EVM Foundation

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Edenton, NC
EVM Foundation

The Elizabeth Vann Moore Foundation was formed to honor the legacy of Elizabeth Moore.

08/01/2025

Captain Mark Thesier has added so much to the Edenton waterfront. His boat the “Liber-Tea” is a beautifully appointed and very comfortable six-passenger tour boat powered by an eco-friendly electric motor. Daily he takes individuals out on Edenton Bay delighting them with stories of what the Edenton waterfront was like centuries ago. Part of his tour includes the history of Hayes,the Barker House , the Roanoke River Lighthouse, the Herringbone and the private houses that face the Bay. Thank you Captain Mark for all you do for Edenton.

07/31/2025

Since July of 2023 the EVM Foundation has been making improvements to the electrical, water, fire prevention and HVAC systems at Hayes. While these improvements are not readily apparent to a visitor, they have been an important part of the restoration at Hayes. This week another of these necessary, but not noticeable, upgrades is taking place. We are installing copper guttering on the hyphens to prevent rainwater from draining into the crawl spaces and the basement. The contractor is spending a great deal of time expertly bending the copper into gutters that perfectly fit the curves of the Hayes hyphens.

07/30/2025

Yesterday after many weeks of measurement, scaling and planning we put our “paper-prototype” urn up on the gates at Hayes. Andrew Ownbey has spent considerable time making sure that each and every detail is as it should be. The EVM Foundation has consulted experts like Ralph Harvard to make sure these new urns match what was placed at the gates by James Cathcart Johnston. Now we are excited that these urns will be made by Down East Preservation as a gift to the restoration efforts at Hayes. We are also grateful to the Edenton Woman’s Club for their lead gift for the reconstruction of this gate.

07/29/2025

Edenton is successful today because of the hard-work of those individuals that served this community in the past. These photos feature town leaders like Bill Gardner who was the town manager, Charlie Creighton and Peggy Anne Vaughan. Pictured also are Al Phillips who was the president of the Edenton Cotton Mill and Chairman of the Chowan County Commissioners, Roy Harrell, former mayor, Gilliam Wood of Hayes, Spec Jones, a young Mark Storie, Bob Moore, Allan Asbell, Joe Lee and Ralph Parrish.

07/28/2025

James Johnston’s office is hidden behind the library at Hayes. There is a small almost hidden door leading from the library into the office. This office has been used for years as storage. Last week the space was “cleaned out” and everything in the room except one “strong box” was put into storage. This room is basically untouched since it was built and contains original plaster, early painted surfaces and exposed wiring. The minor restoration and conservation of this room will begin soon.

07/25/2025

North Carolina’s most spectacular room has now been emptied and cleaned. This room is William Nichol’s masterpiece and was constructed in 1817. The interior woodwork is walnut and the decorative ceiling is believed to be original. All of the portraits, maps, globes, clocks and other objects gathered over two centuries by the Johnston and Wood families have been carefully packed away. Only the busts of men that James Johnston admired look down on those that enter. All remnants of unsafe electricity and heating systems have been removed. The conservation of this room will carefully begin soon.

07/24/2025

We have begun to explore the stable at Hayes and this week we began to remove all the scrap lumber that had over the years been placed in the building. The structure appears to have been constructed in two phases. While we do not know the exact date of construction of either section however we that this building was constructed by James Cathcart Johnston (1782-1865) and then used by Edward Wood(1820-1872) and his family. Many Edentonians remember fondly seeing horses housed in this building. On February 13, 1829, James Cathcart Johnston’s friend, John Branch, wrote, “By the by, I never had a more delightful ride than your stables at Hayes afforded me in the Christmas holiday. Will you part with the horse I rode? Gov. Iredell informs me that you raise a good many horses & of course must occasionally sell.” Johnston often ordered clothing to use when he was riding his horses. In 1818 a year after he moved into Hayes a tailor in Philadelphia wrote him, “We have the pleasure of informing you that we will forward you tomorrow a great coat which we hope will reach you safely, meet your approbation and merit a continuance of future favors. Your great coat is such as we make for our Gentleman in Philadelphia, who are accustomed to riding”.

07/23/2025

In the Fall of 1972 John (Jack) G. Zehmer and Elizabeth Wilborn wrote an extensive article about Edenton for the magazine “Southern Antiques and Interiors”. This publication was the first to recognize and call attention to the wide array of Edenton architecture including important commercial and African-American built structures. Jack Zehmer also later wrote the iconic Hayes book. The article chronicles the “preservation movement” in Edenton. Several house shown in this article including the Leary House and the Coffield have now been perfectly restored. None of the houses shown in this 1972 article have been lost. The article states:
“Edenton has always been interested in preservation-witness the number of eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings remaining in the town and country-side. It has been a way of life for the people”.

07/22/2025

What began as a dream is fast becoming a reality. The restoration of Kadesh Church in Edenton is proceeding daily and now the glorious stained-glass windows and original doors have been re-installed. The effect is overwhelming. Vibrant colors once again stream into the church overwhelming visitors. These photos show the project before it began and how it looks today. Edenton came together to save Kadesh Church. This is a project that shows the kindness and the determination of our community. Thank you to Partners for Sacred Places, the Edenton Historical Commission, Preservation NC, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Representative Ed Goodwin for your support and encouragement. Let Kadesh be an example to individuals in other small towns that nothing is impossible.

Address

Edenton, NC
27932

Website

https://hayesfarm.org/

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