EDENTON — Preservationists have identified what they believe to be the oldest house in North Carolina.

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources says the one-and-a-half story house in Edenton dates to 1718 or 1719. That's based on a study of the tree rings in the home's timbers.

The examination came after Steve and Linda Lane bought the house to turn it into a rental property. The house originally was believed to have been built in 1900, but the renovation exposed timbers and other features that seemed much older.

The original owners aren't known.

The house has historical significance because it's an almost lost kind of home — one built for the average citizen.