Newbold-White House

Alongside 100 miles of shoreline, Perquimans County is home to the Newbold-White House, the state’s oldest known brick house, dating back to 1730. Built by early English Quakers, the house and surrounding grounds offer an unvarnished glimpse into 18th-century life in the Albemarle region.

Visitors can step inside the Flemish bond brick home and explore its period furnishings, exposed beams and hearth-centered kitchen. The grounds include a working kitchen garden, and a nature trail that winds from the house to the river, ending at a peaceful pier overlooking the Perquimans River. Docked here when not sailing is the Periauger, a hand-built reproduction of a colonial workboat once owned by Joseph Scott, a later owner of the home. The vessel now navigates the same historic waters it would have centuries ago.

Operated by the Perquimans County Restoration Association, this riverside site tells a layered story of early settlers, agriculture and the quiet strength of a Quaker community rooted in peace, faith and perseverance.