Determined Production

— Confederate Lifeline —

In April 1861, Louis Froelich, a Bavarian immigrant, began manufacturing uniform buttons in Wilmington for North Carolina soldiers. With Hungarian partner Col. Bela Estvan, Froelich operated his first arms factory for the Confederacy from November 1861 until March 1862, when the partnership was dissolved. Froelich continued alone until yellow fever closed the armory in September, when he bought 2.5 acres here from Alsa Southerland. Although he reopened the Wilmington facility in November, a fire closed it for good the next month. In March 1863, Froelich moved here, and he opened the Kenansville armory by May. On July 4, however Lt. Col. George W. Lewis? 3rd New York Cavalry burned it down while raiding Confederate lines of communication. Froelich rebuilt it and continued to produce military equipment, forming a partnership with Jacob H.N, Cornehlson in January 1864. The armory is last known to have operated that June. After the war, Froelich turned to agriculture, selling scuppernong wine and other farm products. He later moved to Halifax County, where he died in 1873.



Kenansville Cowan Museum displays an iron metalworking block once used at the armory. The Kenansville Sword, identified by the letters CSA in the hand guard, is the best known of the Froelich swords and the only one clearly identifiable as having been produced by him. The few that survive are in museums and private collections. Liberty Hall Plantation in Kenansville displays a Froelich sword once owned by Col. Thomas Kenan.



(sidebar)

Liberty Hall, the Kenan family home, was built in the first half of the 1800s. It has been fully restored to reflect the lifestyle of the mid-19th century. You can tour the main house, ten out-buildings, and the gardens.



Admission fee. Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10-4; Sun., 2-4. (Closed Mon., Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year Day.)



(captions)

(lower left) Confederate staff and field officer sword and scabbard manufactured by Froelich and Company, Confederate States Armory, Kenansville, North Carolina — Courtesy Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, Va.


(upper right) Confederate States Armory sword guard cast in letters CSA, Confederate States Armory, Kenansville, North Carolina — Courtesy Liberty Hall, Kenansville, N.C.

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Show me all markers in:  Kenansville, NC  |  Duplin County  |  28349  |  North Carolina  |  United States of America

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