Status of Courthouse Records in North Carolina
As you may know, many records are destroyed by fires in the courthouses and/or other unknown causes.
The "Guide to Research Materials In The North Carolina State Archives" - County Records
gives all the known information about the courthouse records. What I quote here is from this book.
I am only listing the counties that had losses
Forsyth County (Established in 1849 from Rowan) - No records lost
Alexander - (Established in 1847 from Caldwell, Iredell & Wilkes Co.'s) Federal troops burned many court records in 1865
Alleghany - (Est.1859 from Ashe Co.) Fire in 1932 destroyed a few permanent records
Anson - (Est.1750 from Bladen Co. ) Fire in 1868 destroyed many court records
Ashe - (Est. in 1799 from Wilkes County) Fire in 1865 destroyed many court records
Bladen - (Est. in 1734 from New Hanover/Bath Prec.) Fires in 1800 & 1893 destroyed most of the court records and several land records
Brunswick - (Est. in 1764 from Bladen & New Hanover Co.'s) Federal Troops destroyed many court records in 1865)
Bumcomb - (Est. in 1791 from Burke and Rutherford Co.'s) Fires in 1830 & 1865 destroyed many court records
Burke - (Est. in 1777 from Rowan Co.) Federal Troops destroyed many court records and most land records in 1865
Cabarrus - (Est. in 1792 from Mecklenburg Co.) Fire of 1876 destroyed a few court records
Camden - Est. in 1777 from Pasquotank Co.) Many records missing; some said to be from a storage room fire, no date given
Caswell - (Est. in 1777 from Orange Co.) Some records said to be destroyed by militia troops during Reconstruction- (1865+)
Catawba - (Est. in 1832 from Lincoln Co.) Many court records missing; reason unknown
Chatham - (Est. in 1771 from Orange Co.) Many court records missing; reason unknown; Fire in Mar. of 2010 no records destroyed
Cherokee - (Est. in 139 from Macon Co.) Many records destroyed by fires of 1865 (Federal Troops) 1895 & 1926
Chowan - (Est. by 1670 as a prec. of Albemarle Co.) Many records said destroyed by acting clerk of court in 1848
Currituck - (Est. by 1670 as a prec. of Albemarle Co.) Many records missing; reason unknown
Davidson - (Est. in 1822 from Rowan Co.) Fire in 1866 may have destroyed some records
Dobbs - (Est. in 1758 from Johnston Co.; divided into Glasgow and Lenoir Co. in 1791) Fire in 1880 many records destroyed
Duplin - (Est. in 1750 from New Hanover Co.) Many records missing; reason unknown
Greene -(Est. in 1791 as Glasgow Co. from Dobbs, name changed to Greene in 1799) Fire in 1876 lost many court and All land records
Guilford - (Est. in 1777 from Orange & Rowan Co's) Fire in 1872 caused slight loss of records
Halifax - (Est. in 1758 from Edgecombe Co.) Many records missing; reason unknown.
Harnett - (Est. in 1855 from Cumberland Co.) Fires of 1892 & 1894 destroyed court and many land records.
Hertford - (Est. 1759 from Chowan Co.) Fires in 1830 & 1862 destroyed majority of county records
Iredell - (Est. in 1788 from Rowand Co.) Fire of 1854 destroyed many court records
Jackson - (Est. in 1851 from Haywood and Macon Co.'s) Many records missing; reason unknown
Johnston - (Est. in 1746 from Craven Co.) Many records missing; reason unknown
Jones - (Est. in 1779 from Craven Co.) Fire 1862 during Civil War battle many records destroyed
Lenoir- (Est. in 1791 from Dobbs Co.) Fires in 1878 & 1880 destroyed many court records
Lincoln - (Est. in 1779 from Tryon Co.) Many records missing; reason unknown
Macon - (Est. in 1828 from Haywood Co.) Many records missing; reason unknown
Martin - (Est. 1774 from Halifax & Tyrrell Co's) Fire in 1884 destroyed many court records
Mitchell - (Est. in 1861 from Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Watauga & Yancy) Records believed destroyed durin 1907 move
Montgomery - (Est. 1779 from Anson Co.) Fire in 1835 destroyed many records
Moore - (Est. 1784 from Cumberland Co.) Fire of 1889 detroyed most land records and many court records
New Hanover - (Est. in 1729 from Carteret/Bath Prec.) Some fires during the years have destroyed a few records.
Northampton - (Est. in 1741 from Bertie Co.) Few records missing; reason unknown
Onslow - (Est. 1734 from New Hanover Prec./Bath Co.) Storms of 1752 & 1786 destroyed many records
Orange - (Est. 1752 from Blaen, Granvill & Johnston Co.'s) Many records missing; reason unknown
Pasquotank - (Est. 1670 as prec. of Albemarle Co.) Many records missing; reason unknown
Perquimans - (Est. by 1670 as prec. of Albemarle Co.) A few records missing; reason unknown
Pitt - (Est. 1760 from Beaufort Co.) Fire of 1857 destroyed most court records
Randolph - (Est. 1700 from Guilford Co.) Many court records missing; reason unknown
Richmond - (Est. 1779 from Anson Co.) A few court records missing; reason unknown
Robeson -(Est. 1878 from Bladen Co.) Many court records missing; reason unknown
Rockingham - (Est. 1785 from Guilford Co.) A few court records missing; reason unknown
Rowan - (Est. in 1753 from Anson Co.) A few records destroyed by Federal Troops in 1865
Rutherford - (Est. 1779 from Tryon Co.) Fire of 1907 destroyed many court records
Sampson - (Est. 1784 from Duplin Co.) Early court records missing caused by Fed. sympathizers in 1865 & fire in 1921
Stanly - (Est. 1841 from Montgomery Co.) A few early court records missing; reason unknown
Stokes - (Est. 1789 from Surry Co.) A few court records missing; reason unknown
Swain - (Est. in 1871 from Macon & Jackson Co.'s) Fire 1879 destroyed many records
Tyrrell - (Est. in 1729 from Bertie, Chowan, Currituck and Pasquotank prec's. as prec. of Albemarle Co.) A few early records missing
Union - (Est. 1842 from Anson & Mecklenburg) A few court records missing; reason unknown
Wake - (Est. 1771 from Cumberland, Johnston & Orange Co.'s) A few early records missing, Fire 1832 in deed register's office
Warren - (Est. 1770 from Bute Co.) Some records missing; reason unknown
Washington - (Est 1799 from Tyrrell Co.) Courthouse destroyed by Federal bombs in 1862, fire 1869 & 1881 destroyed most records
Watauga - (Est. 1849 from Ashe, Caldwell, Wilkes & Yancey Co.'s) Fire 1873 destroyed all land records & most court records
Wayne - (Est. 1779 from Dobbs Co.) A few early court records missing; reason unknown
Wilkes - (Est. 1777 from Surry Co. & the Dist. of Washington) A few early records missing; reason unknown
Wilson - (Est. 1855 from Edgecombe, Johnston, Nash & Wayne Co.'s) A few early court records missing; reason unknown