Grifton, North Carolina

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Grifton, North Carolina
Town
Grifton, North Carolina.jpg
Commercial buildings along Queen Street
Seal of Grifton, North Carolina.png
Seal
Nickname: 
"The 'Shad' Capital of North Carolina"
Motto: 
"Come Home To...The Family Town!"
NCMap-doton-Grifton.PNG
Location of Grifton, North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°22′22″N77°26′33″W / 35.37278°N 77.44250°W / 35.37278; -77.44250
Country United States
State North Carolina
Counties Lenoir, Pitt
Government
 •  Mayor Billy Ray Jackson
Area
[1]
 • Total2.68 sq mi (6.95 km2)
 • Land2.68 sq mi (6.95 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[2]
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total2,448
 • Density912.75/sq mi (352.36/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28530
Area code 252
FIPS code 37-28200 [3]
GNIS feature ID2406620 [2]
Website www.grifton.com

Grifton is a town in Lenoir and Pitt counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,617 at the 2010 census. [4] The Pitt County portion of the town is a part of the Greenville Metropolitan Statistical Area located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region.

Contents

History

Settlement in the area dates back to 1756, when the locale was known as Peter's Ferry. By 1764, it was known as Blount's Ford. In the 1800s according to local knowledge, the Contentnea Creek bridge was set ablaze during the Civil War, prompting Mr. Coward to construct a replacement bridge in 1867. However, this bridge had a short lifespan, leading Franklin Bell, a nearby blacksmith and chair-maker, to operate a ferry across the creek. As a result, the location earned the name Bell's Ferry, which persisted even after the county erected a fresh bridge over the creek in 1869. It was incorporated under that name in 1883. The name was formally changed to Grifton six years later to honor local merchant C. M. A. Griffin. Soon thereafter, it became styled as Grifton. [5]

Geography

Grifton is located on the southern edge of Pitt County mostly on the northeastern side of Contentnea Creek, which forms the county line. A small portion of the town is on the southwestern side of the creek in Lenoir County. North Carolina Highway 11 passes just west of the town, leading north 13 miles (21 km) to Greenville, the Pitt county seat, and southwest 7 miles (11 km) to Kinston, the Lenoir county seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.73 square miles (7.07 km2), all land. [6] Contentnea Creek is a southeastward-flowing tributary of the Neuse River.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890 121—
1900 22989.3%
1910 29127.1%
1920 37528.9%
1930 4037.5%
1940 45613.2%
1950 51011.8%
1960 1,816256.1%
1970 1,8602.4%
1980 2,17917.2%
1990 2,3939.8%
2000 2,073−13.4%
2010 2,61726.2%
2020 2,448−6.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]

2020 census

Grifton racial composition [8]
RaceNumberPercentage
White (non-Hispanic)1,10745.22%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)97839.95%
Native American 60.25%
Asian 70.29%
Pacific Islander 20.08%
Other/Mixed 863.51%
Hispanic or Latino 26210.7%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,448 people, 1,103 households, and 762 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census [3] of 2000, there were 2,073 people, 812 households, and 583 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,209.4 inhabitants per square mile (467.0/km2). There were 1,092 housing units at an average density of 637.1 per square mile (246.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 63.24% White, 33.19% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 2.32% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 4.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Education

Grifton is served by Grifton School with grades Pre-K through 8. It is administered by the Pitt County Public School system. High school students attend nearby Ayden-Grifton High School, which is located between Ayden and Grifton. Just south of Grifton is the private K-12 school Arendell Parrott Academy.

Higher education is provided through Pitt Community College in Winterville and Lenoir Community College in Kinston. East Carolina University is located north of Grifton in Greenville.

Constructions

The WITN tower is a guyed TV mast with a height of 1,985 feet (605 m) located in the town.[ citation needed ]

Local events

Shad Festival

In 1971, citizens in the town of Grifton established the annual Grifton Shad Festival as a way to increase interest in the town and to provide family-oriented fun for all ages working together. [9] The Shad Festival was suggested by then North Carolina extension agent Ed Comer. Most events are free and outdoors. There are now 40 events, ranging from parade and pony rides to art show, clogging, Hispanic dances, lying contest, historical museum and athletic competitions, including the Shad Toss (throwing real fish).

The annual celebration includes:

John Lawson Legacy Days

John Lawson Legacy Days is an annual event held at the Grifton Historical Museum and Indian Village, focusing on reenactors, historic interpreters, and historical technology demonstrations. [10] The event was first held in 2010 and is named after John Lawson, an English explorer, naturalist and surveyor who traveled through the Carolinas in 1701 and published a book about his travels in 1709. Lawson was killed by a group of Tuscarora near Grifton in 1711.

Back-N-Time Book Club

Back-N-Time Book Club is a book club organized by the Grifton Historical Museum in combination with North Carolina Literacy to introduce children and adults to reading.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitt County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Pitt County is a county located in the Inner Banks region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 170,243, making it the 14th-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Greenville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenoir County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Lenoir County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,122. Its county seat is Kinston, located on the Neuse River, across which the county has its territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greene County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

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Snow Hill is a town in Greene County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,595 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Greene County and is part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area. Snow Hill hosts numerous tennis tournaments during the year. Snow Hill is home to the Green Ridge Racquet Club. Many junior players and adults travel to Snow Hill in order to play in the USTA Sanctioned tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinston, North Carolina</span> City in North Carolina, United States

Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 19,900 as of the 2020 census. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791. Kinston is located in the coastal plains region of eastern North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Grange, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayden, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Ayden is a town in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,977 at the 2020 census. The town is a part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area of North Carolina's Inner Banks region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethel, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Bethel is a town in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,577 at the 2010 census. The town is a part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. Confusingly, there are three other towns in the state named "Bethel." One is between Edenton and Hertford in the "Finger Counties" region in the northeastern corner of the state, another is in the north-central part, in Caswell County and the third is located in the Mountain Region of North Carolina, in Haywood County. There is also a community named Bethel located in Watauga County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farmville, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Farmville is a town in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States, eight miles to the west of Greenville. At the 2010 Census, the population was 4,654. Farmville is a part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. Farmville has been a Tree City USA community through the Arbor Day Foundation for 36 years, proving its commitment to managing and expanding its public trees. The Town government, in cooperation with other non-profit groups that work for the advancement of the town, sponsor annual events such as the Farmville Dogwood Festival, the Christmas Parade, Independence Day Celebration, A Taste of Farmville, and the Holiday Open House, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenville, North Carolina</span> City in North Carolina, United States

Greenville is the county seat and most populous city of Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. It is the principal city of the Greenville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the 12th-most populous city in North Carolina. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain. As of the 2020 census, there were 87,521 people in the city. The city has continued to see a population increase with a majority of the influx being seen during the 20th and early 21st centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winterville, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Highway 118</span> State highway in North Carolina, US

North Carolina Highway 118 (NC 118) is an 18.5-mile-long (29.8 km) primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It runs east–west from NC 11 in Grifton to NC 43 in Vanceboro.

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Graingers is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 229.

North Lenoir High School is a public high school in La Grange, North Carolina serving grades 9–12. It was created as part of school consolidation of Contentnea, Wheat Swamp and La Grange schools in 1964. The school reports 100 percent of its students are economically challenged. In 2024, 40.6 percent of the student body was white, 39.3% was black and 15.9 percent Hispanic. It won back to back state championships in basketball. The school's mascot was originally a buccaneer and then a hawk. The school colors are black and white. The school is part of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and its teams compete in the 2A Conference.

References

  1. ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grifton, North Carolina
  3. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), Grifton town, North Carolina". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  5. ↑ Powell, William S. (1976). The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. p. 205. ISBN   9780807812471.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Grifton Shad Festival – Shad Capital of North Carolina".
  10. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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