For one of the most genuinely rewarding historic towns in eastern North Carolina’s Inner Banks region, Williamston is a real treasure. The county seat of Martin County and home to roughly 5,245 residents, Williamston sits along the western bank of the Roanoke River with a layered history that traces back to a pre-colonial Tuscarora settlement, an early colonial nickname as “Tar Landing,” a formal 1779 incorporation honoring a Revolutionary War colonel, and a steady evolution into one of the most distinctive small cities anywhere in the broader region. With historic homes, scenic riverside lowlands for fishing and kayaking, the Skewarkee Rail Trail, the Senator Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center, an active arts scene, and the warm Southern hospitality that defines the Inner Banks, Williamston rewards visitors who appreciate the deeper layers of NC history. Click on the image card below to explore the attractions we’ve personally visited around Williamston.
From Squhawky to Tar Landing to Williamston
The story of Williamston is a remarkable example of how a single place can carry several names across centuries of settlement. The earliest known name comes from the Tuscarora, who called the area “Squhawky” (also written as “Skewarky” or “Skewarkey”). The Tuscarora used the Roanoke River as a major trade route with other tribes throughout the broader coastal plain region, and traces of their settlement remained visible when the first English colonists arrived.
A village existed at the site as early as 1730, when settlers began moving from Bertie County across the Moratock (the river’s earlier name, now the Roanoke). The locality quickly became the principal shipping point for tar, pitch, turpentine, and other forest products in the broader region — earning it the early colonial nickname “Tar Landing” from the newcomers.
When Martin County was chartered in March 1774, the settlement was designated the county seat. Five years later, on November 1779, the town was formally incorporated by the North Carolina General Assembly and given its current name, Williamston — most accepted as a tribute to Colonel William Williams II, a Revolutionary War hero, owner of large plantations in the northwestern part of the county, delegate to the Hillsborough and Halifax conventions in 1776, and the county’s first state senator in 1777. (A competing local legend holds that the town may have been named for a poor Irish weaver known as “Dick” Williams, who supposedly arrived in the area with just 75 cents in his pocket and became one of the colony’s most influential men through hard work — but most historians attribute the name to Colonel Williams II.)
A Courthouse on Stilts Above the River
One of the most genuinely remarkable details from Williamston’s earliest era was the original 1774 courthouse — a building constructed on stilts directly above the Roanoke River. People would arrive by boat and climb ladders to enter the courthouse. When the court was declared in session, the ladders were removed, and no one was permitted to leave! According to historical accounts, the chief amusements during court week were “oyster roasts and fist fights” — capturing the wonderfully colorful character of early Williamston life.
By the 1780s, seasonal flooding pushed the town’s business section to gradually migrate westward toward “river hill” — now the 300 and 400 blocks of East Main Street. The courthouse itself was relocated as part of this gradual move, and Williamston has been anchored on the higher ground ever since.
A Trade Hub Through Steamboats, Railroads, and Tobacco
Williamston’s location on the navigable Roanoke River shaped its identity through the 19th and 20th centuries. The town flourished as a trading hub for tar, pitch, turpentine, lumber, and meat in its earliest years, then evolved with the arrival of steamboats and railroads in the mid-19th century. In 1922, the construction of a bridge over the Roanoke River at the eastern edge of the city limits transformed Williamston into a major hub for the surrounding highway system — a transformation that further accelerated commerce and connections to the broader region.
In the early 20th century, Williamston’s farmers actively recruited experienced tobacco growers from the piedmont to relocate and teach local farmers tobacco cultivation, curing, and marketing techniques. The Williamston tobacco market became the town’s primary business, and tobacco families built and bought important dwellings — leaving a meaningful architectural legacy that survives in the town’s historic district today.
Williamston was joined as Martin County’s original “river” towns by Bear Grass, Jamesville (1785), and Hamilton (1804) — each playing its own role in the broader river-trade economy.
Historic Sites and Civil Rights Heritage
Williamston is home to several notable historic landmarks:
- The Asa Biggs House on Church Street — a square structure distinguished by a railed balcony under each second-story window, honoring Judge Asa Biggs (1811-1878), who served in both Houses of Congress and as a federal judge
- The Williamston Historic District — formally designated, featuring buildings on the 300 and 400 blocks of East Main Street that reflect the town’s late-19th and early-20th-century character
- Skewarkey Baptist Church — established in August 1785, about two miles outside town, one of the earliest organized churches in Martin County
Williamston also has a meaningful civil rights heritage. In the summer of 1963, civil rights protesters gathered at Green Memorial Church for what became a 32-day series of demonstrations. Led by Sarah Small (a Martin County local) and Golden Frinks (an Edenton native and close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), more than 400 protesters — many of them adolescents and teenagers — sang, prayed, and rallied at the Martin County Courthouse. Despite counter-protests by the Ku Klux Klan on the outskirts of Williamston, the protests never became violent, and the town council made steady progress toward desegregating public facilities. The full closure on national desegregation came with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but Williamston’s role in the broader movement remains an important part of its story.
A Town for Modern Visitors
Today, Williamston’s economy combines agriculture, manufacturing, and a growing tourism industry. Visitors can:
- Attend horse shows, rodeos, and tractor pulls at the Senator Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center
- Join the crowds at the annual Carolina Country Stampede for live music
- Explore the Skewarkee Rail Trail — a one-mile paved multi-use path built on the former Atlantic Coast Line Railway corridor
- Spend time on the scenic lowlands along the Roanoke River for fishing or kayaking
- Explore historic homes throughout the broader downtown
- Engage with the lively arts scene supported by the Martin County Arts Council
The combination of layered history, well-preserved architecture, scenic river setting, and warm Southern hospitality has made Williamston a quietly rewarding stop for travelers exploring the broader Inner Banks region of eastern North Carolina.
Photos of Downtown Williamston, NC
Things To Do in Williamston, NC
Resources
Explore Martin County NC Website