Earl Granville’s “Proper Office,” Edenton’s Cupola House

In a new article by Tom Newbern and Jim Melchor, “Earl Granville’s ‘Proper Office’, Edenton’s Cupola House”, the authors examine a largely overlooked document sent by Granville to Corbin in 1757 that appears to answer these and other questions pertaining to the original intended purpose of the construction of the Cupola House. By analyzing the mid-18th century meanings of the terms used by Granville in these instructions and then applying Granville’s requirements to the rooms as first laid out in the Cupola House, each room in the structure can now be explained by and matched to the specific directions in the instructions. Even the rooms whose original intended purpose had proved difficult to decipher become clear by examining this document. It also opens a window into the political intrigue that was so prevalent in Edenton in the mid-18th century as men like Corbin sought wealth and power in the rapidly developing port city.