[3] He led a company of volunteers to Wilmington, North Carolina to oppose the Stamp Act.

Kenan also served as chairman on Ratification of the United States Constitution in the Fayetteville Convention and was one of the first trustees of the University of North Carolina.

Originally buried at The Lilacs, he was reinterred at historic Liberty Hall in Kenansville, his 1800s era estate.

[5] Kenan married Sarah Love "Sallie" March 13, 1770, and produced eight children, including his son Thomas S.

[5] Historical marker F-26 was erected in his honor on North Carolina highway 24 about three miles west of Warsaw.