FAIRMONT — Retired U.S. District Court Judge W. Earl Britt returns to Fairmont on Thursday, where his legal career began.

At 11 a.m. in front of Fairmont Town Hall, a roadside history marker will be unveiled commemorating the distinguished judicial careers of he and his older brother, former N.C. Supreme Court Justice David M. Britt, who died in 2009.

Earl Britt retired from the U.S. District Court bench in May 2022, after 42 years serving the state’s eastern federal judicial district. In 2019, Gov. Roy Cooper presented him with the annual North Carolina Award for Public Service.

David Britt, 16 years older than Earl, opened his first law office in Fairmont in 1938. He was elected to the N.C House of Representatives in 1958, serving as Speaker of the House 1965- 67. As speaker, he led the legislative commission that created today’s North Carolina court system.

Before the modernization, local Tar Heel courts varied in rules and procedures from county to county. Old recorder’s court was replaced by today’s district court. The commission he led also created the state’s first court of appeals. Gov. Dan Moore appointed David Britt as the first appeals court judge in 1967. Britt was elected to the N.C. Supreme Court in 1978, stepping down in 1982 to return to private law practice.

David and Earl Britt were among six boys and one girl born into a farming family in the nearby village of McDonald, about 5 miles west of Fairmont. The oldest son died in childhood, leaving

David as the senior surviving sibling. Of the five remaining sons, four became attorneys, two of them eventually becoming judges. The remaining son, the late Arthur Victor Britt Jr., took over the family farm and the local general store, which also served as the post office.

For a village of only a few dozen souls, it nurtured more than its share of lawyers who became judges. Although born in Goldsboro, the late James B. McMillan spent his entire school-age years in McDonald. He retired as chief judge of the U.S. District Court in the state’s western federal district in Charlotte.

The highway history marker was sponsored by the Fairmont Rotary Club and the Town of Fairmont and was completely funded by private donations. Following dedication, a luncheon will be held at the Fairmont Golf Club. MEDIA CONTACT: Jim Pate (301)524- 1746