Insider's Guide: Eastern NC/Duplin County

The fading glory of Eastern North Carolina’s houses has long been a magnet for those of us who hear their voices. They were built to last, and they have - long after their owners have moved on. Many of them stand abandoned, surrounded by miles of fields now owned and farmed by corporations instead of families whose names read like a Who’s Who of early NC history. Every few miles, the roads intersect in small communities, often bearing the names of those same families. A few picturesque streets still bear witness to the grandeur of an earlier day.

Having traveled all of the rural South, I know of no other region like this. It is vast. Much of it still thrives, while a lot of it is devoid of commerce and crumbling. The area is so large, and the opportunities for both photography and restoration (if you’re so inclined) are so numerous that I have decided to feature it on Insider’s Guide in easily digestible segments. Today we will begin with Duplin County, NC., home of many of the images that you have enjoyed on Southern Voice through the years. I’m happy to show the way to some of the best, including the iconic Magnolia Academy, below.