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We are proud of our history and heritage in Onslow County. Enjoy arranging a tour at Pelletier House or the USO in Downtown Jacksonville, or visit Historic Downtown Swansboro to see the Old Brick Store and Morton’s Academy.
Pelletier House
Built by a local merchant, Rufus F. Pelletier in the mid-1800s, this Greek revival designed home is the oldest standing structure in the city of Jacksonville and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rufus Pelletier served as Jacksonville’s postmaster in 1856 and from 1873 to 1879 and Pelletier House served as both his home and his office. He became a magistrate in the 1880s and with local tradition at that time, the front room was also used for weddings. Mr. Pelletier’s daughter, Eliza, was born in 1872 and was the home’s last resident. After the death of “Miss Eliza” in 1954, the house was acquired by the Onslow County Historical Society. It was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Click here for information on how to request a guided tour.
100 Old Bridge Street
Jacksonville, NC 28540
USO Downtown Jacksonville
The USO in Downtown Jacksonville, NC was founded on April 23, 1941, and is the oldest continuously operating USO in the world. Since opening its doors at the outset of World War II, the USO of NC Jacksonville Center has been the home-away-from-home for millions of service members serving at Camp Lejeune, providing meals, entertainment, events and always a comforting welcome. Visitors to our area can enjoy an” all you can eat” breakfast on Saturday mornings from 8 am to 11 am. Adults – $8, children age 6-10 – $4, under 5 – free. All proceeds stay in Jacksonville and benefit our local military.
Click here for more information about the USO of North Carolina.
9 Tallman Street
Jacksonville, NC 28540
Mortons Academy
Built in 1880, this one-room schoolhouse is typical of what schools were like across the country during that time period. The building is the original structure except for the repairs that were needed during restoration. The little schoolhouse sat vacant during the early 1900s and up until the mid-1920s the schoolhouse was located a short distance west of Swansboro, during times when Highway 24 was nothing more than a dirt cart path. The Morton Academy schoolhouse was moved to its present location, at 735 Main Street Extension, back March of 1996 and was lovingly restored to how it once would have looked in the 1880s through the 1920s. The interior now contains items and furniture representative of the period.
Thankfully today, the old school bell rings out once more and the little one-room schoolhouse with its memories and memorabilia is a fascinating place for history buffs and visitors alike.
Click here to visit the Morton School Academy website for more information.
735 Main Street Extension
Swansboro, NC 28584
The Old Brick Store
Built circa 1839, the Old Brick Store is the oldest structure in Onslow County. In 1819, William Pugh Ferrand, a wealthy merchant, purchased the lot from Captain Otway Burns and operated an earlier store on the property until it burned in 1838. The existing building was built by brick brought to Swansboro on sail ships and the foundation was constructed of ballast stones. In 1989 the National Register noted the gable-fronted brick commercial building retaining much original architectural fabric, modern side and back porches, as well as an attic apartment. Through the years, the Old Brick Store has served many functions. Church services and school were held in the building in the 1890s. It also served as the post office during the early 1900s. Beginning about 1912, Daniel A. Harget, brother of Ida Harget, operated a drugstore.
Today, the Old Brick Store remains a beautifully kept landmark, one of Historic Downtown Swansboro’s many shops and boutiques.
Click here for more information about Swansboro’s history including information on their annual historic homes walking tour.
