“Edenton has a rich history that is ripe for new discoveries,” declared Robert Leath, executive director of the Edenton (North Carolina) Historical Commission, speaking to a group planning the stabilization of structures at the Hayes Farm, a 184-acre plantation sold in December 2022 to the Elizabeth Vann Moore Foundation. A family had owned and managed the plantation for over 150 years, according to an online posting that announced North Caroline lawmakers had appropriated $6.1 million to acquire the property and transform it into a public historic site. Down East Preservation is in charge of the restoration with assistance from the Edenton Historical Commission and the town of Edenton.
In 2022 when art and antiques advisor and appraiser Ken Farmer of Charlottesville, Virginia, was called to appraise “some leftovers that would not remain in the house” he found at the bottom of a pile of papers from a file drawer a sheet of old laid paper folded to make four pages with “We the People of the United States” on the first page.
“When I picked up and saw the signature of [Charles] Thomson at the bottom of the last page, I knew Thomson spelled without a ‘p’ was the name of the secretary of the Continental Congress, and I thought I might be looking at an early printing of the Constitution,” said Farmer on the phone.
(This post is an excerpt from the original article “Constitution Discovery Headed for Auction” by Lita Solis-Cohen written in 2024 for Maine Antique Digest. Click the image to read the full article.)
The copy of the Constitution found by Ken Farmer sold for more than $11 million during a live auction. The high bid, from a buyer whose identity was not disclosed, was $9 million. That price does not include the buyer’s premium of 23 percent nor the taxes. The sale was handled by Brunk Auctions of Asheville, N.C.