Alum Spring
Why it's listed
A sulphur spring on a south-facing slope about a mile south of Catherine Lake in Onslow County, the spring flows at roughly 2,000 gallons per minute into a stream that runs 300 feet to a branch of Southwest Creek. The tract was patented to Matthew Brinson in 1761 and was reduced to about fifteen acres by 1839, when John Cook bought it. Through the late nineteenth century it was the site of the county poorhouse, and from then until 1933 it hosted the annual "Big August" picnic, when local families brought food and clothing for the poorhouse inmates. Crowds of three to four hundred were common at its largest, with carriages, wagons and later automobiles arriving from across the region. The spring is valued for its association with this long-running community gathering and for the mid-nineteenth-century accounts of its medicinal waters. Its archaeological remains, including buried handmade bricks, are also considered important.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the spring and its grounds are significant for entertainment and recreation, as the site of the county poorhouse in the post-Civil War period and the annual "Big August" picnic, a county-wide social gathering held there until 1933. It places the site within the statewide nineteenth-century popularity of mineral springs as picnic grounds and spas.
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 89002349, listed January 31, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SR 1211 1.6 mi. S of SR 1001, Catherine Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Onslow County |
| Listed | January 31, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002349 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850-1933 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed to the general public at present; the site was less well maintained after the 1930s. |
| Acreage | 14.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.79758, -77.56488 (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 89002349.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460188
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.