Pembroke, North Carolina

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Pembroke, North Carolina
Town
Pembroke Third Street.jpg
East 3rd Street in Pembroke
Pembroke, NC Town Seal.webp
Seal
Nickname: 
Home of the Lumbee Tribe
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Pembroke, North Carolina
Location within the state of North Carolina
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Pembroke, North Carolina
Pembroke, North Carolina (the United States)
Coordinates: 34°40′36″N79°11′36″W / 34.67667°N 79.19333°W / 34.67667; -79.19333
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Robeson
Incorporated1895 [1]
Named for Pembroke Jones [1]
Government
 • MayorCharles Gregory Cummings
Area
[2]
 • Total3.18 sq mi (8.23 km2)
 • Land3.18 sq mi (8.23 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[3]
171 ft (52 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total2,823
 • Density888.02/sq mi (342.88/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28372
Area codes 910, 472
FIPS code 37-51080 [4]
GNIS feature ID2407093 [3]
Website www.pembrokenc.com

Pembroke is a town in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. It is about 90 miles inland and northwest from the Atlantic Coast. The population was 2,823 at the 2020 census. The town is the seat of the state-recognized Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, as well as the home of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Contents

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1910 258—
1920 829221.3%
1930 524−36.8%
1940 78349.4%
1950 1,21254.8%
1960 1,37213.2%
1970 1,98244.5%
1980 2,69836.1%
1990 2,241−16.9%
2000 2,3997.1%
2010 2,97323.9%
2020 2,823−5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]

2020 census

Pembroke racial composition [6]
RaceNum.Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)37713.35%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)31311.09%
Native American 1,83064.82%
Asian 160.57%
Pacific Islander 10.04%
Other/Mixed 1776.27%
Hispanic or Latino 1093.86%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,823 people, 879 households, and 529 families residing in the town.

2000 census

Largest ancestries (2000) [7] Percent
Lumbee 67%
African American 5%
Unspecified Native American 4%
Irish 2%
English 2%
Scottish 2%
French 1%

According to the 2000 census, [4] there were 2,399 people, 961 households, and 611 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,023.9 inhabitants per square mile (395.3/km2). There were 1,043 housing units at an average density of 445.1 per square mile (171.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was:

There were 961 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.3% were married couples living together, 32.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 34.8% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $18,355, and the median income for a family was $21,218. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $21,510 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,202. About 39.9% of families and 40.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.3% of those under age 18 and 34.1% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2010 US Census, the population was 2,937. Of this, 1,975 (66.43%) were American Indian or Alaska Native, 489 (16.45%) were White, 367 (12.34%) were Black or African American, 101 (3.40%) were two or more races, 18 (0.61%) were some other race, 17 (0.57%) were Asian, 6 (0.20%) were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. 65 (2.19%) were Hispanic or Latino of any race. [8]

History

In 1860, there existed Campbell's Mill in Robeson County. That year the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad constructed an east–west line through the area, but no strong community developed and no train station was erected, probably due to the proximity of the larger communities of Moss Neck and Pates. [9] In 1892, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad proposed building a north–south line through Moss Neck, but at the opposition of a prominent citizen the line was moved a few miles west to Campbell's Mill. A train station was erected, and the Atlantic Land and Improvement Company plotted one square mile of streets centered around it. Lots were sold to private holders and the community quickly became a center for commerce. [10]

In 1895 the community's population stood at approximately 150 residents. [11] It was incorporated that year as the town of Pembroke, named for railway worker Pembroke Jones. In 1909 the Croatan Normal School was moved there. [12] The earliest buildings in the community were made of wood, with awnings built to cover their entrances. The first brick building was erected in 1922. Around that time, Pates Supply Company, a general store, was established and became the largest business in Pembroke. A highway was established in 1923 along the east–west railroad, and the first street was paved in 1932. [13] Pembroke became a center for Lumbee commercial activity, though most kept to the rural areas of the county. [14] Due to their predominance in the community, the town lacked strict adherence to many Jim Crow norms common in the South in early 20th century. [15]

Under the town's incorporating act, its citizens elected a mayor and a board of commissioners every year. Politically, the town fell under the control of its white minority, though by 1917 the Lumbee community had grown rapidly and was challenging this state of affairs. A white delegation went to Raleigh and petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly to alter the act. Under the new system, the Governor of North Carolina appointed the mayor and the commissioners. Due to an informal agreement the town usually had two Lumbee commissioners and two white commissioners under a white mayor. In 1945 a group of Lumbees petitioned the governor to support democratic reform in the municipal government. Two years later, the town returned to an elected government and Pembroke chose its first Lumbee mayor. [16]

The Old Main building at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and Pembroke High School, Former are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [17]

Town hall Town of Pembroke Town Hall.jpg
Town hall

Pembroke is the tribal seat of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the largest state-recognized tribe east of the Mississippi River and the largest without a reservation. Their origin has been disputed historically, as they are multi-tribal. Some tribes migrated from neighboring counties and states. In the 1950s, those who identified as Native American chose the name Lumbee, after what was later renamed the Lumber River.

Pembroke is home to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, a master's level degree-granting university and one of the 17 schools that comprise the University of North Carolina system. It was incorporated within the University of North Carolina system in 1972 and officially became the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 1996. Its enrollment is 7,667 as of fall 2022. With an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the average class size is 20. It boasts the safest campus of the UNC schools in U.S. News & World Report and is among the nation's most diverse. Its motto is: "Where learning gets personal."

Education

The only school district in the county is Robeson County Schools. [18]

Notable people

Related Research Articles

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

Robeson County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of North Carolina and is its largest county by land area. Its county seat and largest community is Lumberton. The county was formed in 1787 from part of Bladen County and named in honor of Thomas Robeson, a colonel who had led Patriot forces in the area during the Revolutionary War. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 116,530. It is a majority-minority county; its residents are approximately 38 percent Native American, 22 percent white, 22 percent black, and 10 percent Hispanic. It is included in the Fayetteville-Lumberton-Pinehurst, NC Combined Statistical Area. The state-recognized Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is headquartered in Pembroke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barker Ten Mile, North Carolina</span> CDP in North Carolina, United States

Barker Ten Mile is a census-designated place (CDP) in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 952 at the 2010 census. According to local author Christopher Musselwhite, the name "Barker Ten Mile" comes from the location of the community, near Barker United Methodist Church and Ten Mile Swamp, a local waterway.

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

Lumberton is a city in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. As of 2020, its population was 19,025. It is the seat of Robeson County's government.

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

McDonald is a town in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 113 at the 2010 census.

Orrum is a town in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 91 at the 2010 census.

Prospect is a census-designated place (CDP) in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 690 at the 2000 census. Located due northeast of Pembroke, Prospect is a traditionally Methodist community, with its church members largely becoming representatives for the entirety of the American Indian-Methodist community. Prospect is noted for one of its native sons, Adolph Dial, whose contributions to American Indian Studies have led to an heightened awareness of the local Lumbee Tribe and Native Americans throughout the Southeastern United States.

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

Rennert is a town in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 383 at the 2010 census. More than one-third of the population are Native American, primarily members of the Lumbee people, who are based in Robeson County,

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

Red Springs is a town in Robeson County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 3,428 at the 2010 census.

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

Maxton is a town in Robeson and Scotland counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,426 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census.

The Lumbee are a Federally recognized tribe, and are primarily centered in Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, and Scotland counties in North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Berry Lowry</span> Leader of Civil War and post-Civil War insurgent gang in North Carolina

Henry Berry Lowry was an American outlaw of the Tuscarora people. He led the Lowry Gang in North Carolina during and after the American Civil War. Many local North Carolinians remember him as a Robin Hood figure. Lowry was described by George Alfred Townsend, a correspondent for the New York Herald in the late 19th century, as "[o]ne of those remarkable executive spirits that arises now and then in a raw community without advantages other than those given by nature."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Hayes Pond</span> 1958 armed confrontation near Maxton, North Carolina, US

The Battle of Hayes Pond, also known as the Battle of Maxton Field or the Maxton Riot, was an armed confrontation between members of a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) organization and Lumbee people at a Klan rally near Maxton, North Carolina, on the night of January 18, 1958. The clash resulted in the disruption of the rally and a significant amount of media coverage praising the Lumbees and condemning the Klansmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowry War</span> Post-American Civil War conflict in North Carolina

The Lowry War or Lowrie War was a conflict that took place in and around Robeson County, North Carolina, United States from 1864 to 1874 between a group of mostly Native American outlaws and civil local, state, and federal authorities. The conflict is named for Henry Berry Lowry, a Lumbee who led a gang of Native American, white and black men which robbed area farms and killed public officials who pursued them.

Adolph Lorenz Dial was an American historian, professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and a specialist in American Indian Studies. Dial was a member of the Lumbee Tribe and a graduate of Pembroke State College, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in social studies. Soon after graduating, Dial enlisted with the United States Army, completing a tour of duty in the European theater of World War II. Post-military, Dial obtained his master's degree and an advanced certificate in social studies from Boston University. Hired by Pembroke State College in 1958, Dial would go on to create the college's American Indian Studies program, the first of its kind at any university in the Southeast. In addition to his role in academia, Dial was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for a single term. Over the course of his career, Dial devoted the majority of his academic work towards enriching and publicizing the history of the Lumbee Tribe and its importance within the history of North Carolina, and within the greater narrative of Native American peoples. Dial died on December 24, 1995, 12 days after his 73rd birthday.

Ruth Dial Woods was an American educator and activist. A member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, she was the first woman to serve as the associate superintendent of the Robeson County Public Schools and to receive an at-large appointment to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. After teaching in the public school system of Robeson County for 27 years, she joined the faculty at Fayetteville State University. In addition to her work as an educator, Woods was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's liberation movement, and the American Indian Movement. She has served as a community development consultant for the United States Department of Labor and as a consultant for the Lumbee Tribal Council for administration of tribal programs. The recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work in human rights and education, in 2011, she was inducted into the North Carolina Women's Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moss Neck, North Carolina</span> Community in Robeson County, North Carolina

Moss Neck is a community in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States.

Pates is a community in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis M. Wishart</span> American military officer

Francis "Frank" Marion Wishart was an American military officer. He served with the 46th North Carolina Infantry Regiment of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Wounded in combat, he left the war with rank of captain before returning to Robeson County, North Carolina to marry and open a store. He thereafter became involved in the Lowry War and in 1871 was made a colonel in charge of a county militia tasked with suppressing a gang of outlaws in the area. He was killed under disputed circumstances in a meeting with some of the outlaws in May 1872.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scuffletown, North Carolina</span>

Scuffletown was a community in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States in the 1700s and 1800s dominated by Lumbee Native Americans. The exact location of the community, the date of its creation, and the origin of its name are unclear. The community, which had no formal government, encompassed swampy territory dotted with small farms and simple cabins. Most Scuffletonians were poor and made livings by growing crops, hunting and fishing, picking berries, or performing labor for neighboring farmers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Main (University of North Carolina at Pembroke)</span> United States historic place

The Old Main is a historic building on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in Pembroke, North Carolina. Completed in 1923, it was the first brick building on the university's campus, then known as the Cherokee Indian Normal School of Robeson County. The building originally hosted classrooms, auditorium space, and administrative offices. After administrative officials moved to a new building in 1949, the structure acquired the "Old Main" name. Since it was used for other community events, it gained additional importance to the primarily Native American student body at the school. Old Main was slated for destruction in 1972, but this decision was overturned after protests by community members. A fire, likely the result of arson, gutted the building in 1973. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and fully restored and reopened in 1979. It presently hosts several university departments and student media outlets.

References

  1. 1 2 "North Carolina Gazetteer" . Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  2. ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Pembroke, North Carolina
  4. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  7. ↑ [ dead link ]
  8. ↑ "2010 Census Population of Pembroke, North Carolina - CensusViewer".
  9. ↑ Dial & Eliades 1996, pp. 141–142.
  10. ↑ Dial & Eliades 1996, p. 142.
  11. ↑ Dial & Eliades 1996, p. 145.
  12. ↑ Dial & Eliades 1996, pp. 142–143.
  13. ↑ Dial & Eliades 1996, p. 144.
  14. ↑ Dial & Eliades 1996, p. 146.
  15. ↑ Lowery 2010, pp. 1–2.
  16. ↑ Dial & Eliades 1996, p. 143.
  17. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  18. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Robeson County, NC" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved October 22, 2024. - Text list
  19. ↑ Ladner, Addie (March 31, 2022). "An Old Soul: Singer-Songwriter Charly Lowry". WALTER Magazine. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Charly Lowry - Millennium Stage (November 9, 2023)". The Kennedy Center. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  21. ↑ Winick, Stephen (March 18, 2024). "Homegrown Plus: Charly Lowry | Folklife Today". The Library of Congress. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  22. ↑ Hersch, Hank. May 18, 1987. Number One At The Gun. Vault. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  23. ↑ Mike McRae Bio. Sports-Reference/Olympic Sports. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  24. ↑ March 15, 2016. Lumbee advocate, Revels, dies. The Robesonian. Retrieved May 26, 2019.

Works cited

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