Jump to content

Butner, North Carolina

From Niidae Wiki

Template:Other uses Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement

File:2009-02-23 Tower in Butner.jpg
An old water tower in Butner

Butner is a town in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,397 as of the 2020 census.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Butner was managed by the state of North Carolina from 1947 through 2007.

History

[edit]

The area eventually comprising the town of Butner was originally land along the Occaneechi Path, a Native American trade route. Following the arrival of European settlers, it became a rural community populated by farmers. In August 1941, the U.S. federal government beginning planning for the development of a military facility in the area, motivated partly by its proximity to a rail line. Following the United States' entry into World War II that December, planning hastened and in January 1942 the government ordered locals to vacate their land. The government ultimately evicted between 400 and 500 families and razed most of their homes and agricultural buildings to make way for a U.S. Army camp. Construction commenced in March and Camp Butner officially opened in August 1942.<ref name= woltz>Template:Cite news</ref> It was named for Major General Henry W. Butner (1875–1937), a North Carolina native.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Thousands of soldiers were trained at the camp for service overseas. By April 1946, activity at the facility had declined significantly and it was officially closed in January 1947.<ref name= woltz/>

Following the camp's closure, its land was divided up among the U.S. War Assets Administration, the North Carolina National Guard, the state of North Carolina, and the dispossessed farmers who had once lived in the area.<ref name= townhistory>Template:Cite web</ref> The state converted its former infirmary into a psychiatry hospital. A civilian community subsequently developed around the hospital's new workforce. Some former camp facilities were retained by the residents for their own use such as its recreation center and churches, others were repurposed as homes, and some were demolished so their materials could be used in new construction.<ref name= woltz/> The state government assumed responsibility for governance in the town and provided police and firefighting services.<ref name= townhistory/> Overall authority rested with State Board of Mental Health while most mundane administrative decisions were executed by the hospital's business manager. In the early 1970s, control of the town passed to the North Carolina Department of Human Resources.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In 2003, a seven-member elective Butner Advisory Council was created to advise the North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services on governance of the town.<ref name= townhistory/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, Butner became an incorporated community effective November 1, 2007 and the advisory council was turned into a town council.<ref>NC General Assembly</ref><ref name= townhistory/> The town assumed responsibility for local police and firefighting services from the state in 2013.<ref name= BPS>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

[edit]

Butner is located in southwestern Granville County. Interstate 85 passes through the town, southeast of the town center, with access from Exits 186, 189, and 191. I-85 leads northeast Template:Convert to Oxford, the Granville County seat, and southwest Template:Convert to Durham. Butner is bordered to the east by the city of Creedmoor.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert, or 0.18%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The town's layout is heavily influenced by the original development of Camp Butner.<ref name= woltz/> Central Avenue serves as the community's main street,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and many other streets in the town are named with numbers and letters.<ref name= woltz/>

Demographics

[edit]

Template:US Census population

2020 census

[edit]
Butner racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 3,421 40.74%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,663 31.71%
Native American 27 0.32%
Asian 46 0.55%
Pacific Islander 2 0.02%
Other/Mixed 324 3.86%
Hispanic or Latino 1,914 22.79%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,397 people, 2,865 households, and 2,022 families residing in the town.

2010 census

[edit]

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,591 people in 2,767 households. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 2,999 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the town was 59.5% White, 30.1% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 6.5% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.7% of the population.

There were 2,767 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.74. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 13.8% from 25 to 34, 23.3% from 35 to 49, 18.8% from 50 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males.

The median income<ref>Fact Finder, United States Census Bureau Template:Webarchive, Retrieved November 11, 2011</ref> for a household in the town was $45,437, and the mean income for a household was $51,466. The median and mean incomes for families were $53,186 and $55,847, respectively. The per capita income for the town was $17,654. About 4.1% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure

[edit]

The area surrounding Butner includes:

References

[edit]

Template:Reflist

[edit]

Template:Commons category

Template:North Carolina Template:Granville County, North Carolina Template:Triangle, NC

Template:Authority control