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History

Reid Thomas of North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office presents information on Gambrel roof houses of eastern North Carolina.

Charlie (1872-1960) and wife Rena Denton (1897-1989) purchased this homeplace and 115 acres of land December 1927 from Mr. John Anderson for the price of 28,000 lbs of lint cotton. Mr. and Mrs. Denton raised many of their 15 children in this house.

Upon the death of Mr. Charlie Denton in 1960 the house and 42.2 acres of land were inherited by their youngest son, John Vanderbill Denton (1943-). Rena remained at the homeplace until 1984 at which time she moved to Florida to live with her daughter. The house was then unoccupied and began to deteriorate. In 2009 John and his wife Barbara decided to sell it to the Historical Halifax Restoration Association for a small amount. In doing so, this homeplace could be restored and enjoyed by all for years to come.

The images of the Halifax Resolves are displayed on the Bradford Denton Restoration website as a courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina. Copying or reprpoducing is not permitted.

During the Colonial Period, the scarcity of specie (coin) in North Carolina constituted a major problem. Settlers arrived with little hard currency and the limited trade of the province brought in inadequate amounts of coin. Since little or no gold, silver or copper (the raw materials for coins) was mined in the colony, the chief form of exchange for most of the Colonial Period was the barter of commodities—tobacco, corn, wheat, tallow, skins, pitch, whale oil, pork and beef, etc