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Enfield, North Carolina facts for kids

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Enfield, North Carolina
Buildings along Railroad Street
Buildings along Railroad Street
Location of Enfield, North Carolina
Location of Enfield, North Carolina
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Halifax
Area
 • Total 1.22 sq mi (3.15 km2)
 • Land 1.22 sq mi (3.15 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
105 ft (32 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 2,532
 • Estimate 
(2019)
2,274
 • Density 1,867.00/sq mi (720.83/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
27823
Area code(s) 252
FIPS code 37-21360
GNIS feature ID 1020153
Website www.enfieldnc.org

Enfield is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States, and was founded in 1740. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 2,532, which reflected an increase of almost 8% from the population of 2,347 in 2000. It is the oldest town in Halifax County, and was once the world’s largest raw peanut market. Enfield is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

One of the most significant historic events in this small rural town was the Enfield Riots, which helped spark American Independence. The Crown governed the area, and Robert Earl Granville, heir of John Lord Carteret, possessed land rights in the district. The riots were set off by a controversy over corrupt agents, land grants, titles, and the collection of quitrents (which often ended up in Granville’s pocket). A group of Colonists – many of them land owners and office holders from Halifax, Edgecombe and Granville counties - went to Edenton on the night of January 25, 1759, and kidnapped Francis Corbin and a co-agent, Joshua Bodley. Corbin and Bodley were brought to Enfield, where they were thrown in jail for four days and forced to open all land records for public inspection. Corbin returned illegal fees he had collected, but he filed a lawsuit against his abductors after his release.

The suit was eventually dropped, but the Colonial Assembly jailed some of the men who had kidnapped Corbin and Bodley. A group of citizens in Enfield expressed outrage against British tyranny and on May 14, 1759, broke into jail and freed the men. It is thought that the actions of these rioters probably encouraged Willie Jones and the other radical leaders of North Carolina to push for independence from England through the Halifax Resolves of April 12, 1776.

National Register of Historic Places

Bell-Sherrod House, Bellamy's Mill, Samuel Warren Branch House, The Cellar, Enfield Graded School, Myrtle Lawn, James H. Parker House, Shell Castle, Strawberry Hill, and Whitaker's Chapel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Enfield is located at 36°10′47″N 77°40′08″W / 36.179843°N 77.668777°W / 36.179843; -77.668777 (36.179843, -77.668777).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2), all of it land.

Industries providing employment: Manufacturing (28.0%), Educational, health and social services (19.3%), Retail trade (10.2%), Arts,entertainment,recreation,accommodation and food services (10.0%).

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 504
1890 568 12.7%
1900 361 −36.4%
1910 1,167 223.3%
1920 1,648 41.2%
1930 2,234 35.6%
1940 2,208 −1.2%
1950 2,361 6.9%
1960 2,978 26.1%
1970 3,272 9.9%
1980 2,995 −8.5%
1990 3,082 2.9%
2000 2,347 −23.8%
2010 2,532 7.9%
2019 (est.) 2,274 −10.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Enfield racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 201 10.73%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,584 84.93%
Native American 11 0.59%
Asian 1 0.05%
Pacific Islander 1 0.05%
Other/Mixed 55 2.95%
Hispanic or Latino 12 0.64%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,865 people, 1,069 households, and 625 families residing in the town.

Notable people

  • John Branch Jr. was an American politician who served as U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, the 19th Governor of the state of North Carolina, and was the sixth and last territorial governor of Florida.
  • John T. Alsop, former mayor of Jacksonville, Florida.
  • George Eastman had a second home in Enfield. Eastman’s most regular vacations were his triannual trips down to Oak Lodge, his rustic hunting retreat in Enfield (Ringwood area), North Carolina.
  • Ruth Bellamy (1906-1969), writer, born in Enfield.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Enfield (Carolina del Norte) para niños

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