sentences:  Whereas Dobbs County and Tryon County, named for Martin's predecessors Arthur Dobbs and William Tryon, were abolished after American independence, Martin County was neither abolished nor renamed, a fact which has been attributed to the popularity of Alexander Martin, twice governor of the state (1782–84, 1789–92).The Martin County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.06%) is water.