Richmond 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 on the central southern border of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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 42,946. 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 Rockingham.

History

Early history

The earliest inhabitants of the land eventually comprising Richmond County were

Cheraw The Cheraw people, also known as the Saraw or Saura, were a Siouan-speaking tribe of indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, in the Piedmont area of North Carolina near the Sauratown Mountains, east of Pilot Mountain and north of the ...

Native Americans. The first European settlers in the area were Scottish Highlanders, who traveled 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 ...

valley to find farmland. English settlers initially arrived in the northwestern section of the eventual county after traveling down the

Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River, is known as ...

and gradually became the dominant European-descent group in the area. Many early settlers reared cattle. Politically, the area was first organized as a portion of

Bladen County Bladen County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

...

and then eventually

Anson County Anson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,055. Its county seat is Wadesboro. History The county was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. It was named for George Anson, ...

Creation and Antebellum period

Richmond County was formed in 1779 from a portion of Anson in order to reduce the amount of travel needed by residents to reach a county courthouse. It was named for

Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox Field Marshal Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, 3rd Duke of Lennox, 3rd Duke of Aubigny, (22 February 1735 – 29 December 1806), styled Earl of March until 1750, of Goodwood House in Sussex and of Richmond House in London, was a British ...

who was an Englishman and a member of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...

who sided with the colonists in America during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. The county seat was established at Richmond Court House, which was renamed Rockingham in 1785 in homage to

Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, (13 May 1730 – 1 July 1782; styled The Hon. Charles Watson-Wentworth before 1733, Viscount Higham between 1733 and 1746, Earl of Malton between 1746 and 1750 and The Marquess of Rocking ...

, a British politician who had friendly relations with the Americans. 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 ...

, Richmond was afflicted by numerous

Loyalist 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 C ...

raids. By 1790, the county had 5,885 residents, with 583 of them being slaves. Following the war, area farmers moved away from cattle switched to growing corn, oats, indigo, and cotton. In 1837, the county's first textile mill, Richmond Manufacturing Company, was built. A growth in cotton production, concentrated in the western portion of the county, led the enslaved population to increase to the point where they made up half of local residents. Around 1850 the largely unused Sandhills region in the eastern section of the county began to be exploited by the

naval stores Naval stores are all liquid products derived from conifers. These materials include rosin, tall oil, pine oil, and terpentine. The term ''naval stores'' originally applied to the organic compounds used in building and maintaining wooden sail ...

industry, particularly for the harvest of

turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially) turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a special ...

from longleaf pines. Railway service was introduced in Richmond in 1861.

Civil War and Reconstruction era

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, white Richmond men served in various units of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, including the Pee Dee Guards, Scotch Boys, and the Harrington Light Artillery. Federal troops under General

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

entered Richmond County in March 1865. Confederate troops fled, and the federal forces sabotaged local industry before moving north. The Richmond Manufacturing Company mill, having been burned, was rebuilt as the Great Falls Mill in 1869. That year rail service was extended to Rockingham. A second cotton mill was built in 1876 and rapidly followed by more textile plants. Cotton production increased after the war and remained a significant crop in the county until the mid-1900s. Farmers also began diversifying their crops, with tobacco and peach trees growing in popularity, with peach orchards being concentrated in the Sandhills. By the late 1800s, Richmond County had a majority black population and tended to support the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

in elections, while the state of North Carolina was dominated by the Democratic Party. In response to this, white Democrats built up a political base in Laurinburg. During the state legislative elections of 1898, Democrats organized intensely in the area to unseat the Fusionist coalition of state Republicans and

Populists Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...

, including the deployment of paramilitary Red Shirts in Laurinburg to intimidate blacks and other opponents at the polls. Democrats regained a majority in the General Assembly. In tribute to the efforts of Democrats in Laurinburg, on February 20, 1899, the assembly split off the town and the surrounding area from Richmond County and created the new Scotland County, which began operating as an effective unit of government in December the following year.

Development

SAL Hotel and Station, Hamlet (14733655362)

At the turn of the century, Richmond County's economy revolved around agriculture and textile mills in Rockingham. In the early 1900s,

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

grew as a center for the

Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, t ...

, which had five lines cross through the town. The railway created numerous jobs and, in conjunction with the establishment of Blewett Falls Dam and its hydroelectric power, facilitated the expansion of the textile industry. By the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Richmond County hosted ten textile mills which employed as many as 15,000 people. Through the 1940s, most of the independent mills were acquired by larger outside corporations and many began producing non-cotton fabrics, facilitating a local decline in cotton production. Seaboard established an $11 million

classification yard A classification yard (American and Canadian English (Canadian National Railway use)), marshalling yard ( British, Hong Kong, Indian, Australian, and Canadian English (Canadian Pacific Railway use)) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway ...

, the first one in the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the south ...

, about one mile north of Hamlet in 1954. In 1968 the county, Rockingham, and Hamlet school systems merged.

Economic decline

Hamlet's economic situation came under strain beginning in the 1960s, as the railroad faced increasing competition from growing road networks,

trucking Road transport or road transportation is a type of transport using roads. Transport on roads can be roughly grouped into the transportation of goods and transportation of people. In many countries licensing requirements and safety regulations e ...

, and air travel. Seaboard acquired smaller competitors and consolidated its operations, moving workers out of the area. It also froze wages, terminated some positions, and reduced passenger services, diminishing the number of outside visitors. Seaboard became

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

in 1986. Foreign competition and increasing automation led the county textile industry to cut jobs, and by the 1970s mills in Richmond only retained about 5,000 workers. Declines in textile employment continued through the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, the county's single largest manufacturing employer,

Clark Equipment Company Clark Equipment Company was an American designer, manufacturer, and seller of industrial and construction machinery and equipment. History Clark's predecessor was the George R. Rich Manufacturing Company, founded in 1903 in Chicago, Illinoi ...

, closed its plant in Rockingham. Many of the remaining available manufacturing jobs required

skilled labor Skill is a measure of the amount of worker's expertise, specialization, wages, and supervisory capacity. Skilled workers are generally more trained, higher paid, and have more responsibilities than unskilled workers. Skilled workers have long had ...

which the county lacked. The traditional railroad and manufacturing jobs were supplanted by menial service positions and work in

food processing Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex in ...

plants, while local small businesses were displaced by national retail chains. Imperial foods - plant front and side

In 1986, the Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact voted to build a

low-level radioactive waste Low-level waste (LLW) or Low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) is nuclear waste that does not fit into the categorical definitions for intermediate-level waste (ILW), high-level waste (HLW), spent nuclear fuel (SNF), transuranic waste (TRU), or cer ...

disposal site in North Carolina. In November 1989, Chem-Nuclear Systems, the contractor in charge of building the disposal facility, announced that a prospective Richmond County site for the nuclear waste. Local residents promptly formed For Richmond County Environment (FORRCE) to lobby against the site. The group attracted wide grassroots support across Richmond, including significant backing from both white and black communities and both of the county's major municipalities, Hamlet and Rockingham. FORRCE conducted an opposition

petition A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offi ...

drive and obtained 26,756 signatures, over 60 percent of the county's total population. Under significant political pressure, local officials denounced the site, and 1,200 residents traveled to

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

to deliver the FORRCE petition to the governor. In 1993, a state panel voted to move the site to

Wake County Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...

, but listed the Richmond location as its second choice. The project was later abandoned under scrutiny from state regulators. On September 3, 1991, a fire broke at the Imperial Food Products plant in Hamlet. Many exits at the plant were locked in violation of fire codes, and 24 workers and one visiting delivery driver died in the conflagration. Emmett J. Roe, the plant owner, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter. State authorities imposed a record fine upon the company for the violations and the incident brought negative national attention to the town. National declines in textiles through the 1990s and into the early 2000s further strained the county's economy; from 1993 to 2005, the county suffered nine textile mill closures and the loss of 1,730 mill jobs.

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 (1.3%) is water. It is the 38th largest county in the state by land area. It is bordered by Montgomery County, Moore County, Scotland County,

, and

Marlboro County, South Carolina Marlboro County is a county located in the Pee Dee region on the northern border of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 26,667. Its county seat is Bennettsville. The Great Pee Dee River runs through it. M ...

. Richmond lies along the Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line and rests at the convergence of the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, Sandhills, and

Coastal Plain A coastal plain is flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and a piedmont area. Some of the largest coastal plains are in Alaska and the southeastern United States. The Gulf Co ...

physiographic regions, with the Piedmont making up most of the western part of the county and the Sandhills and Coastal Plain predominating in the center and east. The

Uwharrie Mountains The Uwharrie Mountains ()
from the North Carolina Collection's website at the Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River, is known as ...

drainage basin, with the remainder mostly draining into Drowning Creek, the headwaters of the

Lumber River The Lumber River, sometimes referred to as the Lumbee River, is a river in south-central North Carolina in the flat Coastal Plain. European settlers first called the river Drowning Creek, which is the name of its headwater. The waterway known as ...

. The county hosts several lakes and creeks. Most of the county is forested. Longleaf pine grows naturally in the area. Significant amounts of longleaf pine forest are preserved in the Sandhills Game Land protected area, over half of which is in Richmond County. Agricultural land in Richmond is home to many landbirds, including

loggerhead shrike The loggerhead shrike (''Lanius ludovicianus'') is a passerine bird in the family Laniidae. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related northern shrike (''L. borealis'') occurs north of its range, however it ...

and

vesper sparrow The vesper sparrow (''Pooecetes gramineus'') is a medium-sized New World sparrow. It is the only member of the genus ''Pooecetes''. Taxonomy The Vesper Sparrow is believed to be most closely related to the Lark sparrow. It is the only species ...

. The Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, which covers part of the county and includes grassland and swamps, hosts numerous migratory waterfowl and

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

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 42,946 people, 18,380 households, and 11,783 families residing in the county. Richmond County comprises the Rockingham, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area.

2010 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 2010, there were 46,564 people, 17,873 households, and 12,582 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 98 people per square mile (38/km²). There were 19,886 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 56.5%

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 ...

, 31.70%

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 ...

, 0.60% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 0.03%

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 ...

, 1.08% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.18% from two or more races. 5.90% 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 17,873 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.30% 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, 17.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,830, and the median income for a family was $35,226. Males had a median income of $27,308 versus $20,453 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 $14,485. About 15.90% of families and 19.60% 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 26.70% of those under age 18 and 18.90% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Government

Richmond County is governed by a seven-member

board of commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

. The commissioners are elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

in four-year staggered terms beginning the first Monday of December following the November in which they were elected. The commissioners select one of their own to serve as chairman and another to serve as vice-chairman. The board sets county policy, passes ordinances, and hires the county manager. The manager serves as the chief executive officer of the county government. They execute the commissioners' directives and represent the county in intergovernmental dealings. The county government is funded by a local property tax. Richmond County is a member of the Lumber River Council of Governments, a regional planning board representing five counties. It is located in North Carolina's 9th and 8th congressional districts, the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

's 29th district, and the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, ...

' 52nd district. The

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

operates Camp Mackall, which partially lies within the county.

Law enforcement and judicial system

Richmond County lies within the bounds of the 21st Prosecutorial District, the 16A

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civi ...

District, and the 16A District Court District. County voters elect a sheriff. Law enforcement is provided across the county by the sheriff's office, while the cities of Hamlet and Rockingham retain their own police departments.

Politics

Richmond County was long politically dominated by Democrats. R. W. Goodman, who served as sheriff of Richmond County from 1950 to 1994, was the

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

of a conservative Democratic courthouse machine. He held wide influence in determining who served in local government and represented the county in the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Caroli ...

. During his tenure Democrats dominated local offices and the politics of the county was largely conservative. A majority of the county electorate voted for Democratic U.S. presidential candidate

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

in 2012, but Republican presidential candidate

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

won by a 10 point margin in 2016. Following the 2020 elections, Republicans gained a majority of the seats on the county board of commissioners. In 2022 Republicans won a majority of local elections in the county and gained control of all of the seats on the board of commissioners. As of March 2022, Richmond County had 27,358 registered voters of whom 12,346 were Democrats and 6,925 were Republicans.

Economy

Richmond County is classified as economically distressed by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. In 2022, the county experienced some success in industrial recruitment as several manufacturers expanded their local workforces and operations. According to the American Community Survey, from 2017 to 2021 the estimated median household income was $38,962.

Transportation

Local rail service is provided by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

's ''

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

'' passenger train has a stop in Hamlet. Airplane facilities are provided by the

Richmond County Airport Richmond County Airport , formerly known as Rockingham-Hamlet Airport, is a public airport located in and operated by Richmond County, North Carolina. It is situated three miles (5 km) south of the city of Rockingham and west of the city ...

Major highways

* (Section south and north of Rockingham unbuilt) * (Concurrency with I-73) * * * * * * * * *

Education

Public education is provided by Richmond County Schools, which operates seven elementary schools, four middle schools, and four secondary schools. As across the rest of the state, the county education system was heavily impacted by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. For the 2021/2022 school year, of 9,085 tested students, 56.1 percent were deemed non-proficient with regards to state standards. The Richmond Community College, based in Hamlet, serves the county. According to the 2021

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

, an estimated 17.5 percent of county residents have attained a bachelor's degree or higher level of education.

Culture

Racing

The

Rockingham Speedway Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina. It is also known as The Rock and previously hosted NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series ...

opened in 1965 and served as a regular venue for

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

racing events until 2004. It was last used by NASCAR for a single event in 2013 and is currently undergoing refurbishment. A nearby dragway remains in regular use.

Outdoors

The Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge is a popular regional destination for hunting and fishing. Quail hunting has long been popular in Richmond County and in the larger Sandhills region.

Other

Since 1982, Hamlet has hosted the Seaboard Festival, a community gathering including local vendors, running events, and music, designed to celebrate Hamlet's historical connections to the railroad. The Raiders, the football team of

Richmond Senior High School Richmond Senior High School is a high school located in Rockingham, North Carolina. Richmond Senior is the only high school located in Richmond County. It is part of the Richmond County School System, and was established in 1972. Overview With ...

, has long been popular among county residents. Several area buildings and sites have been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Communities

Incorporated communities

* Rockingham (county seat and largest city) *

* Dobbins Heights * Ellerbe * Hoffman * Norman

Census-designated places

* Cordova * East Rockingham * Roberdel

Other unincorporated communities

* Fruitland * Marston

Townships

* Steeles * Mineral Springs * Beaverdam * Mark's Creek * Wolf Pit * Rockingham * Blackjack

Notable people

Wayne Goodwin George Wayne Goodwin (born February 22, 1967) is an American politician. He was elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election and re-elected in 2012. He was narrowly defeated in his bid for a third term in 2016. However, h ...

, politician and government official *

Henry Frye Henry E. Frye (born August 1, 1932) is an American judge and politician who served as the first African-American chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Early life and education Henry Frye was born August 1, 1932, in Ellerbe, Richmond ...

, former member of the state legislature, former state supreme court chief justice *

Leon Levine Leon Levine (born June 8, 1937) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Family Dollar chain of discount stores. Early life Leon Levine was born into a Jewish family on June 8, 1937, in Wadesboro, North Carolina. The family ...

, founder of

Family Dollar Family Dollar Stores, Inc. is an American variety store chain. With over 8,000 locations in all states except Alaska and Hawaii, it was the second largest retailer of its type in the United States until it was acquired by Dollar Tree in 2015 and i ...

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

, jazz saxophonist *

Cameron A. Morrison Cameron A. Morrison (October 5, 1869August 20, 1953) was an American politician and the 55th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1921 to 1925. Early life and career He was born in 1869 in Richmond County, North Carolina. In 189 ...

, North Carolina governor, senator, mayor * Terius Youngdell Nash, singer-songwriter and record producer *

Bucky Covington William Joel "Bucky" Covington III (born November 8, 1977) is an American country music singer. He placed eighth on the 5th season of the Fox Network's talent competition series ''American Idol''. In December 2006, he signed a recording contrac ...

, country singer *

Dannell Ellerbe Dannell Antonio Ellerbe (born November 29, 1985) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and has also played for the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Ea ...

, NFL player *

Melvin Ingram Melvin Ingram III (born April 26, 1989) is an American football outside linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at South Carolina, and earned All-American honors. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first roun ...

, NFL player

References

Works cited

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External links

Richmond County government official website
{{coord, 35.00, -79.75, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NC_source:UScensus1990 1779 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1779