Iredell, James, House
Posted by: 
drmellow
N 36° 03.656 W 076° 36.445
18S E 355232 N 3991902
Home of James Iredell, one of the original Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Waymark Code: WMQEB
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 09/15/2006
Views: 71
The Iredell house is a historic house located in Edenton, NC. During the 1700s, it was the home of James Iredell, a prominent North Carolina resident. Between 1779 and 1781, James Iredell served the state of North Carolina as Attorney General. In 1798, he was appointed by George Washington to the post of Supreme Court Associate Justice. At the age of 38, he was the youngest of the original Supreme Court Justices. More detailed information about James Iredell can be found at his Wikipedia article.
In 1948, the Edenton Tea Party Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution purchased the house and saved it from destruction. In 1951, the DAR transferred the house to the State of NC. It is at present a State Historic Site administered by the NC Dept. Cultural Resources. In 1970, the Iredell House was added to the National Register of Historical Places (Building #70000449).
The National Park Service maitains a website about the Iredell House, which provides the following history about the house:
Early in 1798, in a state of extreme mental anguish because of mounting debts brought on by unwise speculation in lands, James Wilson, probably while visiting North Carolina on Federal circuit court matters, took refuge in this house. It was the home of his friend and fellow U.S. Supreme Court Justice James Iredell. Within a few months, Wilson died there.
The little-altered Iredell House is a large L-shaped structure. It is constructed of frame and is two stories in height with gable roof. Two-story verandas span the front, or south, and rear elevations of the long arm of the ell. The building was erected in three stages. The earliest, the present short, or east, arm of the ell, was built in 1759 by John Wilkins, with its narrow gable end fronting on the street. In 1776 Joseph Whedbee enlarged the structure by adding to its west side the two easternmost bays of the present five-bay long arm. In 1810 Iredell's widow extended the arm by three bays to its present size and added the verandas.
The original section of the house contains a living room and one other room on the first floor and two bedrooms on the second. The first floor of the 1776 section consists of the dining room; the second floor, a large bedroom. These two sections are furnished as a historic house museum and are open to the public. The remaining section of the long arm, dating from 1810, serves as the caretaker's quarters. The State owns and administers the residence.
Today, the Iredell House is open for tours throughout the year, with special events happening from time to time. The North Carolina Historic Sites webpage about the Iredell House lists more information about special events that occur at the Iredell House.