INSCRIPTION: Organized prior to 1756 by Scottish settlers. Present building constructed 1818. Third building on site. First two buildings of logs. Was also used for secular education until 1848. Some early ministers: H. McAden — Jas. Hall — S. Stanford — C. Lindsay.

THE HISTORY: Still standing, Brown Marsh Presbyterian Church, which is also known as Clarkton Presbyterian Church, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

As stated on the stone marker on the lawn in front of the building, the church “was organized prior to 1755 by early Scottish settlers.” The building was constructed in 1818, as a small frame pre-Greek Revival style and is the oldest church in Bladen County.

According to the United States Department of the Interior/National Park Service, “The building shows no sign of having ever been painted, and the wood surfaces have developed a mossy patina.”

The church was built not long after the end of the Revolutionary War, which played a significant role to the people in the region surrounding the location of where the church now sits.

“The Battle of Brown’s Marsh was the last in a long line of military encounters in North Carolina at the end of the Revolutionary War, following Loyalist colonel David Fanning’s capture of Whig governor Thomas Burke at Hillsborough on 12 Sept. 1781,” according to an essay published by the State Library of North Carolina and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The essay says that the precise site of the battle, as well as its exact date, is unknown but likely took place between Sept. 28 and Oct. 2, 1781 near present-day Clarkton in Bladen County. “While attempting to convey their valuable prisoners to the British garrison at Wilmington, Fanning’s command was ambushed by Gen. John Butler’s Whig army at Lindley’s Mill in what is now Alamance County on 13 Sept. 1781. The Loyalists managed to extricate themselves, but Fanning was severely wounded and his command devolved to Col. Archibald McDugald.”

During this time, a Presbyterien congregation was formed, but it would be several years before the church was constructed.

Visitors can still walk around the building and visit the graveyard adjacent to the building. Gravestones at the site can be found dating from the Revolutionary War forward. In fact, There veterans from every major war since the Revolutionary War are buried there.

THIS WEEK IN ROBESON COUNTY HISTORY

100 Years Ago: According to the Augt. 3, 1822 Robesonian, “On Saturday night Troop 1, Lumber Bridge Boy Scouts returned after four days camping trip at Marshburn Beach, White Lake. The boys enjoyed the swimming and boating on the beautiful sheet of water.”

50 Years Ago: The following story appeared in the August 6, 1972 Robesonian, “Kiwanians Mark Father, Son Night. Lumberton Kiwanians at their Thursday night meeting observed father-son-daughter night, when members brought their sons and daughters as guests of the club. Sam Stell, program chairman, presented Cathy Roberts and Bobby Doares as entertainers for the evening, in a program of solos and duets of folk songs and ballads in which they played their own accompaniment on the guitar and autoharp.

25 Years Ago: The Aug. 5, 1997 Robesonian reported the following: “Neither side budges in UPS strike. The U.S. Postal Service says it still delivers even though workers at United Parcel Service won’t. Union workers with UPS began striking shortly after midnight Monday , demanding a limit on subcontracts and more full-time employees.”

Five Years Ago: On Aug. 8, 2017, The Robesonian reported the following: “The Robeson County Board of Commissioners did without hesitation Monday night what it delayed doing last month, unanimously approving a condition-use permit that is needed for a natural gas line that supporters say will be a major economic boost throughout the region.”

One Year Ago: The Aug. 4, 2021 Robesonian reported the following: “Reported cases of the novel coronavirus have nearly doubled over the past week in Robeson County, as the delta variant continues to spread, and the latest spike is taking its toll on younger adults.”