Murfreesboro, located in Hertford County, is situated on the Meherrin River along what is known as eastern North Carolina’s Inner Banks. The town served as the northernmost seaport for trade in colonial America, connecting the agricultural economies of the northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia with the seafaring vessels of the Albemarle Sound.

Murfreesboro is in Hertford County, a small county located in northeastern North Carolina. Murfreesboro sits along the Meherrin River only 11 miles from the Virginia border and 103 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Moving southeastward on the river from Murfreesboro, the Meherrin joins the Chowan River, which eventually drains into the Albemarle Sound, providing access to the Atlantic Ocean.

   
     The Town of Murfreesboro, home to over 2,000 people, prides itself on its well-preserved historic district. The Murfreesboro Historical Association owns and maintains many historic buildings while others are privately owned. These historic buildings date from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Some of these buildings are still used as private homes today; others have been transformed into museums or places of business. The Joseph Rea House, for example, is a two-story antebellum house dating back to 1808 and is now occupied by a bed and breakfast, wine bistro and shop, art gallery and gift shop. Other examples of the creative use of properties in the Murfreesboro historic district include the Jefcoat Museum, inside the old Murfreesboro High School, and the Rea Museum, which hosts memorabilia from the Gatling family in the only surviving eighteenth century brick commercial building in eastern North Carolina.

     The Town of Murfreesboro served as an important seaport in colonial America, linking the agricultural economies of eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia to the Albemarle Sound where commodities were transported to Great Britain. The first land grant in the Murfreesboro area came in 1714. Several other land grants were settled, and by 1735 the Meherrin Church was established. The Meherrin Church is now the second oldest Baptist church in North Carolina. The Town of Murfreesboro was founded in 1787 by Hardy Murfree, who later became a Revolutionary War hero. Hardy Murfree founded the town that came to bear his name by contributing 97 acres of land to be used for town development. In 1789, Murfree represented Hertford County at the constitutional convention at Fayetteville. The town continued to play a pivotal role throughout the Revolutionary War, providing local militias to suppress attacks by the British. 

     In 1825, Murfreesboro played host to Marquis De Lafayette during his American tour. In honor of Lafayette’s visit to Murfreesboro, citizens prepared a reception dinner and ball. Starting in 1973, the Murfreesboro Historical Association began holding the Lafayette Ball biennially as a fundraiser and a remembrance of Lafayette’s visit to Murfreesboro. French emissaries to this day travel to Murfreesboro to attend the Lafayette Ball and continue the relationship between France and Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro’s historical relationship with France does not stop there. Murfreesboro was presented with a set of flags representing the French regiments that fought in the Revolutionary War. Only four towns in the United States were presented with these flags:  Washington DC, Yorktown, VA, St. Louis, MO, and of course Murfreesboro.

     When settlers arrived in Murfreesboro and Hertford County, they recognized the fertility and productivity of the soil. And while maritime trade was essential to the founding of Murfreesboro, agriculture remains the major industry sector in the area, with staples including tobacco, cotton, peanuts, corn and soybeans. With the Meherrin River providing access to the Chowan River, and Murfreesboro’s proximity to Highway 11 and US-158—and considering the abundance of pristine open space—Murfreesboro is poised for creative development.

     And the renaissance in Murfreesboro is well underway. It is a rebirth of the spirit and vitality of the early town, a rediscovery of the heritage, grace and promise of the Inner Banks town of today.

     Murfreesboro, like many of eastern North Carolina’s towns, was built with the highest and best principles now commonly associated with the “New Urbanism” planning movement. The Inner Banks region is rich in such towns, including an inventory of structures and districts eligible for rehabilitation tax credits, new market tax credits and syndication of real estate interests—extraordinary opportunities exist to develop dynamic relationships with public and private financial markets to foster new business development.

The Albemarle region is delineated on the north and south by Virginia and the Pamlico River, and on the east and west by the Outer Banks and Interstate 95. It covers a 17-county region that is characterized by small colonial-era towns and historic sites interspersed with a broad expanse of rivers and sounds, fields and wetlands. The towns that line the Albemarle region’s rivers and estuaries keep watch over a rich heritage. From early exploration by English colonists in 1584 to protestation against British tyranny in 1774 to invasion by the Union Army during the Civil War, the Albemarle has played a role in many major events in U.S. history. The area's often turbulent past, however, has given way to a relaxed pace of life in a lush, rural Carolina setting. Inner Banks towns are often preserved with an eye towards the past, but they are ever evolving with the times. The countryside is dotted with farms and crossroad communities and opulent plantation homes that are reminders of another time. The bountiful waters of the Albemarle Sound and rivers are pristine and inviting to boaters and fishermen.

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