Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville, North Carolina
Laurie and I like riding our Gold Wing motorcycle. But it is easy to get into a rut and just ride the same roads. So to force ourselves to ride to places we would not normally visit we made a goal to visit and photograph all 100 North Carolina courthouses within 1 year.
As usual, we got a little behind. We started in July 2015 and finished 99 out of 100 by June 2018. The last courthouse was in our home county of Wake and it took us until Feb 2021 to get that final one. But we made it! This blog is about one of those visits.
Many NC courthouses were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The nomination form has some interesting facts about the various courthouse styles over the years.
Courthouse Information
Wikipedia says the following about the courthouse:
The Columbus County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Whiteville, Columbus County, North Carolina. The two-story Classical Revival style building was designed by Joseph F. Leitner's firm, and built in 1914-1915. It is a rectangular brick and concrete building and features a pedimented, tetrastyle Doric order portico.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
County Information
The North Carolina History Project lists the following information for this county:
Named in honor of the founder of what Europeans called the New World, Columbus County was annexed from parts of Brunswick and Bladen Counties in 1808. In 1832, Whiteville became the Columbus County seat of government, and it was named after state Senator James B. White; he bestowed the original land for the Columbus county courthouse. Other communities and townships within the county include Brunswick, Acme-Delco, Fair Bluff, and Tabor City.
The Waccamaw inhabited present-day Columbus County, and the tribe thrived along the banks of the Waccamaw River before Europeans settlers rushed into the are during the sixteenth century. After the Tuscarora War (1711-1713) and Yamassee War (1715), the nomadic Waccamaw moved into the area around Lake Waccamaw and they lived in the swamps around Columbus, particularly the Green Swamp. However, the tribe became virtually extinct until the 1790s when several Waccamaw were found in small communities in the Bladen and Columbus counties. Today, nearly 2,000 members of the Waccamaw live in Columbus County.
A coastal lowland county, Columbus is home to important natural characteristics, mostly tributaries and swamps. The largest natural lake in North Carolina, Lake Waccamaw rests in Columbus. During the eighteenth century, the naturalist duo, John and William Bartram, explored the Waccamaw region and they wrote numerous notes. The Lake Waccamaw State Park is presently a vital outdoor attraction for Columbus County.
The Green Swamp is another interesting feature of Columbus County. Green Swamp, a distinct pine savanna ecosystem, holds many plant and animal species, including intriguing plants such as sundews, pitcher plants, and Venus flytraps. In addition, three rivers are found throughout Columbus County. The Waccamaw River branches off from the Lake Waccamaw and the Lumber River forms the western border and the Cape Fear River encloses a section of northeastern Columbus County.
The Robert E. Lee Brown House (1910) and the Snowden Singletary House (c. early 1800s) are two historic houses that continue to stand in Columbus County. The Old Trading Post, located in Fair Bluff, is another historic place in the county. Built in the late-nineteenth century, the Trading Post served as a gathering place for merchants and farmers of surrounding counties who traded farm products and naval stores. In addition, the North Carolinian Museum of Forestry is located in Whiteville.
The Cultural Arts Center, the Columbus County Theatre Association, and the Fair Bluff Historical Society are cultural establishments in Columbus County. Several cultural events and festivals in Columbus County include the annual Columbus Chorus Christmas Concert, the Strawberry Festival, and the North Carolina Yam Festival.
The economy of Columbus County centers on two different industries: agriculture and manufacturing. Columbus farmers produce crops such as pecans and peanuts along with soybeans, potatoes, and corn. Cattle, poultry, and catfish are other agricultural products in Columbus County. Factories in the region focus on textiles, tools, and plywood. Household products such as doors, furniture, and windows are other manufactured goods produced in Columbus.
Our Experience
This was a quick stop as the day was getting late and we were a long way from home. I like looking for things that most people don't notice on these buildings. I found the coal chute.
Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville, North Carolina
Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville, North Carolina
Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville, North Carolina
Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville, North Carolina
Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville, North Carolina
Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville, North Carolina
Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville, North Carolina
Laurie, Bradley Taylor, Greg, Donna
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