Pender County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Pender County Courthouse is a three-story, brick-veneered building in the middle of a park-like square in Burgaw. Built in 1936 and dedicated on November 7, 1937, it replaced an earlier courthouse of 1885 that was dismantled. Pender County was formed in 1875, and its first courthouse was a converted wooden building. The H-shaped Georgian Revival structure has a hipped-roof main block, projecting gable-roofed wings, Flemish bond brick walls, a modillion cornice, keystoned window arches and a two-stage wooden cupola. The main entrance sits within a broken scroll pedimented surround. Inside, cross halls meet at an octagonal area, and the second-floor courtroom has a gently arched ceiling and Colonial-style paneling. The courthouse is described as one of two Georgian Revival courthouses built in North Carolina in the 1930s. It helped establish a precedent for Neo-Colonial courthouses in the state. Its scale and cupola make it the landmark of Burgaw, where neighboring buildings are modest.
Significance in brief: The courthouse is described as one of two Georgian Revival courthouses built in North Carolina in the 1930s. Its design reflects the growing popularity of Colonial-style architecture. It helped set a precedent for Neo-Colonial courthouses that was widely adopted in later decades. It is also the landmark of Burgaw because of its siting, scale and cupola.
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 79001741, listed May 10, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Wright, Wilmington, Walker, and Fremont Sts., Burgaw |
|---|---|
| County | Pender County |
| Listed | May 10, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001741 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The courthouse stands on a four-acre courthouse square that contains many historical monuments. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Within district | Burgaw Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.55075, -77.92569 (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 79001741.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987495
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.