Mackeys Ferry
Washington County, Washington County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Mackeys Ferry. Established 1735 over Albemarle Sound, succeeding Bells Ferry. Discontinued in 1938. Southern terminus was 3 miles northwest.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
Established in 1735, Mackeys Ferry carried travelers and goods across the broad waters of Albemarle Sound, taking over a route first opened by the earlier Bells Ferry. For two centuries it stitched together the isolated communities of northeastern North Carolina, running until bridges and modern roads finally retired it in 1938. Its southern landing lay about three miles to the northwest.
Why it matters
Long before bridges spanned the sounds, ferries like this one were the essential links that made settlement and commerce possible across coastal Carolina's watery landscape.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Mackeys Ferry
Edenton, NC
Established in 1735 across the broad waters of Albemarle Sound, Mackeys Ferry carried travelers, goods, and mail where no bridge could reach, succeeding the earlier Bells Ferry. For more than two centuries it remained a vital link in the region's road network before it was finally discontinued in 1938. Its northern landing lay four blocks south of here.
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