Cokesbury is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

located in the Buckhorn Township of

Harnett County, North Carolina Harnett County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is Lillington; its largest city is Dunn. Harnett County is part of the Fayetteville Metropolitan Stati ...

, United States. It is a part of the Dunn Micropolitan Area, which is also a part of the greater Raleigh–Durham–Cary Combined Statistical Area (CSA) as defined by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. The community was named for

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

bishops A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Thomas Coke and

Francis Asbury Francis Asbury (August 20 or 21, 1745 – March 31, 1816) was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. During his 45 years in the colonies and the newly independent United States, he devoted his life to ...

. The Buckhorn Iron Furnace, a former landmark near here, operated during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

until 1873.

History

According to 19th and early 20th century maps, Cokesbury was originally known as Chalk Level. In 1889, Chalk Level had a population of 65. There were two churches, Cokesbury Methodist and Cumberland Union Baptist, and two ministers, but both of them were Methodist. Three physicians lived in Chalk Level, but no lawyers. Chalk Level had three blacksmiths, one cooper and six other businesses, including three general stores, a fertilizer store, a lumber seller and an auctioneer. Other nearby businesses included the Buckhorn Coal Mine, the Cape Fear Steel and Iron Mine, two flour mills and one woolen mill. Chalk Level had one school, the Cokesbury Academy, and one teacher, J.A. Cameron. The earliest map to show the change from Chalk Level to Cokesbury is a 1916 Harnett County soil map produced by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

References

* * Unincorporated communities in Harnett County, North Carolina Unincorporated communities in North Carolina {{HarnettCountyNC-geo-stub