Chatham County, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
_6.jpg) Chatham County Courthouse in Pittsboro | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 North Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:35°42′N79°15′W / 35.70°N 79.25°W /35.70; -79.25 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1771 |
| Named after | William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham |
| Seat | Pittsboro |
| Largest community | Siler City |
| Area | |
• Total | 708.93 sq mi (1,836.1 km2) |
| • Land | 681.68 sq mi (1,765.5 km2) |
| • Water | 27.25 sq mi (70.6 km2) 3.84% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 76,285 |
• Estimate (2024) | 83,874 |
| • Density | 111.91/sq mi (43.21/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 4th,9th |
| Website | www |
Chatham County (locally/ˈtʃætəm/CHAT-əm)[1] is acounty located in thePiedmont area of the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina. It is also the location of thegeographic center of North Carolina, northwest ofSanford.[2] As of the2020 census, the population was 76,285.[3] Itscounty seat isPittsboro.[4]
Chatham County is part of theDurham-Chapel Hill, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NCCombined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023.[5]
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Some of the first European settlers of what would become the county were EnglishQuakers, who settled along theHaw andEno rivers.[6] The county was formed in 1771 fromOrange County. It had been named in 1758 forWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, who served asBritish Prime Minister from 1766 to 1768 and opposed harsh colonial policies. In 1907, parts of Chatham County andMoore County were combined to formLee County.
The county did not have a county seat until 1778 when Chatham Courthouse was built. It was not until 1787 that it was renamed Pittsboro. In 1781, Chatham Courthouse was located the south side of Robeson Creek, where the Horton Middle school is currently located. The Chatham Courthouse was the site of an engagement during theAmerican Revolution on July 17, 1781. On July 16, 1781, Patriot leaders had tried and sentenced to hang severalLoyalist leaders. Hearing of their fate, Loyalist leader ColonelDavid Fanning and his men encircled Chatham Courthouse and took 53 prisoners including ColonelAmbrose Ramsey, some local militia, and three members of theNorth Carolina General Assembly.[7]
While not devoted to large plantations, the county was developed for small farms, where slave labor was integral to the owners' productivity and success. By 1860 one-third of the county population were African Americans, chiefly enslaved.[8]
Moncure, located at the confluence of theDeep andHaw rivers forming theCape Fear River, once served as the westernmost inland port in the state. Steamships could travel between it and the Atlantic Coast along that major river.[9]
After the Civil War and emancipation, white violence againstfreedmen increased in an assertion ofwhite supremacy and enforced dominance after emancipation. From the late 1860s secret terrorist organizations such as theKu Klux Klan, Constitutional Union Guard, and White Brotherhood were active against blacks in the county.[8] After Reconstruction and into the early 20th century, a total of sixlynchings of African Americans were recorded here. Harriet Finch, Jerry Finch, Lee Tyson, John Pattishall on September 30, 1885. Harriet Finch is 1 of only 4 lynchings of women to occur in North Carolina. Henry Jones was lynched on January 12, 1899, after being accused of raping and murdering Nancy Welch/Welsh, a white widow in Chatham County. The sixth person to be lynched wasEugene Daniel who was hanged and then had his body riddled with bullets on September 18, 1921.[10][11]
There was a notorious mass lynching of four African Americans on September 29, 1885, who were taken from the county jail in Pittsboro by a disguised mob at 1 am. The mob of 50–100 people hanged and killed Jerry Finch, his wife Harriet, and Lee Tyson, arrested for a robbery/murder.[8] Harriet Finch was one of four black women to be lynched in the state.[12] They also hanged John Pattishall, who was awaiting trial for two other unrelated robbery/murders.[8][13] Afterward, the editor ofThe Chatham Record strongly condemned the lynchings.[13] The county had the second-highest total of lynchings in the state, a number equaled by two other counties in this period.[14]
In 1977, the county adopted a council-manager form of government and hired a county manager.[15] On March 25, 2010, the Chatham County Courthouse, built in 1881 in the county seat of Pittsboro, caught fire while undergoing renovations. It has now been rebuilt.
Spanning the southern border of Chatham County, theDeep River Coal Field contains the only known potentially economicbituminous coal deposits in the state. Coal was mined here on an artisan scale in colonial times. It was commercially produced beginning from the early 1850s.
The communities ofCarbonton andCumnock (formerly called Egypt in Lee County) developed with the coal mining industry. Much of the coal mined in the field during theCivil War was used forConfederate operations.[16]
TheCoal Glen mine disaster of the 1920s, frequent flooding by the Deep River, the depth of the coal seam, and faulting of the seam sealed the fate of the mines. Production ceased in 1953.[17][18]
The county was long dependent on agriculture as the basis of the economy, and there were numerous subsistence farmers in historic times. The area's natural soil conditions (composed mostly of the hard red clay soil common to thePiedmont) did not support the cultivation of commodity cash crops such as tobacco; this was never important in the county's economy. As a result, settlers held fewer slaves than in some areas of the state, but by 1860 enslaved African Americans constituted about one-third of the county population.[8] The production of livestock has always been more important to the county, especially the breeding of cattle and poultry.
The county once had a thriving dairy industry, but in recent years most farms have been sold and developed.
Chatham County has a deep tradition in southern music.Tommy Thompson, of theRed Clay Ramblers, and Tommy Edwards have entertained for decades with traditional, old time and bluegrass. Artists in many styles of music have emerged, from rock and roll to big band. Of late, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance hosts various styles of music. A four-day outdoor festival is held twice each year, in April and October. Shakori Hills is also the location of the Hoppin John Fiddlers Convention and Mountain Aid benefit concert.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 708.93 square miles (1,836.1 km2), of which 681.68 square miles (1,765.5 km2) is land and 27.25 square miles (70.6 km2) (3.84%) is water.[19]
The county lies totally within thePiedmont physiographic region. The topography of the county is generally gently rolling with several higher hills rising above the general terrain. One of these hills,Terrells Mountain, on theOrange County line is the transmitter site for several radio and TV stations for the Raleigh-Durham market, includingWUNC-TV 4,WDCG (G105),WNCB (B93.9), andWUNC 91.5 FM (NC Public Radio).
The county lies within theCape Fear Riverdrainage basin. The Cape Fear River begins in the county near the community ofMoncure, at the confluence of theHaw River and theDeep River below Jordan Lake.B. Everett Jordan Lake, a major reservoir and flood-control lake, is located within theNew Hope River basin and lies mainly in eastern Chatham County. The lake is owned by theUS Army Corps of Engineers and is partially leased by the state of North Carolina as Jordan Lake State Recreation Area.
Much of the eastern part of the county lies within the Triassic Basin, a subregion of the Piedmont. Much of the bedrock in the county is volcanic in origin and formed during theTriassic period (hence the name). The Triassic origins have led to the formation of coal deposits in the southern part of the county. TheBoren Clay Products Pit just north of Gulf in extreme southern Chatham County is a place where Triassic flora fossils persist.[20][21] The volcanic origins also led to the creation of high amounts ofmetamorphic-based rocks in the county. The county lies on theCarolina Slate Belt. Soils in the county are mostly clay based and have a deep red color, as do most soils in the Piedmont. Groundwater in the county is generally full of minerals and tends to be "hard" if not softened. Mineral-based water was the attraction atMt. Vernon Springs during the latter part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. A resort spa was established at the mineral springs. Visitors would drink the water in the hopes of curing ailments and diseases. The resort closed in the early 20th century and is now gone. The springs are still there and are maintained by a local church.
The county has a humid subtropical climate and experiences hot and humid summers and cold winters.[22]
In addition to those mentioned below, the communities ofPittsboro,Siler City, andGoldston operate parks and other recreation facilities.[24][25]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 9,161 | — | |
| 1800 | 11,861 | 29.5% | |
| 1810 | 12,977 | 9.4% | |
| 1820 | 12,661 | −2.4% | |
| 1830 | 15,405 | 21.7% | |
| 1840 | 16,242 | 5.4% | |
| 1850 | 18,449 | 13.6% | |
| 1860 | 19,101 | 3.5% | |
| 1870 | 19,723 | 3.3% | |
| 1880 | 23,453 | 18.9% | |
| 1890 | 25,413 | 8.4% | |
| 1900 | 23,912 | −5.9% | |
| 1910 | 22,635 | −5.3% | |
| 1920 | 23,814 | 5.2% | |
| 1930 | 24,177 | 1.5% | |
| 1940 | 24,726 | 2.3% | |
| 1950 | 25,392 | 2.7% | |
| 1960 | 26,785 | 5.5% | |
| 1970 | 29,554 | 10.3% | |
| 1980 | 33,415 | 13.1% | |
| 1990 | 38,759 | 16.0% | |
| 2000 | 49,329 | 27.3% | |
| 2010 | 63,505 | 28.7% | |
| 2020 | 76,285 | 20.1% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 83,874 | [27] | 9.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[28] 1790–1960[29] 1900–1990[30] 1990–2000[31] 2010[32] 2020[3] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[33] | Pop 2010[34] | Pop 2020[35] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 35,222 | 45,185 | 53,087 | 71.60% | 71.15% | 69.59% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 8,355 | 8,272 | 7,768 | 16.94% | 13.03% | 10.18% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 158 | 163 | 173 | 0.32% | 0.26% | 0.23% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 286 | 694 | 1,616 | 0.58% | 1.09% | 2.12% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 11 | 15 | 24 | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 52 | 129 | 308 | 0.11% | 0.20% | 0.40% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 402 | 819 | 2,937 | 0.81% | 1.29% | 3.85% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,743 | 8,228 | 10,372 | 9.62% | 12.96% | 13.60% |
| Total | 49,329 | 63,505 | 76,285 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, there were 76,285 people, 30,674 households, and 21,406 families residing in the county.
Chatham County has seen a rapidly growing Hispanic population, exceeding the Black population in the 2020 census.[35] The largest community entirely in the county,Siler City, reported a 53 percent Hispanic population, making it the first ever recorded Hispanic majority municipality in North Carolina.[36]
At the2010 census, there were 63,505 people and 24,877 households residing in the county.[37] The population density was 93.1 people per square mile (35.9 people/km2). There were 28,753 housing units at an average density of 39 units per square mile (15 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 76.0%White, 13.2%Black orAfrican American, 0.5%Native American, 1.1%Asian, 0.0%Pacific Islander, 7.1% fromother races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 13.0% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
The median income for a household in the county was $56,038. The per capita income for the county was $29,991. About 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line.
In 2000, there were 19,741 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.91.
In 2000, the age distribution of the county was 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
A census tract within the county containing two affluent retirement communities had the highest average lifespan in the United States—97.5 years—according to data provided by the National Center for Health Statistics.[38][39]
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A five-member Board of Commissioners governs Chatham County. The commissioners are elected at large, but must reside within a particular district. Members of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners are elected for four-year terms, but the terms are staggered so that all five seats are not up for election at the same time.[40] The board appoints a clerk, county manager, county attorney, and county tax administrator. The county manager oversees the regular operation of the county government's administration.[15]
Chatham County is a member of theCentral Pines Regional Council.[41]
Chatham County lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 18th Prosecutorial District, the 18thSuperior Court District, and the 18thDistrict Court District.[42]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 70 | 2.28% | 1,652 | 53.86% | 1,345 | 43.85% |
| 1916 | 1,501 | 44.75% | 1,839 | 54.83% | 14 | 0.42% |
| 1920 | 2,906 | 47.70% | 3,186 | 52.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 2,755 | 44.32% | 3,446 | 55.44% | 15 | 0.24% |
| 1928 | 3,318 | 55.32% | 2,680 | 44.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 2,590 | 37.47% | 4,263 | 61.68% | 59 | 0.85% |
| 1936 | 2,182 | 33.29% | 4,373 | 66.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 1,829 | 31.24% | 4,025 | 68.76% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,431 | 38.67% | 3,856 | 61.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,008 | 34.65% | 3,396 | 58.60% | 391 | 6.75% |
| 1952 | 3,606 | 45.59% | 4,303 | 54.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 3,729 | 47.32% | 4,151 | 52.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 4,308 | 47.91% | 4,683 | 52.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 4,111 | 43.71% | 5,295 | 56.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 3,845 | 36.22% | 3,532 | 33.27% | 3,239 | 30.51% |
| 1972 | 6,175 | 62.12% | 3,624 | 36.46% | 142 | 1.43% |
| 1976 | 4,279 | 39.90% | 6,397 | 59.65% | 49 | 0.46% |
| 1980 | 5,414 | 41.00% | 7,144 | 54.10% | 647 | 4.90% |
| 1984 | 8,595 | 53.39% | 7,458 | 46.33% | 46 | 0.29% |
| 1988 | 6,999 | 47.81% | 7,600 | 51.92% | 40 | 0.27% |
| 1992 | 6,568 | 35.36% | 9,520 | 51.25% | 2,489 | 13.40% |
| 1996 | 7,731 | 42.03% | 9,353 | 50.84% | 1,312 | 7.13% |
| 2000 | 10,248 | 48.96% | 10,461 | 49.98% | 222 | 1.06% |
| 2004 | 12,892 | 49.73% | 12,897 | 49.75% | 133 | 0.51% |
| 2008 | 14,668 | 44.61% | 17,862 | 54.32% | 350 | 1.06% |
| 2012 | 16,665 | 47.03% | 18,361 | 51.82% | 408 | 1.15% |
| 2016 | 17,105 | 42.92% | 21,065 | 52.86% | 1,679 | 4.21% |
| 2020 | 21,186 | 43.59% | 26,787 | 55.12% | 626 | 1.29% |
| 2024 | 22,507 | 43.03% | 29,014 | 55.48% | 780 | 1.49% |
At a presidential level, Chatham County leans Democratic: no Republican presidential nominee has carried Chatham County sinceRonald Reagan's1984 landslide, althoughJohn Kerry came within six votes of losing the county in2004, and no candidate from either major party has obtained less than 35 percent of the county's vote sincethe three-way 1968 election whenRichard Nixon managed to carry the county with merely 36.2% of the vote. Before 1960, Chatham was basically a typical "Solid South" county, only voting Republican in1928 due to opposition toAl Smith's Roman Catholic faith, and in1900 – although in1892, it was one of three counties in the state to give a plurality of its ballots to PopulistJames B. Weaver, the others beingNash andSampson Counties.
In 2022, local and state elections Chatham County favored Democratic candidates.[44] The county is represented in theNorth Carolina Senate by DemocratNatalie Murdock in the20th district and in theNorth Carolina House of Representatives by DemocratRobert Reives in the54th district.[45]
The county is one of the state leaders in the poultry industry. Forage crops such ashay are also grown in large quantities in the county.Carolina Farm Stewardship Association has been housed in Chatham County, along with manyorganic agriculturefarmers, including Councilman Farms and Phillips Dairy Farms.
Industrial growth in the county has been focused around theSiler City andMoncure areas of the county, with Moncure dominating. Companies in that area include,Progress Energy,Boise Cascade,Honeywell, andArauco. Brick manufacturing, which makes use of the local red clay soil, has been an important economic factor in the Moncure area, with several brick plants operating there and in Brickhaven.
3M operates agreenstone mine south ofPittsboro alongUS 15-501. Greenstone is processed to manufacture roofing-shingle granules. In 2007, residents opposed to industrialization successfully blocked a similar quarry from being developed in the western part of the county.
Manufacturing investments by the private sector, local government and federal incentives have led to new jobs in thecomputer chip sector andelectric vehicles.[46][47] By the end of 2024, the newWolfspeed factory will begin production ofsilicon carbide wafers for computer chips, which will create up to 1,800 new jobs.[46]
Chatham County contributes funds to, but does not govern, K-12 public education and the community college system. TheChatham County School System is governed by its own elected board. There are four public high schools:Seaforth inPittsboro,Northwood inPittsboro,Jordan-Matthews inSiler City, andChatham Central inBear Creek.
Chatham is home to three charter schools – Woods Charter School,[48] Chatham Charter High School, and Willow Oak Montessori Charter School.
Woods Charter School is a grade K-12 public school. The school moved into a new fully equipped building on 160 Woodland Grove Lane outsidePittsboro in August 2008. Woods ranked "top ten" on SAT scores in North Carolina.
Chatham Charter High School is a grade K-12 public school. The school is located on 2200 Hamp Stone Road inSiler City, NC.
Willow Oak Montessori Charter School is a tuition-free public school located in Central Chatham County, that currently serves children in grades 1 through 8.
Central Carolina Community College, which has two campuses in the county, is governed by its own appointed Board of Trustees.
Generally, county resources provide only part of the total funding for K-12 and community colleges, but the county devotes a considerable amount of its resources to public education. In fiscal year 2007–08, more than 39% of the county's tax dollars went to education.
According to the N.C. Association of County Commissioners Annual Tax and Budget Survey for fiscal year 2006–07, the county ranked 11th in the state in total spending per student and fifth in the percent of the current expense/general funds spent on schools per student. The county also was 14th in overall education resources per capita during fiscal year 06–07.
Chatham County has managed to retain its rural character in part because it is not served by an Interstate Highway. However, Chatham County plays an important role in regional transportation due to its close proximity to the geographic center of North Carolina and to major cities such as Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro. Though driving is the dominant mode due to the county's rural nature, residents enjoy a number of transportation options.[49]
The main east–west artery serving Chatham County is U.S. 64, which provides access to Siler City and Pittsboro. U.S. Routes 421 and 15–501 run in a north–south direction through the county; U.S. 421 serves Siler City and U.S. 15–501 serves Pittsboro. During the 1990s and early 2000s, theNCDOT invested more than one hundred million dollars upgrading U.S. 64, U.S. 421 and U.S. 15–501, which had previously been two-lane roads, to multi-lane highways. There is now a U.S. 64 bypass north of Pittsboro; a similar freeway diverts traffic on U.S. 421 east of Siler City.
Chatham County is served by two public transit providers – Chatham Transit Network and Chapel Hill Transit. Chatham Transit Network (CTN) is the Community Transportation Program for Chatham County, providing fixed route and human service transportation. CTN's fixed route provides weekday service between Siler City, Pittsboro and Chapel Hill.
Chatham County provides many scenic bike routes along the county's rural highways. TheAmerican Tobacco Trail also traverses the northeast corner of the county.
NearbyRaleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) serves Chatham County.Siler City Municipal Airport (5W8) is located 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of downtown Siler City. This public access airport is home to several single and multiengine airplanes.
The county is served by bothNorfolk Southern Railway andCSX Transportation.[51] Norfolk Southern servesSiler City,Bonlee,Bear Creek, andGoldston as a part of a spur line that runs betweenGreensboro andSanford. CSX serves theMoncure area on trackage that runs betweenRaleigh andHamlet.
UNC Health runs Chatham Hospital in Siler City and several other specialized clinics in the county.[52]
Geographic data related toChatham County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Chatham County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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