March 12, 1998



Board of Directors
Anson Bancorp, Inc.
211 South Greene Street
Wadesboro, North Carolina  28170


     Re:  Registration Statement on Form SB-2 under the Securities Act of 1933,
          as amended

Gentlemen:

     As special counsel to Anson Bancorp, Inc. (the "Holding Company"), the
proposed parent holding company of Anson Savings Bank, SSB ("Anson Savings"),
Wadesboro, North Carolina, we are rendering this opinion to you in connection
with the acquisition by the Holding Company of Anson Savings, upon the
conversion of Anson Savings from a North Carolina-chartered mutual savings bank
to a North Carolina-chartered capital stock savings bank (the "Conversion").  As
part of the Conversion, the Holding Company will file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission a Registration Statement on Form SB-2 (the "Registration
Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for the offering and
sale by the Holding Company of its no par common stock, having an estimated
aggregate dollar value represented to us as being between $5,610,000 and
$7,590,000 (the "Shares").

     In our capacity as special counsel, we have examined originals or copies,
certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the Articles of
Incorporation, Bylaws and corporate resolutions of the Holding Company, the Plan
of Holding Company Conversion, the Registration Statement and all exhibits
thereto and the relevant provisions of Chapters 54C and 55 of the North Carolina
General Statutes and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the regulations
promulgated under all the aforesaid statutes, as we have considered necessary as
a basis for the opinions given herein.  In addition, we have made reasonable
inquiries of the officers of Anson Savings and the Holding Company as to all
relevant items.  In all examinations of documents, we have assumed the
genuineness of all original documents and all signatures and the conformity to
original documents of all copies submitted to us as certified, conformed or
photostatic copies.  On the basis of such examination, we are of the opinion
that, when the Holding Company has received full payment for the Shares as
described in the Registration Statement, all requisite corporate action 

 
Board of Directors
Anson Bancorp, Inc.
March 12, 1998
Page 2


will have been taken with respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares and the
Shares will be validly authorized and issued, fully-paid and nonassessable
shares of common stock of the Holding Company.

     This opinion is furnished by us solely for your benefit and for the benefit
of the purchasers of the Shares of the Holding Company  in connection with the
Conversion, and may not be quoted or relied upon by, nor copies be delivered to,
any person or entity, or used for any other purpose, without our prior express
written consent.

     We hereby consent to the use of this opinion in connection with the
registration of the offering and sale of the Shares with the Securities and
Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to the
reference to us in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus included
therein.


                                    Very truly yours,

                                    BROOKS, PIERCE, MCLENDON,
                                    HUMPHREY & LEONARD, L.L.P.


                                    By: /s/ Edward C. Winslow III
                                        ---------------------------------
                                        Edward C. Winslow III

ECWIII/cnh