Brunswick Town was a prominent

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

colonial North Carolina The Province of North Carolina, originally known as the Albemarle Settlements, was a proprietary colony and later royal colony of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776.(p. 80) It was one of the five Southern colonie ...

. It was the first successful European settlement in the Cape Fear region, a major colonial port in the 18th century, and home to two

provincial governor Provincial may refer to: Government & Administration * Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country * Provincial city (disambiguation) * Provincial minister (disambiguation) * Provincial Secretary, a position in Can ...

s. Brunswick Town existed for 50 years until it was burnt in a 1776 raid by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

forces during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

and never rebuilt. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, 86 years after the town was abandoned, a large portion of the town was covered by earthworks for the construction of

Fort Anderson Fort Anderson can refer to: *Fort Anderson (Kentucky); A Union fort used in the American Civil War and site of the Battle of Paducah, Kentucky *Fort Anderson (North Carolina); A Confederate fort used in the American Civil War *Fort Anderson Located ...

. Brunswick Town became an excavation site for Cape Fear history during the 20th century. The Brunswick Town Historic District contains the ruins of 18th-century commercial and residential colonial homes, St Philip's Church,

, and Russellborough, the former governor's mansion. The town's historic district and St. Philip's Church are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Establishment

In the decades prior to the establishment of Brunswick Town, the surrounding area was inhabited by the Cape Fear Native Americans, who allied with the Carolina colonists against the inland Tuscarorans in the

Tuscarora War The Tuscarora War was fought in North Carolina from September 10, 1711, until February 11, 1715, between the Tuscarora people and their allies on one side and European American settlers, the Yamasee, and other allies on the other. This was con ...

(1711–15) but subsequently fought against the colonists in the

Yamasee War The Yamasee War (also spelled Yamassee or Yemassee) was a conflict fought in South Carolina from 1715 to 1717 between British settlers from the Province of Carolina and the Yamasee, who were supported by a number of allied Native Americans in ...

(1715–1717). In 1725, the Lord Proprietors granted Colonel Maurice Moore 1,500 acres of land where he established Brunswick Town in June 1726. The first lot was sold to Cornelius Harnett Sr.

Colonel Maurice Moore was the son of Carolina Governor James Moore. Colonel Moore was the father of General James Moore and Judge Maurice Moore. Judge Maurice Moore was the father of

Supreme Court Associate Justice An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...

Alfred Moore Alfred Moore (May 21, 1755 – October 15, 1810) was an American judge, lawyer, planter and military officer who became an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Moore Square, a park located in the Moore Square Histo ...

. The town was named after Brunswick-Lüneburg, the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

territory ruled by

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

's reigning King George I. Colonel Maurice Moore had seven brothers and four sisters. One of his brothers, Roger Moore built Orton Plantation using some of the land that was granted to Colonel Maurice. Most of the Moore family moved to Brunswick Town following Maurice and Roger. The Moores became known as "The Family". During the next few months, Brunswick Town grew rapidly and became a busy port for exporting longleaf pine products such as

tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black b ...

, pitch, and

turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthine, terebenthene, terebinthine and, colloquially, turps) is a fluid obtainable by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Principall ...

used for the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

and merchant ships. During the 1730s, Brunswick Town became the political center of the Cape Fear region and seat of

New Hanover County New Hanover County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 225,702. The county seat is Wilmington. Though the second-smallest county in North Carolina by land area, it is one of the m ...

. Brunswick Town was crucial to Wilmington because the Cape Fear river was too shallow near the mouth of Town Creek for large vessels to pass through. The town was the third

capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...

of the

Province of North Carolina The Province of North Carolina, originally known as the Albemarle Settlements, was a proprietary colony and later royal colony of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776.(p. 80) It was one of the five Southern col ...

, from 1743 to 1770 (although this title simply referred to the town where the current governor resided rather than any official designation).

Spanish attack

Over the next few decades the Port of Brunswick became the busiest port district in North Carolina, and shipped goods to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and the

British West Indies The British West Indies (BWI) were the territories in the West Indies under British Empire, British rule, including Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Antigua and Barb ...

. England was at war with Spain and France on and off. Cape Fear was a perfect place for their enemies to attack. During September 3–6, 1748, Brunswick Town was attacked by

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

s. Two ships, ''La Fortuna'' and ''La Loretta'' anchored off the Town. Terrified, the townspeople fled into neighboring woods. On September 4, 1748, the Spanish began raiding the town for slaves and anything else they could find that was valuable. Since the townspeople had left everything behind, the Spanish were able to raid the abandoned ships and houses without resistance. On September 5 Captain William Dry III rallied a group of around 67 men who were armed with muskets and pistols to take back the town. William Dry III with the help of William Moore, Schenk Moore, Edward Wingate, Cornelius Harnett Jr., and William Lord started the counterattack on September 6. Among the men was also a slave who was volunteered by George Ronalds. The Spanish fled from the town. Ten of the privateers were killed and thirty were captured. During the retreat, the ''La Fortuna'' exploded killing most of the men on board. The second ship, ''La Loretta'', surrendered on the condition that they would be able to leave. During the counterattack, only one person defending the town lost his life. The slave that was volunteered by George Ronalds lost his life when a small cannon exploded. The abandoned ship, ''La Fortuna,'' was still in the river when the remainder of the privateers had been thrown out of the town. William Dry III hired sailors to search the ''La Fortuna'' for anything valuable. The sailors were able to bring ashore guns, anchors, and items stolen from the town. Among the items confiscated from the ship was a painting depicting the

Ecce Homo ''Ecce homo'' (, , ; "behold the man") are the Latin words used by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate translation of the Gospel of John, when he presents a scourged Jesus, bound and crowned with thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his crucif ...

. The painting was given to St. James Church, Wilmington by the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, state government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

and remains there today. The town was able to sell the Spanish slaves and goods from the abandoned ship. The funds that were obtained from the sales were used to build St. Philip's Church, Brunswick Town and St. James Church, Wilmington.

Russellborough

Russellborough was first owned by Captain John Russell of his majesty's sloop, ''Scorpion.'' However, the grand two-story house and plantation was not completed at the time Royal Governor

Arthur Dobbs Arthur Dobbs (2 April 1689 – 28 March 1765) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of North Carolina from 1754 to 1764. Early life and career Arthur Dobbs was born in Girvan, Ayrshire where his mot ...

purchased the land in 1758. Governor Dobbs made a few changes to the house and finished it. He called it "Castle Dobbs". After Governor Dobbs death in 1765,

William Tryon Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...

was sworn in as Governor,

. Governor Tryon moved into what he called "Castle Tryon" in 1765. After Governor Tryon's house in New Bern, North Carolina was completed he moved his family into what is known as

Tryon Palace Tryon Palace, also called the Governor's House and the Governor's Palace, is a two-story building located in the eastern part of New Bern, North Carolina. The building is a faithful reconstruction of the original 1770 residence built by archite ...

. Governor Tryon sold his Brunswick Town plantation to William Dry III who renamed the plantation Bellfont. In 1776, the plantation was burnt by

forces. When the construction of Fort Anderson was being completed, Russellborough was untouched. Today the excavated ruins can be seen at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson North Carolina State Historic Site. Artifacts from Russellborough can also be viewed in the exhibit hall located in the visitor center.

Stamp Act resistance

On November 1, 1765, the

British Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...

passed the Stamp Act. That same month, the ''HM Sloop Diligence'' arrives at the port with stamps. However, angry citizens of Brunswick Town met the Captain at the dock refusing to allow the stamps off the ship. Governor Tryon attempted to calm residents down but he was determined to uphold the law. In February 1766, the ''Dobbs'' and the ''Patience'' arrived at Brunswick Town. The ships did not have stamp clearance, and were not allowed to unload. On February 20, 1766, Patriot leaders, John Ashe, Cornelius Harnett, James Moore, Captain Robert Howe and Colonel Hugh Waddell led several hundred citizens to arrest royal officials in the town. The patriots also surrounded the governor's home in protest to the

Stamp Act of 1765 The Stamp Act 1765, also known as the Duties in American Colonies Act 1765 ( 5 Geo. 3. c. 12), was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain which imposed a direct tax on the British colonies in America and required that many printed mater ...

and placed Tryon under house arrest. The protest was possibly one of the first incidents of violent colonial resistance to British rule. The protest resulted in the end of stamp tax collection for the Cape Fear region.

Decline of the town

With the combination of Wilmington's continued growth and Tryon moving to his new

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

New Bern New Bern, formerly Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 31,291 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Neuse River, Neuse a ...

, the Town of Brunswick continued to decline. By 1775, the few families that still lived in Brunswick Town fled due to fears of a British attack during the American Revolutionary War. On July 18–21, 1775, Patriots led by Robert Howe, Cornelius Harnett, and John Ashe attacked Fort Johnston while Captain Collett and Governor Josiah Martin watched from the ''Cruizer.'' The following spring of 1776, a British raiding party from the

ship HMS ''Cruizer'' attacked Brunswick Town. The raiding party, led by Captain Collett, burned most of the town's structures including Russellborough and more than likely Saint Phillips Church . Later, under orders from General Clinton and General Cornwallis, British forces burned parts of the town again. After the war, two or three families returned to Brunswick. The port was still functioning but by 1830 the town site was completely abandoned and sold to Frederick Jones Hill, owner of

Orton Plantation The Orton Plantation is a historic Plantation house in the Southern United States, plantation house in Smithville Township, Brunswick County, North Carolina, Smithville Township in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. Located beside ...

, for $4.25. In March 1862,

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

engineers began to survey the remains of Brunswick Town. The Confederates built earthworks and trenches in the town site, covering the remains of several burnt structures except for St. Philip's Church. The fort was constructed to protect the city of Wilmington 10 miles (16 km) upstream, a vital port during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. The bastion was named Fort St. Philip, but renamed

in July 1863. During the attack on Fort Anderson in February 1865, cannonballs shot from Union ships in the Cape Fear River hit the walls of St. Philip's Church and are still evident today.

Excavation

In 1899, the newly formed Cape Fear Chapter of the North Carolina Society of

The Colonial Dames of America The Colonial Dames of America (CDA) is an American organization comprising women who descend from one or more ancestors who lived in British North America between 1607 and 1775, and who aided the colonies in public office, in military service, or ...

visited Brunswick Town to pay homage to Revolutionary War casualties. In 1902, the chapter erected a marble plaque inside the roofless ruins of St. Philip's to commemorate Brunswick Town founder Maurice Moore. In 1952, Dr. Lawrence Lee Jr. expressed interest in Brunswick Town and stated that the site should be excavated. Dr. Lee was contracted by the State Department of Archives and History, now known as the Department of Cultural Resources, in 1958 to clear out the land and find the town ruins. Dr. Lawrence Lee Jr. Requested the help of an archaeologist,

Stanley South Stanley A. South (February 2, 1928 - March 20, 2016) was an American archaeologist who was a major proponent of the processual archaeology movement. South's major contributions to archaeology deal in helping to legitimize it as a more scientific e ...

, who began extensive excavations at Brunswick Town in 1958, and retrieved items such as bullets, buttons, and a cannonball inside the St. Philip's Church ruins. The remains of Brunswick Town are now a state historic site. Visitors may tour the town's remains and the earthworks of Fort Anderson.

In popular culture

Brunswick Town is also one of the settings in which the ''Sleepy Hollow'' television series has been filmed.

References

External links

*
Brunswick Town State Historic Site
at the

Historical Marker Database The Historical Marker Database (HMdb.org) is an online database that documents locations of numerous historical markers and commemorative plaques in the United States as well as other countries. The database was launched in 2006 by computer progra ...

{{coord, 34.039823, -77.946582, type:city_region:US-NC_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title 1725 establishments in North Carolina 1776 disestablishments in North Carolina American Civil War sites in North Carolina American Revolutionary War sites in North Carolina

Archaeological sites in North Carolina This is a listing of sites of archaeological interest in the state of North Carolina, in the United States. {{Commons category, Archaeological sites in North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southea ...

Brunswick Town Historic District Former colonial capitals in North Carolina Former populated places in North Carolina Museums established in 1967 Museums in Brunswick County, North Carolina North Carolina in the American Revolution North Carolina State Historic Sites Open-air museums in North Carolina Populated places established in 1725 Populated places disestablished in 1776 Populated places in colonial North Carolina Populated places on the Cape Fear River