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Physical Development and Civic Improvements (1.3.5)

The municipal limits of Elizabeth City were expanded only once during the antebellum period. In January 1851 the southern boundary was extended to Body Road (now Roanoke Avenue) and a line running nearly due east from the intersection of Body Road and South Road Street to Charles Creek. Even though the northern and western extensions were minor, and the eastern boundary remained the same (the Pasquotank River), the 1851 changes enlarged the city by more than half (see Map 3). This expansion encouraged the erection of large impressive residences along what is now South Road, Speed, Shepard, 5outhern, and Ehringhaus streets. Included in the newly annexed city was an area known as the "Race Tract," the former race course in an area now roughly bounded by Southern Avenue and Shepard, Brown, and South Road streets. Horse racing in Elizabeth City reached its zenith in the 1823, after which nothing was mentioned of the old race track in the city's newspapers until 1854, three years after it had become a residential area (Griffin 1970, 61-65, 119).

An unusual feature of downtown Elizabeth City was the existence of two business districts. One, located near the intersection of Main and Road streets, contained the major mercantile establishments, the largest hotel, and the banks. The other district was located along the river and Water Street and housed the shipping and transportation services along with much of the industry. The Market House, where vendors could rent stalls, was situated at the corner of Main and Water streets. Between the two districts were residences and the county courthouse (Griffin 1970, 86). Property along Poindexter, Tiber, and Charles creeks also provided important sites for manufacturing (Griffin 1970, 78-81).

larger public buildings that reflected the city's growing influence and prosperity were constructed in Elizabeth City during the antebellum years. In 1836 a new courthouse was erected on the public square bounded by Main, Elliott, Pool, and Matthews (now Colonial) streets, although there is disagreement as to whether it was built of brick, as originally intended, or of frame; whichever, the structure was burned in 1862. A new brick jail was built in 1826 on the square to replace an inadequate structure erected ca. 1810. About 1847 a county poor house and asylum were built outside the city limits (adjacent to present Elizabeth City State University) (Griffin 1970, 50-53; Butchko 1989, 141, 333 n.45).

Civic improvements undertaken during the antebellum period included the chartering of fire companies in 1824, 1829, 1844, and 1850. To lessen the frequency of fires within the city, in 1832 the town forbade the existence of wooden chimneys; these highly combustible elements were a vestige of medieval building practices that were imported by the early colonists (Elizabeth City Star and North Carolina Eastern Intelligencer, February 18, 1832). During the 1850s, the sidewalks on Road Street were paved, an inquiry was made into the acquisition of gas lighting for the town, and at least one water tank was constructed (Griffin 1970, 64-65).

Health concerns were often addressed in the newspapers, and sometime before 1829 a marine hospital was established to protect the citizens from contagious diseases brought by seamen; the hospital, located at the corner of Main and Poindexter streets, burned in 1858 (Griffin 1970, 83, 127, 140). Nonetheless, serious epidemics of yellow fever, cholera, and smallpox occurred throughout the period; in fact, the smallpox epidemic in 1835 was so severe that the town commissioners required that all residents be vaccinated (Griffin 1970, 126-128). Medical services were improved in 1854 when Dr. Piemont announced the establishment of an infirmary to treat "all sick persons," stating that he "is fully prepared to perform all surgical operations" (The Old North State, February 4, 1854).