Rebuilding Winton:

1865 - 1880

Rebuilding the town was slow, but a new Greek Revival courthouse was constructed in 1870, becoming the third to serve the county, followed by a hotel and a small number of Victorian-style homes. The economy of Hertford County remained dependent upon agriculture in the late nineteenth century, with many African Americans limited to tenant farming or sharecropping for white landowners. Naval stores and grist, flour, and lumber mills were also important industries in the post-Civil War years. In the 1880s, crosscut saws started to be used for felling trees, which resulted in an increase in logging operations, especially among African American men. Fishing also grew in importance, especially herring, and the fishing industry remained important in Winton through the twentieth century. Local businesses during the post-war period included early hotels and in the very early years after the war, the Baptist, Episcopalian, and Methodist congregations shared a single church building, often worshiping together.