Robeson County is the largest county by land. The County has a large population with a Native…read moreAmerican background, as well as whites and African Americans. Lumberton is the largest city. The Lumbee Tribe is the largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi River. It took until December 18th, 2025, for the Lumbee Fairness Act to be signed into law, which gave the tribe full federal recognition. In 1958, a large group of Lumbee Indians defeated the Ku Klux Klan in the Battle of Hayes Pond. Henry Berry Lowrie is a legendary figure of the Civil War. He led a group of outlaws against local authorities to protect the community from conscription and abuse by the Confederate Army. The University of North Carolina at Pembroke was founded back in 1887 to train Native American teachers. It was the only state-founded school of its kind in the nation. The Lumber River flows through the county and its parks, providing recreation areas. The river's blackwater is closely tied to the history and traditions of the area. The Lumbee people refer to themselves as the "People of the Dark Water." The Robeson County History Museum is located in a 1908 railway building, where you can learn about the county's history. If you stop by the county courthouse, you will see the controversial Confederate monument. It was dedicated in 1907, but times have changed. Robeson County has a vibrant culture and history of resistance.

Robeson County was established in 1787 and named for Colonel Thomas Robeson, a Revolutionary War…read moreofficer. Lumberton became the county seat the following year. The current courthouse is the fourth in the county's history, replacing earlier structures from 1787, 1828, and 1860. Architect Frank Pierce Milburn designed it. He is renowned for his work on public buildings throughout the Southeast, and I've reviewed several including the Wayne County Courthouse in Goldsboro, the Wise County Courthouse in Virginia, and the Boyd County Courthouse in Kentucky. This building is in the Modern Greek Revival style. It features red-orange course stone at the base, with polished stone and concrete on the upper stories. A remodel in the 1970s introduced a projecting glass bay with four square pillars rising to a pediment, flanked by square entrance sections with peaked roofs. The redesign softened the classical elements while preserving the building's civic presence. A further expansion in 2005 added a new façade and addition on the east side. Today, the courthouse houses the County Superior Court and County District Court for North Carolina's 16th Judicial District, which includes Robeson, Scotland, and Anson counties. It is on a central city block with an approach from 5th Avenue and it gives the building an almost royal approach. And yes, dominating that front step is a Confederate memorial. There is a free municipal lot nearby. [Review 1337 of 2025 - 4456 in North Carolina - 24889 overall]

Harmony Hall Plantation is located in White Oak, NC. The main house was built in 1768 by Colonel…read moreJames Richardson. He was a shipper and a Veteran of the French and Indian Wars. It is one of the oldest residences in the state. Local lore claims British General Cornwallis used the house as his headquarters and that Mrs. Richardson eavesdropped on his plans through a hole in the ceiling and sent a warning to General Greene, although historians say that Cornwallis likely stayed on the opposite side of the Cape Fear River. Today, the plantation is run by volunteers and has been made into a historic village. The main house has double porches and exterior stairs to get to the upper levels. The house sits a little higher as the area is prone to flooding and suffered damage from Hurricane Florence in 2018. Inside the house, there are hand-carved fireplaces and mantels. An event was happening while I was there, so it was harder to see the house. But I happened to be there for the birthday of Harmony Hall's Colonel James Richardson. They had volunteers showing trades and crafts from embroidery to wool and flax spinning to carpentry. They even had a Betsy Ross Birthday cake. Currently, only one building is open for viewing, the main house. You can walk the grounds and see several other historic buildings. These were moved to the site for preservation. There is a schoolhouse, a chapel, a country store, a corn crib, and a log cabin. Admission and parking are free, and a restroom is available. The operating hours have changed to 12-4pm on Sundays.

Nice little NPS site. Good interpretative content. Grounds very well maintained. Friendly…read morerangers. Top tier junior ranger program. Probably a 90 minute stop. A place worth checking out.

(This visit was made during the times of Covidious. When things return to a look of normality -…read moreyour experience likely will vary.) We made our trek to Moores Creek during Covid which of course means that aside from the trails and the parking lot (restrooms reopened on 7/1/20 but our visit was a few days prior) everything here in terms of programming or the visitors center is closed until NC enters stage 3. From the NPS website: "The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge, fought between North Carolina Patriots and Loyalist militia forces, demonstrates the bitter internal divisions that marked the American Revolution. The Loyalists, mostly Scottish Highlanders wielding broadswords, charged across a partially dismantled Moores Creek Bridge. Nearly a thousand North Carolina Patriots waited quietly with cannons and muskets poised to fire. Expecting to find only a small Patriot force, the Loyalists advanced across the bridge. Shots rang out and when the smoke cleared, some 30 to 70 Loyalists lay dead or wounded. Among the dead was Lt. Col. Donald McLeod, who had led the charge. Stunned, outgunned, and leaderless, some of the Loyalists surrendered, while others retreated in confusion. Moores Creek is the site of the first Patriot victory in the American Revolution and the site of the last Scottish Highland broadsword charge. The victory ended British authority in the colony and stalled a full-scale British invasion of the South for nearly four years. This decisive victory spurred the creation of the Halifax Resolves on April 12, 1776, which instructed North Carolina's delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence. North Carolina was the first American colony to take such action. Less than three months later, the United States would ratify the Declaration of Independence." Nice. Neat. Clean. This is very much a C-List NPS stop which doesn't mean that it's not interesting, but it means that within the grand scheme of the Revolutionary War what took place here was a small one time affair that played a minor role in the eventual outcome. The below map shows the three trails that the site offers. The Tarheel Trail gives via placard an overview of the area and some backstory as to why the British were interested in the region (mostly for it's timber). www.nps.gov/mocr/planyourvisit/maps.htm The History Trail should be done counterclockwise simply because the placards tell the story of the battle in that direction. It doesn't make as much sense doing it in reverse, trust me. Off of the History Trail is a small boardwalk area that takes you over the top of Moores Creek itself. Swampy and buggy as all hell. The area floods often enough that the NPS has concerns about the long term viability of being able to interpret/use the grounds as they are currently laid out. www.starnewsonline.com/news/20200703/flooding-could-make-moores-creek-battlefield-inaccessible-in-20-30-years Overall the park is well maintained and easy to navigate. It's size also makes it something that can be explored and enjoyed in an hour or two. Valley Forge this is not, but it's still worth a visit to this hidden gem. (For the record, one of the rangers who seemed like he was really bored came out to meet us on his golf cart while we were on the History Trail and gave some very good info about the park. A+)

Not far from the Meadowbrook Cemetery, this marker points out the former residence of one local…read more The marker reads, "Founder of Lumberton, captain in Revolution, later brigadier general; member of legislature, conventions of 1788, '89. Plantation was here." It is marker number I-38 and it was erected in 1953 by the North Carolina Archives, Conservation and Highway Departments. John Willis was born in 1756 on Saddletree Swamp, making him one of the first native-born sons of the area that would become Robeson County. He expanded his family's holdings after the war years and became the region's largest landowner, which positioned him to play a central role in the creation of Robeson County in 1787. That same year he donated 170 acres of his Red Bluff Plantation for the new county seat, a settlement he named Lumberton for the nearby Lumber River. The town received legislative recognition in 1788 and was later incorporated in 1852. Willis went on to represent the county in both legislative chambers, married Asenath Barnes in 1779, fathered eight children, and died in Natchez on April 22, 1802. [Review 11 of 2026 - 4519 in North Carolina - 25202 overall]

This marker is on the main street a short distance from the center of Lumberton…read more The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Angus W. McLean. Governor, 1925-1929, Assistant Secretary of the United States Treasury, 1920-1921. Home is 1 mile south, grave 100 yards northwest." It is marker number I-39 and it was erected in 1952 by the Archives, Conservation and Highway Departments. McLean was a North Carolina lawyer, banker, and businessman whose influence extended well beyond politics. Born here in Robeson County to a family of Scottish descent, he studied law at the University of North Carolina and began practicing in Lumberton in 1892. McLean quickly established himself in the legal and business community, serving as counsel for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and helping to found the Bank of Lumberton in 1897, the town's first bank. He also played a central role in developing the region's economy, organizing textile mills and promoting the construction of the Virginia and Carolina Railroad to connect Lumberton with St. Pauls, thereby boosting industrial and agricultural growth. His leadership was recognized in professional circles, and in 1917 he was elected president of the North Carolina Bar Association. Married to Margaret Jane French, with whom he had three children, McLean remained deeply engaged in civic and business affairs throughout his life, leaving a legacy as a builder of institutions and infrastructure in his home county. [Review 1477 of 2025 - 4512 in North Carolina - 25030 overall]