Granville County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
| Coordinates:36°18′N78°40′W / 36.30°N 78.66°W /36.30; -78.66 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Established | June 28, 1746 (279 years ago) (1746-06-28) |
| Named after | John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville |
| Seat | Oxford |
| Largest community | Oxford |
| Area | |
• Total | 537.59 sq mi (1,392.4 km2) |
| • Land | 531.99 sq mi (1,377.8 km2) |
| • Water | 5.60 sq mi (14.5 km2) 1.04% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 60,992 |
• Estimate (2024) | 61,544 |
| • Density | 114.65/sq mi (44.266/km2) |
| Congressional districts | 1st,13th |
| Website | granvillecounty |
Granville County is acounty located on the northern border of theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 60,992.[1] Itscounty seat isOxford.[2] The county has access toKerr Lake andFalls Lake and is part of theRoanoke,Tar andNeuse Riverwatersheds.
Granville County andSt. John's Parish were established on June 28, 1746, from the upper part ofEdgecombe County.[3] It was named for theJohn Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville,[4] who as heir to one of the eight originalLords Proprietors of theProvince of Carolina, claimed one eighth of the land granted in the charter of 1665. The claim was established as consisting of approximately the northern half of North Carolina, and this territory came to be known as theGranville District, also known as Oxford.
In 1752, parts of Granville,Bladen, andJohnston counties were combined to formOrange County. In 1764, the eastern part of Granville County was reassigned to the newBute County. Finally, in 1881, parts of Granville,Franklin, andWarren counties were taken to be combined asVance County.
Like most early counties on the eastern side of the early North Carolina colony, Granville was site of theTuscarora uprising. Once the natives were defeated in theTuscarora War, Virginia farmers and their families settled Granville County, where they concentrated on tobacco as a commodity crop. The economy of the region was dependent on slave labor, as tobacco was very labor-intensive to cultivate and process. By the start of the Civil War, Granville planters worked more than 10,000 slaves on their farms, at a time when total county population was 23,396.
During theAmerican Civil War, more than 2,000 men from Granville County served theConfederacy. One company was known as the "Granville Grays." Most of these men fought in the major battles of the war. Surprisingly, many survived until the end of the war. Although the war brought an end to the plantation and slave labor economy that had made Granville County prosperous, the agricultural sector continued to thrive in the county. Freedmen stayed in Oxford to work, and the discovery ofbright leaf tobacco stimulated the industry. Many African Americans in Granville County were already free before the start of the war; some had migrated into North Carolina as free people from Virginia in the colonial era. Thefree people of color before the Civil War were often descendants of families formed by unions between white women (who were free) and African or African-American men before the American Revolution.[5] They made lasting contributions to the region, particularly through their skilled labor. Several black masons constructed homes for the county's wealthy landowners. Additionally, the bright leaf tobacco crop proved a successful agricultural product for Granville County. The sandy soil and a new tobacco crop that could be "flue-dried" proved a great incentive to farmers and tobacco manufacturers.
According to historian William S. Powell, Granville has remained a top tobacco-producing county in North Carolina for several decades. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, Oxford had become a thriving town with new industries, schools, literary institutions, and orphanages, due to jobs created by the bright tobacco crop.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, northern Granville County, together withHalifax County, Virginia, were important mining areas. Copper, tungsten, silver and gold were mined in the region. TheRichmond to Danville Railroad was a critical lifeline to the northern part of the county and provided an important link for miners and farmers to get their goods to larger markets inRichmond andWashington, D.C.
From the late 19th century into the early 20th century, whites in Granville Countylynched six African Americans, a number of extralegal murders equalled by two other counties in the state. Most of these killings took place in the decades around the turn of the century. Each of the three counties is tied in having the second-highest number of lynchings per county.[6] Among these was a double lynching in the county seat on December 1, 1881. An armed mob of masked men stormed into the county jail, forcing the jailer to give them the keys. They took out John Brodie and Shadrack Hester, two African-American men charged with murdering a local white man. They took the prisoners to a tree near where the death took place, and hanged them.[7]
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Granville County played a pivotal role astobacco supplier for the southeast United States. With many farms and contracts tied to major tobacco companies, such asAmerican Tobacco Company,Lorillard,Brown & Williamson, andLiggett Group, the local farmers became prosperous. During theGreat Depression, the tobacco fields were subject to a new plant disease. The Granville Wilt Disease, as it became known, destroyed tobacco crops all across northernNorth Carolina. Botanists and horticulturists found a cure for the disease at theTobacco Research Center located in Oxford.
In August 1941, the U.S. federal government beginning planning for the development of a military facility in southern Granville County, motivated partly by its proximity to a rail line. Following the United States' entry intoWorld War II that December, planning hastened and in January 1942 the government began ordering locals to vacate their land. The government ultimately evicted between 400 and 500 families and razed most of their homes and agricultural buildings to make way for aU.S. Army camp. Construction commenced in March andCamp Butner officially opened in August 1942. Thousands of soldiers were trained at the camp for service overseas, and it also housed a prisoner of war facility. By April 1946, activity at the facility had declined significantly and it was officially closed in January 1947.[8] Following the camp's closure, its land was divided up among the U.S.War Assets Administration, theNorth Carolina National Guard, the state of North Carolina, and the dispossessed farmers who had once lived in the area.[9] The state converted its former infirmary into a psychiatry hospital. A civilian community,Butner, subsequently developed around the hospital's new workforce.[8]
In the 1950s and 1960s, various manufacturing businesses built up across Granville County, and the region gradually became more industrialized. Today, the manufacturing industry produces cosmetics, tires, and clothing products in Granville County.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 537.59 square miles (1,392.4 km2), of which 531.99 square miles (1,377.8 km2) is land and 5.60 square miles (14.5 km2) (1.04%) is water.[10]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 10,982 | — | |
| 1800 | 14,015 | 27.6% | |
| 1810 | 15,576 | 11.1% | |
| 1820 | 18,222 | 17.0% | |
| 1830 | 19,355 | 6.2% | |
| 1840 | 18,817 | −2.8% | |
| 1850 | 21,249 | 12.9% | |
| 1860 | 23,396 | 10.1% | |
| 1870 | 24,831 | 6.1% | |
| 1880 | 31,286 | 26.0% | |
| 1890 | 24,484 | −21.7% | |
| 1900 | 23,263 | −5.0% | |
| 1910 | 25,102 | 7.9% | |
| 1920 | 26,846 | 6.9% | |
| 1930 | 28,723 | 7.0% | |
| 1940 | 29,344 | 2.2% | |
| 1950 | 31,793 | 8.3% | |
| 1960 | 33,110 | 4.1% | |
| 1970 | 32,762 | −1.1% | |
| 1980 | 34,043 | 3.9% | |
| 1990 | 38,345 | 12.6% | |
| 2000 | 48,498 | 26.5% | |
| 2010 | 57,538 | 18.6% | |
| 2020 | 60,992 | 6.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 61,544 | [12] | 0.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790–1960[14] 1900–1990[15] 1990–2000[16] 2010[17] 2020[1] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[18] | Pop 2010[19] | Pop 2020[20] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 28,777 | 34,550 | 33,610 | 59.34% | 57.66% | 55.11% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 16,854 | 19,454 | 18,315 | 34.75% | 32.47% | 30.03% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 195 | 250 | 205 | 0.40% | 0.42% | 0.34% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 173 | 321 | 366 | 0.36% | 0.54% | 0.60% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 9 | 22 | 24 | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.04% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 114 | 56 | 207 | 0.24% | 0.09% | 0.34% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 425 | 781 | 2,054 | 0.88% | 1.30% | 3.37% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,951 | 4,482 | 6,211 | 4.02% | 7.48% | 10.18% |
| Total | 48,498 | 59,916 | 60,992 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, there were 60,992 people, 22,461 households, and 15,182 families residing in the county.[21] The median age was 42.0 years, with 21.0% of residents under the age of 18 and 17.0% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 105.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 104.2 males age 18 and over.[21]
The racial makeup of the county was 56.7%White, 30.2%Black or African American, 0.6%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 6.4% from some other race, and 5.4% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.2% of the population.[22]
28.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.4% lived in rural areas.[23]
There were 22,461 households in the county, of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.5% were married-couple households, 16.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]
There were 24,214 housing units, of which 7.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.8% were owner-occupied and 25.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%.[21]
The median income[24] for a household in the county was $48,196, and the mean household income was $55,849. The median and mean income for a family was $56,493 and $64,311, respectively. Theper capita income for the county was $21,201. About 7.6% of families and 11.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Granville County is a member of theKerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.[25] Granville County is governed by a commissioner/manager form of government under the laws of the state of North Carolina. Granville County has seven commissioner electoral districts.
The Granville County Commissioners are Timothy Karan(chair), Jimmy Gooch(Vice-chair), Zelodis Jay, Rob Williford, Mark Griffin, Tony Cozart and Russ May. The County Manager is Drew Cummings.[26]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 192 | 9.16% | 1,561 | 74.48% | 343 | 16.36% |
| 1916 | 648 | 27.45% | 1,713 | 72.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 833 | 24.11% | 2,622 | 75.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 461 | 17.11% | 2,220 | 82.37% | 14 | 0.52% |
| 1928 | 858 | 22.46% | 2,962 | 77.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 212 | 5.26% | 3,808 | 94.51% | 9 | 0.22% |
| 1936 | 185 | 4.14% | 4,279 | 95.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 213 | 5.15% | 3,924 | 94.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 325 | 9.18% | 3,215 | 90.82% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 334 | 8.10% | 3,513 | 85.25% | 274 | 6.65% |
| 1952 | 1,166 | 20.28% | 4,583 | 79.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 1,463 | 26.72% | 4,013 | 73.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,798 | 26.66% | 4,945 | 73.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,624 | 36.34% | 4,596 | 63.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,837 | 21.50% | 2,638 | 30.87% | 4,071 | 47.64% |
| 1972 | 6,037 | 66.82% | 2,918 | 32.30% | 80 | 0.89% |
| 1976 | 2,955 | 35.84% | 5,244 | 63.59% | 47 | 0.57% |
| 1980 | 3,513 | 37.99% | 5,556 | 60.09% | 177 | 1.91% |
| 1984 | 6,302 | 54.42% | 5,217 | 45.05% | 61 | 0.53% |
| 1988 | 4,880 | 46.75% | 5,280 | 50.58% | 279 | 2.67% |
| 1992 | 4,538 | 37.42% | 6,178 | 50.94% | 1,412 | 11.64% |
| 1996 | 5,498 | 42.95% | 6,747 | 52.71% | 555 | 4.34% |
| 2000 | 7,364 | 48.47% | 7,733 | 50.90% | 97 | 0.64% |
| 2004 | 9,491 | 51.02% | 9,057 | 48.69% | 53 | 0.28% |
| 2008 | 11,447 | 46.30% | 13,074 | 52.88% | 204 | 0.83% |
| 2012 | 12,405 | 47.21% | 13,598 | 51.75% | 272 | 1.04% |
| 2016 | 13,591 | 49.69% | 12,909 | 47.19% | 853 | 3.12% |
| 2020 | 16,647 | 52.68% | 14,565 | 46.09% | 386 | 1.22% |
| 2024 | 17,383 | 54.15% | 14,365 | 44.75% | 356 | 1.11% |
Granville County was long a Democratic stronghold, for the most part, if not exclusively, only supporting Democratic candidates in presidential election until 1968, when it supportedGeorge Wallace. Today, it is somewhat of a national bellwether, having from 1992 onward supported the national winner in all the presidential elections with the exception of 2000, when it supportedAl Gore, and 2020, when it supportedDonald Trump.
The Granville County Courthouse, of Greek Revival architecture,[28] was built in 1840[29] and added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1979.
In its 2025 county economic tier ratings, theNorth Carolina Department of Commerce classified Granville as among the state's 20 least economically distressed counties, or "tier 1".[30][31]
TheGranville County School System contains 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 4 high schools
Geographic data related toGranville County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMap Places adjacent to Granville County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
Municipalities and communities ofGranville County, North Carolina,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
