Documenting the American South

Monument Name

Olde Averasborough Monument, Erwin

Type

Marker

Subjects

Colonial History

Local History

Creator

Edgerton Memorials, Inc., Dunn NC, Foundry

City

Erwin

County

Harnett

Description

The marker to the history of Averasborough stands just over six feet tall consisting of a granite block 30 inches wide and 6 inches thick on a granite base with a concrete pad for the foundation. In addition to the front inscription; a stagecoach with horses, a long-leaf pine, wooden raft and wooden cask are incised into the stone. A marker to Company B, 10 Battalion, NC Heavy Artillery and a memorial to the Six Sons of Thomas and Mary Avera form a triangle on the concrete pad. Four flagpoles surround this grouping. One flies the American flag, one the Confederate national flag, one the Confederate battle flag and one a Revolutionary War era flag.

Images: Back inscription | Grouping of three monuments | Monuments and flagpoles

Inscription

Front: TOWN OF AVERASBOROUGH / FOUNDED PRE-REVOLUTIONARY WAR BY / ALEXANDER, WILLIAM AND HENRY AVERA / THEN INCORPORATED IN 1791 AS / THE THIRD LARGEST TOWN / ON THE CAPE FEAR RIVER / A KEY STOPPING POINT FOR STAGE ROAD / TRAVELERS AND FOR BOATMEN / LOCATED AT HEAD OF THE POLE BOAT / NAVIGATION BELOW SMILEY’S FALLS / PRESENTING CHALLENGING NAVIGATIONAL / DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS / ECONOMICALLY STABILIZED BY TIMBERING / LUMBER MILLS AND / NAVAL STORES PRODUCTION / MARCH 1865 BATTLE OF AVERASBOROUGH / THREE MILES SOUTH / ON THE SMITH PLANTATION

Rear: IN MEMORY OF, / CAPTAIN WILLIAM AVERA III 1736-1808 / WILLIAM AVERA 1751-1826 / HENRY AVERA 1753-1836 / THOMAS AVERA JR. 1741-1787 / ARTHUR AVERA 1762-1823 / WILLIAM “RED BILLY” AVERA 1770-1848 / EDITH AVERA 1774-1848 / CORNELIUS BRIGHT AVERA 1857-1918 / WILLIAM RUFUS AVERA 1835-1864 / REUBEN AVERA 1863-1940 / ANNA M. AVERA 1872-1962 / IRENE BAREFOOT 1909-2003 / RAIFORD LUCUS 1795-1870 / CHERRY LUCAS 1795-1860 / THOMAS WASHINGTON COLVILLE 1853-1925 / MARGARET GREGORY COLVILLE 1846-1925 / THOMAS HUNTER BARNES 1854-1887 / JANE FRANCES BARNES 1853-1916 / DANIEL FAIRCLOTH 1842-1918 / JOHN MCALLISTER 1774-1834 / JOHN SMITH 1772-1851 / JOHN LLOYD RYALS 1832-1907 / EDWARD HARPER NORRIS / MATTIE L. NORRIS 1890-1947 / COLMAN LUCAS 1898-1965 / WILEY C. WEST 1864-1937 / CORRENNA B. WEST 1879-1967 / ROBERT J. NORRIS / JOHN G. GODWIN 1845-1927 / EMILY J. GODWIN 1855-1912

CONTRIBUTORS / WADE HAMPTON AND SHELLY WEEKS WEST / PRESTON AND LOIS AVERY / BILL AND SARAH AVERY /
[List of names left column] NELSON AND SYLVIA AUSTIN / BRYAN AND TINA AVERY / HERSCHER AND VIRGIA AVERY / CHARLES AND DEBBIE BYRD / MICHAEL, VICKIE, JUSTIN, AND JESICA CHAMPION / ELMA SNIPES COX / PHYLISS AVERY CURTIS / CINDY DHAND / CECIL EDGERTON / ADAM T. EDWARDS / DANIEL E. EDWARDS / DANNY AND LYNN EDWARDS / HENRY AND SUSIE ELMORE / CARON GALLANT / HARVEY AND CARMELIA GODFREY / TONY AND JANICE GODWIN / WEBSTER AND MARIE GREGORY / JOHN HAIRR / SION HARRINGTON III / JOE JACKSON / BRANDON AND BRIDGET LEE / BRENT, DAWN, AND MAEGAN LEE / TRAVIS AND DIANN GLOVER/
[List of names right column] TOM STEWART / DOUGLAS EUGENE LEE / BOBBY AND JOYCE MABRY / MARY ANN MAN / JASON, CALLIE, CALEB, AND COLE MANNING / RICK AND JANCIE MANNING / DARLENE SMITH MAYNARD / NORMAN AND JOAN MCMILLIAN / CLAUDE AND DOREEN MEDLIN / MISTY BAREFOOT PARKER / BRENDA HESLER PEREGOY / JOHN DABNEY PEREGOY III / JILL PETROZZI / JOEY POWELL / CLINT GALLANT ROYAL / WALTER G. SMITH JR. / DOUG AND SHARON STEVENS / RONNIE AND DELORES STEWART / TERANCE AND SHARONA STOKES / MIKE AND REBECCA WALTER / MARTIN WARREN / BILLY AND EVA WILLIAMSON / WEBSTER AND EULA GREGORY SR.

Dedication Date

June 5, 2011

Decade

2010s

Geographic Coordinates

35.307110 , -78.679580 View in Geobrowse

Supporting Sources

"Averasboro Longs to Remember the Past," WRAL.com, (accessed June 25, 2014) Link

Dudash, April. "Marker Pays Homage to the Town of Averasborough," fayobserver.com, June 6, 2011 (accessed June 24, 2014) Link

North Carolina History Project. "Averasboro (Town of)," (accessed June 25, 2014) Link

Public Site

Yes

Materials & Techniques

Granite

Sponsors

Bryan Avery and community donations

Monument Cost

$2,500

Monument Dedication and Unveiling

The unveiling took place between 3 and 5 pm on June 5, 2011 and included participants dressed in Colonial attire. Nearly 300 people were invited to the event via Facebook, and approximately 200 individuals attended. A choir sang the hymn "How Great Thou Art" and "Dixie," and then the Declaration of Independence was read. Different flags representing historic periods were displayed. The Edenton Bell Battery Confederate re-enactment unit fired a cannon.

Subject Notes

Bryan Avery's ancestors founded the town in 1766. In 1791, the family donated land so that the town could expand.

Located on the Cape Fear River, Averasboro (the modern spelling of the town's name), was once a major port for farmer transporting their goods to Fayetteville. The town also served as an important Confederate recruiting hub. After the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan was active in the area, and federal marshals were called in.
The site is a permanent private easement to Bryan Avery but within a few feet of the public right of way. The public may access the site.
This monument is one of three at this location. The other two were dedicated together in May, 2012. The easement for the site was provided by Wade Hampton West.

Location

The monument stands on the northwest corner of a four way intersection, Salt Market Street and Norris Road run east-west, and Chicora Road runs north-south. The monument forms a triangle, along with a marker to Company B, 10th Regiment NC Heavy Artillery and a marker to the Six Sons of Thomas and Mary Avera.

Landscape

The monument stands on the grass in rural area outside the town of Erwin.