The Bonner House

The Bonner House is one of the interesting buildings in the historic, colonial town of Bath, North Carolina. Built in the early 1800's, it was innovative for its day. A bedroom and the dining room were in a separate wing with a storage attic overhead. The rooms on the first floor had an extended roof in the back, and the windows were left unshuttered. The interior has many extra features, including hand-carved mantels, blown-glass window panes, wallpaper borders, grain-painted doors, and finger-painted baseboards.

Built overlooking the Pamlico River, the scenery was breathtaking. To take full advantage of this, Joseph and Sally Ann wanted a wide front porch where they could sit in rocking chairs, talk about their day, and watch the fishing boats come in. There's also a back porch that overlooks the garden, a separate kitchen, the necessary, and a grape arbor. As it turned out, their spacious home would be needed for their five children.

Joseph Bonner owned naval stores, a lucrative business common to the coast of early North Carolina. He also owned 3,000 acres of farmland that produced corn, oats, and rice; 35 slaves; and sheep, cattle, and hogs. Later, as his farm became more profitable, he gave up the naval stores to manage the farm.

Today, the Bonner House is still a lovely example of 19th century architecture. Guided tours are available.

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