Oxford, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Oxford is a city in Granville County
, North Carolina
, United States
. The population was 8,461 at the 2010 census It is the county seat
of Granville County.
The first Masonic orphanage
for children in the United States was built in Oxford. It was originally established as St. John's College in 1858. The college floundered however, and in 1872 it was suggested that the property be used to educate the less fortunate. In December 1873 the first residents were admitted to the Oxford Orphans Asylum which is today known as the Masonic Home for Children. http://www.mhc-oxford.org/
In 1851 James H. Horner established Horner Military Academy which served many young men from New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina and many other states. Many of the students went on to become leaders in the United States government such as James Crawford Biggs, Solicitor General under President Roosevelt at the inception of the New Deal. The Oxford Female College was also established in 1851 by the North Carolina Baptists. After suffering financial difficulties the college was sold and it became a private educational institution renamed Oxford Female Seminary. In 1880 F. P. Hobgood took over leadership of the school and the school grew in reputation and excellence until his death in 1924. The school closed the following year.
In 1970, Henry Marrow
was murdered in Oxford in a racial hate crime. The murder resulted in a racial rebellion. The events were chronicled by Timothy Tyson in the book Blood Done Sign My Name
.
Today Oxford is the world headquarters for IDEAL Fastener Corporation, the second largest zipper manufacturer in the world; Certainteed the largest roofing plant in the world; and Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions, the largest retreading plant in the world.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), all of it land.
of 2010, there were 8,461 people in 3,410 households in the city. The population density
was 1,880.2 people per square mile (729.4/km²). There were 3,771 housing units at an average density of 838.0 per square mile (325.1/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 55.6% Black or African American
, 38.6% White, 1.1% Asian American
, 0.4% Native American
, 2.5% Other, and 1.8% two or more races
. 4.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino American
There were 3,410 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.48. In the city, the age distribution of the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 10.6% from 25 to 34, 18.1% from 35 to 49, 19.7% from 50 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 79.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,050 and the mean income was $48,293. The median and mean income for a family was $49,787 and $62,355, respectively. The per capita income
for the city was $20,729. About 16.9% of families were at or below the poverty line, including 38.6% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over. Of the total city population, 20.6% were at or below the poverty line.
Granville County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 59,916 people in 20,628 households residing in the county. The population density was 111.6 people per square mile . There were 22,827 housing units at an average density of 42.5 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 8,461 at the 2010 census It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Granville County.
History
The town's history dates to 1761, when local legislator Samuel Benton built a plantation home and called it Oxford. The legislature ordered the area around his plantation to be the seat of Granville County. The city was not incorporated until 1816. http://www.oxfordnc.org/history.htmThe first Masonic orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
for children in the United States was built in Oxford. It was originally established as St. John's College in 1858. The college floundered however, and in 1872 it was suggested that the property be used to educate the less fortunate. In December 1873 the first residents were admitted to the Oxford Orphans Asylum which is today known as the Masonic Home for Children. http://www.mhc-oxford.org/
In 1851 James H. Horner established Horner Military Academy which served many young men from New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina and many other states. Many of the students went on to become leaders in the United States government such as James Crawford Biggs, Solicitor General under President Roosevelt at the inception of the New Deal. The Oxford Female College was also established in 1851 by the North Carolina Baptists. After suffering financial difficulties the college was sold and it became a private educational institution renamed Oxford Female Seminary. In 1880 F. P. Hobgood took over leadership of the school and the school grew in reputation and excellence until his death in 1924. The school closed the following year.
In 1970, Henry Marrow
Henry Marrow
Henry Dortress Marrow, Junior , called Dickie by his friends and family, was 23 when he was murdered in Oxford, North Carolina on May 11, 1970, the victim of a violent hate crime. Henry Marrow's three killers were all found not guilty...
was murdered in Oxford in a racial hate crime. The murder resulted in a racial rebellion. The events were chronicled by Timothy Tyson in the book Blood Done Sign My Name
Blood Done Sign My Name
Blood Done Sign My Name is an autobiographical work of history written by Timothy B. Tyson while he was a professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The book, published in 2004 and based in part on an M.A...
.
Today Oxford is the world headquarters for IDEAL Fastener Corporation, the second largest zipper manufacturer in the world; Certainteed the largest roofing plant in the world; and Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions, the largest retreading plant in the world.
Geography
Oxford is located at 36°18′43"N 78°35′27"W (36.311903, -78.590762).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 city has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), all of it land.
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 2010, there were 8,461 people in 3,410 households in the city. 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 1,880.2 people per square mile (729.4/km²). There were 3,771 housing units at an average density of 838.0 per square mile (325.1/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 55.6% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 38.6% White, 1.1% Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.4% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 2.5% Other, and 1.8% two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
. 4.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino American
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
There were 3,410 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.48. In the city, the age distribution of the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 10.6% from 25 to 34, 18.1% from 35 to 49, 19.7% from 50 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 79.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,050 and the mean income was $48,293. The median and mean income for a family was $49,787 and $62,355, respectively. 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 city was $20,729. About 16.9% of families were at or below the poverty line, including 38.6% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over. Of the total city population, 20.6% were at or below the poverty line.
Notable former residents
- Henry Lee "Specs" Meadows - famous baseball pitcher for Pittsburgh Pirates, and still ranked 6th in winning percentages
- Georgia Ann "Tiny" Broadwick - aviation pioneer who was born in Oxford in 1893 before moving to Henderson, NC
- Benjamin Chavis - civil rights activist
- James E. WebbJames E. WebbJames Edwin Webb was an American government official who served as the second administrator of NASA from February 14, 1961 to October 7, 1968....
- Administrator of NASA who guided the USA lunar landing thrust - Jeff Gravely - sports anchor and reporter for WRAL-TVWRAL-TVWRAL-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Raleigh, North Carolina. WRAL-TV has been the flagship station of Capitol Broadcasting Company since its inception, and is currently the CBS affiliate for the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Fayetteville area, known collectively as the Triangle...
, Raleigh. - Timothy Tyson - writer and historian
- Richard MooreRichard H. MooreRichard Hancock Moore was the North Carolina State Treasurer from 2001–2009. He first elected to that post in 2000 and re-elected in 2004.-Career:...
- North Carolina State Treasurer - Franklin Wills Hancock, Jr.Franklin Wills Hancock, Jr.Franklin Wills Hancock, Jr. was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing North Carolina from 1930 to 1939. He was born and died in Oxford, North Carolina....
- Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives
Schools
- C. G. Credle Elementary School
- J.F. Webb High SchoolJ.F. Webb High SchoolJ.F. Webb High School is a high school located in Oxford, North Carolina, USA. It contains one subsidiary school, the J.F. Webb School of Health & Life Sciences. It was named after J. F. Webb a superintendent of Granville County Schools during the first half of the 1900's...
- J.F. Webb High School of Health and Life Sciences
- Joe Toler-Oak Hill Elementary School
- Mary Potter Middle School
- Northern Granville Middle School
- West Oxford Elementary School
External links
- Official website of Oxford, NC
- Downtown Oxford Economic Development Corporation
- Granville County Chamber of Commerce
- Oxford Historic Preservation Commission
- Granville County Historical Society Museums
- George C. Shaw Museum
- Central Children's Home - Oxford images
- Masonic Children's Home - Oxford images
- 1882 Map of Oxford, NC
- Slideshows and Oxford History