Samuel Johnston, Revolutionary Leader
Edenton, Chowan County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Samuel Johnston. Revolutionary leader, Governor, U.S. Senator. His home, "Hayes," and grave are one mile S.E.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
Samuel Johnston was among the most influential leaders of Revolutionary-era North Carolina, presiding over provincial congresses, serving as governor, and later representing the state in the U.S. Senate. His plantation home, "Hayes," and his grave lie about a mile to the southeast. Few figures did more to guide the colony through independence and into statehood.
Why it matters
Johnston's career bridges the Revolution and the founding of the federal government, embodying the transition from colony to state.
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Related people
- · Samuel Johnston
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Joseph Hewes, Declaration Signer
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Joseph Hewes built his fortune as an Edenton merchant and shipowner before politics carried him to the Continental Congress, where in 1776 he became one of North Carolina's signers of the Declaration of Independence. Overseeing naval matters, he is often remembered for helping lay the groundwork of an American navy. His store once stood a few blocks south of here.
James Iredell, Supreme Court Justice
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James Iredell rose from colonial official to become one of the intellectual architects of the new nation's legal order. He served as North Carolina's attorney general during the Revolution and championed ratification of the Constitution, and in 1790 President Washington named him to the first U.S. Supreme Court, where he sat until his death in 1799. His Edenton home still stands nearby.
Chowan County Courthouse
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Built about 1767, the Chowan County Courthouse is the oldest courthouse still in use in North Carolina and one of the finest Georgian public buildings in the South. During the Revolution it served as a gathering place for local Whigs who backed the Patriot cause. For more than two and a half centuries it has remained a working seat of county government.
Dr. Hugh Williamson, Constitution Signer
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