St. Philip's Church Ruins
Why it's listed
Four brick walls are all that remain of St. Philip's Church, built in the colonial town of Brunswick on the Cape Fear River, in what is now Brunswick Town State Historic Site near Orton. The rectangular building measured 54 by 78 feet, with walls about 22 feet tall and three feet thick, laid in English and Flemish bond. A large Palladian window opening still dominates the east wall. Construction was authorized in 1751, slowed when lightning and rain brought down the roof around 1760, and was completed with lottery funds; the church was dedicated in 1768. Royal governors Dobbs and Tryon had special pews there, and Dobbs and Supreme Court justice Alfred Moore are buried in the churchyard. British forces burned most of Brunswick, including the church, during the Revolution, and it was never rebuilt. The ruins are the town's most prominent surviving remnant and recall its early role in North Carolina's history.
Significance in brief: St. Philip's was known as "His Majesty's Chapel in the Colony" and served a congregation that included two royal governors and other leading colonial figures. Royal Governor Arthur Dobbs and Supreme Court justice Alfred Moore are buried in the churchyard. Its large Palladian window was noted for its fine quality, and the ruins are a reminder of a destroyed town important to early North Carolina.
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 70000442, listed February 26, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Orton off NC 1533, Orton |
|---|---|
| County | Brunswick County |
| Listed | February 26, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000442 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century |
| Architect / builder | Richard Price (thought to be brickmason); Thomas Dick (chief carpenter) |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Ruins; four uncovered walls remain, church never rebuilt after being burned during the Revolution. Owned by the State Department of Archives and History and open to the public as part of a state historic site. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Within district | Orton Plantation (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 34.03939, -77.94689 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 70000442.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7591512
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.