In Memory of
Lt. Richard G. Shipley
Age 23, Fresno. Cal.
Lt. Howard R. Johnson, Jr
Age 23, Sheffield. Tex.
Sgt. Robert M. Anderson
Age 23 San Ysidro, Cal.
Sgt. Roger H. Knowlton
Age 22. Rochester, N.Y.
Troop Carrier Command of . . . — — Map (db m94360) HM WM
Colonel in Revolution, member of provincial congresses and state senator. Robeson County is named for him. His home stood ½ mile N.E. — — Map (db m222331) HM
An underwater labyrinth of sandbars stretches for 20 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, varying in depth from 3 to 15 feet, causing frequent shipwrecks. One of North Carolina's three great capes, collectively known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, . . . — — Map (db m115691) HM
The Cape Fear Lighthouse stood here until it was deactivated and replaced by the Oak Island lighthouse across the mouth of the river. The wrought iron and steel frame of the tower stood 150 feet high and its flashing lens was capable of reaching an . . . — — Map (db m115767) HM
These four dwellings were provided by the government for the keepers of the Cape Fear Lighthouse and their families. Captain Charles Swan, the first keeper of the light, lived with his family and staff in these homes from 1903 until 1933. The . . . — — Map (db m115702) HM
Union ships chased the blockade runner Ella ashore on Bald Head Island as she tried to enter Old Inlet on December 3, 1864. Over the following two days, Confederate soldiers from Fort Holmes salvaged goods from the derelict vessel before she . . . — — Map (db m165876) HM
A rectangular sand bastion, Battery No. 2 mounted a 100-pounder Brooke Cannon and was located about 200 yards east. The site of circular-shaped Battery No. 1 with its 10-inch Columbiad cannon is about 100 yards to the west. It sat upon the south end . . . — — Map (db m165878) HM
Fort Holmes’s largest earthen battery was built on the southwestern elbow of Bald Head Island to guard Old Inlet for blockade running ships. Its seacoast cannon provided cross-fire with Fort Caswell on Oak Island. Erosion claimed Battery Holmes by . . . — — Map (db m115743) HM
Battery No. 4 highlights what remains of Fort Holmes. This crescent-shaped sand bastion mounted two 24-pounder and two 32-pounder cannon to guard against an enemy attack from the direction of East Beach and Bald Head Creek. The battery and a large . . . — — Map (db m115759) HM
In this area stood the main base camp for Fort Holmes’s garrison troops, and the headquarters of Colonel John J. Hedrick, 40th Regiment NC Troops. The barracks and storehouses were made largely of red cedar lumber and shingles, hewed from Bald Head . . . — — Map (db m115745) HM
This brick structure was built to house the generator for the Cape Fear Lighthouse. A slate roof covers brick walls that are approximately 10-1/2 inches thick. — — Map (db m115696) HM
Wilmington, North Carolina was the Confederacy's most important Seaport during the Civil War. By 1864, it was the last Atlantic Port open to trade with the outside world. General Robert E. Lee said: “If Wilmington falls, I cannot maintain . . . — — Map (db m165877) HM
British troops constructed Fort George to defend Bald Head Island and their warships’ anchorage at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. American forces attacked the fort, but were repulsed, in early September 1776. This was believed to be the first . . . — — Map (db m115744) HM
U.S.S. Peterhoff served on the Union blockade of the Cape Fear until it was accidentally run into and sunk by the U.S.S. Monticello on March 7, 1864 off bald Head Island’s East Beach. The Peterhoff’s remains are located about . . . — — Map (db m115693) HM
Associate Justice United States Supreme Court, 1799–1804, officer in the Revolution, state Attorney General, Judge. Home was 18¾ mi. S. — — Map (db m215669) HM
Large Confederate fort stands 13 mi. S. After a strong Union attack it was evacuated Feb. 18, 1865, resulting in the fall of Wilmington. — — Map (db m6437) HM
Erected by Captain John Russell, Commander of His Britannic Majesty's Sloop of War Scorpion, who gave his name to this residence and tract of fifty-five acres of land adjacent to the town of Brunswick. Subsequently owned and occupied by the . . . — — Map (db m22372) HM
Commissioners met here to run boundary in 1764. Popular stop for colonial travelers. Ruins used to establish present state line in 1928. Located 2¾ mi. S.E. — — Map (db m5375) HM
The road from New England to Charleston, over which mail was first carried regularly in North Carolina, 1738–39, passed near this spot. — — Map (db m6317) HM
South Carolina. Formed in 1712 from part of Carolina, which was chartered in 1663, it was first settled by the English in 1670. One of the 13 original states.
North Carolina. Colonized, 1585-87, b first English settlers in America; . . . — — Map (db m39649) HM
Seized by N.C. Militia three months before firing on Fort Sumter. Governor Ellis ordered its return to Federal Authority; three miles east. — — Map (db m5834) HM
Category 4 storm made landfall at Long Beach, October 15, 1954, with winds over 140 mph & 17-foot surge. Nineteen people killed in N.C. — — Map (db m5832) HM
Established late 1700’s. Incorporated March6, 1899. The Shallotte River was navigated by commercial sailing vessels until the 1920’s when the roads were built. First church building erected on this site circa 1799. — — Map (db m28823) HM
Founded c. 1725, long a principal port of N.C., site of Spanish attack, 1748, and of Stamp Act resistance, 1766. Later abandoned. Was 2 mi. S.E. — — Map (db m6451) HM
A Spanish expedition captured the town of Brunswick, 1748, during King George’s War, but was soon driven away by the colonial militia. — — Map (db m6420) HM
Here on this small bluff overlooking the Cape Fear River, Joshua Potts in the year 1790 envisioned a town surrounding old Fort Johnston. “Braced up by the effects of the salubrious breeze, from the sea,” Joshua Potts laid out the first . . . — — Map (db m4792) HM
Dedicated to the memory of Catalino Tingzon, interred in Northwood Cemetery, and all Merchant Marine seamen and U.S. Navy Armed Guard on the tanker S.S.John D. Gill torpedoed and sunk off Cape Fear by the German submarine U-158 . . . — — Map (db m4950) HM
During the war of 1812, North Carolina Governor William Hawkins called up companies of militia from Brunswick, Bladen, New Hanover and Duplin counties for the coastal defense of the state against British invasion to serve at Fort Johnston in . . . — — Map (db m115792) HM
Named for Gov. Caswell. Begun by U.S. in 1826; seized by N.C. troops, 1861; abandoned by Confederates, 1865. Stands five miles southeast. — — Map (db m16331) HM
This tablet was erected May, 1911 by the North Carolina Society of Colonial Dames of America to mark the site of Fort Johnston, the first fort in the Province of North Carolina, built under Act of Assembly of 1745 and completed 1764, and named in . . . — — Map (db m4754) HM
Confederate Lifeline. On January 9, 1861, as secession fever swept the South, an armed body of civilians overwhelmed Fort Johnston’s lone occupant, Ordinance Sgt. James Reilly, and demanded the keys. Reilly quickly surrendered them and received . . . — — Map (db m168569) HM
Site for this public park was given to the town of Smithville, which was named in his honor, by Governor Benjamin Smith. His legacy provided that land in this square be used for educational, fraternal, religious and recreational purposes.
Th . . . — — Map (db m5988) HM
This ancient gnarled oak has been estimated to be more than 800 years old. Indians may have bent the young tree to mark the trail to their fishing grounds. The tree took root a second time, thus developing the unusual formation. — — Map (db m20366) HM
Last royal governor of North Carolina, 1771–75. Fearing capture, in June 1775 he sought refuge here. Fled offshore to HMS Cruizer in July. — — Map (db m4790) HM
Erected April 13th, 1938
by the
National Society United States Daughters of 1812
of
North Carolina
Memorial to North Carolina Militia, stationed at Deepwater Point, about one mile northeast of Southport on the water front, several . . . — — Map (db m113673) WM
Erected during North Carolina’s Tercentenary to Mrs. Jessie Stevens Taylor, 1879–1961. She loved her God, Country and fellow man. She served here as a Voluntary Weather Observer and Storm Warning Display Woman from 1900 to 1961. — — Map (db m4752) HM
On February 27, 1904, ground was broken for the “new” jail. Contractor A.J. Robbins received the contract with a low bid of $6,738. Its construction is “a concrete foundation with brick walls, laid in 1:6 bond constructed with a . . . — — Map (db m6095) HM
Between the Civil War and the construction of the Panama Canal in 1904, local residents and investors desperately sought to surpass Wilmington by building a rail link to the Appalachian coal fields. Smithville would become the first refueling stop . . . — — Map (db m6227) HM
1915–1965, columnist and author. “The Old Man and the Boy,” were youthful remembrances of his material grandfather, Captain Edward Atkins, in this house. — — Map (db m4800) HM
“Nor even this hour shall want its charm / For side-by-side still fondly we’ll keep / And calmly in each others arms / Together linked go down the deep.” —From the marker for Emeline L. Taylor and Major George Taylor who were . . . — — Map (db m6229) HM
January 1916. Founded in 1893, the Southport Volunteer Fire Department was officially organized with the election of officers and adoption of a constitution and by laws on 21 January, 1916. Authorized purchase of the city’s first fire alarm bell . . . — — Map (db m5996) HM
Barbadian planter turned pirate made North Carolina his base, 1718. Captured in naval battle few miles east. Hanged in Charleston. — — Map (db m101979) HM
Thanks for our freedom
This Memorial, dedicated on November 11, 2015, and funded by private donations, honors the Men and Women Who Have Served Our Nation.
It was made possible through the heart, vision, dedication, and tireless efforts . . . — — Map (db m105916) WM
Brunswick Town State Historic Site was established on land donated to the State of North Carolina in December, 1952, by James Laurence Sprunt and his four sons, James Laurence Sprunt, Jr., Kenneth Murchison Sprunt, Samuel Nash Sprunt, and Laurence . . . — — Map (db m5535) HM
A memorial to Colonel Maurice Moore, gentleman and soldier of the King, who in the year of our lord 1725 founded in a wilderness The Town of Brunswick reserving for the glory of God the tract of land on which was built this parish church . . . — — Map (db m6510) HM
Begun 1861. Named in honor of General Joseph R. Anderson, then commanding military district.
The Fort, under command of Brig. Gen. Johnson Hagood, suffered a severe bombardment by a Federal fleet and attack by Federal army under Maj. Gen. J. M. . . . — — Map (db m6494) HM
In 1861–1862, Col. William Lamb and Maj. John Hedrick
constructed Fort Anderson, one of several Confederate
strongholds that protected Wilmington, a major blockade-running port. They enlarged Fort St. Philip (for St. Philip’s Anglican Church . . . — — Map (db m6515) HM
Large Confederate fort stands 2 mi. E. After a strong Union attack it was evacuated Feb. 18, 1865, resulting in the fall of Wilmington. — — Map (db m6438) HM
Ordained 1707; came to America 1708. Served in many churches in area as missionary of Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 1732–1755. — — Map (db m6483) HM
House built c. 1725, subsequent additions. Home first of Roger Moore, later of Gov. Benjamin Smith, still later of James Sprunt. ¾ mi. E. — — Map (db m167688) HM
Anglican, built under act of 1751. Graves of Governors Arthur Dobbs and Benjamin Smith and U.S. Justice Alfred Moore. Ruins 2 mi. S.E. — — Map (db m6467) HM
Eagle Street traditionally has been the commercial, cultural, and professional center of the African-American community. The YMI Cultural Center, commissioned by George W. Vanderbilt in 1892 as the Young Men's Institute, was renovated in the 1980s. . . . — — Map (db m98367) HM
Gen. Davis Tillson raised 1,700-man 1st U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery in Tennessee and North Carolina in 1864. The unit encamped nearby while garrisoned in Asheville in 1865. Assigned to Tillson's 2nd brigade, the men participated in operations in . . . — — Map (db m55571) HM
Since 1902, when the first city auditorium
was built here, this area has been a center
for entertainment and the preservation of
Southern Appalachian culture. Acclaim has
gone to composer Boscom Lamar Lunsford
and playwright Hubert Hayes for . . . — — Map (db m36176) HM
Dedicated to the memory of
Samuel Ashe
1725 - 1813
Distinguished North Carolinian
Governor, Statesman and Jurist
in whose honor
the City of Asheville was named
— — Map (db m30120) HM
Building the Block
Gateway to Community
As you turn down Eagle Street, you'll find yourself in The Block. This revitalizing district was crucial to the culture, economy and history of Asheville's African American community for more . . . — — Map (db m209942) HM
When the war began, more than 15 percent of Buncombe County’s residents were enslaved people. James Patton housed slaves behind his Eagle Hotel (straight ahead), where they worked as waiter, maids, grooms, cooks, and trail guides. Three blocks to . . . — — Map (db m75507) HM
Near the end of the Civil War in 1865, Confederate Battery Porter was positioned uphill to your right on Stony Hill, at that time the highest point in Asheville. The battery included four 12-pounder field pieces known as Napoleons, a model 1857 . . . — — Map (db m75505) HM
On April 3, 1865, Union Col. Isaac M. Kirby left Tennessee with 900 men including his own 101st Ohio Infantry for “a scout in the direction of Asheville.” Three days later, local resident Nicholas Woodfin spotted the Federals on the Buncombe . . . — — Map (db m209953) HM
On April 3, 1865, Union Col. Isaac M. Kirby left East Tenn. with 1100 men on a raid against Asheville. On April 6, Kirby's force was defeated by local militia under Col. G. W. Clayton. Earthworks remain 100 yds. N. — — Map (db m55543) HM
The original Biltmore Dairy Bar began as an extension of the estate's dairy operations, established in 1897 as part of George Vanderbilt's vision of Biltmore as a self-sustaining farm.
Thanks to the prized herd of Jersey cows, the dairy . . . — — Map (db m179297) HM
The success of the final design of Biltmore House and its home grounds was the result of
the strong collaborative effort between George Vanderbilt, his architect Richard Morris Hunt,
and Frederick Law Olmited, who designed and executed a plan for . . . — — Map (db m209739) HM
George W. Vanderbilt, following the recommendation of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, was the first American landowner to implement scientific forestry, the management and conservation of forest lands, on a large scale. He hired Gifford . . . — — Map (db m58507) HM
James Vester Miller was chief brickmason for the 1925 Municipal Building. The cornucopias over the side doorway mark the entrance to the City Market, located there from 1926 to 1932. Of slave parentage, Miller achieved renown as a craftsman, . . . — — Map (db m98368) HM
1927
Buncombe
County Court House
Erected by the People of
Buncombe County
Board of County Commissioners
Hon.E.M.Lyda
Chairman
Hon.W.E.Johnson~Hon.W.E.McLean
Burgin Pernnell
County Attorney
L.E.Jarrett
County . . . — — Map (db m18694) HM
Opened up western N.C. Built, 1824-28; the 75-mi. long route from S.C. line to Tenn. line, used by settlers & livestock drovers, passed nearby. — — Map (db m55544) HM
Caney [Canie] Brown, an Asheville native, founded the successful Swannanoa Laundry on Church Street in 1902. He also served as president of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, a charter member and president of the Asheville Rotary Club, and . . . — — Map (db m187805) HM
Wall Street takes its name from the stone wall below, built to retain Battery Park Hill. The alley between the wall and buildings was used for deliveries. Until the mid-1920s, when Wall Street was paved and a sidewalk laid to span the alley, access . . . — — Map (db m209883) HM
Asheville's first official school building for black children, built in 1892. Destroyed by fire in the great tragedy of 1917, seven students died. In 1922 the famous Stephen's Lee High School was erected in it's place, becoming a beacon for black . . . — — Map (db m209939) HM
Asheville's central square has long served the
needs of government and commerce. From
1892 to 1926 a massive city hall with a bell
tower dominated the east end. The building
housed police and fire departments in addition
to municipal offices. . . . — — Map (db m17062) HM
Every town has its legendary businesses and The Man Store was certainly one of those. Most people who lived in or anywhere near Asheville from 1922 until the store left downtown in the early 1970s were familiar with it. Coleman Zageir (1894-1975) . . . — — Map (db m210017) HM
Native American trails guided settlers to this site, where in 1793 the Buncombe County Court placed the first courthouse, prison, and stocks. With the opening of the Buncombe Turnpike in 1827, this public square became a crossroads for stagecoach . . . — — Map (db m97553) HM
City Center
The intersection before you was an important crossroads long before Asheville came to be. indigenous people traveled the path of this road that would later become a popular route with drovers bringing their livestock to market. . . . — — Map (db m212976) HM
Dr. Blackwell was the first woman awarded a medical degree in the United States.
She began privately her medical studies in Asheville in 1845 under Dr. John Dickson, for whom she taught music at Dickson private school for girls. The school was . . . — — Map (db m31663) HM
In 1926 Asheville and Buncombe County officials considered erecting matching government buildings on Court Plaza. The city chose Douglas Ellington's Beaux-Art design with its Art Deco embellishments. The county, however, rejected Ellington's plan . . . — — Map (db m224090) HM
"...in the year 1891 there was not, I repeat, a single acre of forest under forestry anywhere in the United States...My work in Biltmore Forest began February 3, 1892...Thus Biltmore Forest became the beginning of practical Forestry in America."
. . . — — Map (db m209738) HM
Asheville's Flat Iron Building, completed in 1926, boats triangular proportions and rich ornamentation like its predecessor in New York City. Albert C. Wirth designed this structure to house professional offices and shops. Typical of rapid . . . — — Map (db m187804) HM
Devastated western N.C. and western Piedmont; destroyed homes, crops, mills, bridges. Four lives lost, July 16, near main gate of Biltmore Estate. — — Map (db m97531) HM
