History with ‘Hud’: Detailing the story behind the Pender County Courthouse
BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — Burgaw is widely known for its annual Blueberry Festival, which has taken place since 2004 and attracted thousands of visitors to the town. At the center of it all stands the Pender County Courthouse, which has quite the past of its own.
Pender County itself was formed in 1875, with Watha its original county seat. But that was changed to Burgaw in 1877 with a courthouse coming not long after. The original courthouse was a two-story wood frame housed moved to the corner of Wright Street and Freemont Street in 1879, with the court room on the second story.
A new courthouse followed in 1885 on the four-acre town square with a brick structure being used this time at a cost of just under $10,000. It was used as a school and community center, along with its courthouse role. The third and present courthouse arrived in the same spot as the second one on November 6, 1936 as a three-story building designed with several unique features by William Dietrick.
Several famous trials have taken place in the building over the decades, with TV shows and movies also being filmed on the grounds containing 100-year-old oak trees. Due to its storied past and picturesque significance, the courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
It was due for a makeover the following decade, with renovation work taking place from 1986 through 1989. Another round of planned renovation work took place in 2010 before an unplanned issue struck the site in 2018.
Hurricane Florence damaged the historic structure that September, leading to a restoration cost of $4.5 million, which was wrapped up in 2021.
The building has stood strong and new ever since. With it being hard to miss upon arriving to Burgaw, and serving as the backdrop for countless events each year, it’s easy to picture the Pender County Courthouse continuing to awe visitors for generations to come.
Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (‘Hud’) has always had two major loves – weather and history. While you can watch him talk about weather each morning on WWAY, he looks forward to bringing you a little piece of history each Thursday on WWAY’s website.
To read other History with ‘Hud’ segments, click HERE.
