Bath

Bath is a town in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. Located on the Pamlico River, it developed a trade in naval stores, furs, and tobacco. The population was 245 at the 2020 census. North Carolina's first town and port of entry, it was chartered on March 8, 1705.

Historically, Bath is often counted as North Carolina's first capital, as it was nominally so designated in 1712, when the Province of North Carolina was separated from the Province of Carolina and granted its own governor, though no permanent government institutions were located there. The capital was officially moved to Edenton in 1722, but the meetings of the General Assembly would still periodically occur in Bath in the 18th century. Bath was the site of Cary's Rebellion in 1711, and later served as one of many bases for notorious pirate Blackbeard. Bath waned in population, as its importance as both a port and government center were surpassed by the nearby city of New Bern. Bath's population fluctuated through the 20th and 21st centuries, but it has never exceeded 400 residents.