Dare County Courthouse - District#1

Dare was formed in 1870 from Currituck, Tyrrell, and Hyde. It was named in honor of Virginia Dare, the first child born of English parents in America. It is in the eastern section of the State, and is bounded by Pamlico, Croatan and Albemarle Sounds, Hyde and Tyrrell counties (and on the banks by the Atlantic Ocean) . The present land area is 383.55 square miles and the 1990 population was 22,746. Manteo, named in honor of an Indian Chief, is the county seat.

Dare County Arts Council (DCAC) will renovate and develop for productive reuse the historic 1904 Dare County Courthouse in downtown Manteo. Through this project the first floor of the old Courthouse will house the DCAC gallery space and offices. The second floor will be converted to a multi-use center for the arts, housing space for educational workshops, performances, and community gatherings, to respond to the broad range of local needs that the community identified during a feasibility study.

The renovated courthouse will establish a new high-visibility attraction for cultural tourism: a showcase of local arts: visual, performing, design, culinary and literary. It will also enable DCAC to expand its educational arts programs for residents, young and old, throughout Dare County. The DCAC Courthouse Project will directly save and rehabilitate the old courthouse and return its rightful place as a center of community history, education, and cultural activities in the heart of downtown Manteo, the county seat of Dare County.