Franklin County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
located in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 68,573. Its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Louisburg.
Franklin County is included in the
Raleigh, NC
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
, which is also included in the
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had a 2019 estimated population of 2,079,687.
History
The county was formed in 1779 from the southern half of
Bute County. It is named for
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
. It is a part of the
Research Triangle
The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to ...
.
County formation timeline
* 1664
Albemarle County
Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Char ...
formed (original, extinct)
* 1668 Albemarle County subdivided into Carteret, Berkeley, & Shaftesbury Precincts
* 1681 Shaftesbury Precinct renamed Chowan Precinct
* 1722 Bertie Precinct formed from Chowan Precinct
* 1739 Bertie Precinct becomes
Bertie County
* 1741
Edgecombe County formed from Bertie County
* 1746
Granville County
Granville County is a county located on the northern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,992. Its county seat is Oxford.
Granville County encompasses Oxford, NC Micropolitan Statistical Are ...
formed from Edgecombe County
* 1754 Creation of Bertie Precinct, Edgecombe County, & Granville County repealed by King George II, in Privy Council
* 1756 Bertie, Edgecombe, & Granville re-created
* 1764
Bute County (extinct) formed from Granville County
* 1779 Franklin County formed from Bute County (extinct)
* 1787 Franklin County gains land from
Wake County
Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...
* 1875 Franklin County gains land from Granville County
* 1881 Franklin County loses land to help form
Vance County
School desegregation
The integration of Franklin County Schools in 1965–1968 was marked by a federal lawsuit and some violence against African-American residents. The
North Carolina Humanities Council funded the Tar River Center for History and Culture at
Louisburg College to prepare "An Oral History of School Desegregation in Franklin County, North Carolina."
County song
The "Franklin County Song" was selected in a 1929 contest by the county historical association as the song most suitable for public occasions. The words were written by Fred U. Wolfe, an agriculture teacher at Gold Sand. Sung to the tune "Maryland, My Maryland" ("O Christmas Tree"), the song was incorporated in the Bicentennial programs of 1979. At the evening convocation of January 29, Mrs. Beth Norris announced to the audience that Wolfe (retired and residing in North, South Carolina) was aware his song was part of the program that night.
With loyalty we sing thy praise,
Glory to thy honored name!
Our voices loud in tribute raise,
Making truth thy pow'r proclaim.
Thy past is marked with vict'ry bold;
Thy deeds today can ne'er be told,
And heroes brave shall e'er uphold
Franklin's name forevermore.
We love thy rich and fruitful soil,
Wood, and stream, and thriving town.
We love the gift of daily toil,
Making men of true renown.
Thy church and school shall ever stand
To drive the darkness from our land—
A true and loyal, valiant band,
Sons of Franklin evermore.
A shrine of promise, pow'r and truth,
Lasting righteousness and peace,
A land of hope for toiling youth,
Yielding songs that never cease.
Let ev'ry son and daughter stay
The hand of vice that brings decay.
When duty's voice we shall obey,
Franklin's name shall live for aye.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water.
State and local protected area
*
V.E. and Lydia H. Owens Recreational Park at Bull Creek
Major water bodies
*
Buffalo Creek
*
Camping Creek
*
Crooked Creek Crooked Creek may refer to:
Streams In Australia
* Crooked Creek (Clyde River), a tributary of the Clyde River in New South Wales
* Crooked Creek (Walsh River), a tributary of the Walsh River in Queensland
In the United States
* Crooked Cree ...
*
Fishing Creek
*
Lake Royale
*
Little River (Neuse River tributary)
*
Sandy Creek
*
Shocco Creek
*
Tar River
Adjacent counties
*
Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War:
* Warren County, Georgia
* Warren County, Illinois
* Warren County ...
- northeast
*
Vance County - north
*
Granville County
Granville County is a county located on the northern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,992. Its county seat is Oxford.
Granville County encompasses Oxford, NC Micropolitan Statistical Are ...
- northwest
*
Wake County
Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...
- southwest
*
Nash County
Nash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94,970. Its county seat is Nashville.
Nash County is now a part of the Rocky Mount, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, instead of the ...
- east
Major highways
* (Concurrency with US 64)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Major infrastructure
*
Triangle North Executive Airport
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 68,573 people, 26,720 households, and 20,443 families residing in the county.
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2010, there were 60,619 people, 23,023 households, and 16,317 families residing in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 123 people per square mile (47/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 66.0%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 26.7%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.5%
Native American, 0.5%
Asian, 0.0%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 4.4% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.8% from two or more races. 7.9% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino of any race.
There were 23,023 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were
married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 20, 5.5% from 20 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,696, and the median income for a family was $51,353. Males had a median income of $41,025 versus $34,562 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $21,399. About 12.3% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
Housing
There were 26,577 housing units at an average density of 54 per square mile (21/km
2). 13.4% of housing units were vacant.
There were 23,023 occupied housing units in the town. 17,029 were owner-occupied units (74.0%), while 5,994 were renter-occupied (26.0%). The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% of total units. The rental unit vacancy rate was 7.6%.
Law and government
Franklin County is governed by an appointed
county manager and a seven-member
Board of Commissioners
A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...
who are elected in staggered four-year terms. Five are chosen by district and the other two at-large.
[Franklin County, North Carolina (Commissioners)](_blank)
, Retrieved Nov. 3, 2015. Additional county officials who are elected include
Sheriff,
Register of Deeds,
Board of Education and
Clerk of Superior Court.
[Franklin County, North Carolina (Services)](_blank)
Retrieved Nov. 3, 2015.
Franklin County is patrolled by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office located in Louisburg. The current sheriff is Kent Winstead, who was elected in 2014.
[Franklin County Sheriff's Office](_blank)
Retrieved Nov. 3, 2015. Bunn,
Franklinton, Louisburg and
Youngsville have their own municipal police departments, regulated by the respective town governments. The community of
Lake Royale near Bunn also has its own police department.
[Lake Royale Police Department](_blank)
Retrieved Nov. 3, 2015. Franklin County also is covered by Troop C, District IV of the
North Carolina Highway Patrol
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) is the highway patrol agency for North Carolina which has no per-se "state police" agency. The Patrol has jurisdiction anywhere in the state except for federal or military installations and on the ...
, located in
Henderson, North Carolina
Henderson is a city and the county seat of Vance County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,060 at the 2020 census.
History
The city was named in honor of former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Leonard Henderson, w ...
.
[North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Troop C - Raleigh](_blank)
, Retrieved Nov. 4, 2015.
* County Manager: Kim Denton
* County Assistant Manager: William Doerfer
* Commissioner
istrict 1 Kelli London
* Commissioner
istrict 2 Cedric K. Jones Sr.
* Commissioner
istrict 3 James Mark Speed
* Commissioner
istrict 4 David Bunn
* Commissioner
istrict 5 Michael Schriver
* Commissioner
t-Large Harry L. Foy Jr.
* Commissioner
t-Large Danny Pearce
* Clerk to the Board: Kristen G. King
* Sheriff: Kent Winstead
* Clerk of Superior Court: Shelley Dickerson
* Register of Deeds: Brandi Brinson
* Finance Director: Jamie Holtzman
* Public Utilities Director: Chris Doherty
* Emergency Management Director: Nicholas Thorpe
* Public Information Officer: James Hicks
Franklin County is a member of the
Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.
[Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments](_blank)
Retrieved Nov. 4, 2015.
Politics
Franklin County, from 1912 until 1964, was a typical
Solid South
The Solid South or Southern bloc was the electoral voting bloc of the states of the Southern United States for issues that were regarded as particularly important to the interests of Democrats in those states. The Southern bloc existed especial ...
entity, with
Democratic presidential candidates nearly always receiving 80 percent or more of the popular vote.
George Wallace garnered the majority of the vote in 1968 as a third-party candidate. Beginning in 1972, the county swung in the opposite direction, with the
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
candidate earning the majority of the vote in most elections since.
Education
Franklin County Schools operates 16 schools throughout the county, ranging from
pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. They include four high schools, four middle schools and eight elementary schools.
Franklin County is home to the two-year Methodist-affiliated
Louisburg College and to a satellite campus of
Vance-Granville Community College.
Youngsville Academy a college-preparatory, tuition-free Charter School, opened in July 201
Wake Prepa Charter School with an enrollment of 750 opened in 2022.
Communities
Towns
*
Bunn
*
Franklinton
*
Louisburg (county seat)
*
Wake Forest (largest town, mostly in
Wake County
Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...
)
*
Youngsville
*
Castalia (partially)
Census-designated places
*
Centerville
*
Lake Royale
Unincorporated communities
*
Alert
*
Epsom
Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...
*
Five Points
*
Gold Sand
*
Gupton
*
Halls Crossroads
*
Harris Crossroads
*
Hickory Rock
*
Ingleside
*
Katesville
*
Kearney
*
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
*
Laurel Mill
The Laurel Mill was a multi-use mill located along the Patuxent River in Laurel, Maryland. Built by Nicholas Snowden on the site of an earlier grist mill, Laurel Mill operated intermittently between 1811 and 1929, manufacturing flour, cloth, cotto ...
*
Mapleville
*
Margaret
*
Mitchiners Crossroads
*
Moulton
Moulton may refer to:
Places in the United Kingdom
;In England
*Moulton, Cheshire
* Moulton, Lincolnshire
**Moulton Windmill
* Moulton St Mary, Norfolk
* Moulton, Northamptonshire
** Moulton College, agricultural college
** Moulton Park, indus ...
*
Needmore
*
New Hope
*
Oswego
*
Pearces
*
Pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
*
Pine Ridge
*
Pocomoke
*
Raynor Raynor is an English surname which was first found in the historic county of Yorkshire and was brought to England after the Norman Conquest as Reyner. The name Reyner either derived from the Old Norse ''Ragnar'' meaning 'counsel' or the Gallo-Roman ...
*
Riley
*
Rocky Ford
*
Royal
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a ...
*
Schloss
''Schloss'' (; pl. ''Schlösser''), formerly written ''Schloß'', is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house.
Related terms appear in several Germanic languages. In the Scandinavian languages, the cognate ...
*
Seven Paths
*
Stallings Crossroads
*
Sutton
Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to:
Places
United Kingdom
England
In alphabetical order by county:
* Sutton, Bedfordshire
* Sutton, Berkshire, a location
* Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire
* ...
*
White Level
*
Wilders Corner
*
Wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...
Townships
* Cedar Rock
* Cypress Creek
* Dunn
* Franklinton
* Gold Sand
* Harris
* Hayesville
* Louisburg
* Sandy Creek
* Youngsville
See also
*
List of counties in North Carolina
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, North Carolina
*
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...
, University with same name as
Wake Forest though located in
Forsyth County.
*
List of future Interstate Highways
In the United States, future Interstate Highways include proposals to establish new mainline (one- and two-digit) routes to the Interstate Highway System. Excluded from this article are auxiliary Interstate Highways (designated by three-digit nu ...
References
External links
*
Greater Franklin County Chamber of CommerceFranklin County Sheriff's Office''Franklin County News Online '' newspaper''Wake Weekly'' newspaperFranklin County Schools
{{Coord, 36.08, -78.28, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NC_source:UScensus1990
Research Triangle
1779 establishments in North Carolina
Populated places established in 1779