Hidden Chapter in History

A curious contradiction between two neighborhood signs leads a Brunswick County prosecutor to discover the story of Revolutionary War hero and statesman Benjamin Smith and his personal visit from President George Washington.

As District Attorney of Brunswick County, I’ve spent my career investigating facts, connecting dots and creating compelling narratives from evidence. This skill set has served me well in the courtroom, but recently it led me on an unexpected expedition through our community’s forgotten history. It was a journey that began with two contradictory signs located near my home.

The first sign greets visitors at Leland’s entrance: “Incorporated 1989.” It suggests we are a young community without deep historical roots. But the second sign, at my neighborhood entrance, tells a different story: “Belvedere Heights Community, Established 1760.” That date predates the Revolutionary War by sixteen years, pointing to colonial America and our nation’s founding. How could both be true?

As a prosecutor, I’ve learned to investigate inconsistencies and follow evidence wherever it leads. What I discovered astonished me: Leland sits on ground that played a significant role in American history, and on April 26, 1791, President George Washington himself walked where my neighborhood now stands. To understand why Washington chose to visit the Belvedere Community as a stop on his travels, we must first understand a man who lived there.

This area was once Belvedere plantation, home to Benjamin Smith, a man whose story reads like a founding father’s biography. Born in Charleston in 1756, Smith was the grandson of “King Roger” Moore, who established the magnificent Orton Plantation along the Cape Fear River in Brunswick County. Smith would later inherit Orton, and that stunning estate, still standing today, gives us insight into what plantations of that era looked like. Brunswick Town, which developed alongside Orton, shows us how communities emerged around these grand estates. Belvedere, I imagine, was similarly impressive.

But Benjamin Smith was far more than a wealthy rice planter.  At age 21, he served as aide-de-camp to General George Washington during the harrowing retreat from Long Island on August 29-30, 1776. Alexander Hamilton, the same age as Smith, also served as Washington’s aide-de-camp, making both soldiers part of an elite fraternity of young men who served at the general’s side during the Revolution. Before the war, Smith had studied law at London’s prestigious Middle Temple, but he returned home to answer the call to fight for American independence alongside Washington.

By 1791, Smith had become one of Brunswick County’s most influential citizens.

A committed Federalist, he attended the North Carolina constitutional conventions of 1788 and 1789, where he served as an important voice in securing ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Recognizing our shared interest in a strong United States and the importance of sea transportation to our nation’s growth and protection, Smith donated land on “Smith Island” to the newly established federal government. North Carolina’s oldest still-standing lighthouse, “Old Baldy,” sits on what is now Bald Head Island, commissioned by Thomas Jefferson.

Benjamin Smith’s legacy in public service extends far beyond his contributions to the establishment of our federal government. Smith was also laser-focused on providing a firm foundation and strong leadership to the Tar Heel State. He would go on to serve as Speaker of the North Carolina Senate for five terms, donate 20,000 acres to the University of North Carolina, and become the state’s 16th governor from 1810-1811. The original law school building at UNC Chapel Hill bears his name.

When President Washington embarked on his Southern Tour in March 1791, he traveled over 1,700 miles to unify the country and allow citizens to see their president.

Washington understood that unifying our country could not be achieved by sitting behind a desk in the nation’s capital. He recognized the importance of engaging with crowds of people in all 13 of the original colonies in their hometowns. But Washington had a deeper mission: He wanted to honor the men who had served alongside him in the Revolutionary War. These weren’t just diplomatic visits. They were personal pilgrimages to recognize those who had stood with him in America’s founding and who would shape the nation’s future. All of this historical context connects our quiet town to its own date with destiny.

On April 26, 1791, Washington came specifically to Benjamin Smith’s Belvedere plantation. This wasn’t a required stop on his tour route, it was a deliberate choice. Away from crowds and ceremonies, Washington “breakfasted” with his former aide-de-camp, the man who had served beside him during the Revolution’s darkest hours. In 1792, just one year after Washington’s visit, a town was established in his honor: Smithville, which nearly a century later would be renamed Southport to reflect its identity as a port city.

This isn’t folklore or local legend. We know this happened because the father of our country kept a meticulous travel diary, now preserved in the official Papers of George Washington. Even more remarkable, Benjamin Smith wrote Washington a heartfelt letter on May 1, 1791, now held at Mount Vernon Museum. In it, Smith expressed profound gratitude for Washington “softening in my favour, the rigour of a Rule,” referring to Washington breaking his own policy against accepting private hospitality. Smith wrote that “a longer visit would have afforded me the most heartfelt Gratification” and professed the deep attachment inspired by their Revolutionary War service together.

This breakfast meeting between George Washington and Benjamin Smith was a crucible moment in the history of our town.

During his Southern Tour, Washington received elaborate public welcomes. In Wilmington, for example, four guns fired three rounds of 15 shots in his honor. But his quiet breakfast at Belvedere was deeply personal, honoring a friendship forged in war and recognizing Smith’s importance to North Carolina’s future. Washington’s instincts proved prophetic: the man he honored would become governor and have a town named for him.

Leland has long been regarded as merely a bedroom community for Wilmington. While Wilmington rightfully enjoys its reputation as a historic port city, Brunswick County has its own rich cultural history that deserves recognition. With respect to our nation’s founding, it was Brunswick County that served the prominent role. When our founding fathers sailed up the Cape Fear River, they settled on the left bank, what is now Brunswick County, not the right bank, which is now New Hanover County. Brunswick Town, in the shadows of Orton Plantation, was North Carolina’s first colonial community.

The motto for North Carolina hangs on the state seal beside every jury I address in the courtroom: Esse Quam Videri. It means “to be rather than to seem.” Leland might appear to be a new community, a suburb that leapt over the river as Wilmington sprawled westward. But the truth is much richer. Leland is a place that evolved from Brunswick Town, North Carolina’s first colonial community. Notably, for one memorable morning on April 26, 1791, she hosted President George Washington on his historic march through our new nation. As we approach America’s 250th birthday this is a fact worth celebrating.

Two signs tell two truths: Leland is both young and deeply historic. I have the privilege of living in this area, and I am reminded when I walk in my neighborhood that this is sacred ground where the father of our country once walked himself. Our community’s story deserves to be known.

GEORGE WASHINGTON DAY IS OFFICIAL
On November 20, 2025, Leland Mayor Brenda Bozeman — in partnership with the Leland Town Council — officially proclaimed April 26 as George Washington Day in commemoration of Washington’s historic visit to Benjamin Smith at Belvedere plantation on that day in 1791.
“I call upon the citizens of Leland to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor our shared heritage and the values of friendship, service, and unity that brought the father of our country to our community,” Bozeman wrote.