Moores Creek National Battlefield
Also known as: See Also:Moores Creek National Battlefield (Boundary Increas
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Why it's listed
Moores Creek National Battlefield, on State Road 210 near Currie in Pender County, North Carolina, preserves the ground where Patriot militia defeated a larger Loyalist force on February 27, 1776. The fight lasted about three minutes at a partly dismantled bridge over Moores Creek. Although minor militarily, the victory helped prevent a full-scale invasion of the South and was followed by North Carolina's April 1776 instruction to its delegates to vote for independence. The park began as a 30-acre state battleground in 1897, passed to the federal government in 1926, and now covers 42.23 acres. It includes the Patriot earthworks, traces of the colonial road, a visitor center, and six commemorative monuments erected between 1857 and 1931. The visible earthworks are rebuilt, but archeological work found below-ground evidence of the original works. A later amendment recognized those buried remains as a site significant for historic archeology.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the February 27, 1776 clash between Patriots and Loyalists as one of the critical actions of the opening phase of the American Revolution. The Patriot victory helped prevent a full-scale invasion of the South and preceded North Carolina's April 1776 instruction to its delegates to vote for independence. A later amendment adds historic archeology for the below-ground remains of the original earthworks.
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 66000070, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 25 mi. NW of Wilmington on NC 210, Wilmington |
|---|---|
| County | Pender County |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000070 |
| Resource type | District |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Military, Historic - Non-Aboriginal |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Park is open to the public with a visitor center and interpretive devices; the visible earthworks were rebuilt with added soil, and several monuments were moved in 1942 and 1974. |
| Acreage | 42.2 |
| Within district | Moore's Creek National Military Park (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 34.45785, -78.10963 (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 66000070.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14708039
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.