Lumberton is a city in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. As of 2020, its population was 19,025.[4] It is the seat of Robeson County's government.[5]
Lumberton, North Carolina | |
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City | |
![]() A view down Elm Street in Lumberton | |
![]() ![]() Lumberton Location within the state of North Carolina Show map of North Carolina![]() ![]() Lumberton Lumberton (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
Coordinates: 34°37′38″N 79°0′43″W | |
Country | United States |
State | North Carolina |
County | Robeson |
Government | |
Area | |
• Total | 17.84 sq mi (46.20 km2) |
• Land | 17.76 sq mi (46.00 km2) |
• Water | 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2) |
Elevation | 131 ft (40 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 19,025 |
• Density | 1,071.29/sq mi (413.62/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP codes | 28358-28360 |
Area code | 910 |
FIPS code | 37-39700[2] |
GNIS feature ID | 0989128[3] |
Website | www.ci.lumberton.nc.us |
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.
Robeson County, North Carolina, was formed in 1787. General John Willis, owner of the Red Banks plantation, lobbied to have the county's new seat of government located on his land. The site of Lumberton was chosen due to its central location in the county, proximity to a reliable ford of the Lumber River, and as it was where several roads intersected. Willis turned over 170 acres which were surveyed and disbursed in a lottery held under the auspices of the county court on August 14, 1787. As the site was heavily forested, trees were felled to make way for a courthouse, business and residential lots, streets, a commons, and a public square. The first courthouse was a wooden residence sold by Willis to the county and moved into place after the land was clear. Lumberton was formally created by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly on November 3, 1788, which granted the town a charter and the power to levy taxes. The community was named in homage to the Lumber River.[6]
Aside from the courthouse, the first buildings in Lumberton were a handful of brick structures built near the river, which included a hotel, stores, and warehouses, which were stocked by goods sent up the river from Georgetown, South Carolina.[6] The community's first school was established by Willis in 1791.[7] The town had a post office by 1796. It was formally incorporated in 1852 and granted a municipal government with a mayor and a board of commissioners.[6] The town was connected by rail with Wilmington in 1860, which reduced its reliance on river trade from Georgetown. Much of the business district was burnt down in a fire in 1870 and another in 1876.[8]
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.[9]
In 1970, Lumberton was named an All-American City, presented by the National Civic League.[10] A 1988 hostage crisis at the offices of The Robesonian and the 1993 murder of James R. Jordan Sr. nearby generated a negative national image for the city. In 1995 the city won the All-American award a second time.[11]
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.[12][13]
Lumberton is located at 34°37′38″N 79°00′43″W.[14] The town lies within the Carolina Border Belt, a regional network of tobacco markets and warehouses along both sides of the North Carolina-South Carolina border.[15]
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.
Lumberton is served by Interstate 95 and Interstate 74.
Lumberton experiences a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and cool winters.
Climate data for LUMBERTON MUNI AP, NC, 1991-2020 normals, extremes 1903-present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
84 (29) |
96 (36) |
96 (36) |
101 (38) |
104 (40) |
108 (42) |
106 (41) |
104 (40) |
99 (37) |
87 (31) |
83 (28) |
108 (42) |
Average high °F (°C) | 54.6 (12.6) |
58.6 (14.8) |
65.8 (18.8) |
74.7 (23.7) |
82.5 (28.1) |
88.8 (31.6) |
91.0 (32.8) |
89.1 (31.7) |
84.2 (29.0) |
75.9 (24.4) |
65.9 (18.8) |
57.5 (14.2) |
74.1 (23.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.9 (7.2) |
48.0 (8.9) |
54.5 (12.5) |
62.7 (17.1) |
71.0 (21.7) |
78.8 (26.0) |
81.6 (27.6) |
80.0 (26.7) |
74.5 (23.6) |
64.2 (17.9) |
54.1 (12.3) |
47.5 (8.6) |
63.5 (17.5) |
Average low °F (°C) | 35.3 (1.8) |
37.4 (3.0) |
43.1 (6.2) |
50.7 (10.4) |
59.5 (15.3) |
68.7 (20.4) |
72.3 (22.4) |
70.9 (21.6) |
64.8 (18.2) |
52.5 (11.4) |
42.4 (5.8) |
37.5 (3.1) |
52.9 (11.6) |
Record low °F (°C) | −1 (−18) |
3 (−16) |
9 (−13) |
22 (−6) |
29 (−2) |
40 (4) |
50 (10) |
44 (7) |
35 (2) |
20 (−7) |
12 (−11) |
−2 (−19) |
−2 (−19) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.55 (65) |
2.77 (70) |
3.26 (83) |
2.85 (72) |
3.41 (87) |
4.92 (125) |
4.61 (117) |
4.77 (121) |
4.93 (125) |
2.29 (58) |
2.95 (75) |
3.31 (84) |
42.62 (1,083) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.1 | 8.7 | 9.6 | 8.3 | 10.0 | 11.5 | 12.2 | 13.4 | 10.3 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 9.3 | 118.1 |
Source: NOAA[16][17] |
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% | |
2020 | 19,025 | −11.7% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[18] |
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,[19][20] which had a combined population of 159,337 at the 2000 census.[2]
Race | Num. | Perc. |
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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.
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.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 20,795 people, 7,827 households and 5,165 families residing in Lumberton. The population density was 1,322.4 people per square mile (510.8/km2). There were 8,800 housing units at an average density of 559.6 per square mile (216.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 48.54% White, 35.44% African American, 12.79% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.30% of the population.
Of the 7,827 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 38.8% were married couples living together; 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.01. Children of high school age (grades 9-12) attend Lumberton High School, which is run by the Public Schools of Robeson County,[22] as it is in Robeson County.
The city's population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18; 9.3% from 18 to 24; 28.2% from 25 to 44; 21.3% from 45 to 64; and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in Lumberton was $26,782, and the median income for a family was $33,839. Males had a median income of $28,903 versus $24,503 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,504. About 23.9% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.4% of those under age 18 and 23.7% of those age 65 or over.
Lumberton is headed by a council–manager government.[23]
Public Schools of Robeson County operates public schools.
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Municipalities and communities of Robeson County, North Carolina, United States | ||
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County seat: Lumberton | ||
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Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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