Hillsborough in Orange County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Thomas Burke
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, September 13, 2025
1. Thomas Burke Marker
This tablet marks the house of
Thomas Burke
1747-1783
An Able Statesman
Member of conventions at New Bern and Hillsboro, 1775, Representative to Provisional Congresses at Halifax, 1776, Delegate to the Continental Congress,
Philadelphia, 1776-1781
Governor, 1781-1782
Erected By The North Carolina Society of the Colonial Dames of America Under the auspices of The Durham County Committee
April 26, 1938
Erected 1938 by The North Carolina Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the The Colonial Dames of America series list. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1781.
Location. 36° 4.733′ N, 79° 5.904′ W. Marker is in Hillsborough, North Carolina, in Orange County. It is on East Queen Street 0.6 miles east of North Churton Street (North Carolina Route 86), on the left when traveling east. Marker is on the front of the 18th century home called "Heartsease." It is just above the National Register of Historic Places tablet. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 115 E Queen Street, Hillsborough NC 27278, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont and in the Research Triangle. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, 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.
this page online
More about this marker. The Marker's placement on the front porch of Heartsease, which is a private residence, makes this marker had to reach and photograph without disturbing the residents. Please respect the residents' privacy and look only from the street.
Note also that there is no evidence that this house was Thomas Burke's. To quote the National Register nomination form, "Firmly entrenched local tradition has it that the house served as the pre-Revolutionary home of Thomas Burke, North Carolina's third governor and a member of the Constitutional Convention, but no evidence has been found to support this. It is known that Burke resided chiefly at Tyaquin, his rural plantation house, from the early 1770 or before, until his death in 1783. He did rent a house in town, but a contemporary report located his town residence on the eastern boundary
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, September 13, 2025
2. Heartsease
The marker is on the porch, just out of sight to the right of the door, hidden here by the 1810 east wing's inner corner.
Regarding Thomas Burke. The house referenced in the marker was probably built in 1786-87 by Sterling Harris, who purchased the lot in 1786. The eastern bay was added in 1810 when Thomas Burke's daughter, Mary Burke, purchased the home and property from Harris. The western expansion was done ca. 1840 by Dennis Heartt, the publisher of the Hillsborough Recorder.
The source of interest with identifying Thomas Burke's home within/around the limits of the Town of Hillsborough is derived primarily with the 1781 David Fanning/Hillsborough Raid, when British forces surprised and captured the town on 12 September 1781. The focus of the raid was capturing Governor Burke, which was done by surrounding Burke's home in town and the small force of militia defenders that guarded him. The site of Burke's home in this event was most likely the lot next to lot 62, either beneath or behind the current Webb House at 117 East Queen Street. The Webbs had a long association with the Burkes. Ultimately, while the site of Thomas
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, September 13, 2025
3. Probably Actual Location of Burke's House
This home, built ca. 1812-17 by James Webb, is thought to be either on the site of the home Burke occupied when captured in September 1781, or very near it. This home is at 117 East Queen Street, immediately east of Heartsease (115 East Queen Street, where the subject marker is mounted).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 14, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 70 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 14, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
