From The Archives

Detail of front porch balustrade

In my opinion, this is one of the most charming features of the house. The original balustrades and railings of the front porch are joined with pegs and sturdy joints that have upheld through the years with very little replacement needed. The geometric patterns on the supports represent harvested bundles of wheat. The floorboards have just recently been replaced with pressure treated lumber. Relaxation and the pleasure of nature are best enjoyed in a rocking chair seated on this bonus "outside room". Its approximate dimensions are 8 X 45 feet.

View of the side porch

This view of the side porch shows the original house (Federal style) constructed circa 1825. The main house was added sometime between 1850 and 1875 in the Victorian style. The house has been altered little since its construction and has most of the original features and materials. Either porch is most relaxing and private with the house set deep off the road on a two+ acre lot. The large mature oaks add to the beauty and provide delightful shade during the summer months.

Front view of home

The house is best described in an article about Edgecombe County homes as follows:

"Elaborate porch and eaves decoration, a stained glass transom, and fancy interior woodwork make the Hurdle house one of the county's best examples of a rural Victorian house in the decorated cottage mode.
The land around the house was owned by Charles G. Wilkinson and family since the early 1800s. An early 19th century house serves as an ell for the main dwelling; it has two rooms, a corner stair, and a center chimney built in a hewn mortise-and-tenon frame. The main house was built in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, probably by C.W. Wilkinson. A daughter, Susan, who became Mrs. E.J. Hurdle, acquired the house and 139 acres in 1901.
In general form the house follows the tried-and-true design: two rooms and a central hall under a gable roof, with a two-room ell at the rear. In execution the house blossoms with Victorian ornament. It is composed of a patternbook-derived vocabulary of elements seen elsewhere in the county, though the decoration is not merely detail but applied full-scale. The front porch has stickwork posts with sawn sheaf-of-wheat panels and bold, elaborate sawn brackets; a balustrade is composed of slender sawn balusters. The rear porch is a restrained echo of the front. The box cornice has sawn brackets, the chimneys have decoratively corbelled tops. The raking eaves are graced with delicate undulating curvilinear trim. Around the front door are slender sidelights and a transom; the latter has stained and leaded glass in diamond shapes.
The two main rooms contain four-panel doors with wide surrounds, peaked lintels, and oversize cornerblocks. A grained mantel has sawn scrolls and intertwined diamond-shaped strips at the top and sides.Various frame outbuildings are arranged at the sides of the house making an attractive complex. These include a possible slave house. There is also a smokehouse and a row of three large structures: equipment shed, pack house, and stable."

Brief history and description of the Tarboro area

Incorporated in 1760, Tarboro, NC is one of the oldest towns in the United States. The town still has its original Town Common, a 15-acre park canopied by tall oaks that marks the threshold to the 45-block Historic District and renovated Downtown, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Please note that the Wilkinson-Hurdle house is located within the township of Tarboro, but about 5 miles from the downtown area).
Tarboro's cultural center is the Blount-Bridgers House, the early 19th century home of Thomas Blount, an important figure in NC history. Here, artifacts and antiques tell the story of Edgecombe County, while the Hobson Pittman Collection of 20th century art, located in the same building, recalls the career of one of NC's most celebrated artists.
Tarboro has three recreation centers (including a state-of-the-art senior citizens center), a community pool complex, 10 tennis courts, three major parks and several neighborhood parks, two boat ramps accessing the Tar River, and Indian Lake, a 52-acre natural park.
Located only 72 miles from the state capital of Raleigh, Tarboro is strategically positioned between the Piedmont and the Outerbanks, making it a central location for those who enjoy the excitement of NC's cities, and the relaxation of its coast.