It’s lunchtime in Elizabethtown, and on Broad Street, store owners, workers, and shoppers are stepping outside and heading down to Melvin’s Hamburgers and Hot Dogs for a sack to go. At Melvin’s, a staple in town since 1938, the line runs out the back door as hot dogs are loaded onto buns and topped “all the way” — mustard, chili, onions, and slaw — then wrapped and dropped into brown paper bags to be carried off to their destinations.
Outside of Melvin’s, and all along Broad Street, American flags mounted to light poles wave in the wind beside banners celebrating Elizabethtown’s 250th anniversary in 2023. This symbol of freedom might not be here were it not for the Battle of Elizabethtown. The conflict, which took place along this street in 1781, was one of the most significant Revolutionary War battles in the Cape Fear region.
Lewis D. Smith still lives on Broad Street in the house built by his grandfather in 1895. Superior Court jurors often roomed upstairs, and World War I inductees would stay the night before leaving town. Photography courtesy of Lewis D. Smith
Lewis D. Smith photograph by Matt Ray Photography
On the early morning of August 27, musket fire rang out as Whig troops launched a surprise attack against a Tory encampment. Using intelligence gathered by Patriot spy Sallie Salter, who had entered the Tory camp the day before under the pretense of selling eggs, the Patriots shouted fake commands to nonexistent soldiers. This made their numbers — only about 60 or 70 men — appear larger than they really were. Fearing defeat, the Loyalists — some 300 to 400 men — ran for their lives, many jumping into a deep ravine near the Cape Fear River, which to this day is known as “Tory Hole.” It’s this retreat that has led some to mistakenly call this event the Battle of Tory Hole. Amateur local historian Lewis D. Smith wants to end the confusion once and for all. He often sports a ball cap that reads, “It was the Battle of Elizabethtown, NOT the Battle of Tory Hole.”
Smith is passionate about the battle, and about Elizabethtown history in general. He has an extensive collection of photos, including one of Broad Street in 1911 that shows a dirt road with just a few houses on it. Smith listened to conversations between his father, Lloyd Earnest Smith, and other locals when they talked about people and places around Elizabethtown.
Historical photos document Broad Street over the years. Photography courtesy of Lewis D. Smith
Smith’s family roots go back more than 150 years here. In 1895, his grandfather Daniel Lloyd Smith built a house on Broad Street for his bride-to-be — who wouldn’t marry him until he added a porch so she could get from the kitchen to the house without getting wet when it rained. Daniel operated a dry goods store and Smith’s grandmother Margaret Eva Smith opened a boardinghouse and a hat store here.
Today, Smith lives on Broad in their former home, though he has never married. When asked why he’s never tied the knot, the 83-year-old quips, “I ain’t old enough yet.”
Related: Click here to find out what to see and do on Broad Street in Elizabethtown.
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