Williamsboro, North Carolina

Williamsboro or Williamsborough is an unincorporated community in Vance County, North Carolina, United States. It was established in about 1755 as Williamsborough in Granville County in the Province of North Carolina. It became part of Vance County in 1881 when Vance County was founded. Williamsboro is located in Williamsboro Township, which is an administrative division of Vance County.[2]

Williamsboro Township, North Carolina
Township
Map of Vance County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township labels
Map of Vance County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township labels
Coordinates: 36°25′50″N 78°25′54″W
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyVance
Area
 • Total38.9 sq mi (101 km2)
Elevation
[1]
427 ft (130 m)
Population
 (July 1, 2018)
 • Total3,475
 • Estimate 
()
15,166
 • Density89/sq mi (34/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
27537
GNIS feature ID997393[1]

History

The town of Williamsborough was established by Nathaniel Williams and his wife Elizabeth Washington. They were the parents of John Williams, who served in the Continental Congress and as a judge on the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge John Williams donated the land where the town was built and it was named after him in 1779. Williamsborough served as a temporary capital of North Carolina between the summer of 1781 and February 1782, after the capture of Governor Thomas Burke during the American Revolution.[2][3][4]

Williamsborough was original called "Lick" because it was a watering hole for cattle and then "Nutbush" because of the nearby creek with that name. The town grew up along the east-west and north-south stagecoach lines.[4]

The Nutbush Address was given by George Sims on June 6, 1765. Sims was from Nutbush. This address was a protest about provincial and county officials and the fees they charged residents of Granville County. This later led to the Regulator Movement in North Carolina.[5]

When the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad was built in 1840, it bypassed Williamsborough. This, along with the end of slavery after the U.S. Civil War and the demise of plantation life, led to the decline of the town of Williamsborough.[4]

The town has been known as Williamsboro since 1893. There was a post office from May 14, 1879 to February 15, 1909. The first postmaster was John E. Haithcock.[6]

There is also a Williamsborough Township in Vance County, North Carolina. This township is a rural, non-functioning county subdivision of Vance County that was created to conform to the North Carolina Constitution of 1868.[7]

Historic sites in or near Williamsboro include:

Geography and demographics

Williamsboro Township is bounded by Townsville Township to the north; Dabney and Henderson Township to the south; John Kerr Reservoir, Middleburg Township, and Warren Township to the east, and Granville County to the west.[10]

YearWilliamsboro Township (including Williamsboro)Williamsboro
1960
1950
19401740
19302426
19202371
19101,380
19001,462
18901,670134
1880176

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Williamsboro, North Carolina
  2. Lewis, J.D. "Williamsboro". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  3. Edmonds, M.M. (1996). "John Williams". NCPedia. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  4. Williams, Wiley J. "Williamsborough Historical Marker G-20". North Carolina Highway Marker Historical Program. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  5. Mitchell, Thorton W. (2006). "Nutbush Address". NCPedia. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  6. Lewis, J.D. "Vance County Post Offices". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  7. "North Carolina Constitution of 1868" (PDF). NC Legislature Library. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  8. Powell, William S. (2006). Encyclopedia of North Carolina, Vance County. University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill, NC.
  9. Williams, Wiley J. (2006). "St. John's Episcopal Church, Williamsboro". NCPedia. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  10. Map of Vance County
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