Historic Hope Foundation, Inc.
The story of the Historic Hope Foundation, Inc., is one of true grassroots participation. The Foundation was established in 1965 by Bertie County citizens concerned about the fate of the decaying Hope Mansion. Its mission is to provide educational, cultural and recreational benefits for the public by the preservation, maintenance and the administration of Historic Hope Plantation as an element of the heritage of the Roanoke-Chowan Region and as an illustration and interpretation of agrarian life in Eastern North Carolina from 1760 to 1840.
Through a combination of government funding, grants and private donations, the group purchased the home and surrounding land, and began the painstaking task of restoration. Seven years later, in 1972, the restoration was completed and the grand mansion opened to the public. Today, the Foundation, a non-profit organization, is comprised of over 1,100 members nationwide and continues its mission of restoration, preservation and education. The Foundation owns and manages 15 acres of land that comprise the Hope Plantation site, three historic homes, and the Roanoke-Chowan Heritage Center. In 2002, it celebrated its achievement with the 30th Anniversary of the Restoration of Hope Plantation.
To read more about the Foundation and the early restoration efforts at Hope, download The Miracle of Hope Plantation.
