Murfreesboro
| Murfreesboro is situated on the banks of the Meherrin River at the point where ship passage ends and land travel must begin. That geographical placement was a formative part of Murfreesboro's history, as ships were the safest and most efficient means of travel in the early days of this country. |
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European explorers from both the Roanoke colony and Jamestown had sailed up the Chowan River and seen the forests and Native American villages near the area where Murfreesboro stands today. Gradually, over the next 150 years, settlers brought their families and carved out homesteads along the banks of the river and creeks that fed Albemarle Sound. As trade began to develop, certain landing areas were established as "King's Landings," where a customs-style accounting of goods was undertaken. One such port was Murfree's landing - home of William Murfree. His son, Hardy, was an enterprising planter who hoped someday to link Murfreesboro by canal to Hampton Roads as well as trading points farther west. In 1787 the North Carolina legislature incorporated Murfreesboro.
As the settlement grew, trade items from the Northern colonies, the West Indies, and England were off-loaded to make room for the tar, turpentine, lumber, cotton, salt herring and tobacco being shipped out from the area. The New England captains whose ships carried the bulk of the trade found Murfreesboro to be a very receptive port. Over time a number of these merchant/captains shifted their base of operations to the town of Meherrin. They built homes and businesses, just as they had in New York and Boston. Architecturally, the growing town began to look like one of the New England seaports.
At the same time that Murfreesboro was making its mark as a center of commerce, the town began to gain a reputation as a center of learning. The citizens, then as now, believed that a quality education was the hallmark of a healthy, thriving community.
As overland roads improved, and as sea trade began to give way to highway travel and westward expansion, water traffic in Murfreesboro decreased. During the Civil War, all of the buildings survived but the ravages of the war and the hardships of reconstruction forced Murfreesboro to settle into a quieter, more "backwater" existence.
However, the same spirit that built the town was waiting to be reborn. Townspeople saw a renewed agrarian economy based on peanuts, cotton, corn and tobacco.
A concept of adaptive reuse began to be explored in order to modernize and develop the town without wiping away the unique character of the town's New England style architecture. The first major project was the refurbishing of the Roberts-Vaughan House. The house, built in the 1840s, was reconstructed to become the Village Center, housing the town library, the Chamber of Commerce as well as the Historical Association's headquarters. Other projects were undertaken, including the restoration of the earliest brick commercial building in North Carolina, the William Rea Store. Today the building serves as a museum, where various collections display artifacts from the area's early Native American culture, the shipping and trading industry, the agricultural life in 18th and 19th century Murfreesboro, as well as the many different architectural styles represented by the town's historical buildings.
Murfreesboro was the home to several historical figures. There was Emily Morgan, who made the acquaintance of the famous Mexican general, Santa Anna, and was instrumental in creating a division that may have helped Sam Houston in defeating Santa Anna at San Jacinto. Her story was immortalized in the popular song, "The Yellow Rose of Texas." There is also the story of General Lafayette's visit to Murfreesboro in 1825. The boyhood home of Walter Reed, conqueror of Yellow Fever is here too.
As the increased awareness of Murfreesboro's colorful history surfaces, residents are restoring private homes in and around the historic area. The town has taken giant steps in preserving its essential character. The same enterprising spirit that established the town as a vital trading center in colonial days has fueled its rebirth as a community that protects its past to serve its future.
The renaissance in Murfreesboro is well underway. It is a rebirth of the spirit and vitality of the early town, a discovery of the heritage, grace and promise of the Inner Banks town of today. The commitment of the citizens of Murfreesboro to preserve and protect these natural and historic assets is a gift to all who enjoy the experience of the dynamic renaissance of Murfreesboro in the future.
You can learn more about Historic Murfreesboro at www.murfreesboronc.com. For more information regarding the Town of Murfreesboro and the Murfreesboro Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.townofmurfreesboro.com.
