Exhibit 10.n

                                  AMENDMENT TO
                                  ------------
                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                              --------------------

      THIS AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this "Amendment"), dated and
effective this 8th day of March, 2005, is by and between FIRST BANCORP, a North
Carolina corporation (the "Company"), and R. WALTON BROWN (the "Employee").
References to the "Company" herein shall be deemed to refer to the Company and
its subsidiaries taken as a whole, unless the context requires otherwise or this
Amendment provides otherwise.

      The Company and the Employee are parties to an Employment Agreement (the
"Employment Agreement") dated January 15, 2003, providing for the employment of
Employee by the Company on the terms and conditions set forth therein.
Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meaning given to
them in the Employment Agreement. The Company and the Employee desire to amend
the Employment Agreement as provided herein. Accordingly, in consideration of
the Employment Agreement and the mutual covenants contained therein and herein,
and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby
acknowledged, the parties mutually agree as follows:

      1. Amendment.  Section 8(a) of the Employment  Agreement is deleted in its
entirety, and is hereby replaced by the following:

      (a) If a "Change in Control"  occurs while the Employee is employed by the
      Company and the Employee's  employment is terminated by the Company or the
      Employee for any reason or no reason  within  twelve (12) months after the
      Change in Control, the Company shall pay the Severance Payment provided in
      Section  8(b)  to the  Employee  within  ten  (10)  days  of the  date  of
      termination of the Employee's  employment,  provide  benefits  pursuant to
      Section 8(c) and cause the  acceleration of vesting of benefits  described
      in Section 8(d) to occur;  provided,  however, that the termination of the
      Employee's  employment  shall not be deemed due to a Change in Control and
      the Employee shall have no rights under this Section 8 if such termination
      of  employment  is  (i)  pursuant  to  Section  4(a)  or  (ii)  due to the
      Employee's  death  pursuant to Section  4(b),  the  Employee's  disability
      pursuant to Section 5(b) or the Employee's  retirement in accordance  with
      the Company's then existing retirement policies.

      In the event of  successive  Changes of Control,  the  provisions  of this
      Agreement  shall  apply  with  respect  to each  Change  of  Control.  All
      references to the Company in this Section 8 shall also be to the Company's
      successors and assigns of the Company, whether in connection with a Change
      of Control or otherwise.

      2. Effect of Amendment. Except as provided above, the Employment
Agreement, including Sections 8(b) through 8(e), is hereby reaffirmed by the
parties and remains in full force and effect. This Amendment is intended to
supplement the Employment Agreement and is not intended to be and shall not be
construed as a substitution or novation of the original Employment Agreement.

      3. Effectiveness. This Amendment shall be effective upon the execution and
deliver of this Amendment by each of the parties hereto.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment under
seal as of the day and year first above stated.

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                                   FIRST BANCORP


                                   By:  /s/ James H. Garner
                                   Name:  James H. Garner
                                   Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

                                   EMPLOYEE:


                                   /s/ R. Walton Brown
                                   R. Walton Brown