Lumberton, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lumberton, North Carolina
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City
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A view down Elm Street in Lumberton
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 Lumberton, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
Lumberton, North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Robeson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 17.81 sq mi (46.14 km2) |
| • Land | 17.73 sq mi (45.93 km2) |
| • Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2) |
| Elevation | 131 ft (40 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 21,542 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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20,484 |
| • Density | 1,155.00/sq mi (445.94/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
28358-28360
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| Area code(s) | 910 |
| FIPS code | 37-39700 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0989128 |
| Website | www.ci.lumberton.nc.us |
Lumberton is a city in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Robeson County, which is the largest county in the state by land area.
Located in southern North Carolina's Inner Banks region, Lumberton is located on the Lumber River. It was founded in 1787 by John Willis, an officer in the American Revolution. This was developed as a shipping point for lumber used by the Navy, and logs were guided downriver to Georgetown, South Carolina. Most of the town's growth took place after World War II.
Contents
History
The City of Lumberton was created by an Act of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1787 and was named the county seat of Robeson County. Lumberton was incorporated in 1859.
Robeson County is located in the Coastal Plains region of southeastern North Carolina. The county was created from Bladen County in 1786 by two American Revolutionary War heroes and residents of the area, General John Willis and Colonel Thomas Robeson. The county was named after Colonel Robeson and the land for the county seat was donated by General Willis, who is also credited with naming the county seat Lumberton.
The area was a frontier destination for both white and numerous free families of color from Virginia in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Many free blacks were descendants of white men and African women, whether slave, free or indentured, from the colonial years when working classes lived and worked near each other. The County has a high proportion of Lumbee, who have been recognized as a Native American tribe by the state of North Carolina but have not been able to receive federal recognition as an Indian tribe by the US Federal government or the B.I.A.
For four seasons, 1947-50, Lumberton fielded a professional minor league baseball team in the Tobacco State League. Affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, the team was known as the Lumberton Cubs in 1947 and '48, and the Lumberton Auctioneers in 1949 and '50.
Established in 1912, the Robeson County Health Department is recognized as the oldest rural health department in the nation. Its current headquarters is on the outskirts of Lumberton.
In 1970, Lumberton was named an All-American City, presented by the National Civic League. It became a two-time winner in 1995 of this award which recognizes those whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon results.
David Lynch's film Blue Velvet (1986) was set in Lumberton, though it was filmed about 70 miles (110 km) southeast in Wilmington. This situation raised some problems during filming, so Lynch filmed a small sequence in Lumberton and was subsequently allowed to use the name.
In 2010, the North Carolina Legislature designated Lumberton as THE FIRST Certified Retirement Community in North Carolina. This certification signals that Lumberton offers an unprecedented quality of living and range of amenities, services and opportunities which make it desirable to retirees. This program captured the Governor’s Innovative Small Business Community Award in 2011.
The Baker Sanatorium, Luther Henry Caldwell House, Carolina Theatre, Humphrey-Williams Plantation, Lumberton Commercial Historic District, Planters Building, Robeson County Agricultural Building, Alfred Rowland House, and US Post Office-Lumberton are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography
Lumberton is located at 34°37′38″N 79°00′43″W / 34.627239°N 79.011947°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.8 square miles (40.9 km2), of which 15.7 square miles (40.7 km2) are land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.44%) is water.
Lumberton is located on the Lumber River in the state's Coastal Plains region. The Lumber River State Park, 115 miles (185 km) of natural and scenic waterway, flows through Lumberton. The river was designated as a National Wild and Scenic River and is part of the North Carolina Natural and Scenic River System. The Lumber River has been classified as natural, scenic and recreational. Recreation includes canoeing and boating, fishing, hunting, picnicking, camping, nature study, swimming, biking, jogging, crafts and fossil and artifact hunting.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 615 | — | |
| 1880 | 533 | −13.3% | |
| 1890 | 584 | 9.6% | |
| 1900 | 849 | 45.4% | |
| 1910 | 2,230 | 162.7% | |
| 1920 | 2,691 | 20.7% | |
| 1930 | 4,140 | 53.8% | |
| 1940 | 5,803 | 40.2% | |
| 1950 | 9,186 | 58.3% | |
| 1960 | 15,305 | 66.6% | |
| 1970 | 16,961 | 10.8% | |
| 1980 | 18,241 | 7.5% | |
| 1990 | 18,601 | 2.0% | |
| 2000 | 20,795 | 11.8% | |
| 2010 | 21,542 | 3.6% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 20,484 | −4.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Lumberton is the larger principal city of the Lumberton-Laurinburg CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Lumberton (Robeson County) and Laurinburg (Scotland County) micropolitan areas, which had a combined population of 159,337 at the 2000 census.
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 6,657 | 34.99% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 6,764 | 35.55% |
| Native American | 2,500 | 13.14% |
| Asian | 379 | 1.99% |
| Pacific Islander | 23 | 0.12% |
| Other/Mixed | 814 | 4.28% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,888 | 9.92% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,025 people, 7,142 households, and 4,536 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 21,542 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 39.0% White, 36.7% Black, 12.7% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race and 2.2% from two or more races. 6.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Education
Public Schools of Robeson County operates public schools.
Notable people
- Angus Wilton McLean (1870–1935), served as 56th Governor of North Carolina from 1925–1929
- Brad Allen, NFL referee
- Benjamin Crump (born 1969), American civil rights attorney
- Brad Edwards (born 1966), defensive back who played for NFL's Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons; director of athletics at George Mason University
- Hunter Foster (born 1969), Tony Award-nominated actor
- Penny Fuller (born 1940), film, television and Broadway actress; moved to Lumberton at age 12
- Tommy Greene (born 1967), Major League Baseball pitcher
- Dr. Johnny Hunt, elected president of Southern Baptist Convention in 2008
- Dennis F. Kinlaw, academic, president of Asbury University; author of Christian theological works
- Vonta Leach (born 1981), fullback for NFL's Baltimore Ravens
- Ashton Locklear (born 1998), gymnast
- Gene Locklear (born 1949), Major League Baseball outfielder
- Sean Locklear (born 1981), football offensive tackle
- Dwight Lowry (1957–1997), Major League Baseball player for Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins
- Mike McIntyre (born 1956), U.S. Representative of North Carolina's 7th Congressional District from 1997 to 2015, also practiced law in city prior to election to Congress
- Afeni Shakur (1947–2016), prominent member of Black Panther Party and mother of rapper Tupac Shakur
- John Small (1946–2012), linebacker with NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions
- Ida Van Smith (1917–2003), pilot and flight instructor
- Jamain Stephens (born 1974), NFL offensive tackle for Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals
- Donnell Thompson (born 1958), NFL defensive end
- Betty Rose Wishart (born 1947), composer
- Tim Worley (born 1966), former running back for the Georgia Bulldogs and NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears
Images for kids
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Robeson County Courthouse in Lumberton, 1948
See also
- In Spanish: Lumberton (Carolina del Norte)
