hIstoricai. tour
(Continued from Page One)
themselves along the river and
in jthe following year were joined
by- other Barbadians. At that
time the Carolinas were divided
into three sections. The middle
county, called Clarendon, extended
from the west bank of the Cape
Fettr River southward to Cape
Remain and westward to the
Pacific Ocean. Sir John Yea
mans was appointed governor of
Clarendon County as well as of
Craven County to the south. Ev
entually about 800 persons were
settled along the Cape Fear with
the settlement, known as Char
leston, located at the mouth of
Town Creek. At that time the
Cape Fear was generally referred
to as the Clarendon River.
Because of Indian hostility and
the neglect of the sponsors, the
cffbrts of these colonists were fu
tile, and in 1667 the settlement
was abandoned. Several years
later the Lords Proprietors suc
ceeded in founding a new and
permanent Charlestown to the
southward, at the confluence of
tlfe Ashley and Cooper Rivers.
» Pleasant Oaks Plantation
jOn the south bank of Town
C|eek front Old Town, Pleasant
Oaks Plantation was for many
ydars owned by F* M. Adams,
chairman of the board of direc
tojrs of the Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad. It is now the property
of: Hargrove Bellamy of Wilming
ton. Its past history is not: al
together clear but it is now the
show place "among farms in
Brunswick County. Its several
mjles of driveway and two beau
tiful fresh water ponds are bor
dered with azaleas. t
Orton Plantation
Among the three earliest grants
on the Cape Fear, made on June
3, < 1725, was one for 1500 acre$
to;. Maurice Moore. On December
llj 1728, Maurice sold , ,500 ot
thfse acres to his brother, Rogerj
of t Berkley County in South Car
olina. Orton House stands With
in the bounds of this 500-acre
! tract.
The lower central portion of
the house was built by “King"
Roger some time after 1734 and
was used as a residence by him
until his death in 1751. He be
queathed the property which by
that time was 250 acres, to his son,
William. Orton passed out of
possession of the Moore family
about the time of the American
Revolution, and has greatly in
creased in area during the inter
vening years. About 1840 the
upper story and the columns were
added to the house, and about
1910 the two wings were added
by James Sprunt, who owned the
property at that time. Orton is
still in the possession of the
Sprunt family, and the house is
used as a private residence.
Within the confines of present
day Orton Plantation are located
two old plantations which have
lost their identities. Kendall
Plantation was the home of Gen
eral Robert Howe. Lilliput Plan
tation was originally the home of
Eleazer Allen, whose wife was the
sister of Mrs. Roger Moore. At
the time of the Revolution, Lilli
put was owned by Governor Wil
liam Tryon, and was confiscated
along with the property of other
loyalists. Since Tryon did not ac
quire this property until a few
months prior to moving into the
palace at New Bern, it is doubt
ful that he ever lived at Lilli
put.
Russelborough
Russellborough was a planta
tion of 55 acres which adjoined
Brunswick to the north. The
property was originally part of
Orton Plantation, but the small
tract was conveyed in 1751 to
John Russell, captain of H. M.
Sloop Scorpion, which was sta
tioned in the Cape Fear River at
thfjt time. Capt. Russell began
the construction of a residence
on the property but died before
its: completion. In 1758 Arthur
Dpbbs, the governor of ' North
I
I Carolina, acquired the property.
;lle completed the structure and
j lived there until his death in
5-1765. He died in this residence
on March 28, 1765. while prepar
ing to return to England for a
'visit. Russellborough then passed
1 to his son, Edward Brice Dobbs.
William Tryon succeeded Dobbs
| as governor and appears to have
established residence at Russell
borough shortly after his pred
ecessors death. Tn 1765-1776
Russellborough was the scene of
a number of incidents connected
with the dramatic resistence to
the Stamp Act of the people of
the Lower Cape Fear. In 1767
Tryon purchased the property
and continued in residence there
until he moved to the nearly com
pleted palace at New Bern in
1770. The following year Tryon
sold Russellborough to William
Dry, the Collector of Customs at
Port Brunswick, who changed the
name to Bellfort. Dry was an
ardent supporter of the move for
independence and as a result, his
home was burned by the British
when they invaded the river in
1876 under Lord Cornwallace
and General Clinton.
Russellborough House was a
two-story frame structure, with
the interior divided into four
rooms, up stairs and down stairs.
A ten foot porch encircled the
house at each level. There was
a number of adjacent outbuild
ings in addition to the main
house.
St Philips Church
St. Philips Church was begun
in 1754 and completed in 1768
only after.great trials and diffi
culties. Not the least of these
was the constant shortage of
funds. Among the many promi
nent men who aided and encour
aged its construction were the
governors, Arthur Dobbs and
William Tryon. Both made fi
nancial contributions, and Dobbs
promised to make it His Majes
ty's Chapel in North Carolina
upon its completion. Unfortun
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ately, Dobbs died before it was
completed and it is not known
whether it was ever actually so
designated.
St. Philips was an Anglican
Church and was the Parish
Church of St Philips Parish. Its
outside dimensions were approx
imately 76 feet long by 53 feet
wide. The exact date of its de
struction is not known, but it
was probably burned during the
Revolution when much of the
town of Brunswick was burned
by the British. Only the walls
were standing when the Method
ist Missionary, Frances Asburyj
visited the scene in 1S40.
Brunswick Town
Maurice Moore, who was so
instrumental in the permanent
settlement of the Cape Fear, al
so was the founder of its first
town, Brunswick. Plans for the
town \vere completed as early as
June, 1726 when Moore sold two
lots to Cornelius Harnett, the
father of the Revolutionary hero
of the same name. However,
there is no evidence of a dwell
ing in the town prior to June,
1728. Brunswick was the trad
ing center for the new settlement
and upon the establishment of
New Hanover County in 1729, the
village became the county seat.
Newton, later to become Wilming
ton, was founded about 1732,
and because of its more central
and protected location, soon ov
ershadowed Brunswick as a cen
ter of trade. When Wilmington
was incorported in 1740 all gov
ernmental offices, which had been
located at Brunswick, were trans
ferred to Wilmington. However,
a shoal in the river at the mouth
of Town Creek, prevented the
passage of large vessels, and,
as a result, practically all naval
stores, the principal staple of the
Cape Fear Region, were shipped
out of Brunswick. By the time
ol the American Revolution more
naval stores, in the form of pitch,
tar and turpentine were shipped
out of Brunswick than from any
other port in the British Empire.
When one considers the essen
tial nature of these products du
ring the days of wooden sailing
vessels, the importance of the
port is obvious.
wnen Brunswick County was
established in 1744 the village
again became a County Seat and
remained so until 1778 when
governmental functions were mov
ed to the comparative safety of
Lockwoods Folly. Between 1757'
and 1776 Brunswick was one of
the eight borough towns of North
Carolina, which entitled it to send
a representative to the provincial
legislature.
In 1776 Brunswick’s deep wa
:er harbor became a liability ra
:her than an asset. For the same
season that large merchant ships
could gam access to the town.,
so also could the British warships.]
When the British invaded the!
river in 1775-1776, the people off
Brunswick abandoned the town
and fled to Wilmington and oth
;r points. Much of the village
.vas burned by the British at
:hat time. The war also brought
m end to the British naval stores
market and so Brunswick was
never again occupied by more
than three or four families. Af
ter about 1825 it apparently was
completely abandoned.
Brunswick was never a large
town but its population of ap
proximaely 250 to 300 was not
insignificant for that time. Phy
sically the town stretched along
the river for about half a mile
and back from the river about a
quarter-mile. Within this area
were located about 40 dwellings,
along with various shops and
other buildings. The church stood
at the western edge of the town,
about midway between its north
ern and southern limits.
Possibly the most dramatic in- ]
cident in the life of Brunswick 1
took place in 1748 when the town !
was captured by a large group j
of Spaniards who entered the i
river on September 4, 1748.
Two days later the inhabitants,
aided by seamen on friendly ves
sels in the harbor, recaptured
the town, but only after great
damage had been done. One of
the Spanish vessels was blown
up and the surviving Spaniards
sailed away on the remaining pri- i
vateer. The invaders were not
pirates but privateers, legitimate
ly engaged in assisting Spain
in war against England.
Funds derived from the sale
of slaves and goods captured
from the Spaniards were applied,
in part, to the const of construc
ting St. Philips Church in Brun
swick and St. James Church in
Wilmington.
Fort Anderson
a snort distance to tne north
east of old St. Philips Church,
earthen breast works were to be
seen. These works are part of
Fort Anderson, which was con
structed by the Confederate
States of America. Fort An
derson, which covers the northern
section of old Brunswick Town,
was constructed in 1863 and saw
action following the fall of Fort
Fisher, which protected the en
trance to the river several miles
downstream. After the fall of
that iportant fort, the Federal
forces began to move up toward
Wilmington, but Foi-t Anderson
stood in the way. As a result,
a number of war vessels pro
ceeded upstream and bombed
Fort Anderson. At the same time
a large land force moved up the
west side of the river. Due to
the dangers and difficulties of a
frontal attack, a detachment, of
Federal troops was sent around
Orton Pond to the westward in
order to outflank Fort Ander
'son. 'Die Confederates, receiv
ing word of the maneuver and
I zing the futility of further! 1
ting such an overwhelming ,
ly force, quietly withdrew
the fort under cover of
• morning darkness on Feb- 1
y 19, 1865.
Fort Johnson
iring the colonial period the
liards, particularly those bas
t St. Augustine, were a con
t source of fear to the people
he Lower Cape Fear. In
of this danger, the entrance
ie Cape Fear River remained
arded for a number of years
the founding of the settle
As a result of the prod
of Governor Gabriel John
and of the crisis brought
t by the outbreak of the
of Jenkins Ear. the Gener- j
Assembly, in 1745 provided
Johnston's Fort." be built at j
mouth of the Cape Fear !
r. The exact location was ;
»n by a committee, which
ded Governor Johnston, Rog- J
Coore, Eleazer Allen, Edward
ley and others,
e construction of Fort John
was the subject of charges
raft and inefficiency and it
ino£ until 1764 that the instal
i was completed. It was,
'ver, manned to varying ex
; from 1750 on. The size of
garrison probably never ex
jd 50 men, and usually was
Among its commanders
James Moore and Robert
le, who in later years became
irals in the Revolutionary
■s. Fort Johnston was burn
|y the Americans in 1775 to
ent its use by the British.
was rebuilt some years af
the Revolution, and was oc
pd by Federal forces at the
reak of the war between the
PS.
Southport
e pilots who guided vessels j
; the trecherous shoals of j
9> Fear found it convenient to !
I,- work to establish residence ;
> Fort Johnston. It was this ,
•p, among others, that was
.onsible for the incorporation 1
he settlement in 1792. The
S’ village was called Smithville,
i its name was later changed
,outhport.
1 1808 the seat of govern- !
et of Brunswick County was j
Esferred to Smithville from
woods Folly, where it has
it located since its removal
ci Brunswick in 1778.
DERLY FREELAND
Continued from Page One)
edestrian.
ieath was attributed to head
fries.
iuneral services are being con
led Wednesday. 3 p. m., from
v Britain Baptist Church, with
: Rev. Gaston Hester officiat
Burial will be in the Inman
,i«**netery.
Surviving are two sons, Glenn
'ey of the Navy in Newport, R.
i, and Dozier Guy of the Army
n Fort Eustis, Va.; three daugh
ers, Mrs. Lelia Evans of Balti
nore, Md., Mrs. Minnie Lee Ev
ens of Freeland, and Mrs. Ina
Bennett of Supply; two brothers,
Hiram M. Simmons of Shallotte
ind Allen Simmons of Bolton,
wo sisters, Mrs. William Ezzell
if Route 4, Whiteville, and Mrs.
dandy Edwards of Fayetteville
md seven grandchildren.
MEMBERSHIP OF
(Continued from Page 11
er of space required for the
school bus maintenance program
and negotiations will be commen
ced with the Shallot!e National
Guard for the purpose of reclaim
ing all the space in the county
garage by July 1.
Plans were also made for a
program of visitation by members
of the board of education, the
board of county commissioners
and local committeemen on April
30, May 7 and May 11.
7GTH BIRTHDAY
Mrs. K. T. Woodside celebrated
her 76tli birthday Friday of last
week.
'I
NOTICE
is hereby given that a Special Election
WILL BE HELD AT SHALLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL,
ON SATURDAY, MAY 30th, 1953
For the purpose of determining whether there shall be levied a Special
Tax, not to exceed 15c on the $100.00 valuation, on all property, real
and personal, owned by white owners, and located in the Shallotte
District, for the purpose of supplementing the funds for the nine months
public school term for Shallotte School, and more specifically to be
used in the Music and Physical Education Departments.
All white persons who are otherwise qualified to vote, and who
reside in the said school district shall be eligible to vote in this election,
providing they are registered for the said election.
Notice
THE BOOKS FOR REGISTRATION WILL BE OPEN AT THE
SHALLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL ON
Saturday, May 2nd, Saturday, May 9th, and
Saturday, May 16, from 9 a. m. to 6:00 p. m.
SAT., MAY 23 Will Be CHALLENGE DAY
BE SURE TO REGISTER ON ONE OF THE ABOVE DAYS. IF YOU DO
NOT REGISTER DURING THIS SPECIAL REGISTRATION
YOU CANNOT VOTE ! !
R. L. M IL L B K E N , Chairman
BRUNSWICK COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
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