Butner, North Carolina

For other uses, see Butner (disambiguation).

Butner, North Carolina
Town
Butner Town Hall
Seal
Location of Butner, North Carolina
Coordinates: 36°07′43″N78°45′00″W / 36.12861°N 78.75000°W / 36.12861; -78.75000
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Granville
Founded	1942
Incorporated	November 1, 2007 [1]
Named for	Henry W. Butner [2]
Area [3]
• Total	14.05 sq mi (36.39 km2)
• Land	14.03 sq mi (36.33 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation [4]	361 ft (110 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,397
• Density	598.67/sq mi (231.15/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	27509
Area code	919
FIPS code	37-09360 [5]
GNIS feature ID	2424932 [4]
Website	butnernc.org

An old water tower in Butner

Butner is a town in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,397 as of the 2020 census. ^[6] Butner was managed by the state of North Carolina from 1947 through 2007.

History

The area eventually comprising the town of Butner was originally land along the Occaneechi Path, a Native American trade route. Following the arrival of European settlers, it became a rural community populated by farmers. In August 1941, the U.S. federal government beginning planning for the development of a military facility in the area, motivated partly by its proximity to a rail line. Following the United States' entry into World War II that December, planning hastened and in January 1942 the government began ordered locals to vacate their land. The government ultimately evicted between 400 to 500 families and razed most of their homes and agricultural buildings to make way for a U.S. Army camp. Construction commenced in March and Camp Butner officially opened in August 1942. ^[7] It was named for Major General Henry W. Butner (1875–1937), a North Carolina native. ^{[8] [9]} Thousands of soldiers were trained at the camp for service overseas. By April 1946, activity at the facility had declined significantly and it was officially closed in January 1947. ^[7]

Following the camp's closure, its land was divided up among the U.S. War Assets Administration, the North Carolina National Guard, the state of North Carolina, and the dispossessed farmers who had once lived in the area. ^[10] The state converted its former infirmary into a psychiatry hospital. A civilian community subsequently developed around the hospital's new workforce. Some former camp facilities were retained by the residents for their own use such as its recreation center and churches, others were repurposed as homes, and some were demolished so their materials could be used in new construction. ^[7] The state government assumed responsibility for governance in the town and provided police and firefighting services. ^[10]

In 2003, a seven-member elective Butner Advisory Council was created to advise the North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services on governance of the town. ^{[10] [11]} Following legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, Butner became an incorporated community effective November 1, 2007 and the advisory council was turned into a town council. ^{[12] [10]} The town assumed responsibility for local police and firefighting services from the state in 2013. ^[13]

Geography

• 
  Gazebo Park
• 
  Lake Holt

Butner is located in southwestern Granville County. Interstate 85 passes through the town, southeast of the town center, with access from Exits 186, 189, and 191. I-85 leads northeast 16 miles (26 km) to Oxford, the Granville County seat, and southwest 13 miles (21 km) to Durham. Butner is bordered to the east by the city of Creedmoor.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.9 square miles (36.1 km²), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km²), or 0.18%, is water. ^[14] The town's layout is heavily influenced by the original development of Camp Butner. ^[7] Central Avenue serves as the community's main street, ^[15] and many other streets in the town are named with numbers and letters. ^[7]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1970	3,538		—
1980	4,240		19.8%
1990	4,679		10.4%
2000	5,792		23.8%
2010	7,591		31.1%
2020	8,397		10.6%
2022 (est.)	8,566	[16]	2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [17]

2020 census

Butner racial composition ^[18]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	3,421	40.74%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,663	31.71%
Native American	27	0.32%
Asian	46	0.55%
Pacific Islander	2	0.02%
Other/Mixed	324	3.86%
Hispanic or Latino	1,914	22.79%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,397 people, 2,865 households, and 2,022 families residing in the town.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,591 people in 2,767 households. The population density was 1,150.2 inhabitants per square mile (444.1/km²). There were 2,999 housing units at an average density of 454.4 per square mile (175.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 59.5% White, 30.1% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 6.5% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.7% of the population.

There were 2,767 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.74. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 13.8% from 25 to 34, 23.3% from 35-49, 18.8% from 50 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males.

The median income ^[19] for a household in the town was $45,437, and the mean income for a household was $51,466. The median and mean incomes for families were $53,186 and $55,847, respectively. The per capita income for the town was $17,654. About 4.1% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure

The area surrounding Butner includes:

• Camp Butner Training Center (Run by the North Carolina National Guard, consisting of roughly 5,000 acres)
• Federal Correctional Complex, Butner (4 units and one medical center, consisting of Camp Butner for males only, FCI Butner Low, FCI Butner Medium I, FCI Butner Medium II, and Federal Medical Center)
• Polk Correctional Institution, a facility of the North Carolina Department of Correction
• C.A. Dillon Youth Development Center, a juvenile facility of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (formerly the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) ^[20]
• Several facilities of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (Murdoch Developmental Center, Whitaker School, R. J. Blackley Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center, and Central Regional Hospital replacing John Umstead Hospital in Butner as well as Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh).

References

1. "Incorporation". Town of Butner. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
2. "North Carolina Gazetteer" . Retrieved November 25, 2023.
3. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
4. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Butner, North Carolina
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
7. Woltz, Rebecca (October 29, 2024). "Because of Camp Butner". Our State. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
8. "History from NC Dept. of Public Instruction site". Archived from the original on February 2, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2007.
9. "Camp Butner –On Duty for the Nation, 1942-1947". Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
10. "Town History : Incorporation". Butner, North Carolina. Town if Butner. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
11. "Butner Marks Historic Day With Close Council Race". WRAL-TV. Capitol Broadcasting Company. November 4, 2003. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
12. NC General Assembly
13. "Butner Public Safety". Butner, North Carolina. Town if Butner. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
14. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Butner town, North Carolina". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2017.^{[ dead link ‍]}
15. "Butner, North Carolina – South Granville County". Business View Magazine. July 29, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
16. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
17. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
18. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
19. Fact Finder, United States Census Bureau Archived February 10, 2020, at archive.today , Retrieved November 11, 2011
20. "Youth Development Centers Archived December 22, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ." North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Retrieved on December 16, 2015. "C. A. Dillon Youth Development Center 100 Dillon Drive Butner, N.C. 27509"

External links

• Official website
• North Carolina Historical Marker: Camp Butner
• Town of Butner at Blogspot