963.82 Acres in Edenton, NC - $7,534,000

The property is diverse and contains Albemarle Sound frontage, agricultural fields, mature hardwoods, pines, lowlands, and wetlands. The timber is under a management program and contains tracts of hardwoods, upland hardwoods and bottomland hardwoods. The pines have been thinned and were replanted on a rotational basis in 1995, 2004, 2016 and 2021. Ensuring that the timber is maintained helps ensure its health and protects your investment.

Whether you are looking for a long-term land and timber investment, a place to have your own country estate or corporate retreat, or possibly a place for some luxury homes and a marina, this property may be exactly what you’re looking for!

The history of Shepard’s Long Beach is very unique. The first known deed for the tract of land that includes what is now known as Shepard’s Long Beach was done in 1627 from Charles the 1st, King of England to Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. It was described as extending 37 miles south along the waters now called the Albemarle Sound from the border of the new colony of Virginia and from said points as far west as the wilderness doth go. This was 7 years after the second Jamestown settlement. Sir Edward never made it across the pond; but he did send people to check it out. A very small settlement was established here about 1630 in what was later called Queen Anne’s Towne and then Edenton.

In the mid 1600’s, Charles the 2nd granted all of the land now comprising the Carolinas to the eight Lords Proprietors who had helped him regain the English throne. He also took most of their money to fund his squabble with France and Spain, leaving the formerly wealthy landowners in great need of taking advantage of their newly acquired lands. Among that influx of new settlers were royalists known as second sons progeny who would not inherit their fathers’ titles and lands in England. Queen Anne’s Towne was a success. The new colony remained royalist until just before the Revolutionary War.

Land on both sides of the Albemarle Sound, including Shepard’s Long Beach was acquired by the Collins family (Somerset Plantation, Washington County, NC). Prior to the Civil War, much of the land was sold out of the family, including Long Beach. In the 1890’s, Thomas Harrison Shepard (grandson of William Biddle Shepard, US, congressman, son of William Blount Shepard) purchased some 1500 acres, approximately 1000 acres on the south side of Indian Trail and 500 acres on the north side. His children, Robert Bowden, William Blount and Thomas Harrison Jr, deeded the acreage on the north of Indian Trail to Anne Cameron Graham (Wessington House, Edenton NC) after the depression. Ownership of Shepard’s Long Beach is still held by their heirs all direct descendants of the Coke and Collins families.

One of the more interesting bits of history associated with Long Beach has to do with Thomas Harrison Shepard Jr. He was an engineer working in Washington DC as a Vice President of Government Sales for General Electric during World War II. Essentially, his job was to market power plants to the Navy for ships being built for the war effort. As a consequence of his job contacts, he was friends with a number of Navy Admirals and had invited them to visit Edenton and taken them hunting on the family farm. As four ships containing GE power plants were about to be commissioned, Thomas and three of his Admiral friends decided that each of them would choose a name for one of the vessels. Thomas chose to name his the U.S.S. Long Beach named for Shepard’s Long Beach, Chowan County, North Carolina not for Long Beach Naval Station, California.

Edenton is a great place to live, work and play. Its beautiful small-town charm and friendly atmosphere as well as its boutique shops and restaurants make it a desirable destination. The recent introduction of a ferry system and the state’s purchase of Hayes plantation, are all promising signs for its continued growth and appeal. The Albemarle Sound, a part of the Intracoastal waterway, and the Chowan River are world-class fisheries and make this area a destination of choice for anglers across the nation. The property is ideally located 90 minutes from Norfolk International Airport and Virginia Beach and less than 90 minutes from the Outer Banks and Greenville, NC.

For more information on this and other land for sale in Chowan County, contact John Perez at 252-325-4766 or by email at jperez@ or visit