Harmony Hall (Kinston, North Carolina)  Harmony Hall, also known as the Peebles House, is a historic building located at 109 East King Street in Kinston, North Carolina, United States. The 18th-century house, the oldest building in Kinston, was owned by North Carolina's first elected governor. The house briefly served as the de facto state capitol during the Revolutionary War. The building has been expanded and renovated throughout its history, transitioning from the Georgian and Federal styles to Greek Revival. One of the prominent features of the house is the two-story porch on the facade. Harmony Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1971 and serves as a house museum operated by the Lenoir County Historical Association. Harmony Hall was built on land Elizabeth Herritage inherited from her father, William Herritage. William had convinced the North Carolina Colonial Assembly to locate the new town of Kingston (named after King George III; renamed Kinston after the Revolutionary War) on his land. Elizabeth and her husband, Captain Jesse Cobb, began building their home in 1772 when they were married, and by 1776, construction of the house was complete. That same year, Cobb left to fight in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge near Wilmington. By the time he returned home, Elizabeth had given birth to their son, John. Later that year Cobb left again to fight in the war, serving in the Continental Army with General George Washington during the New York and New Jersey campaign and winter at Valley Forge. During the war, the seat of North Carolina's government, New Bern, was vulnerable to attacks by the Royal Navy. The state's first governor and Elizabeth Cobb's brother-in-law, Richard Caswell, moved the state government offices further inland to Kinston to solve this problem. Caswell lived at his nearby estate, Newington, and Harmony Hall became the residence of James Glasgow, the first North Carolina Secretary of State. The house served as the de facto state capitol during the war from 1777 to 1781. Much of the state records were stored in the home while meetings of the State Board of War and other government groups also met there. Following the war, Caswell purchased the home from Jesse and Elizabeth, though he continued living at his Newington estate. In 1782, Caswell gave Harmony Hall to his second son, 24-year-old Richard Jr., who was a successful businessman at the time. During a business trip in December 1784, Richard Jr. left Charleston on a ship bound for New Bern.