Bath, originally the Indian town of Pampticough, was settled by white men about 1690 and incorporated in 1705. It is the oldest town in North Carolina. Its first commissioners were John Lawson, Joel Martin, and Simon Alderson. Here was founded in 1700 the first public library in the colony. St. Thomas' Church, built in 1734, is the oldest church in the state. The General Assembly met in Bath in 1744 and in 1752.