BELHAVEN — The quiet town of Belhaven offers a little bit of something for practically everyone, a source of pride for its residents and a draw for visitors.

Officially established in 1899, the town quickly grew by leaps and bounds as businesses opened and flourished. While many of those early businesses have long since closed their doors, the buildings in the historic downtown area are now home to restaurants, shops and specialty stores.

Anyone visiting Belhaven with an empty stomach will find no trouble filling it and filling it well; eateries offer everything from cheeseburgers and fresh seafood to fine gourmet meals.

The town is a time capsule for fine southern living and older homes capture the essence of days when visiting with friends sipping sweet iced tea on the front porch was a favorite way to pass the time. Among them is the well-known River Forest Manor, built in 1899 as the home of John A. Wilkinson.

Belhaven is home to a well-stocked public library, and a self-guided walking tour shares high points in the town’s past. Community theater is alive and well in the town, as well, if the regular productions of the Way Off Broadway Players are any indication.

At least two Belhaven residents went out into the world and made names for themselves. The first, Eva Narcissus Boyd, used the stage name “Little Eva” when she catapulted the pop hit “Locomotion” to the top of the charts in 1962. She lies buried in a small cemetery tucked away on a quiet street in town. C.J. Wilson, who played football for the Green Bay Packers when the team clinched the Super Bowl XLV championship, returns home on a regular basis and is greeted as a hometown hero by those who watched him grow up.

Another claim to fame is the Belhaven Memorial Museum, a nonprofit organization listed on the Historic Albemarle Tour. The museum, housed on the second floor of city hall, is home to varied collections gathered by the late Eva Blount Way. The collections were used by Way as a means to raise money for the American Red Cross; she would charge a small fee to tour her home near Belhaven. Upon her death, local citizens purchased the collections and in 1965 opened the museum. Displays include countless buttons, artifacts, clothing, military memorabilia, antique dolls and a general hodgepodge of items documenting life in eastern North Carolina during Way’s lifetime, 1869 to 1962.

Of course, the best time to visit Belhaven is during the town’s festive celebration of America’s birthday, a tradition that began in the 1930s. This year, the town marks its 74th Independence Day gala, which kicked off Friday evening and continues through Monday evening. The schedule of events includes a parade, fireworks, carnival rides, mud run, live entertainment, beauty contests and helicopter rides.

Enjoy these recipes from some of Belhaven’s best cooks, courtesy The Wilkinson Center’s “Steamed Crabs, Sweet Tea & Southern Cooking” cookbook …

EGG SALAD SUPREME

Recipe by Tonya VanDerHave

3 ounces cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon prepared mustard; 1/2 teaspoon dill weed; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 6 hard boiled eggs; 2 tablespoons pickle relish; salt and pepper to taste.

In a bowl combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, dill weed, pepper and eggs. Blend well. Add pickle relish and salt. Stir together. Cover and chill. Makes a great sandwich or cracker spread.

 

MAMA’S STEWED TOMATOES

Recipe by Lucy Bishop Robbins

6 or 8 ripe tomatoes; pinch salt; 1/2 to 1 cup sugar; 1/2 stick butter; dash nutmeg; dash cinnamon; 3 slices stale bread, cubed.

Cover tomatoes with hot water for 15 minutes and then peel. Cut tomatoes. Add sugar, salt, sugar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and bread. Stir into tomatoes. Pour into a casserole dish and bake until thick, 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees.

 

HENRY’S CRAB CAKES

Recipe by Henry Boyd

1 pound crab meat; 1 teaspoon Duke’s mayonnaise; 1 egg; 1 small chopped onion; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; 2 tablespoons flour; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; salt and pepper.

Mix together crab meat, mayonnaise, egg, onion, dry mustard, flour, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Pat out approximately six cakes. Fry in skillet until golden brown.

 

OYSTER STEW

Recipe by Rennie Johnson

1 1/2 quarts shucked oysters and juices; 1/2 cup water; 3/4 cup butter; salt and pepper; 3/4 cup milk.

In a large sauce pot, add oysters, oyster juices, water, butter, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook until oysters begin to “curl.” Reduce oysters to a simmer; simmer for 20 minutes. Add milk; stir constantly until stew is heated through. Do not boil. Serves six to eight.

 

HOT PEPPER RELISH

In memory of Mae Leigh O’Neal

12 green peppers; 12 red peppers; 10 onions; 3 to 6 hot peppers; 5 cups vinegar; 1 1/2 cups sugar; 3 teaspoons salt.

Grind peppers and onions together and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let stand five minutes. Drain and squeeze out water. Add peppers to vinegar, sugar and salt; bring to boil. Seal in jars.

 

COCONUT PIE

Recipe by Gingerbread Bakery

2/3 cup coconut; 1/2 cup milk; 4 tablespoons margarine; 1 cup sugar; 2 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Soak the coconut in milk, Cream margarine and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla and coconut mixture. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees until firm.