Franklin County, North Carolina

Not to be confused with Franklin, North Carolina.

Franklin County
County
Franklin County Courthouse in Louisburg
Seal Logo
Motto(s):  "Leges Juraque Vindicamus" (Latin) (We Defend Laws and Justice) "A Research Triangle Region Community"
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°05′N78°17′W / 36.09°N 78.28°W / 36.09; -78.28
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1779
Named for	Benjamin Franklin
Seat	Louisburg
Largest community	Louisburg
Area
• Total	494.57 sq mi (1,280.9 km2)
• Land	491.80 sq mi (1,273.8 km2)
• Water	2.77 sq mi (7.2 km2)  0.56%
Population  (2020)
• Total	68,573
• Estimate  (2023)	77,001
• Density	140/sq mi (54/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.franklincountync.gov

Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,573. ^[1] Its county seat is Louisburg. ^[2] Franklin County is included in the Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023. ^[3]

History

The county was formed in 1779 from the southern half of Bute County. It is named for Benjamin Franklin. ^[4] It is a part of the Research Triangle.

County formation timeline

• 1664 – Albemarle County 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 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• 1754 – Creation of Bertie Precinct, Edgecombe County, & Granville County repealed by King George II, in Privy Council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
• 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." ^{[5] [6]}

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. ^[7]

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

Interactive map of Franklin County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 494.57 square miles (1,280.9 km²), of which 491.80 square miles (1,273.8 km²) is land and 2.77 square miles (7.2 km²) (0.56%) is water. ^[8]

State and local protected areas

• Sandy Creek Game Land (part) ^[9]
• Shocco Creek Game Land (part) ^[9]
• V.E. and Lydia H. Owens Recreational Park at Bull Creek

Major water bodies

• Buffalo Creek
• Camping Creek
• Crooked Creek
• Fishing Creek
• Lake Royale
• Little River
• Sandy Creek
• Shocco Creek
• Tar River

Adjacent counties

• Warren County – northeast
• Vance County – north
• Granville County – northwest
• Wake County – southwest
• Johnston County – south
• Nash County – east

Major highways

• 
  Future I-87
• US 1
• US 1A
• US 64
• US 401
• NC 39
• NC 56
• NC 58
• NC 96
• NC 97
• NC 98
• NC 561
• NC 581

Major infrastructure

• Triangle North Executive Airport

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	7,502		—
1800	8,529		13.7%
1810	10,166		19.2%
1820	9,741		−4.2%
1830	10,665		9.5%
1840	10,980		3.0%
1850	11,713		6.7%
1860	14,107		20.4%
1870	14,134		0.2%
1880	20,829		47.4%
1890	21,090		1.3%
1900	25,116		19.1%
1910	24,692		−1.7%
1920	26,667		8.0%
1930	29,456		10.5%
1940	30,382		3.1%
1950	31,341		3.2%
1960	28,755		−8.3%
1970	26,820		−6.7%
1980	30,055		12.1%
1990	36,414		21.2%
2000	47,260		29.8%
2010	60,619		28.3%
2020	68,573		13.1%
2023 (est.)	77,001	[1]	12.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [10] 1790–1960 [11] 1900–1990 [12] 1990–2000 [13] 2010 [14] 2020 [1]

2020 census

Franklin County racial composition ^[15]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	42,285	61.66%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	15,785	23.02%
Native American	259	0.38%
Asian	452	0.66%
Pacific Islander	17	0.02%
Other/Mixed	2,813	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	6,962	10.15%

As of the 2020 census, there were 68,573 people, 26,720 households, and 20,443 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, ^[16] there were 60,619 people, 23,023 households, and 16,317 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile (47 people/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 66.0% White, 26.7% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 4.4% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 7.9% of the population were Hispanic 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 for the county was $21,399. About 12.3% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, 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 units per square mile (21 units/km²). 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%. ^[16]

Law and government

Franklin County is governed by an appointed county manager and a seven-member Board of Commissioners who are elected in staggered four-year terms. Five are chosen by district and the other two at-large. ^[17] Additional county officials who are elected include Sheriff, Register of Deeds, Board of Education and Clerk of Superior Court. ^[18]

Franklin County is patrolled by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office located in Louisburg. The current sheriff is Kevin White, who was elected in 2022. ^[19] 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. ^[20] Franklin County also is covered by Troop C, District IV of the North Carolina Highway Patrol, located in Henderson, North Carolina. ^[21]

Franklin County is a member of the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments. ^[22]

• County Manager: Kim Denton
• County Assistant Managers: William Doerfer and Ryan Preble
• Commissioner (district 1): Kelli London
• Commissioner (district 2): Roxanne Bragg
• Commissioner (district 3): James Mark Speed
• Commissioner (district 4): David Bunn
• Commissioner (district 5): Michael Schriver
• Commissioner (at-large): Harry L. Foy Jr.
• Commissioner (at-large): Danny Pearce
• Clerk to the Board: Kristen G. King
• Sheriff: Kevin White
• 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

Politics

County political party headquarters in Louisburg

Historical presidential election returns

United States presidential election results for Franklin County, North Carolina [23] Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies) No.  % No.  % No.  % 2020 20,901 55.96% 15,879 42.51% 571 1.53% 2016 16,368 53.90% 12,874 42.39% 1,126 3.71% 2012 14,603 51.44% 13,436 47.33% 350 1.23% 2008 13,273 49.83% 13,085 49.12% 281 1.05% 2004 11,540 55.17% 9,286 44.39% 92 0.44% 2000 8,501 52.96% 7,454 46.44% 96 0.60% 1996 5,648 43.36% 6,448 49.50% 930 7.14% 1992 4,669 35.20% 6,517 49.13% 2,080 15.68% 1988 5,499 50.17% 5,438 49.62% 23 0.21% 1984 5,984 55.57% 4,766 44.26% 18 0.17% 1980 3,508 38.63% 5,427 59.76% 146 1.61% 1976 2,630 32.50% 5,405 66.79% 58 0.72% 1972 5,431 68.37% 2,341 29.47% 172 2.17% 1968 1,375 14.10% 2,855 29.27% 5,525 56.64% 1964 2,097 31.53% 4,554 68.47% 0 0.00% 1960 1,108 17.90% 5,081 82.10% 0 0.00% 1956 792 13.00% 5,298 87.00% 0 0.00% 1952 740 12.10% 5,376 87.90% 0 0.00% 1948 234 4.72% 4,538 91.55% 185 3.73% 1944 289 6.79% 3,967 93.21% 0 0.00% 1940 227 4.58% 4,724 95.42% 0 0.00% 1936 231 4.25% 5,209 95.75% 0 0.00% 1932 199 4.42% 4,294 95.34% 11 0.24% 1928 729 20.48% 2,831 79.52% 0 0.00% 1924 302 13.10% 1,991 86.34% 13 0.56% 1920 589 17.68% 2,742 82.32% 0 0.00% 1916 396 16.14% 2,057 83.86% 0 0.00% 1912 71 3.12% 1,856 81.62% 347 15.26%

Franklin County, from 1912 until 1964, was a typical Solid South 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 candidate earning the majority of the vote in most elections since.

Economy

The county's economy and population is growing due to its proximity to growth in Wake County. ^{[24] [25]}

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. ^[26]

Franklin County is home to the two-year Methodist-affiliated Louisburg College and to a satellite campus of Vance-Granville Community College. ^[27]

Youngsville Academy, a college-preparatory, tuition-free charter school, opened in July 2015. Wake Preparatory Academy, a charter school with an enrollment of 750, opened in 2022.

Communities

Map of Franklin County with municipal and township labels

Towns

• Bunn
• Franklinton
• Louisburg (county seat and largest community)
• Youngsville

Census-designated places

• Centerville
• Lake Royale

Unincorporated communities

• Alert
• Epsom
• Five Points
• Gold Sand
• Gupton
• Halls Crossroads
• Harris Crossroads
• Hickory Rock
• Ingleside
• Katesville
• Kearney
• Justice
• Laurel Mill
• Mapleville
• Margaret
• Mitchiners Crossroads
• Moulton
• Needmore
• New Hope
• Oswego
• Pearces
• Pilot
• Pine Ridge
• Pocomoke
• Raynor
• Riley
• Rocky Ford
• Royal
• Schloss
• Seven Paths
• Stallings Crossroads
• Sutton
• White Level
• Wilders Corner
• Wood

Townships

• Cedar Rock
• Cypress Creek
• Dunn
• Franklinton
• Gold Mine
• 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
• Haliwa-Saponi, state-recognized tribe that resides in the county

References

1. "QuickFacts: Franklin County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  131.
5. "An Oral History of School Desegregation in Franklin County, North Carolina". July 4, 2016. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016.
6. Louisburg College (March 29, 2018). "County Schools Fully Desegregated Fifty Years Ago" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2018.
7. Willard, George-Anne. Franklin County Sketchbook. Louisburg, NC: Franklin County-Louisburg Bicentenary Committee, 1982.
8. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
9. "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
12. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
14. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
15. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
16. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 17, 2015.
17. Franklin County, North Carolina (Commissioners) Archived November 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , Retrieved November 3, 2015.
18. Franklin County, North Carolina (Services), Retrieved November 3, 2015.
19. "Franklin County Sheriff's Office". www.fcsonc.org. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
20. Lake Royale Police Department, Retrieved November 3, 2015.
21. North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Troop C - Raleigh Archived November 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , Retrieved November 4, 2015.
22. Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments, Retrieved November 4, 2015.
23. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
24. Hoopfer, Evan (January 26, 2023). "Million-dollar deal in Franklinton showcases 'exciting growth'". Triangle Business Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
25. Barkin, Dan (March 14, 2022). "Granville County's Oxford looks like the next boomtown". Business North Carolina. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
26. "Franklin County Schools / Homepage". www.fcschools.net. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
27. "Home - Louisburg College". www.louisburg.edu. Retrieved May 25, 2022.

External links

• Geographic data related to Franklin County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• Official website
• Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
• Franklin County Sheriff's Office
• Franklin County Schools
• Franklin County News Online
• Wake Weekly