JOHN A. HOLMES HIGH SCHOOL PROM 2026

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the town and Provalus’s opening of a its Edenton office. Edenton’s current growth and preservation efforts as a destination were also lauded.  

Gooden and Chesson were joined by Innovative Fund CEO Emma Wyatt and offered an overview of the steps and process Edenton used in securing over $7 million in New Market Tax Credits. Wyatt is responsible for distributing over $140,000 in New Market Tax Credits and after being presented an idea from Chesson, moved forward with the plan.

“We are excited to be here today. 
We started our relationship with the city of Edenton, two years ago, when Ches said, “I've got this idea” so we're excited to show you today how much the new market tax credit played a role in shaping this project and the success of it in Edenton,” explained Wyatt.  

The Innovative Fund is one of 250 Community Development entities across the country. The fund looks for projects committed to creating jobs. In Edenton’s case, Provalus, an Alabama based IT company, has committed to placing 150 new employees in Edenton over the next four years, beginning with 60 in 2026. This commitment fit perfectly with the fund’s requirement for consideration.

Wyatt outlined the four major points a project must meet in order to qualify for the program.  

A financing gap is number one on the list. 
The project must be in a low income community and be worth at least $5 million. Job creation is also a criteria.   

“The program was initiated in 2000 and was recently permanently adopted into the federal tax code. The program was developed to coincide with the low income new market housing tax credit program in order to develop jobs in the area. The new market tax credits were designed to essentially partner a great place to live with quality community services and good places to work. 
So now we've been really successful in new market tax credits. By leveraging one dollar of new market tax credit federal allocation, we leverage $9 in private investment,” said Wyatt.

Edenton’s tax credit journey began two years ago, according to Chesson, when conversations with Provalus, began. Provalus has hired hundreds of workers in rural America to handle business to business services, once services by offshore entities. The company currently provides customer service and IT solutionsfor Fortune 1000 companies.  

Nationally known downtown redevelopment expert Joe Borgstrom captivated the crowd with his presentation on ‘Modern Magnets’ those elements of a town or community that entice people to utilize a downtown area.  

Borgstrom explained the change in retail and what an ‘anchor’ means in today’s retail economic world. The days of anchors being big box or major department stores has changed. Modern day anchors come in a variety of packages and sizes.  

“Downtowns across North Carolina are evolving and so are their anchors. Today’s economic drivers are no longer just department stores or banks, they are breweries, boutique hotels, cultural venues and experience based retailers. They are pocketparks, trails and outdoor spaces,” explained Borgstrom.

Borgstrom highlighted six anchor types that attract people. Those include breweries, restaurants and food stores, parks, trailheads, hotels, and hospitals all are potential anchors. He also credited the success of a downtown district as successful because of the hours the retailers and stores stay open.    

Edenton’s current downtown mix of retail and restauants along with the influx of new employees plus the renovation of the Hinton Hotel all fall squarely in the center of Borgstrom’s definition of a forward looking small town.  

It’s interesting to speak with new residents in Edenton and ask that special question, “How did you find Edenton”. Everyone has an interesting story on their search, journey and eventually planting of new roots in town.

One day a few years back Angela Sikes found the video, ‘Tales of an Educated Debutante’ by Adrian Wood on You Tube. Sikes, an interior designer was living in Wake Forest, in a big house.  An empty nester she had a dream to redo one more house. The video, Wood’s Golf Cart Tour Around Town, triggered Sikes'  interest. The next day she headed for what would soon become her new home. Her first stop was the Edenton Coffee Shop.

During coffee she met realtor David McCall and she was treated to one of McCall’s knowledgeable tour of Edenton houses, some available, some historically not.  

Eventually, after making the decision to move Sikesfound a house not on the market but was supposedly vacant for the past seventeen years. After a lot of digging, she was able to obtain the home in October,2022 when Covid restrictions where just ending.  

Sikes was looking for a project and one might say she found one. However, some might have looked and had other thoughts about the house at 102 West Carteret St.

While it was a golf cart video propelling Sikes to town, the historic metal hinges on the original wooden doors and the potential of the once beautiful staircase bannister that secured her steps to Edenton.  

She purchased the old home that many would have torn down but Sikes could see the strong bones of the house and the historic metal hinges on the heavy doors and the once beautiful staircase bannister, called to her.  She moved to Edenton in November, 2023 and rented a home while working on the house. She wore full gear, including a mask, overalls and goggles during the renovation.

“I had to hire people to clean it out because squatters had been living in it.  There was so much junk and old stuff piled in the house. I fell in love with the exterior, the bannister and old big door hinges and two detailed mantels”, said Sikes. “The ceilings were dropped and the doorways were small to keep the heat the rooms.  We took the ceilings back to their original tall height and open up an archway into the living area.”.

Seventeen years empty, the plastered walls were crumbling, all had to be redone. The home now has new insulation, new electric, plumbing and HVAC. In the 1980’s an addition was put on the back of the house for an in-law space. As you walk into the addition, the doors were newer and hollow. Sikes had a great grandmother, Mama-Dillie and her home was being torn down. She was allowed to take whatever she wanted from the house and see selected the old solid doors from Mama-Dillie’s house and used them in her new home.  

“There are very talented people in Edenton”, said Sikes.  “From the foundation, to the HVAC, to every wall, ceiling, including the electric and plumbing had to be replaced, it was a major project. It was a labor of love”.

The top to bottom revitalized home, will be on the Pilgrimage tour April 11 and 12. Sikes’ has a background in interior design and has had clients since 1997.  She also had three stores in Raleigh and Charlotte area for six years and has built her career and clientele by word of mouth. She now has clients in bothRaleigh and Edenton.  

“I loved my stores and business but when you have 26 employees, you end up running the business with payroll and operational activities and I missed the one on one with clients”, Sikes continued. “I am now a one women show and have clients here but go to Raleighonce a week to visit my ongoing clients.”

Determining the homes date of origintook an extensive amount of research, proving the homewas originally surrounded byfarm land.

However, by analyzing the high ceilings and wood details it was determined the home boasted features of a “town house’with an elegant feel.

The home hasthree bedrooms andtwo bathrooms and Sikes has added a powder room on the first floor, nicely tucked under the stairs. The interior is simply charming. The curved bannister has been restored along with the long list of other features in the home. Many of the  walls and ceiling are new.  

The home is reminiscent of a past era as many of the pieces in the home are antiques from Grandma Cora Lee Sikes’ favorite things.  Photosof the house portraying it in its recent, previous state just before it was purchased reminds Sikes how far she has come with the restoration and realizes there is more to come.  

Remember the dream of ‘one more restoration’ Sikes had before she purchased her current home? Well, she had a second dream and it included thoughts of the neighboring house that was also in disarray. Plus, as an investor in town, she felt her property value would be protected by purchasing and restoring the home next door. Sikes plans on selling the neighboring house once completely restored.  

Visitors on the Pilgrimage will enjoy seeing her large eat-in kitchen with its antique reproduction pull down light fixtures and tall kitchen cabinets. The entry is simple elegance.  The living area has a comfortable feel with Sikes’ personal memorabilia from family members, each with a story to tell. In researching her ancestry, Sikes found that she had family from the 1700’s that lived in Edenton and Bertie Counties. As Sikes puts it, “It must have been faith that I ended up with my beautiful home in Edenton”.