Spencer, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spencer, North Carolina
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Downtown Spencer
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Location of Spencer, North Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Rowan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.07 sq mi (7.95 km2) |
| • Land | 3.07 sq mi (7.95 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 719 ft (219 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,308 |
| • Density | 1,077.88/sq mi (416.14/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
28159
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| Area code(s) | 704 |
| FIPS code | 37-63760 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2407381 |
| Website | spencernc.gov |
Spencer is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina, United States. It became an official town in 1905. According to the 2010 census, about 3,267 people lived there.
Contents
The Story of Spencer
The town of Spencer is named after Samuel Spencer. He was the very first president of the Southern Railway. Samuel Spencer helped start the railroad's important mechanical shops in this area in 1896. This spot was chosen because it was about halfway between Atlanta, GA and Washington, D.C. on the railway's main line.
As the shops were being built, the Southern Railway also created the town of Spencer. This town was designed to be a home for the workers. The railway divided 85 acres of land into 500 lots. Instead of renting houses to workers, the Southern Railway sold these lots for $100 each. The new owners had to build a house costing more than $400 within a year. The railway also gave land for churches and helped set up a YMCA in the town. Spencer grew very quickly. By 1901, 625 people lived there, and by the 1920s, the population reached 4,000.
The old Spencer Shops were slowly closed down between the 1950s and 1970s. Today, these historic shops are home to the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
Several important places in Spencer are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Alexander Long House, the Southern Railway's Spencer Shops, and the Spencer Historic District.
Where is Spencer?
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Spencer covers about 2.7 square miles (7.0 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the town limits.
People of Spencer
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,915 | — | |
| 1920 | 2,510 | 31.1% | |
| 1930 | 3,128 | 24.6% | |
| 1940 | 3,072 | −1.8% | |
| 1950 | 3,242 | 5.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,904 | −10.4% | |
| 1970 | 3,075 | 5.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,938 | −4.5% | |
| 1990 | 3,219 | 9.6% | |
| 2000 | 3,355 | 4.2% | |
| 2010 | 3,267 | −2.6% | |
| 2020 | 3,308 | 1.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,308 people living in Spencer. These people lived in 1,153 households, and 807 of these were families.
Schools in Spencer
- North Rowan High School
- North Rowan Middle School
- North Rowan Elementary School
Famous People from Spencer
- Gil Robinson (1910–1985), an NFL player
See also
In Spanish: Spencer (Carolina del Norte) para niños
