Beaufort County Courthouse in Washington, North Carolina

Jun 6, 2018 Wed0

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:

Beaufort County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Washington, Beaufort County, North Carolina. It was built about 1786, as a two-story, square brick building measuring 42 feet by 42 feet. It was later enlarged with a two-by rear extension and square clock tower. It is one of the earliest public buildings in North Carolina.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It is located in the Washington Historic District.






County Information


The North Carolina History Project lists the following information for this county:

Similar to many other coastal counties, Beaufort County (then known as Pamptecough Precinct) was formed out of the larger Bath County in 1705. By 1712, the county received its formal name, which is attributed to Henry Somerset, Duke of Beaufort, and one of North Carolina's Lords Proprietors.

Although Beaufort was formally recognized in the early-eighteenth century, the area's history predates the county's establishment. English explorers trekked across what is now Beaufort County, encountering the Tuscarora Indians and establishing permanent settlements by the 1690s. One such settlement grew into Bath, the state's first incorporated town. Over time, the settlements became towns, burgeoning largely because of access to navigable waters.

Beaufort's history also reserves a spot in the fight for America's independence. Considered by many as the last battle of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Beaufort occurred in April 1782. Despite Lord Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown in 1781, a British presence was still looming in the major ports, such as Charleston. In late March 1782, a fleet of British ships departed Charleston and arrived on the North Carolina coast in a few days. Initially devised as a plundering for provisions, the nature of the mission soon shifted into a legitimate battle, with British soldiers actually capturing the town and holding it for five days. Ultimately, local militia repelled further British onslaughts, and after some prisoner exchanges, the British left North Carolina. American independence was officially recognized the following year.

Numerous towns, some of historic notability, can be found in Beaufort County. Washington, the county seat, is named in honor of President George Washington. It once had a thriving shipbuilding trade and a busy port. Washington remains the cultural and economic center of the county. Bath, established in 1705, is the state's oldest town, first capital, and was a port of entry during the early-eighteenth century. The town of Chocowinity served as the railroad hub of the Norfolk Southern Railway starting in 1910. Other towns located in Beaufort County include Aurora, Belhaven, Pantego, River Road, and Washington Park.






Our Experience


We screwed up on this one. The photos are of the 1968 courthouse. We did not know that an earlier courthouse existed. There might be another road trip to find the older building.

Jun 6, 2018 Wed 6:35:46 PM EDT Altitude: -12 ft Camera: X100FDisplay on Google Map
Beaufort County Courthouse in Washington, North Carolina
Jun 6, 2018 Wed 6:36:31 PM EDT Altitude: -12 ft Camera: X100FDisplay on Google Map
Beaufort County Courthouse in Washington, North Carolina
Jun 6, 2018 Wed 6:38:41 PM EDT Altitude: -12 ft Camera: X100FDisplay on Google Map
Beaufort County Courthouse in Washington, North Carolina
Jun 6, 2018 Wed 6:39:02 PM EDT Altitude: 18 ft Camera: X100FDisplay on Google Map
Beaufort County Courthouse in Washington, North Carolina



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Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough, North Carolina




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