Duplin County is named for Thomas Hay, Viscount Dupplin, who was the 9th Earl of Kinnoull and who lived from 1710 to 1787.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Wayne County
E – Lenoir County, Jones County and Onslow County
S – Pender County and Sampson County
W – Sampson County
Created: April 7, 1750 
County Seat:
Home of William McRae 1751 – 1753
Duplin County Courthouse 1753 – 1784
Kenansville 1784 – present
County Courthouse – Kenansville
Location: 112 Duplin Street / Front Street
Built: 1911 – 1913
Style: Neo-Classical Revival
Architect: Oliver Duke Wheeler of Wheeler and Stern of Charlotte
Contractor: Tatherow & Company of Birmingham, Alabama
Description: The building faces east and is a two story yellow colored brick structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Kenansville. The building has a portico supported by four large white colored columns rising to a pediment at the roof. On the south, the building projects with stone trimmed entrance and pediment at the roof. On the center of the roof is an octagonal white colored cupola with red colored roof. The building houses the County Superior Court and County District Court of the 4th Judicial District. An addition was added on the north side in 1959. The architect was Leslie N Boney of Wilmington and the contractor was Godwin Building Company, Inc. In 1979 a further addition was added by Eastern Construction Company. On the west side of the courthouse is the old county jail, a three story yellow colored brick building which is now the Magistrate’s Office
See: The 4th Judicial District includes Jones County, Onslow County and Sampson County.
History: The county was created in 1749 and Kenansville was selected as the county seat in 1784. The first court met at the home of William McRee in 1751. The first courthouse was erected at Turkey Swamp in 1753 and named as the Duplin County Courthouse. In 1784, the courthouse was relocated and court was held at the James’s home south of Kenansville when the town became the county seat. The second courthouse was built in 1816 in Kenansville. The third courthouse was the remodel of the former courthouse in 1848. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1911 to 1913 at a cost of $31,169.
County Courthouse – Kenanville
County Courthouse Annex – Kenanville
Old County Jail – Kenansville
Photos taken 2008 and 2014
Images 12