Brunswick County Courthouse

The Brunswick County Courthouse is a two-story brick building with a stuccoed exterior located in Southport at the intersection of Davis and Moore Streets. It measures three bays wide and seven bays long, with interior spaces dedicated to civil, criminal, and family law proceedings.

The original courthouse was built between 1729 and 1731 in Brunswick Town but was destroyed by a major hurricane in 1769. After this loss, the courthouse relocated multiple times before this version was constructed.

The name references Brunswick County, and its interior holds records that reflect how people have lived and worked here over time. Visitors can observe how documents and files preserve the everyday decisions and events of the community.

The building stands at a prominent street corner that is easy to locate in downtown Southport. Visit on a weekday if you want to observe the courthouse in operation, though the exterior can be appreciated at any time.

The building took 36 years to complete and was funded through private subscriptions rather than public funds, an unusual approach for a courthouse of that era. This extended construction period reflects the financial struggles the community faced when trying to rebuild after the hurricane.