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is a town in Perquimans County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,070 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Perquimans County. Hertford is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. Hertford houses a CIA training facility known as Harvey Point.
Hertford was originally incorporated in 1758 as the county seat for Perquimans county, first inhabited by the Yeopim Indians. Stretching from the Albemarle Sound to the Great Dismal Swamp, Perquimans means "Land of Beautiful Women." County records show that the Yeopim chief, Kalcacenin, sold land to a George Durant at the river mouth in March 1662, adjacent to land he had already sold to Samuel Pricklove. The area was settled soon afterwards, and its first building, the Newbold White House, is thought to be the oldest structure in the state.
Through the first part of the 20th century, Hertford thrived as a lumber town, making good use of the nearby river. The original bridge that spanned the river was a floating bridge, made of steel and wood. When a boat came near and wanted passage, the bridge would be unhooked from one bank and allowed to float out of the way. Then, when the boat had passed, lines were used to haul the free end of the bridge in and reconnect it. Today, an S-shaped swing bridge is in use, the only one of its kind in the world.
Today, agriculture is the chief industry of the area. Most people are familiar with Hertford for its famous residents. It is the hometown of notable baseball pitcher Catfish Hunter. Disc jockey Wolfman Jack is buried in Hertford and the record company he started is still located there. History has been well-preserved and many of the early houses in Hertford still survive, marked with the names of their original owners and the year they were built. They are the focus of the annual walking tour and the pride of their owners.
Hertford is part of the Elizabeth City, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²), of which, 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.74%) is water.