Progressive Era Courthouse Trivia

I had the chance to visit a new courthouse (for me) recently.  I am very interested in this county, but alas the courthouse where some pretty exciting (and disturbing) events took place is no longer there.  It's been replaced by a really beautiful early 20th century courthouse.  Where is this? (And I must apologize for having a picture of the back of the courthouse; the  sun was in the wrong place to get a good picture of the front.)

I had a brief conversation with a magistrate judge when I was taking this; she mentioned that there's a rumor that the jail in this county is haunted.  I wish I had a picture of the jail, because that would be an *awesome* halloween trivia question.

Once we identify this courthouse I want to talk about why I'm interested in this county.

Comments

[Owen]

I believe it's the Duplin County Courthouse in Kenansville, NC.

[Alfred L. Brophy]

You're right, as always, Owen. I went there earlier in the semester because I wanted to see Kenansville and also Duplin County. This is the place where several slaves were tried in the wake of the Nat Turner rebellion. There was a panic in Duplin County and neighboring Sampson County that some slaves were, like Turner, planning rebellion. Some of the suspected slaves were tortured into confessions -- and then when there was a rumor that slaves were coming to free them, the accused (and I guess they were convicted at this point) were summarily executed. One observer wrote about this in a letter to his family:

When we first got the news of the negro army we heard they were marching directly to our Jail to rescue Dave & Jim who was designated as Genl & Col—but a company who were there would have prevented the rescue, for they were immediately brought out, shot down, their heads severed from their bodies, & elevated in the air. This affair has caused rigid treatment to negroes generally, & I flatter myself it will do good—hoping that it may, I quit the subject & pass on.

I write about this more in the Nat Turner trials: http://nclawreview.org/documents/91/5/brophy.pdf