Tuscarora warriors and members of other tribes attacked the settlers along the Pamlico River, murdering men, women, and children and putting houses and fields to the torch. Peace did not fully return to the region until a treaty was signed with the Tuscaroras four years later. Bath survived the onslaught, but its population was greatly reduced. Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, is said to have married a local girl and briefly settled in the little harbor town about 1716. There have always been legends that Blackbeard struck bargains in Bath with Royal Governor Charles Eden. The pirate did obtain a Royal pardon, and it was the violation of that pardon that led to his death at the hands of Lieutenant Robert Maynard at Ocracoke in 1718. Thanks to its natural harbor and rich surrounding bottom lands, Bath prospered in the early 18th century. Its inhabitants included men of culture, education, and wealth. The North Carolina Colonial Assembly met in Bath in 1743, and the town was almost made the capital of the state. The Reverend George Whitfield, the Methodist revivalist who personified the Great Awakening in the colonies, visited Bath four times between 1747 and 1762. Bath enjoyed the usual merrymaking and festivities expected in a seat of government and a prospering seaport; Whitfield preached vehemently against the sins of the town, to no avail. On his fourth visit, the church refused to allow him to preach. In retaliation for this final insult, the reverend cursed the town. Bath, said Whitfield, would not prosper and would never be more than a village. Whether because of the curse or other circumstances, Bath has remained very much a village. Internal rebellion, a religious uprising, the Tuscarora massacre followed by four years of intermittent warfare, a hurricane that struck the town with devastating ferocity in 1769, and an epidemic of yellow fever all served to halt Bath's progress. Bath Legend An interesting tale concerns a set of mysterious hoofprints located near the outskirts of Bath not far from the road to Washington. The story goes that during the riotous frontier days, there was a gentleman farmer by the name of Elliot who, with his compatriots, was given to wagering and horse racing on the Sabbath. One Sunday morning, Elliot was heard to order his horse to take him to victory or take him to hell. The horse suddenly veered from the path, dug in his hooves, and hurled his master against a tree, causing his immediate death from a broken neck. For almost 200 years, hoofprint-like impressions have remained at that spot in spite of every effort to erase or change them. It is said that birds and chickens will not eat any seed that falls within the hoofprints. The prints returned, distinct and uniform, even after pigs occupied the area. No satisfactory scientific explanation has yet been offered. Back Creek Back Creek splits off from Bath Creek at Bonners Point, east of unlighted daybeacon #3. You may expect to hold 6-foot depths on Back Creek if you stay to the mid-width. The waters of Back Creek make a good overnight anchorage. When the hook is safely down, you can dinghy ashore to Quarterdeck Marina (see below) and, after obtaining permission from the ship's store, tie to the small pier here. It's then only a short step to both Old Towne Country Kitchen and Brooks Grocery Store. Quarterdeck Marina and Ship's Store maintains a pier along Back Creek's northern banks just west of the charted, low-level fixed bridge. A gas dock is available, though no diesel fuel is sold. Though low-tide depths of only 3 feet limit access, shallow-draft cruising boats up to 30 feet should be able to gas up comfortably at high water. |
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