Palmer-Marsh House

Palmer-Marsh House
Palmer-Marsh House in 1962
Palmer-Marsh House is located in North Carolina
Palmer-Marsh House
Location within North Carolina
Palmer-Marsh House is located in the United States
Palmer-Marsh House
Location within the United States
LocationMain St., S of NC 92, Bath, North Carolina
Coordinates35°28′35.95″N 76°48′51″W / 35.4766528°N 76.81417°W / 35.4766528; -76.81417
Area1.6 acres (0.65 ha)
Built1751
Architectural styleColonial
Part ofBath Historic District (ID70000437)
NRHP reference No.70000439
Significant dates
Added to NRHPFebruary 26, 1970[1]
Designated NHLApril 15, 1970[2]
Designated CPFebruary 26, 1970

The Palmer-Marsh House is a historic house museum and National Historic Landmark on Main Street south of Carteret Street in Bath, North Carolina. Built in 1751, it is one of the oldest residences in North Carolina, and is a well-preserved example of a large colonial town house.[3] It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970.[2][4] It is now a North Carolina state historic site, and is open for tours.

Description and history

The Palmer-Marsh House is located in the center of Bath, on the east side of South Main Street just south of its junction with Carteret Street (North Carolina Highway 92). It is a 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof, clapboard siding, and a brick-faced foundation. It is oriented facing south, with a seven-bay facade that has a center entrance with minimal trim. The other facades have secondary entrances at their centers. The secondary entrance on the street-facing west side opens into a large chamber that extends the full depth of the house, with a parlor and study continuing across the front. The interior retains some original features, including wide pine floors and exposed timber framing.[4] The east gable end of the building features a notably large double chimney of English bond, 16ft wide and 4ft deep, joined by a 2-story brick structure with windows that open into small interior closets between the two chimneys.[5]

The house was built in 1751 by Michael Coutanche, a wealthy merchant and legislator who had come to North Carolina from the Isle of Jersey.[3][5][6] In later years this space is also said to have played host to the colonial legislature when it met in Bath. In the 1760s it was purchased by Robert Palmer, who served as the royal collector of the port, and was on the governor's council. In 1802 the house was purchased by brothers Jonathan and Daniel Gould Marsh, whose family owned it until 1915. It underwent restoration by Historic Bath in 1960–62, and was given to the state in 1963; it has served as a museum property ever since.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Palmer-Marsh House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "History | NC Historic Sites". historicsites.nc.gov. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Polly M. Rettig and Charles W. Snell (March 12, 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Palmer-Marsh House" (pdf). National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying 7 photos, exterior and interior, from 1964, 1975 and undated (32 KB)
  5. 1 2 Bishir, Catherine W.; Buchman, Tim (2005). North Carolina Architecture. The Richard Hampton Jenrette series in architecture and the decorative arts (Portable ed.). Chapel Hill: Univ. of North Carolina Press. pp. 18–20. ISBN 978-0-8078-5624-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  6. ↑ Watson, Alan D.; Latham, Eva C. (Bea); Samford, Patricia M. (2005). Bath: the first town in North Carolina. Raleigh, NC: Office of Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-86526-318-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
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