Illustrations in this booklet are gratefully acknowledged below. Figures 21, 24, 31, 33 and 60 are photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnston. These photographs, and also photographs 67 and 70, the maps, figures 1, 2, and 49, and photostats of maps, figures 3, 4, and 10, are in the Carolina Room, The University of North Carolina Library. Other photographs come from State agencies in Raleigh: figures 12, 13, and 48 are from the Department of Conservation and Development, and figures 11, 28, 57, 58, 59 and 62 from the Department of Archives and History. Of other photographs, figure 27 is from Old Salem, Inc.; figures 15, 32, and 36 are by William Brinkhous; figure 35, from Mrs. John M. Stuart: figure 71 is by William H. Jennings and is used with his permission. Figure 5 is used with permission of Harcourt, Brace and Company. Figure 25 is reproduced by permission of Harvard University Press. Other photographs and drawings are by the author. CHAPTER I Colonial North Carolina Seen from the Air [Illustration: Aerial mapping] We begin our study from the air. First, like an astronaut high in his rocket ship, we will look down on colonial maps of North Carolina and survey the whole 500-mile sweep of the land from mountains in the west to meandering sea coast in the east. Next, as if in an airplane, we will look at maps of colonial towns. Then, coming closer to the earth, as in a helicopter, we will hover over a single home with its several outbuildings and see what it is like. From this point on, with our feet on the ground, we will look at buildings close-up. OLD MAPS OF NORTH CAROLINA There are quite a number of old maps of North Carolina. Some are small—the size of a piece of typing paper; others are huge—assemblages of several large sheets of paper. Early maps, not very accurate in detail, show a few settlements. Later maps are more accurate and show the new towns as they were established. Back of a colonial map stands a surveyor who travelled over the land making careful drawings. He made the map for the King or other official of government, for mariners or merchants, or for people like ourselves who are curious about life on the land. These maps suggest the life of the colonists, and their architecture, as will be seen. The study of North Carolina maps has been facilitated by a recent book, _The Southeast in Early Maps_, by William P. Cumming. Mr. Cumming, a professor at Davidson College, spent many years searching for maps in the libraries of our country and Europe. Much of the information and inspiration for this booklet comes from his work. One point before we begin looking at maps—words are often “misspelled.” This happens because some words (as Indian names) were new and spelling had to be invented for them. There are other reasons, the most appealing one being that eighteenth-century writers enjoyed a freedom about spelling.