Brunswick Town was a prominent

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in colonial North Carolina. It was the first successful European settlement in the Cape Fear region, a major

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

port in the 18th century, and home to two provincial governors. Brunswick Town lasted 50 years (1726–1776) until it was raided by the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and never rebuilt. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, 86 years after the town was abandoned, a large portion of the town was covered by

earthworks Earthworks may refer to: Construction *Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour *Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil *Earthworks (military), mi ...

for the construction of Fort Anderson. Brunswick Town became an excavation site for Cape Fear history during the 20th century. The

Brunswick Town Historic District The Brunswick Town Historic District encompasses the ruins of colonial Brunswick Town, North Carolina, the Civil War-era Fort Anderson, St. Philip's Church Ruins, and the remains of Russellborough, the home of two colonial governors. The ...

contains the ruins of 18th-century commercial and residential colonial homes, St Philip's Church, Fort Anderson, and Russellborough, the former governor's mansion. The town's historic district and St. Philip's Church are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Establishment

In the decades prior to the establishment of Brunswick Town, the surrounding area was inhabited by the Cape Fear Native Americans, who allied with the Carolina colonists against the inland Tuscarorans in the

Tuscarora War The Tuscarora War was fought in North Carolina from September 10, 1711 until February 11, 1715 between the Tuscarora people and their allies on one side and European American settlers, the Yamassee, and other allies on the other. This was con ...

(1711–15) but subsequently fought against the colonists in the

Yamasee War The Yamasee War (also spelled Yamassee or Yemassee) was a conflict fought in South Carolina from 1715 to 1717 between British settlers from the Province of Carolina and the Yamasee and a number of other allied Native American peoples, incl ...

(1715-1717). In 1725, the Lord Proprietors granted Colonel Maurice Moore 1,500 acres of land where he established Brunswick Town in June 1726. The first lot was sold to Cornelius Harnett Sr.

Colonel Maurice Moore was the son of South Carolina colonial governor James Moore. Colonel Maurice Moore was the father of General James Moore and Judge Maurice Moore. Judge Maurice Moore was the father of

Supreme Court Associate Justice An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...

Alfred Moore Alfred Moore (May 21, 1755 – October 15, 1810) was an American judge, lawyer, planter and military officer who became an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Moore Square, a park located in the Moore Square Hist ...

. The town was named after Brunswick-Lüneburg, the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

territory ruled by

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

's reigning King George I. Colonel Maurice Moore had seven brothers and four sisters. One of his brothers, Roger Moore built Orton Plantation using some of the land that was granted to Colonel Maurice. Most of the Moore family moved to Brunswick Town following Maurice and Roger. The Moores became known as "The Family". During the next few months, Brunswick Town grew rapidly and became a busy port for exporting longleaf pine products such as

tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bi ...

, pitch, and

turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially) turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a special ...

used for the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

and merchant ships. During the 1730s, Brunswick Town became the political center of the Cape Fear region and seat of New Hanover County. Brunswick Town was crucial to Wilmington because the Cape Fear river was too shallow near the mouth of Town Creek for large vessels to pass through. The town was the third

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses t ...

of the

Province of North Carolina Province of North Carolina was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monarch of Great Britain was repre ...

, from 1743 to 1770 (although this title simply referred to the town where the current governor resided rather than any official designation).

Spanish attack

Over the next few decades the Port of Brunswick became the busiest port district in North Carolina, and shipped goods to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and the

British West Indies The British West Indies (BWI) were colonized British territories in the West Indies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grena ...

. England was at war with Spain and France on and off. Cape Fear was a perfect place for their enemies to attack. During September 3–6, 1748, Brunswick Town was attacked by

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

s. Two ships, ''La Fortuna'' and ''La Loretta'' anchored off the Town. Terrified, the townspeople fled into neighboring woods. On September 4, 1748, the Spanish began raiding the town for slaves and anything else they could find that was valuable. Since the townspeople had left everything behind, the Spanish were able to raid the abandoned ships and houses without resistance. On September 5 Captain William Dry III rallied a group of around 67 men who were armed with muskets and pistols to take back the town. William Dry III with the help of William Moore, Schenk Moore, Edward Wingate, Cornelius Harnett Jr., and William Lord started the counterattack on September 6. Among the men was also a slave who was volunteered by George Ronalds. The Spanish fled from the town. Ten of the privateers were killed and thirty were captured. During the retreat, the ''La Fortuna'' exploded killing most of the men on board. The second ship, ''La Loretta'', surrendered on the condition that they would be able to leave. During the counterattack, only one person defending the town lost his life. The slave that was volunteered by George Ronalds lost his life when a small cannon exploded. The abandoned ship, ''La Fortuna,'' was still in the river when the remainder of the privateers had been thrown out of the town. William Dry III hired sailors to search the ''La Fortuna'' for anything valuable. The sailors were able to bring ashore guns, anchors, and items stolen from the town. Among the items confiscated from the ship was a painting depicting the Ecce Homo. The painting was given to St. James Church, Wilmington by the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Caroli ...

and remains there today. The town was able to sell the Spanish slaves and goods from the abandoned ship. The funds that were obtained from the sales were used to build St. Philip's Church, Brunswick Town and St. James Church, Wilmington.

Russellborough

Russellborough was first owned by Captain John Russell of his majesty's sloop, ''Scorpion.'' However, the grand two-story house and plantation was not completed at the time Royal Governor Arthur Dobbs purchased the land in 1758. Governor Dobbs made a few changes to the house and finished it. He called it "Castle Dobbs". After Governor Dobbs death in 1765,

William Tryon Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...

was sworn in as Governor,

. Governor Tryon moved into what he called "Castle Tryon" in 1765. After Governor Tryon's house in New Bern, North Carolina was completed he moved his family into what is known as Tryon Palace. Governor Tryon sold his Brunswick Town plantation to William Dry III who renamed the plantation Bellfont. In 1776 the plantation was burned by British troops. When the construction of Fort Anderson was being completed, Russellborough was untouched. Today the excavated ruins can be seen at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson North Carolina State Historic Site. Artifacts from Russellborough can also be viewed in the exhibit hall located in the visitor center.

Stamp Act resistance

On November 1, 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act. That same month, the ''HM Sloop Diligence'' arrives at the port with stamps. However, angry citizens of Brunswick Town met the Captain at the dock refusing to allow the stamps off the ship. Governor Tryon attempted to calm residents down but he was determined to uphold the law. In February 1766, the ''Dobbs'' and the ''Patience'' arrived at Brunswick Town. The ships did not have stamp clearance, and were not allowed to unload. On February 20, 1766, Patriot leaders, John Ashe, Cornelius Harnett, James Moore, Captain Robert Howe and Colonel Hugh Waddell led several hundred citizens to arrest royal officials in the town. The patriots also surrounded the governor's home in protest to the

Stamp Act of 1765 The Stamp Act 1765, also known as the Duties in American Colonies Act 1765 (5 Geo. III c. 12), was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which imposed a direct tax on the British colonies in America and required that many printed materials ...

and placed Tryon under house arrest. The protest was possibly one of the first incidents of armed colonial resistance to British rule. The protest resulted in the end of stamp tax collection for the Cape Fear region.

Decline of the town

With the combination of Wilmington's continued growth and Tryon moving to his new

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

in New Bern, the Town of Brunswick continued to decline. By 1775, the few families that still lived in Brunswick Town fled due to fears of a British attack during the American Revolutionary War. On July 18–21, 1775, Patriots led by Robert Howe, Cornelius Harnett, and John Ashe attacked Fort Johnston while Captain Collett and Governor Josiah Martin watched from the ''Cruizer.'' The following spring of 1776, British soldiers from the Royal Navy ship ''Cruizer'' attacked Brunswick Town. The soldiers, led by Captain Collett, burned most of the town's structures including Russellborough and more than likely Saint Phillips Church . Later, under orders from General Clinton and General Cornwallis, British soldiers burned parts of the town again. After the war, two or three families returned to Brunswick. The port was still functioning but by 1830 the town site was completely abandoned and sold to Frederick Jones Hill, owner of

Orton Plantation The Orton Plantation is a historic plantation house in the Smithville Township of Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. Located beside the Cape Fear River between Wilmington and Southport, Orton Plantation is considered to be a nea ...

, for $4.25. In March 1862,

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

engineers began to survey the remains of Brunswick Town. The Confederates built

and trenches in the town site, covering the remains of several burnt structures except for St. Philip's Church. The fort was constructed to protect the city of Wilmington 10 miles (16 km) upstream, a vital port during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

. The bastion was named Fort St. Philip, but renamed Fort Anderson in July 1863. 0/sup> During the attack on Fort Anderson in February 1865, cannonballs shot from Union ships in the Cape Fear River hit the walls of St. Philip's Church and are still evident today.

Excavation

In 1899, the newly formed Cape Fear Chapter of the North Carolina Society of

The Colonial Dames of America The Colonial Dames of America (CDA) is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor who lived in British America from 1607 to 1775, and was of service to the colonies by either holding public office, being in th ...

visited Brunswick Town to pay homage to Revolutionary War casualties. In 1902, the chapter erected a marble plaque inside the roofless ruins of St. Philip's to commemorate Brunswick Town founder Maurice Moore. In 1952, Dr. Lawrence Lee Jr. expressed interest in Brunswick Town and stated that the site should be excavated. Dr. Lee was contracted by the State Department of Archives and History, now known as the Department of Cultural Resources, in 1958 to clear out the land and find the town ruins. Dr. Lawrence Lee Jr. Requested the help of Archaeologist

Stanley South Stanley A. South (February 2, 1928 - March 20, 2016) was an American archaeologist who was a major proponent of the processual archaeology movement. South's major contributions to archaeology deal in helping to legitimize it as a more scientific e ...

. South began extensive excavations at Brunswick Town in 1958, and items such as bullets, buttons, and a cannonball were retrieved inside the St. Philip's Church ruins. The remains of Brunswick Town are now a state historic site. Visitors may tour the town's remains and the earthworks of Fort Anderson.

In popular culture

Brunswick Town is also one of the settings in which the ''Sleepy Hollow'' television series has been filmed.

References

External links

*
Brunswick Town
at ''NCpedia'' (ncpedia.org) {{coord, 34.039823, -77.946582, type:city_region:US-NC_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title 1725 establishments in North Carolina 1776 disestablishments in North Carolina American Civil War sites in North Carolina American Revolutionary War sites in North Carolina

Archaeological sites in North Carolina This is a listing of sites of archaeological interest in the state of North Carolina, in the United States. {{Commons category, Archaeological sites in North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region o ...

Brunswick Town Historic District Capitals of North Carolina Former colonial capitals in North Carolina Former populated places in North Carolina Museums established in 1967 Museums in Brunswick County, North Carolina North Carolina in the American Revolution North Carolina State Historic Sites Open-air museums in North Carolina Populated places established in 1725 Populated places disestablished in 1776 Populated places in colonial North Carolina Populated places on the Cape Fear River