FIND US
Find Us
GETTING HERE
Getting to Averasboro Battlefield is easy to do !
Averasboro Historic Byway
I-95 Expansion Causes Slight Change in Directions
Due to NCDOT construction on I-95 between Eastover and Dunn and the fact that the Bridge at Exit 71 is closed and will be closed for at least a year starting February 10th, 2020
If you are traveling I-95 North get off at Exit 65 and follow NC Highway 82 "WEST" through Godwin, NC (This is a scenic byway route and will take you through the heart of the battlefield and to the museum)
If you are traveling I-95 South...Take Exit 73 at Dunn...At US 421/East Cumberland St. turn right and follow Cumberland St. Cross the Railroad Tracks.....Five Blocks after crossing the Railroad tracks, turn left on to South McKay Ave. (Will be sign for Averasboro Battlefield) Follow South McKay Ave out of town...it will become Chicken Farm Road...continue until you come to the STOP Sign at Arrowhead Road... Turn right and follow the signs on to the Battlefield and Museum.Follow Civil War General Sherman's route along the Old Stage Road from Fayetteville through the site of the March 1865 Battle of Averasboro .
What is there to see?
Averasboro - 23 miles of historic and scenic landscape.
Along the Route:
- Clarendon Bridge Site
- Old Bluff Church
- Silver Run Skirmish Site
- Taylor's Hole Creek Skirmish Site
- Averasboro Battlelines
- Averasboro Battlefield Scenic Byway
- Chicora Civil War Cemetery
- Averasboro Battlefield Museum
- Private homes not open to the public:
- The William Smith Plantation House
- Oak Grove Plantation House
- Lebanon Plantation House
Historic Highlights Surrounding the Averasboro Historic Byway:
Pre-Colonial Period:
During the mid to late 1600s and the early 1700s, resident Native Americans were forcibly displaced by militia action. With the end of hostilities in 1718, colonization by European settlers increased significantly.
Colonial and Revolutionary War Period:
Along the Upper Cape Fear River just above what is now Fayetteville, ferry sites, a bridge, nad improved trails and byways for horse, wagon, and stagecoach travel were developed. The town of Averasboro was established to support the naval stores production in the area, and eventually a plank road system was installed. Smith's Ferry on the Cape Fear at the mouth of the Lower Little River was a major crossing point during the Revolutionary War. In 1825, General Lafayette of Revolutionary War fame passed through Averasboro on the stage road en route to Fayetteville. By 1850, the Smith Plantation, "Smithville," (8200 acres) with its three plantation houses, a saw mill, and grist mills was a dominant feature.
Civil War Period:
Although support for the Confederacy was strong in the Averasboro/Smithville community, except for providing numerous soldiers, no military involvement occurred there until March 1865 when the Left Wing of Union General Sherman's army was confronted by a Confederate army under the command of General William J. Hardee. The result was the two day Battle of Averasboro, the prelude to the larger Battle of Bentonville.
CONTACT
Reach us by phone or email for any questions you may have.
LOCATION
Physical: 3300 Highway 82, Dunn NC 28334
Mailing: PO Box 1811 Dunn NC 28335
910-891-5019
OPENING HOURS
- Monday
- Closed
- Tue - Sat
- -
- Sunday
- Closed