Kenansville in Duplin County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Duplin County Court House
Photographed by Mark Parker, March 25, 2025
1. Duplin County Court House Marker
Court House
Est. c. 1785
Built c. 1911
Entered
National History
Register
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.
Location. 34° 57.755′ N, 77° 57.739′ W. Marker is in Kenansville, North Carolina, in Duplin County. It is at the intersection of Courthouse Plaza and Front Street, on the left when traveling north on Courthouse Plaza. The marker is to the right of the east entrance to the courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 106 Courthouse Plaza, Kenansville NC 28349, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At
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More about this marker. Duplin County Court House is a contributing building to the Kenansville Historic District.
Regarding Duplin County Court House. Excerpts from the Kenansville Historic District Nomination Form:
The Duplin County Courthouse, constructed between 1911-1912 on the site of the previous antebellum courthouse in courthouse square, is a large Neoclassical Revival yellow brick building with a pedimented Ionic portico. The monumental structure is crowned by a cupola. Because of its size and central location, the building is the town's most
Photographed by Mark Parker, March 25, 2025
2. Duplin County Court House Marker to the right of the east entrance
After Duplin County was established in 1749, the first court met at the Goshen settlement and a few years later was located on the plantation of Captain Joseph Williams, where it remained for about thirty years. In 1784 Duplin was divided, and the western portion was named Sampson. At the January, 1785, court, plans were made to establish a new county seat. A deed from James Pearsall transferred to the justices of the Duplin County Court "four acres of land for a Lott to Build a Court House and etc. . . for the use of the County." This property was in the Grove settlement, and the four acres are the site of the present courthouse area. This same court issued (Captain James Pearsall a permit to keep a tavern "at his own house." The court then adjourned to meet again at "James Pearsall's," which they did on April 18, 1785. First called Duplin Court House, the town was renamed Kenansville in 1818 evidently for the locally prominent Kenan family
Also see . . . Kenansville Historic District Nomination Form (pdf). Form prepared by Survey Planning Unit Division of Archives and History, 1974 (Submitted on April 17, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)
Photographed by Mark Parker, March 25, 2025
3. Duplin County Court House front entrance on the east side
Photographed by Mark Parker, March 25, 2025
4. South side view of Duplin County Court House from South Main Street
Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 17, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 245 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 17, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
