Brunswick County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Built around 1844 in Smithville, later renamed Southport in 1889, the Brunswick County Courthouse is a plain two-story stuccoed brick building on a shaded corner lot. Its rectangular plan has a gable roof, a front parapet, a one-story porch sheltering double doors beneath a fanlight, and a mousetooth cornice. A simple belfry crowned with a hemispherical dome sits on the ridge. The building has been altered by fires in 1922 and 1958, interior remodelings, and wings added in the 1960s, yet its historical and architectural integrity is still regarded as sound. It is one of only seventeen antebellum courthouses still standing in North Carolina and the only one surviving in the southeastern quadrant of the state. When the county seat moved to Supply in 1978, the building was left empty and then became the Southport Town Hall. Mature live oaks surround the building, which remains one of the town's most prominent structures.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as one of only seventeen antebellum courthouses still standing in North Carolina and the only surviving antebellum courthouse in the southeastern quadrant of the state. It is described as still one of the most impressive buildings in Southport and as retaining architectural integrity despite later alterations.
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 79001663, listed May 10, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Davis and Moore Sts., Southport |
|---|---|
| County | Brunswick County |
| Listed | May 10, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001663 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1844 |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The county seat was moved from the courthouse in 1978, and the building serves as the Town Hall for Southport. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Southport Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.91906, -78.01777 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 79001663.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4979496
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.