Lumberton, North Carolina

Lumberton is a city in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. As of 2020, its population was 19,025.[5] It is the seat of Robeson County's government.[6]

Lumberton, North Carolina
City
North Elm Street
North Elm Street
Official seal of Lumberton, North Carolina
Seal
Lumberton is located in North Carolina
Lumberton
Lumberton
Location within the state of North Carolina
Lumberton is located in the United States
Lumberton
Lumberton
Lumberton (the United States)
Coordinates: 34°37′52″N 79°01′07″W
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyRobeson
Named forLumber River[1]
Government
Area
[2]
 • Total17.84 sq mi (46.20 km2)
 • Land17.76 sq mi (46.00 km2)
 • Water0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation
[3]
135 ft (41 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total19,025
 • Density1,071.29/sq mi (413.62/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
28358-28360
Area codes910, 472
FIPS code37-39700[4]
GNIS feature ID2404974[3]
Websitewww.ci.lumberton.nc.us

Located in southern North Carolina's Inner Banks region, Lumberton is located on the Lumber River. It was founded in 1787 by John Willis, an officer in the American Revolution. This was developed as a shipping point for lumber used by the Navy, and logs were guided downriver to Georgetown, South Carolina. Most of the town's growth took place after World War II.

History

Robeson County, North Carolina, was formed in 1787. General John Willis, owner of the Red Banks plantation, lobbied to have the county's new seat of government located on his land. The site of Lumberton was chosen due to its central location in the county, proximity to a reliable ford of the Lumber River, and as it was where several roads intersected. Willis turned over 170 acres, which were surveyed and disbursed in a lottery held under the auspices of the county court on August 14, 1787. As the site was heavily forested, trees were felled to make way for a courthouse, business and residential lots, streets, a commons, and a public square. The first courthouse was a wooden residence sold by Willis to the county and moved into place after the land was clear. Lumberton was formally created by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly on November 3, 1788, which granted the town a charter and the power to levy taxes. The community was named in homage to the Lumber River.[7]

Aside from the courthouse, the first buildings in Lumberton were a handful of brick structures built near the river, which included a hotel, stores, and warehouses, which were stocked by goods sent up the river from Georgetown, South Carolina.[7] The community's first school was established by Willis in 1791.[8] The town had a post office by 1796. It was formally incorporated in 1852 and granted a municipal government with a mayor and a board of commissioners.[7] The town was connected by rail with Wilmington in 1860, which reduced its reliance on river trade from Georgetown. Much of the business district was burnt down in a fire in 1870 and another in 1876.[9]

Robeson County Courthouse in Lumberton, 1948

For four seasons, 1947–50, Lumberton fielded a professional minor-league baseball team in the Tobacco State League. Affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, the team was known as the Lumberton Cubs in 1947 and '48, and the Lumberton Auctioneers in 1949 and '50.[10]

In 1970, Lumberton was named an All-American City, presented by the National Civic League.[11] Many businesses left the downtown in the mid-1970s.[12] A 1988 hostage crisis at the offices of The Robesonian and the 1993 murder of James R. Jordan Sr. nearby generated a negative national image for the city. In 1995, the city won the All-American City award a second time.[13]

In 2016, Robeson County was impacted by Hurricane Matthew, leading to record flooding in Lumberton. In 2018, the county was struck by Hurricane Florence, which broke the flooding record.[14] As a result of extensive damage to homes, entire streets in south and west Lumberton were left abandoned.[15]

The Baker Sanatorium, Luther Henry Caldwell House, Carolina Theatre, Humphrey-Williams Plantation, Lumberton Commercial Historic District, Planters Building, Robeson County Agricultural Building, Alfred Rowland House, and US Post Office-Lumberton are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[16][17]

Geography

Lumberton lies within the Carolina Border Belt, a regional network of tobacco markets and warehouses along both sides of the North Carolina-South Carolina border.[18]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.8 square miles (40.9 km2), of which 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) (0.44%) is covered by water.

Lumberton is located on the Lumber River in the state's Coastal Plains region. The Lumber River State Park, 115 miles (185 km) of natural and scenic waterway, flows through Lumberton.

Lumberton is served by Interstate 95 and Interstate 74.

Climate

Lumberton experiences a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and cool winters.

Climate data for LUMBERTON MUNI AP, NC, 1991-2020 normals, extremes 1903-present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 82
(28)		 84
(29)		 96
(36)		 96
(36)		 101
(38)		 104
(40)		 108
(42)		 106
(41)		 104
(40)		 99
(37)		 87
(31)		 83
(28)		 108
(42)
Average high °F (°C) 54.6
(12.6)		 58.6
(14.8)		 65.8
(18.8)		 74.7
(23.7)		 82.5
(28.1)		 88.8
(31.6)		 91.0
(32.8)		 89.1
(31.7)		 84.2
(29.0)		 75.9
(24.4)		 65.9
(18.8)		 57.5
(14.2)		 74.1
(23.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 44.9
(7.2)		 48.0
(8.9)		 54.5
(12.5)		 62.7
(17.1)		 71.0
(21.7)		 78.8
(26.0)		 81.6
(27.6)		 80.0
(26.7)		 74.5
(23.6)		 64.2
(17.9)		 54.1
(12.3)		 47.5
(8.6)		 63.5
(17.5)
Average low °F (°C) 35.3
(1.8)		 37.4
(3.0)		 43.1
(6.2)		 50.7
(10.4)		 59.5
(15.3)		 68.7
(20.4)		 72.3
(22.4)		 70.9
(21.6)		 64.8
(18.2)		 52.5
(11.4)		 42.4
(5.8)		 37.5
(3.1)		 52.9
(11.6)
Record low °F (°C) −1
(−18)		 3
(−16)		 9
(−13)		 22
(−6)		 29
(−2)		 40
(4)		 50
(10)		 44
(7)		 35
(2)		 20
(−7)		 12
(−11)		 −2
(−19)		 −2
(−19)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.55
(65)		 2.77
(70)		 3.26
(83)		 2.85
(72)		 3.41
(87)		 4.92
(125)		 4.61
(117)		 4.77
(121)		 4.93
(125)		 2.29
(58)		 2.95
(75)		 3.31
(84)		 42.62
(1,083)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.1 8.7 9.6 8.3 10.0 11.5 12.2 13.4 10.3 7.8 7.9 9.3 118.1
Source: NOAA[19][20]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1870615—
1880533−13.3%
18905849.6%
190084945.4%
19102,230162.7%
19202,69120.7%
19304,14053.8%
19405,80340.2%
19509,18658.3%
196015,30566.6%
197016,96110.8%
198018,2417.5%
199018,6012.0%
200020,79511.8%
201021,5423.6%
202019,025−11.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[21]
Location of the Lumberton-Laurinburg CSA and its components:
  Lumberton Micropolitan Statistical Area
  Laurinburg Micropolitan Statistical Area

Lumberton is the larger principal city of the Fayetteville-Lumberton-Pinehurst, NC Combined Statistical Area that includes the Lumberton (Robeson County) and Laurinburg (Scotland County) micropolitan areas.[22][23][24] The CSA had a combined population of 520,378 at the 2020 census.[25]

2020 census
Lumberton racial composition[26]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 6,657 34.99%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 6,764 35.55%
Native American 2,500 13.14%
Asian 379 1.99%
Pacific Islander 23 0.12%
Other/mixed 814 4.28%
Hispanic or Latino 1,888 9.92%

As of the 2020 United States census, 19,025 people, 7,142 households, and 4,536 families resided in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, 21,542 people were living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 39.0% White, 36.7% Black, 12.7% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race, and 2.2% from two or more races. About 6.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the census[4] of 2000, 20,795 people, 7,827 households and 5,165 families were residing in Lumberton. The population density was 1,322.4 inhabitants per square mile (510.6/km2). The 8,800 housing units had an average density of 559.6 per square mile (216.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 48.54% White, 35.44% African American, 12.79% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 1.21% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanicss or Latinoss of any race were 3.30% of the population.

Of the 7,827 households, 32.2% had children under 18 living with them; 38.8% were married couples living together; 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were not families. About 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 3.01. Children of high-school age (grades 9–12) attend Lumberton High School, which is run by the Public Schools of Robeson County,[27] as it is in Robeson County.

The city's age distribution was 26.3% under 18; 9.3% from 18 to 24; 28.2% from 25 to 44; 21.3% from 45 to 64; and 14.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in Lumberton was $26,782, and for a family was $33,839. Males had a median income of $28,903 versus $24,503 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,504. About 23.9% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.4% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Former Lumberton Municipal Building

Lumberton is headed by a council–manager government.[28] The city supplies electric utility services to its residents.[29]

Education

Public Schools of Robeson County operates public schools.[30]

Notable people

    References
    1. "North Carolina Gazetteer". Retrieved December 12, 2022.
    2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
    3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lumberton, North Carolina
    4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
    5. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
    6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
    7. "Lumberton Lots Disposed Of By Lottery; By 1852 Town Had Mayor, Three Stores; Growth Phenomenal In Last Century". The Robesonian. February 26, 1951. p. 1A.
    8. "Lumberton's First School Began 1791". The Robesonian. February 26, 1951. p. 1A.
    9. "Customs Were Different Then-- Fishing Parties, Cider Shops". The Robesonian. February 26, 1951. p. 4A.
    10. Holaday, Chris (2016). "The Tobacco State League; A North Carolina Baseball History, 1946–1950".. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-6670-9.
    11. "High Point of City's History Was Being Named All-American". The Robesonian. March 23, 1971. pp. 1E, 4E.
    12. Nagem, Sarah (November 29, 2022). "Downtown Lumberton envisions a big transformation, starting with Carolina Civic Center". Border Belt Independent. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
    13. Thompson, Estes (July 6, 1995). "All-American City award giving Lumberton opportunity to shake negative image". The Herald-Sun. Associated Press. p. C8.
    14. Dreilinger, Danielle (October 28, 2022). "Learning to live with water, again: Lumbee face hard decisions about nature and NC storms". The Fayetteville Observer. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022.
    15. Marson & Legerton 2021, pp. 2248–2249.
    16. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
    17. "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 4/16/12 through 4/20/12. National Park Service. April 27, 2012.
    18. Yeargin, W.W. (2006). "Tobacco Belts". NCPedia. North Carolina Government & Heritage Library. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
    19. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
    20. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
    21. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
    22. MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS Archived 2007-06-29 at the Wayback Machine, Office of Management and Budget, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-08-01.
    23. COMBINED STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENT CORE BASED STATISTICAL AREAS Archived 2007-06-29 at the Wayback Machine, Office of Management and Budget, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-08-01.
    24. "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
    25. "2020 Population and Housing State Data". August 10, 2023. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. May 18, 2023.
    26. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
    27. "Contact Us / School Contact Numbers".
    28. "History". City of Lumberton. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
    29. "Local electric providers take precautions after Moore County substation attack". The Robesonian. December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
    30. "Public Schools of Robeson County". www.robeson.k12.nc.us. Retrieved August 11, 2023.

    Works cited
    • Marson, Stephen M.; Legerton, Mac (2021). "Disaster diaspora and the consequences of economic displacement and climate disruption, including Hurricanes Matthew (October 8, 2016) and Florence (September 14, 2018) in Robeson County, North Carolina". Natural Hazards. 107 (3): 2247–2262. doi:10.1007/s11069-021-04529-8. S2CID 231671525.
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