Harnett County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 133,568. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Lillington; its largest city is Dunn. Harnett County is part of the Fayetteville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Harnett County was formed in 1855 from land given by

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Cumberland, historic county *Cumberla ...

. It was named for

American Revolutionary Patriots, also known as Revolutionaries, Continentals, Rebels, or American Whigs, were the colonists of the Thirteen Colonies who rejected British rule during the American Revolution, and declared the United States of America an independent n ...

war soldier Cornelius Harnett, who was also a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

. The first settlers came to the region in the mid-1720s, and were followed by Highland Scots immigrants. The Scots settled in the foothills, where land was more affordable, rather than in the rich alluvial soil area of the coastal plain. After the defeat by the British of Bonny Prince Charles at Culloden, Scots immigrants came up the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Caro ...

in ever increasing numbers and settled in western Harnett County. British immigrants had settled primarily along the banks of the

in the coastal area, generally from Erwin to Wilmington. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, many of the Scots were

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

. In their defeat in Scotland, they had been forced to take ironclad vows that prohibited taking up arms against the British. Some

Rebels Rebels may refer to: * Participants in a rebellion * Rebel groups, people who refuse obedience or order * Rebels (American Revolution), patriots who rejected British rule in 1776 Film and television * ''Rebels'' (film) or ''Rebelles'', a 2019 ...

considered them traitors to the cause of

Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...

. Public executions of suspected spies occurred. One site near Lillington was the scene of a mass execution of "Scots Traitors." Though Harnett County was not a site of warfare during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, one of the last battles took place near Averasborough which was once the third most populated town in North Carolina but is no longer in existence. During the

Carolinas Campaign The campaign of the Carolinas (January 1 – April 26, 1865), also known as the Carolinas campaign, was the final campaign conducted by the United States Army (Union Army) against the Confederate States Army in the Western Theater. On January ...

the Left Wing of General William Sherman's army under the command of Maj. General

Henry W. Slocum Henry Warner Slocum, Sr. (September 24, 1827 – April 14, 1894), was a Union general during the American Civil War and later served in the United States House of Representatives from New York. During the war, he was one of the youngest major gen ...

defeated the army of General William Hardee in the Battle of Averasborough and proceeded eastward. A centennial celebration of the event was held in 1965 at the site of the battlefield.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water.

State and local protected areas/sites

Anderson Creek County Park Anderson or Andersson may refer to: Companies * Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910 * Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car * Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer * Anderson ...

Averasboro Battlefield and Museum The Averasboro Battlefield and Museum is dedicated to the Battle of Averasborough, a Civil War battle fought on March 16, 1865. The museum, founded in 1994 by the Averasboro Battlefield Commission, Inc, is located on the battlefield in Dunn, North ...

Raven Rock State Park Raven Rock State Park is a North Carolina state park in Harnett County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Lillington, North Carolina, it covers along the banks of the Cape Fear River. Raven Rock State Park is located on the eas ...

Major water bodies

* Black River *

* Little River (Cape Fear River tributary) * Mingo Swamp (South River tributary) * Neills Creek * Upper Little River (Cape Fear River tributary)

Adjacent counties

* Wake County - north * Johnston County - northeast *

Sampson County Sampson County is the largest county, by land area, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 59,036. Its county seat is Clinton. History Sampson County was established in April 1784 following the America ...

- southeast *

- south * Moore County - west-southwest * Lee County - west-northwest * Chatham County - northwest

Major highways

* * (Concurrency with US 421) * * * * * * * * * * *

Major infrastructure

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cu ...

(Linden Oaks) *

Harnett Regional Jetport Harnett Regional Jetport is a county-owned public-use airport in Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The airport is located four nautical miles (7 km) northwest of the central business district of Erwin. It was formerly known a ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 133,568 people, 46,416 households, and 31,025 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 91,025 people, 33,800 households, and 24,099 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 153 people per square mile (59/km²). There were 38,605 housing units at an average density of 65 per square mile (25/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.13%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 22.50%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.87% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 3.21% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. 5.86% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 33,800 households, out of which 36.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.20% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07. In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.00% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 32.10% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,105, and the median income for a family was $41,176. Males had a median income of $30,265 versus $22,283 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $16,775. About 11.30% of families and 14.90% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 19.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Harnett is a typical "

Solid South The Solid South or Southern bloc was the electoral voting bloc of the states of the Southern United States for issues that were regarded as particularly important to the interests of Democrats in those states. The Southern bloc existed especial ...

" county in its political history. Apart from the 1928 election when it defected to

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gre ...

because of opposition to the Catholicism of

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a Ci ...

, Harnett voted rock-solid Democratic until the 1960s when opposition to increasing liberalism on racial policies turned the electorate toward the segregationist candidacy of

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist a ...

. Since then apart from when carried twice by native Southerner

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

in 1976 and 1980, Harnett has been a solidly Republican county. Harnett County is a member of the regional Mid-Carolina Council of Governments.

Education

Harnett County is home to Campbell University and to 27 other different schools: 4 primary schools, 13 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 1 alternative school. Harnett County Schools is the local public school district. Schools in the county include: * Primary: Anderson Creek, Gentry, Harnett, North Harnett * Elementary: Angier, Benhaven, Boone Trail, Buies Creek, Coats, Erwin, Highland, Johnsonville, LaFayette, Lillington-Shawtown, Overhills, South Harnett, Wayne Avenue * Middle: Coats-Erwin, Dunn, Harnett Central, Highland, Overhills, Western Harnett * High: Harnett Central, Overhills, Triton, Western Harnett * Alternative: STAR Academy (grades 6–12) * University: Campbell University The Linden Oaks housing development, of

, has some

Department of Defense Education Activity The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is a federal school system headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behal ...

(DoDEA) schools, including Gary Ivan Gordon Elementary School, Randall David Shughart Elementary School, and Shugart Middle School. High school students living in Linden Oaks are assigned to Harnett County Schools' Overhills High School. The county is served by the Harnett County Library System, based in Lillington with branches at Angier, Coats, Dunn, Erwin, Anderson Creek Primary School, and Boone Trail Community Center and Library.

Communities

Map of Harnett County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

City

* Dunn (largest city)

Towns

* Angier (most) * Coats * Erwin * Lillington (county seat) * Fuquay-Varina (small part)

Census-designated places

* Anderson Creek * Buies Creek * Bunnlevel * Mamers * Spout Springs

Townships

* Anderson Creek * Averasboro *

Barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke ...

* Black River * Buckhorn *

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...

* Grove * Hectors Creek * Johnsonville * Lillington * Neills Creek * Stewarts Creek * Upper Little River

Other unincorporated communities

* Barclaysville * Cape Fear * Chalybeate Springs * Christian Light *

Cokesbury Cokesbury is the retail division of the United Methodist Publishing House. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Cokesbury serves as an agency of the United Methodist Church but serves also as an ecumenical resource provider to other denominations. ...

Duncan Duncan may refer to: People * Duncan (given name), various people * Duncan (surname), various people * Clan Duncan * Justice Duncan (disambiguation) Places * Duncan Creek (disambiguation) * Duncan River (disambiguation) * Duncan Lake ...

* Flat Branch * Flatwoods * Johnsonville * Kipling * Luart * Olivia * Overhills * Pineview * Rawls *

Ryes Ryes () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Population Administration Ryes was the seat of the former canton of Ryes, which included 25 communes. Since 2015, it is part of the canton of B ...

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

* Shawtown * Turlington * Raven Rock * Norrington * Mount Pisgah

References

External links

Harnett County government official website

The Daily Record
{{authority control Research Triangle 1855 establishments in North Carolina