Hatch Auditorium

Interior view from the rafters above the stage.

Hatch Auditorium is a facility of the North Carolina Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell. The auditorium is situated next to the old Fort Caswell and faces the parade ground. Construction of the auditorium was made possible by a gift from Rachel E. Hatch upon her death in October 1966. Her estate, which included 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) in Duplin County, was valued at $200,000. Hatch was an Episcopalian who is quoted as saying, "The Baptists have their hand on the pulse of humanity and seek to touch the needs of the people."

Ground was broken in the fall of 1967, and the auditorium was dedicated on July 17, 1968, with a trumpet fanfare and singing. Total cost of the auditorium was $400,000.