The Historic Albemarle Tour highlights the northeastern coastal region of North Carolina, offering visitors a chance to explore a string of seacoast towns and 400 years of American history. Stops include a sizable list of Colonial-era towns, coastal rivers and sounds, area museums, a handful of historic lighthouses and two Roanoke Chowan Heritage Center homes. Tour stops vary from the historic Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station to a modern North Carolina Aquarium.
   In historic Windsor, the Roanoke Chowan Heritage Center features two excellent examples of seaboard plantation homes. Established in 1991, the Heritage Center features the Hope Mansion and the King-Bazemore House. Both homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and have been fully restored. Managed by the Historic Hope Foundation, both homes are open to the public offering guided tours daily.
   A new segment of plantation history began when the Princeton graduate, Governor David Stone, received the property as a wedding gift. Stone went on to build the Hope Mansion in the early 1800s. Following a Palladian style, the house used cypress and pine material cut from the plantation forest. Raised up on brick pillars, the ground level basement was topped off by two main floors above and a captain's walk on the roof. The house features a unique collection of period furniture, art and artifacts.
   The King-Bazemore home (inset) was originally built two miles to the west on the Speight Plantation in 1763. Another rare example of colonial architecture, the home followed a hall and parlor design. Featuring a gambrel roof with shed dormers, the home's sidewalls were constructed of brick. Its T-stacked chimneys set off the home's unusual colonial architecture. It is one of two homes in North Carolina to exhibit this style. Built by William and Elizabeth King, the home passed on to Rev. Stephen Bazemore in 1820. Fully restored and furnished, this home is also open for Hope Foundation tours.

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