Historic Halifax

10/30/2026

Let's continue exploring the colorful world of 18th-century ceramics with Clouded or Tortoiseshell Ware!
The earliest documented reference to clouded and tortoiseshell wares dates to 1749. Potters used metallic oxides to produce beautiful colors, including purple, yellow (Go East Carolina!), green, and brown, along with many shades in between. These colorful ceramics are often referred to as Whieldon-type ware, named after the English potter Thomas Whieldon, who became closely associated with this style.
So, how did potters create these colorful patterns? Metallic oxides were applied to the ceramic surface, often by sponging or brushing, before a transparent glaze was added. During firing, the colors blended and flowed together, creating distinctive patterns.
Clouded ware typically features mottled patches of colors such as purple, yellow, and brown. Tortoiseshell ware often has a creamy yellow background with brown streaks or spots that resemble a tortoiseshell. Both styles appeared on a variety of table and teawares, including cups, plates, saucers, teapots, and mugs.
During our 2023 archaeological field school at Brunswick Town, we discovered several pieces of clouded and tortoiseshell ware. At the end of the field school, I volunteered (of course I did!) to clean, identify, and count all the artifacts recovered from the tavern.
Identifying the different ceramic sherds was one of my favorite parts of the experience! Each fragment had its own colors, patterns, and clues about the past.
It's amazing to think that these colorful pieces of pottery were once part of someone's everyday life nearly 300 years ago. Today, even a small sherd can help archaeologists learn more about those that lived in the past.
Who knew broken pottery could be so colorful—and so much fun to study? --SJ
https://apps.jefpat.maryland.gov/diagnostic/Earthenware/Clouded.aspx

10/29/2026

Today, Stephen is continuing his series in the Creamware Theme: Green-Glazed Ware!
In the 1750s, potters Thomas Whieldon and Josiah Wedgwood worked together to develop new types of colorful, decorative earthenware. In 1759, Wedgwood recorded his success in perfecting a brilliant green glaze. This glaze helped bring fruit- and vegetable-shaped tableware to life! These wares are often known as green-glazed creamware.
Using molds, potters created tableware shaped like pineapples, cauliflowers, and melons. Green and yellow glazes gave these pieces a remarkably realistic appearance. Pineapple-shaped wares became especially popular during the 1760s.
During my 2023 archaeological field school at Brunswick Town, one of the students discovered part of the spout of a pineapple-shaped teapot. The green glaze was still remarkably vibrant, almost as if it had been made yesterday!
We also found yellow-glazed fragments from the pineapple itself. Unfortunately, we didn't recover enough pieces to put the teapot back together.
Even though we couldn't reconstruct the entire teapot, these fragments offered a glimpse of a colorful piece of 18th-century tableware. It's amazing to think that something used centuries ago for serving tea can survive in the ground and still retain so much of its original color.
That's one of the things I love about archaeology: even a small fragment can tell a fascinating story!
https://apps.jefpat.maryland.gov/diagnostic/Earthenware/GreenGlazed.aspx

10/28/2026

The Magic of Creamware
As I become more familiar with Historic Halifax, the archaeologist in me notices artifacts and historically accurate antiques that I encountered during my studies at East Carolina University (ECU). One of those artifacts is creamware!
Creamware was developed in Great Britain in the mid-18th century, with early production associated with potter Enoch Booth around 1740. It quickly became popular! Other potters, including Thomas Whieldon and Josiah Wedgwood, helped develop and manufacture these wares. Wedgwood refined the cream-colored earthenware and, in 1762, introduced a successful creamware body with a clear glaze.
Creamware became popular for tea and table wares in England and its American colonies. Some familiar styles and decorations include Queen’s shape, Royal shape, feather edge, and shell edge.
Feather-edge creamware is the pattern I know best. It was especially popular during the second half of the 18th century. During my 2023 archaeological field school at Brunswick Town, I found several creamware sherds with feather-edge decoration. Naturally, I made a point of showing them to the professor leading the field school, Dr. Charlie Ewen. I was hoping they were so significant that we would have to rewrite the history books!
Alas, it was not to be.
Fast-forward to August 2026 at Historic Halifax.
Kristal gave me a wonderful, detailed tour of the Owens House. As we entered the parlor, I noticed the creamware dinner plates displayed on the dining table.
Behold—feather-edge creamware!
If you ever take a tour of the Owens House with me, be prepared to talk about it!
As I walk the grounds at Historic Halifax, I have also noticed several creamware sherds on the ground. These little fragments offer a tangible connection to the people who lived, worked, and gathered here centuries ago. They also remind us how popular creamware became during the colonial period and how artifacts can help us understand daily life in historic Halifax.
For an archaeologist, even a small piece of broken pottery can tell part of a much larger story. Who used it? How did it get here? What can it tell us about the people who lived in this community?
Sometimes, the magic of archaeology is found in the smallest things. And at Historic Halifax, there are still plenty of stories waiting to be uncovered! -SJ
There is so much more to creamware: https://apps.jefpat.maryland.gov/diagnostic/Earthenware/Creamware.aspx

10/27/2026

Did you know that today is “Back Cat Day?” It’s not an official holiday, just an internet observance, like “Talk like a Pirate Day” or “May the 4th Be With You” day. Unlike those two sillier observances, Black Cat Day has a serious basis. The holiday was founded by an animal welfare organization called “Cats Protection” back in 2011 to bring awareness to the high number of black cats that were euthanized in shelters because they were less likely to be adopted.
Traditionally, black and black-and-white cats face superstition and have been abused simply for their coat color. Black cats were once believed to be creatures of dark magic, a witch’s “familiar”, or a demon in disguise. There are still grown adults in our modern time who will either turn their car around or swerve to run over a black cat to avoid having them “cross their path” and bring the driver bad luck!
Black cats are no different from a tabby, a calico, or an orange cat. They are wonderful pets and make affectionate companions. Our own staff member Kristal Chapman has a black cat named Rainey that she calls her “house panther.” Want your own house panther or just want information on how to help Halifax-area fur babies in need? Contact the Halifax County Animal Shelter at (252) 583-1050 or online at https://www.facebook.com/HalifaxCountyPetAdoptionCenter/
For some statistics about recent studies documenting the “adoption gap” for black cats and dogs in shelters, click on this article from another animal welfare organization called “PAWS.” https://www.paws.org/news/2024/09/the-scary-truth-about-black-cat-and-dog-adoption-rates/
If you already live with one of these beautiful felines and would like to share a picture in the comments, please feel free!

10/26/2026

This is "Spooky Week" and Historic Halifax is offering not one, not two, but three opportunities to walk through our cemeteries on our "Dearly Departed in Halifax" Tour. Tours are scheduled for Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday at 2 PM. These tours are walking tours and last about 90 minutes. The cost for a special tour ticket is $10 plus tax.
The oldest tombstone in our Colonial Cemetery is for William Alexander and dated October 1766. From there, the marked graves range all the way into the early 20th Century. Some of the newer graves are covered with “Grave Houses.” Grave houses are a Southern Tradition from the 19th Century that was supposed to protect the grave from the elements. Ours are reproductions of grave houses that were seen in early 20th century photographs but had been lost over time.
Learn more about the people and history of burials located around the Historic Site! Come to one of the "Dearly Departed in Halifax" tours! Call us at (252)583-7191 for more information.

10/25/2026

On this day in North Carolina History: The Edenton Tea Party takes place, October 25, 1774. The name is a misnomer. No one drank tea --that was the point! Penelope Barker of Edenton was able to organize 50 other women of Edenton to sign a letter to King George III in protest of Great Britain's Tea Act of 1773. It was once thought that all 51 ladies met in the parlor of Elizabeth King’s home, but now it is widely believed by historians that they trickled in and out to sign their names to the petition, promising to give up tea as long as Parliament was subjecting them to “taxation without representation.” The document said in part that they were “determined to give memorable proof of their patriotism” and could not be “indifferent on any occasion that appears nearly to affect the peace and happiness of our country . . . it is a duty that we owe, not only to our near and dear connections . . . but to ourselves.”
The women had brazenly committed treason by signing their names to their petition. It was widely praised in the American Colonies, while the British reacted with shock and satire. London journalists wrote about the “uncontrollable” American women and ran political cartoons making fun of the “tea party.” Penelope Barker’s husband Thomas had been working in London as an agent to Parliament. He had to flee to France and was unable to return to North Carolina until 1778. The Edenton Tea Party is now recognized as the first major political protest by women in American History.
In 2024, our sister site, Historic Edenton, celebrated the 250th Anniversary of the Edenton Tea Party. Our own Kristal Chapman was proud to attend. Can you pick her out of these pictures from last year? Pictures by Amanda Brantley, used with permission.

10/24/2026

This week, our own Stephen Johnson participated in the NC State Fair's Salute to Veterans. Here are some pictures from his trip.

10/24/2026

Pipestem Dating: What a To***co Pipe Can Tell Us:
Imported white clay to***co pipe stems and bowls are found at many historic archaeological sites—and occasionally even at prehistoric ones because artifacts can be introduced into older deposits over time. When excavating a colonial home, archaeologists might find a few dozen to a few hundred pipe stem and bowl fragments. If it is a colonial tavern just begging for an archaeological survey, thousands might turn up. (Trust me, I’ve counted!)
Finding a site is great. Excavating it can be fun, too, although it involves a lot of hard work! Photographing, collecting, and bagging artifacts are all important. And don’t forget documenting and recording everything. Finally, there is the excavation report. Without that report, how will anyone else learn what was discovered and what it means?
All of these steps are essential to an archaeological investigation, along with plenty of paperwork and requirements involving state and federal agencies. But how do archaeologists estimate the age of a colonial tavern or a house where someone did a lot of smoking? One method involves a seemingly insignificant artifact: the humble to***co pipestem!
In 1954, archaeologist J. C. Harrington observed that the bore diameters—the diameters of the holes running through the stems—of English white clay to***co pipes changed in a fairly predictable pattern over time. Generally, the bore diameters became smaller from the 17th century into the late 18th century. By measuring these holes using drill bits as gauges, archaeologists could estimate the age of the pipe stems and, in some circumstances, gain clues about the age of an archaeological deposit.
Other archaeologists later developed methods to improve these estimates. In 1962, archaeologist Lewis Binford introduced a straight-line regression formula that used pipe stem bore measurements to estimate dates. Regression is a statistical method that identifies a relationship between measurements and known dates, allowing archaeologists to estimate a date from a new measurement.
Archaeologists Robert Heighton and Kathleen Deagan developed additional methods for dating pipe stems, including a two-part equation. This approach can help refine estimates, but none provides a perfectly precise date for an archaeological site.
Pipestem dating is only one tool in an archaeologist’s toolkit. Researchers must consider other evidence, including ceramics, coins, documentary records, and the archaeological context in which artifacts were found. Together, these clues help build a clearer picture of when a site was occupied and how people lived.
Archaeology is the study of past people through their material remains. Sometimes, the most ordinary objects can make meaningful contributions to our understanding of history. And sometimes, something as simple as a to***co pipestem—and a modern drill bit—can help archaeologists piece together the past! - SJ

10/23/2026

Our next "Dearly Departed in Halifax" Special Tour will be tomorrow, 10/27 at 2 PM. This walking tour of Historic Halifax State Historic Site will visit people from all walks of life, who died and were buried in Halifax. That includes Susan Turner, orphaned as a small child, raised in the home of Mary Montfort Jones and became her housekeeper. Want to hear the rest of the story? Come to the tour at 2 PM Tomorrow.

10/21/2026

Read all about a Hollister man publishing a novel about growing up in Halifax County in the 1970s and 1980s.

For Harry Johnson, a red Toyota Celica convertible represents more than a car he once owned.