Alamance Battleground State Historic Site
Also known as: See Also:Allen House
Why it's listed
Alamance Battleground is a 40-acre tract of open fields and woods near Burlington, North Carolina, where on May 16, 1771, about 1,000 militia under Royal Governor William Tryon attacked roughly 2,000 poorly armed Regulators. Within two hours the government forces won. Nine Regulators were killed, while Tryon lost nine men and had sixty-one wounded. The Regulators were backcountry settlers protesting extortionate fees, tax collectors' abuses and eastern planters' dominance of the provincial government, after petitions and appeals failed. Twelve were later convicted of treason, and six were hanged. Over 6,000 took an oath of allegiance within six weeks. The site is state-owned and now holds a visitor center, interpretive markers, a column with plaques honoring the Regulators, moved here in 1963 from Guilford Courthouse, and the late eighteenth-century John Allen House, moved and restored in 1966. It was listed for its role in the Regulator conflict.
Significance in brief: It is the site where North Carolina colonial militia under Royal Governor William Tryon defeated the Regulators, ending a movement that had disturbed the colony for several years. The Regulators protested official corruption, excessive fees and eastern domination of the colonial government. The movement reflected tensions between coastal landowners and Piedmont farmers as settlement moved west.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 70000435, listed February 26, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Burlington on Rte. 1, off NC 62, near jct. with Rte. 1129, Alamance |
|---|---|
| County | Alamance County |
| Listed | February 26, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000435 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 18th Century |
| Areas of significance | Military, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent and altered, on its original site; open to the public without restriction and used as a park and museum. Recent additions include a visitor center, markers, a column moved in 1963 and the John Allen House, restored and moved in 1966. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Coordinates | 36.00763, -79.51961 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 70000435.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4705811
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.