Mayor's Message

As Mayor of Hertford, North Carolina, it is my honor to welcome you to our website. Hertford is a small water town located on the beautiful Perquimans River that flows into the Albemarle Sound. Approximately 75 minutes from the Outer Banks and Hampton Roads area of Virginia and on the southern side of the Great Dismal Swamp. Hertford was incorporated in 1758, one of the oldest towns in North Carolina. It is a wonderful place to visit, live, do business or retire. Again, thank you for taking the time to visit our website and learn more about our community.

 

Hertford is a quaint little town full of beautiful historic homes, singing red cardinals and friendly people. With a population of approx. 2,200 residents, it is a town with great potential for continued growth. Here you can fish, golf, boat, antique shop and explore history. Please come visit the Newbold-White House, built by the Quakers in the 1700s. It is believed to be the oldest brick home in the state of North Carolina. Visit the hometown of two of the founding members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority (1908), and one of the oldest Civil War monuments in the nation honoring African American soldiers, inscribed “In Memory of the Colored Union Soldiers Who Fought in the War of 1861-1865.” Visit the Great Dismal Swamp, which served as home to a small number of Maroons, who escaped slavery. We have the Church of the Holy Trinity, established in 1848, and the Perquimans County Courthouse, built in1825, the oldest courthouse in NC that’s still in continuous use and houses the oldest recorded land deed in the North Carolina, both are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. We are the home of the Perquimans History Museum and the Perquimans Art League (PAL). Oh, did I mention Hertford was the home of former baseball player James “Catfish” Hunter and radio DJ Wolfman Jack.

 

Home of spectacular sunrises, majestic sunsets, bird sanctuaries, the Hertford Central Park, Friday Night Strolls, Saturday Morning Live market, Saturday movies in Central Park, jazz concerts and the annual Indian Summer and Juneteenth Celebration. Hertford is also expanding. We have the new Landing on the Albemarle Independent & Assisted Living Facility, a new marina, and plans for a theater and new restaurant on our downtown Church Street. We have an outstanding public-school system. Some of our new citizens chose to relocate to Hertford because of it and we are also located approximately 30 minutes from the Elizabeth City State University, the College of the Albemarle and the Mid-Atlantic Christian University.

 

This website will help you discover who we are and hopefully encourage you to visit us, make Hertford your home, work and invest. Please contact us if you have questions or suggestions. On behalf of the citizens of Hertford, I welcome you and we hope to see you soon!

 

Sincerely,

R. Ashley Hodges, Mayor
252-426-4677