The Boundary House Restaurant

The Boundary House Restaurant has a rather extensive history. The original “Boundary House” sat astride the state line and was built by 24 gentlemen as a place of rendezvous for travelers prior to 1750. It was located on a tract of land owned by the Indian trader William Waties. Its earliest recorded use was for worship and fellowship by the local citizens.

The Rev. John Barnett, who was a preacher in the area in 1767, wrote his conference secretary and said “nine times a year I preach at the Boundary House situated on the line between the Carolinas. Here a large congregation meets. At my first coming, they were so unacquainted with liturgy that I was forced to make every response myself.” In addition to the religious worship, it was here that Isaac Marion, an older brother of the “swamp fox,” resided when the news spread of the Battle of Lexington and the “shot heard round the world” which started the Revolutionary War.

The news was received from a horseback courier on May 9, 1775, some twenty days after the event. Isaac Marion, who served locally as Justice of the Peace, rushed the message on to the Committee of Safety at Little River and other committees southward to Charleston.

In 1804, a duel was fought at the Boundary House. General Benjamin Smith, who later became governor of North Carolina, had something of a reputation for his quick temper and utterances.

It seems that he made some unkind remarks about one of his cousins, United States Supreme Court Justice Alfred Moore of old Brunswick Town. The Judge’s son Captain Maurice Moore heard about this and challenged him to a duel. Because the North Carolina law enforcement officers frowned on such activity, they agreed to meet at The Boundary House on the South Carolina side and out of the jurisdiction of the officers that came to break up the gun fight.

Later they fired at each other and missed; they paced one step forward and fired again. This time General Smith was hit in the chest and fell to the ground. He was carried by a waiting boat out to sea and up the Cape Fear River, where he was to recover and fight other duels.

The Boundary House ceased to exist sometime before the War Between the States. Surveyors used an old confederate war map showing the “Boundary House Chimney” when they re-ran the state line in 1928.

They found the location of The Boundary House to prove the location of the state line because they know it ran through the center of that building.

Today, The Boundary House sits about 1.5 miles from the historic location in Calabash, NC and does not serve up any sermons, nor is it in ruins. Thankfully, we are no longer having any duels.

We do not even have a chimney. We do however serve up some of the finest food from the highest quality ingredients available. All of our items are made fresh to order and our dressings and desserts are prepared in house.

We believe this is the best way to serve you and know that you will taste the difference.

Welcome to The Boundary House and Enjoy!