Weldon is a town in Halifax County,

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 a ...

, United States. The population was 1,655 at the 2010 census. It is part of the

Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Roanoke Rapids () is a city in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,754 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Roanoke Rapids Micropolitan Statistical Area, and is also an anchor city of the Rocky Mo ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

In 1752, Daniel Weldon purchased 1,273 acres of land on the Roanoke River. His plantation became known as Weldon's Landing. As it was just below the fall line, Weldon's Landing was the westernmost point of navigation along the Roanoke. The Roanoke Canal was built in 1823 to bypass the rapids and open up trade to Virginia. The aqueduct across Chockoyotte creek was built near Weldon's Landing, bringing an economic boom to the area. The canal is now dry, and is a hiking trail open to the public. Weldon was the first

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

hub in the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. The

Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad The Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad was organized in 1833 (as the Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad) to extend from the area of the rapids of the Roanoke River at its fall line near Weldon, North Carolina to Portsmouth, Virginia, across the Elizab ...

terminated in Weldon. In 1841, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was completed, also terminating in Weldon. At the time, it was the longest railroad in the world. This led to the incorporation of the town in 1843. The Petersburg and Roanoke Railroad in 1848 and the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad in 1853 both extended to terminate in Weldon. 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 polic ...

, both railroad bridges over the Roanoke were burned. Only the Seaboard and Roanoke rebuilt their bridge. Grace Episcopal Church and the Weldon Historic District are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

Geography

Weldon is located in northern Halifax County at (36.426567, -77.601597). It is bordered to the west by Roanoke Rapids, the county's largest community, and to the north by Northampton County, across the Roanoke River. According to 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

U.S. Route 301 U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...

passes through the town, leading south to Rocky Mount and north to

Emporia, Virginia Emporia is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, surrounded by Greensville County, United States. Emporia and a predecessor town have been the county seat of Greensville County since 1791. As of the 2020 census, the populatio ...

. U.S. Route 158 runs east-west through the town, connecting the downtown area with

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadi ...

at the town's western border. US 158 leads east to

Murfreesboro Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metrop ...

and west into the southern part of Roanoke Rapids. Interstate 95 leads north to Emporia and south to Rocky Mount, providing a highway alternative to US 301. Located on the Roanoke River, Weldon calls itself the "

Rockfish Rockfish is a common term for several species of fish, referring to their tendency to hide among rocks. The name rockfish is used for many kinds of fish used for food. This common name belongs to several groups that are not closely related, and ca ...

Capital of the World" due to abundant fishing during the May spawning season.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,444 people, 656 households, and 472 families residing in the town.

2000 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 2000, there were 1,374 people, 532 households, and 358 families residing in the town. 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 775.5 people per square mile (299.7/km). There were 624 housing units at an average density of 352.2 per square mile (136.1/km). The racial makeup of the town was 36.17%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 62.74%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.15% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.07%

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 Ocea ...

, 0.07% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races.

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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population. There were 532 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 22.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,668, and the median income for a family was $35,750. Males had a median income of $26,154 versus $25,438 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 town was $16,322. About 18.6% of families and 22.5% 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 ...

, including 30.5% of those under age 18 and 16.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Kentwan Balmer Kentwan Balmer (born October 15, 1986) is a former American football defensive end and current coach for the Hampton Pirates. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft with the 29th overall pick. He played ...

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

defensive endPro Football Reference. (n.d.) Retrieved June 26, 2018, from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/schools/high_schools.cgi?id=93b8df5c * King V. Cheek, lifelong educator * Cedric Jones, former NFL wide receiver for the

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

* Jackie Mason, comedian *

Gentry O. Smith Gentry O. Smith (born 1959) is an American foreign service officer serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security since August 2021. From June 2015 to January 2017, he was Director of the Office of Foreign Missions. Early life an ...

, American foreign service officer * Jimmy Soul, vocalist * Benjamin S. Turner, businessman and politician * Garland H. White, preacher and politician

Education

The local education agency in Weldon is Weldon City Schools. In addition to an elementary school, middle school and

Weldon High School Weldon City School District or Weldon City Schools is a school district headquartered in Weldon, North Carolina. it, along with the Halifax County School District, has a student body that is almost all of races other than non-Hispanic white, whi ...

, the city is home to Roanoke Valley Early college.http://rvec.weldoncityschools.org/

References

External links

Town of Weldon official website
{{authority control Towns in Halifax County, North Carolina Towns in North Carolina Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina micropolitan area