Averasboro Battlefield Historic District
Why it's listed
Between the Cape Fear River and the Black River, a strip of farmland in Harnett and Cumberland counties preserves the ground where the Battle of Averasboro took place on March 15 and 16, 1865. Confederate Lt. Gen. William Hardee arranged a defense in depth here to delay Union Gen. William T. Sherman, giving Gen. Joseph Johnston time to concentrate his forces for the Battle of Bentonville days later. The district covers over 4,000 acres of fields, pine stands, creeks and ravines once held by the Smith family. Three plantation houses, Oak Grove, Lebanon and the William Smith House, served as field hospitals and still stand. Chicora Cemetery holds the graves of fifty-six Confederate soldiers, and a marker was placed there in 1872. Modern roads follow several historic routes, and development is limited, so the battlefield remains easy to interpret.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for the Battle of Averasboro, fought March 15-16, 1865, when Confederate forces under Hardee delayed Sherman's Union army. The battle was the prelude to Bentonville, the largest and final battle in North Carolina. The landscape, three plantation houses that served as field hospitals, the Chicora Cemetery and an 1872 memorial marker keep the battle readable today.
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 00001425, listed May 10, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Cape Fear R., NC 1780, the Black R., NC 1801, Erwin |
|---|---|
| County | Harnett County |
| Listed | May 10, 2001 |
| Reference number | 00001425 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1865 - 1872 |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Bungalow, No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Social History, Historic - Non-Aboriginal |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Landscape remains largely agricultural and retains integrity; the three field hospital houses remain in their original locations. Many noncontributing modern houses and outbuildings are present. |
| Acreage | 4700 |
| Coordinates | 35.25843, -78.66166 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 00001425.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460323
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.