500 Indian Trail Rd, Edenton, NC 27932

Welcome to Shepard's Long Beach--a truly irreplaceable waterfront estate encompassing approximately 964± acres along the pristine shores of North Carolina's Albemarle Sound. Offering more than 4,600 feet of direct shoreline, this extraordinary property combines privacy, natural beauty, investment potential, and centuries of history into one remarkable offering. Located just six miles from the charming waterfront town of Edenton, one of North Carolina's most celebrated historic communities, Shepard's Long Beach enjoys the perfect balance of secluded coastal living and convenient access to fine dining, shopping, marinas, and modern amenities. Luxury waterfront homes border the eastern boundary, further underscoring the property's premier location. Accessibility is exceptional, with approximately 4,130± feet of frontage along Indian Trail Road and an additional 5,855± feet of frontage on Long Beach Road, a state-maintained gravel road. According to the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the property also includes approximately 99.26 acres of productive farmland, offering opportunities for agricultural income while enhancing the estate's diversity and long-term investment appeal. The farmland is comprised primarily of highly regarded Perquimans silt loam, Yeopim loam, and Dogue fine sandy loam. Soil types that have long supported productive agriculture throughout North Carolina's coastal plain. With an average NCCPI rating exceeding 81, the agricultural acreage demonstrates strong productivity and is well suited for continued row crop production, while complementing the property's timber investment, wildlife habitat, and long-term land value. The landscape itself is remarkably diverse, featuring productive farmland, professionally managed timberlands, mature upland and bottomland hardwood forests, towering pine stands, scenic wetlands, and breathtaking waterfront vistas. The timber has been carefully stewarded through an active management program, with pine stands thinned and replanted on a rotating schedule in 1995, 2004, 2016, and 2021, demonstrating a long-term commitment to sustainable forest management while preserving the property's value for future generations. Few properties possess the versatility found at Shepard's Long Beach. Whether envisioned as a private sporting estate, an equestrian or agricultural legacy property, a multi-generational family compound, a corporate retreat, a long-term timber investment, or a thoughtfully planned waterfront development, the possibilities are as expansive as the property itself. Opportunities to acquire nearly 1,000 contiguous acres with significant Albemarle Sound frontage, extensive road frontage, productive farmland, and professionally managed timber are extraordinarily rare, making Shepard's Long Beach a legacy property that is unlikely to be duplicated. Shepard's Long Beach is a property steeped in nearly 400 years of American history. The land traces its origins to a 1627 royal grant from King Charles I of England to Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, making it one of the earliest documented landholdings in what would become North Carolina. Throughout the Colonial era, the property passed through the hands of prominent English families, including the Collins family of Somerset Plantation, before being acquired in the late 1800s by Thomas Harrison Shepard, son of U. S. Congressman William Biddle Shepard. Today, ownership remains with the direct descendants of these historic families. Perhaps the property's most fascinating distinction is its connection to World War II. Thomas Harrison Shepard Jr. , a General Electric executive responsible for supplying power plants to the U. S. Navy, named the USS Long Beach after Shepard's Long Beach in Chowan County--not Long Beach, California--creating a unique and enduring legacy that ties this extraordinary property to American naval history. - 964± Contiguous Acres on the shores of North Carolina's renowned Albemarle Sound - 4,600± Feet of Albemarle Sound Frontage, offering expansive water views and exceptional privacy - 4,130± Feet of Frontage on Indian Trail Road - 5,855± Feet of Frontage on Long Beach Road, a state-maintained gravel road - 99.26± FSA Cropland Acres with highly productive agricultural soils - Average NCCPI Rating of 81.5, reflecting strong agricultural productivity across the farmland - Professionally managed timber investment featuring mature hardwoods, bottomland hardwoods, and multiple generations of pine plantations - Pine stands established on a sustainable rotation in 1995, 2004, 2016, and 2021 - Diverse ecosystems including cropland, upland forests, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and scenic waterfront - Approximately 6 miles from Historic Downtown Edenton, one of North Carolina's most desirable waterfront communities - Extensive road frontage and existing infrastructure provide exceptional access throughout the property - Outstanding opportunities for hunting, fishing, boating, farming, timber production, conservation, and recreation - Ideal for a private sporting estate, multigenerational family retreat, corporate retreat, conservation investment, or carefully planned luxury waterfront development - Nearly 400 years of documented history, with ownership tracing back to a 1627 Royal Grant from King Charles I of England - An extraordinarily rare opportunity to acquire one of the largest privately owned waterfront estates remaining on the Albemarle Sound