Franklinton, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Franklinton is a town in Franklin County
, North Carolina
, United States
. The population was 1,745 at the 2000 census. It is home to a plant operated by Novozymes
. Novozymes North America Inc. employs approximately 480 people and is the largest multi-purpose enzyme manufacturing plant in the United States.
for restoration. Franklin Depot changed its name to Franklinton in 1842 when the town was incorporated.
According to many locals, Trinity College, originally located near Greensboro
, was initially planned and approved to be moved to Franklinton in 1889. Generous offers though by local businessmen Washington Duke
and Julian S. Carr brought the college to the city of Durham
instead in 1892. This well known school is now called Duke University
. A source from the University Archives states that nearby Raleigh
was actually the initial approved bidder. This does not mean Franklinton wasn't included as a possible site even though no other bidding communities are mentioned. The citizens of Raleigh offered land now occupied by North Carolina State University
and pledged $35,000.00 for a new building which was quickly approved by the Methodist Conference for Trinity College. It eventually lost to a higher bid of $85,000.00 plus donations in 1890.
Franklinton was once home to Albion Academy, a co-educational African-American school started by clergyman Moses A. Hopkins in 1879. Once a State Normal & Industrial School (trade school), it eventually became a graded school and later merged with the B.F. Person School in 1957 to become B.F. Person-Albion High School. When schools were fully integrated, the upper grades consolidated with Franklinton High School
in 1969. The B.F. Person-Albion High School was renamed Franklinton Elementary School.
Also located in Franklinton is the historic Sterling Cotton Mill, founded by Samuel C. Vann and first opened in 1895. Remaining in the Vann family for many years, the mill was purchased in 1972 by Union Underwear Company...manufacturers of Fruit of the Loom
fabric products. Sterling Cotton Mill eventually closed in 1991. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1996.
Burlington Industries
, another well known textile and fabric maker at the time, had a facility located in Franklinton...also known as Vamoco Mills. It closed in 1989, and was demolished in 2007. A third mill was also located in Franklinton which has since closed.
On June 10, 1946, former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson
died in a car crash on U.S. Highway 1
near Franklinton.
On April 4, 1963, the entire town of Franklinton was threatened by a large wildfire
which consumed roughly 9500 acres (38.4 km²) of woodlands and destroyed several homes north and west of town. A similar incident occurred on February 10, 2008 covering practically the same area though not as widespread, about 1000 acres (4 km²). There were a couple homes which were damaged during that event. U.S. Highway 1 was temporarily closed adjacent to the affected area while firefighters battled the fires. No injuries were reported. High winds and dry conditions were factors in both incidents.
Charles Draughn III was elected to mayor of Franklinton for 8 years, 1987-1995. He currently working with family law. He was followed in office by Larry Kearney from 1995–2003, and Jenny McGhee Edwards from 2003-2007. Current Mayor Elic Senter was elected in 2007.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
The center of town is at Main Street (U.S. Highway 1A) and Mason Street. Green Street (N.C. Highway 56) passes just south of that point and U.S. Highway 1 bypasses Franklinton to the west. The town is located about 30 miles (48.3 km) northeast of Raleigh
, North Carolina
and 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the Tar River
. A railway operated by CSX Transportation
also passes through Franklinton.
of 2000, there were 1,745 people, 722 households, and 480 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,577.5 people per square mile (607.0/km²). There were 832 housing units at an average density of 752.1 per square mile (289.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 57.08% White, 40.86% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.03% from other races
, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.01% of the population.
There were 722 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples
living together, 22.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,571, and the median income for a family was $34,412. Males had a median income of $29,297 versus $24,239 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $14,373. About 14.8% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.5% of those under age 18 and 21.7% of those age 65 or over.
Franklin County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 47,260 people, 17,843 households, and 12,882 families residing in the county. The population density was 96 people per square mile . There were 20,364 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,745 at the 2000 census. It is home to a plant operated by Novozymes
Novozymes
Novozymes is a biotech-based company, headquartered in Denmark and employing approximately 5,400 people in 30 countries. Novozymes A/S’ B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic.-Business areas:...
. Novozymes North America Inc. employs approximately 480 people and is the largest multi-purpose enzyme manufacturing plant in the United States.
History
Franklinton was established as Franklin Depot in 1839 on land owned by Shemuel Kearney. His home, built in 1759, was originally located south of town and is currently the oldest residence in Franklin County. The house was recently purchased and is being moved to nearby LouisburgLouisburg, North Carolina
Louisburg is a town in Franklin County, North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,111. It is the county seat of Franklin County...
for restoration. Franklin Depot changed its name to Franklinton in 1842 when the town was incorporated.
According to many locals, Trinity College, originally located near Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, was initially planned and approved to be moved to Franklinton in 1889. Generous offers though by local businessmen Washington Duke
Washington Duke
George Washington Duke was an American tobacco industrialist and philanthropist.-Biography:Duke was born in Orange County, North Carolina , to Taylor Duke and Dicey Jones...
and Julian S. Carr brought the college to the city of Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
instead in 1892. This well known school is now called Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. A source from the University Archives states that nearby Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
was actually the initial approved bidder. This does not mean Franklinton wasn't included as a possible site even though no other bidding communities are mentioned. The citizens of Raleigh offered land now occupied by North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
and pledged $35,000.00 for a new building which was quickly approved by the Methodist Conference for Trinity College. It eventually lost to a higher bid of $85,000.00 plus donations in 1890.
Franklinton was once home to Albion Academy, a co-educational African-American school started by clergyman Moses A. Hopkins in 1879. Once a State Normal & Industrial School (trade school), it eventually became a graded school and later merged with the B.F. Person School in 1957 to become B.F. Person-Albion High School. When schools were fully integrated, the upper grades consolidated with Franklinton High School
Franklinton High School (North Carolina)
Franklinton High School is located at 3 North Main Street in Franklinton, North Carolina. The school was built in 1923 to house all grade levels, replacing the older Franklinton Graded School on the north end of town. It was a gift to the Town of Franklinton from Samuel C. Vann, founder and...
in 1969. The B.F. Person-Albion High School was renamed Franklinton Elementary School.
Also located in Franklinton is the historic Sterling Cotton Mill, founded by Samuel C. Vann and first opened in 1895. Remaining in the Vann family for many years, the mill was purchased in 1972 by Union Underwear Company...manufacturers of Fruit of the Loom
Fruit of the Loom
Fruit of the Loom is an American company which manufactures clothing, particularly underwear. The company's world headquarters is in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is currently a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.-Company profile:...
fabric products. Sterling Cotton Mill eventually closed in 1991. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1996.
Burlington Industries
Burlington Industries
Burlington Industries is a diversified U. S. fabric maker based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Founded in 1923, the company has operations in the United States, Mexico, and India and a global manufacturing and product development network based in Hong Kong. The company entered Chapter 11...
, another well known textile and fabric maker at the time, had a facility located in Franklinton...also known as Vamoco Mills. It closed in 1989, and was demolished in 2007. A third mill was also located in Franklinton which has since closed.
On June 10, 1946, former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
died in a car crash on U.S. Highway 1
U.S. Route 1 in North Carolina
U.S. Route 1 is an north–south United States highway that runs for from the South Carolina state line, near Rockingham, to the Virginia state line, near Wise...
near Franklinton.
On April 4, 1963, the entire town of Franklinton was threatened by a large wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
which consumed roughly 9500 acres (38.4 km²) of woodlands and destroyed several homes north and west of town. A similar incident occurred on February 10, 2008 covering practically the same area though not as widespread, about 1000 acres (4 km²). There were a couple homes which were damaged during that event. U.S. Highway 1 was temporarily closed adjacent to the affected area while firefighters battled the fires. No injuries were reported. High winds and dry conditions were factors in both incidents.
Charles Draughn III was elected to mayor of Franklinton for 8 years, 1987-1995. He currently working with family law. He was followed in office by Larry Kearney from 1995–2003, and Jenny McGhee Edwards from 2003-2007. Current Mayor Elic Senter was elected in 2007.
Geography
Franklinton is located at 36°6′9"N 78°27′11"W (36.102635, -78.453157).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
The center of town is at Main Street (U.S. Highway 1A) and Mason Street. Green Street (N.C. Highway 56) passes just south of that point and U.S. Highway 1 bypasses Franklinton to the west. The town is located about 30 miles (48.3 km) northeast of Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the Tar River
Tar River
The Tar River is a river that is approximately long, of northeast North Carolina flowing generally southeast to an estuary of Pamlico Sound. The Tar River becomes the tidal Pamlico River once it underpasses the U.S...
. A railway operated by CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
also passes through Franklinton.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,745 people, 722 households, and 480 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,577.5 people per square mile (607.0/km²). There were 832 housing units at an average density of 752.1 per square mile (289.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 57.08% White, 40.86% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.03% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.01% of the population.
There were 722 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 22.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,571, and the median income for a family was $34,412. Males had a median income of $29,297 versus $24,239 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $14,373. About 14.8% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.5% of those under age 18 and 21.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents and natives
- Henry BibbyHenry BibbyCharles Henry Bibby is a former professional basketball player who became a coach after his playing days were over.- Playing career :...
- Basketball player and NBA coach. - Jim BibbyJim BibbyJames Blair Bibby was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he was a member of its 1979 World Series Champions...
- Baseball player, Henry's brother. - Wilbur Wade CardWilbur Wade CardWilbur Wade "Cap" Card was an American baseball player, coach and athletic director at Duke University. He initially introduced college basketball to the state of North Carolina and became the university's first men's coach of that program from 1906 to 1912 as well as being Duke's first athletic...
- Baseball player, first basketball coach and athletic director at Duke UniversityDuke UniversityDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. - Jason Michael CarrollJason Michael CarrollJason Michael Carroll is an American country music artist. After being discovered at a local talent competition in 2004, Carroll was signed to the Arista Nashville label in 2006, releasing his debut album Waitin' in the Country that year...
- Country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer. - Moses A. HopkinsMoses A. HopkinsMoses Aaron Hopkins was an African-American clergyman and educator who served as United States minister to Liberia in 1885-1886...
- Diplomat, clergyman, educator. - Wilmont PerryWilmont PerryWilmont Darnell Perry is a former professional American football player who played running back for two seasons for the New Orleans Saints. He played college football from 1994 to 1998 at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He was nominated to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic...
- NFL Football Player, NCAA Division II Football Player of the Year. - Soupy SalesSoupy SalesSoupy Sales was an American comedian, actor, radio-TV personality and host, and jazz aficionado. He was best known for his local and network children's television show, Lunch with Soupy Sales; a series of comedy sketches frequently ending with Sales receiving a pie in the face, which became his...
- Comedian, born Milton Supman.