By Nicole Bowman-Layton

EDENTON – The Edenton Town Council will hold a special meeting Monday evening, three days before Christmas, to consider a possible holiday gift to proponents of historic preservation. The proposed three-way agreement would provide Southern Bank with “$10 plus other considerations (see below)” in exchange for transferring ownership of a downtown property to the Town and the Edenton Historic Commission.

If approved, the agreement would pave the way for the home’s restoration and moving the oldest house in the state — the “Lane House,” currently located on East Queen Street, to West Eden Street.

The meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 22, in the Council Chambers, 504 S. Broad St., centers on a tripartite agreement among Southern Bank and Trust Company, the Edenton Historic Commission, and the Town of Edenton regarding the property at 103 W. Queen St., beside the bank parking lot.

The Proposed Agreement

Under the proposed agreement, Southern Bank will donate the Elizabeth Wozelka House – built in 1927 – to the Edenton Historic Commission for $10 plus other considerations. A. Travis Ellis, of Ellis Law, PLLC, prepared an agreement that will include conditions and restrictions, as well as a right of first refusal that would allow the bank to reclaim the property under specified circumstances. See the agreement at the end of the story.

Just a thought — Many people who work in Chowan County aspire to own a home here, but cannot because of a lack of affordable housing. If a deal like this were available to the public, they would likely appreciate the opportunity to make a similar offer — the price of a medium pizza — to become residents.

The agreement stipulates that all necessary documents must be executed before Dec. 31, 2025, giving the parties just over a week to finalize the transaction.

From a financial perspective, the year-end is a common deadline for charitable donations to count toward the current tax year. The transaction may also be necessary if the bank’s fiscal year aligns with the calendar year, which could streamline its accounting and remove the property from its balance sheet for the 2025 financial statement. The Edenton Historic Commission or Town may need to meet a grant or funding deadline.

What the Town Provides

In exchange for the bank’s donation, the Town of Edenton agrees to provide several infrastructure improvements within 12 months of the agreement’s signing:

• A permanent, deeded access easement from the southwest corner of the bank’s parcel at 101 West Queen Street to West Eden Street
• At least four designated parking spaces convenient to the bank’s property
• An appropriately fenced area for the bank’s dumpsters near the southwest corner of their parcel
• Interim access to these facilities during the construction period

Additionally, the Historic Commission will provide Southern Bank with one parking space and easement rights behind the Wozelka House, where the bank’s dumpster currently sits.

If approved by the Town Council on Monday, the agreement will need to be executed by all three parties before any public announcement of the donation.

Historic Preservation Significance

The relocation of the Lane House represents a crucial preservation effort. The agreement specifically references Southern Bank’s “contribution and efforts to facilitate the relocation of the oldest house in Chowan County,” acknowledging the bank’s role in preserving a structure that predates nearly every other building in North Carolina. For a town that served as the colonial capital and prides itself on its historic architecture, moving the state’s oldest house to a more prominent location on West Eden Street could provide greater visibility and protection for this irreplaceable piece of North Carolina’s earliest colonial period.

West Eden Street runs parallel to West Queen and West King streets and is primarily occupied by buildings on both sides, with some parking lots, including those owned by Edenton Baptist Church and the Town of Edenon. Behind the buildings on that block of South Broad Street, there is also a parking area that provides access to Southern Bank’s parking lot.

As part of the “Oldest House Project,” Edenton’s Historic Commission will work to determine the new location of the Lane House, which has not been finalized at this time, according to town officials.

The Lane House is currently on property owned by the Penelope Barker Foundation, according to Chowan County’s GIS.

Since at least 2023, the town has been working with Southern Bank to find the best use of the Wozelka property. In a May 2024 meeting, Town Manager Corey Gooden reported that the town would continue to work with the bank “to try and satisfy housing needs in the community.”

The Wozelka house, designed by Lord Byron Perry (1870-1948), has five bedrooms and two baths, totaling 2,164 square feet of finished space. Built in 1927, it is estimated to be worth around $345,300 and $402,800, according to various real estate websites.

While visiting the Wozelka House shortly after the agenda was released on Friday evening, the Albemarle Observer noted visible exterior damage and a deteriorating roof, signs of inadequate maintenance.

On Dec. 21, 2007, the Wozelka House was sold to Southern Bank for $375,000.

The Lane House: A Rare Survival from 1718-19

The Lane House is a one-and-a-half-story structure whose earliest parts date to Winter 1718/19, as announced on January 11, 2013, by dendrochronologist Michael Worthington of Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory, according to previous news articles in The Virginian-Pilot. Built before the town was even renamed Edenton in 1722, the house originally measured about 16 feet by 25 feet and was divided into two rooms on the first floor and two in the attic.

Historic preservation enthusiasts Steve and Linda Lane acquired the small residence for use as a rental property in 2009, at which time they thought the house dated to the turn of the 20th century, as it was listed as a contributing building in the Edenton National Register Historic District with an assigned date of circa 1900.

While removing deteriorated early 20th-century bead board wall paneling, restoration carpenter Wayne Griffin and expert cabinetmaker Don Jordan exposed timber framing members and the back side of weatherboarding that retains a heavy accumulation of whitewash. Upon further examination they learned that the ceiling joists were exposed, whitewashed, and molded at the base with a robust ogee, all indications of 18th-century construction.

The Lanes sought professional guidance from the Restoration Branch of the State Historic Preservation Office. Architectural historians with the Architectural Research Department at Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Preservation Office staff, and local historians participated in the architectural investigations. The dendrochronology study confirmed what the physical evidence suggested: they owned North Carolina’s oldest dated house.

Archaeological investigations conducted by East Carolina University established that the house does not sit in its original location, with research refining the date of its relocation to a 16-year range, 1894-1910. The upcoming move to West Eden Street would mark the second time in the house’s 306-year history that it has been relocated.

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Note: This story was updated at 5:32 a.m. Dec. 20, 2025, after further examination of the agenda to include information about moving the Lane House.

Story further updated at 9:32 a.m. Dec. 20, 2025, after clarification from parties involved in the agreement.