Moore County, North Carolina

Moore County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 99,727.<ref name="2020CensusQuickFacts"/> Its county seat is Carthage and its largest community Pinehurst. It is a border county between the Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

In the early years, the economy was dependent on agriculture and lumber. The lumber business expanded after railroads reached the area, improving access to markets. It lies at the northern edge of the area known as the Sandhills region, and developed resorts in the late 19th century, aided by railroads.

Since the early 21st century, Moore County comprises the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Moore County is a part of the Fayetteville-Lumberton-Pinehurst, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 693,299 in 2023, making it the 75th-largest CSA in the United States.<ref name="2023OMB">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="PopEstCBSA">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Archeological evidence indicates Siouan Native Americans inhabited the area eventually comprising Moore County from the early 500s until the 1600s. European settlers arrived in about 1739. In subsequent years, settlers of English, Ulster Scots, and German origin arrived by way of the Great Wagon Road and from the Cape Fear River valley, with most choosing to reside in the northern section of the eventual county. From the 1750s to the 1770s, the area received an influx of settlers from the Scottish Highlands, who mostly occupied the southeastern portions of the county and developed a naval stores industry with the area's longleaf pines.<ref name= countyhistory/> The Scots also brought African slaves to the area.Template:Sfn

File:ALSTON HOUSE, MOORE COUNTY.jpg

A Revolutionary War skirmish occurred at the House in the Horseshoe (pictured) in 1781.

Settlement decreased during the American Revolutionary War. Settlers in the northern portion of the eventual county generally supported the Patriots, while the Highlands Scots in the southeastern area were mostly Loyalists.<ref name= countyhistory/> In July 1781 a Patriot–Loyalist skirmish took place at the House in the Horseshoe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Many Loyalists were socially ostracized after the end of the war.<ref name= countyhistory/> Moore County was formed in 1784, from part of Cumberland County. It was named after Alfred Moore, an officer in the Revolutionary War and a later associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.Template:Sfn A courthouse was erected the following year.<ref name= countyhistory/> The county's boundaries were redrawn several times between 1784 and 1829.Template:Sfn The county's northern section benefited from economic development in the years after its creation. In 1796, a law was passed designating the county seat at a new community to be known as Carthage,Template:Sfn where the courthouse was eventually moved in 1814. A new one was built six years later. Another one was built in 1840.<ref name= countyhistory/>

File:Gymkhana games in Pinehurst 2.jpg

Equestrian games in Pinehurst, c. 1930s

Many men from the county served in the American Civil War.<ref name= countyhistory/> In 1877, the Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad was established and laid through Moore, leading to the creation of new communities. Logging of the local pines increased and the rail towns of Cameron, Manly, Keyser, and Aberdeen were built to ship the lumber.<ref name= countyhistory/>Template:Sfn Most of the county's old-growth pine forests were depleted by 1900.Template:Sfn With large swathes of lands cleared and transportation links well-established, new health resort towns and mineral spas were created, such as Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Pinebluff, and Jackson Springs.<ref name= countyhistory/>Template:Sfn

In 1897, the first golf courses were established in the county. The number of courses expanded over the years and drew in wealthy vacationers from New England and the Mid-Atlantic, who built seasonal homes in Pinehurst and Southern Pines. Fox hunting and polo and equestrian activities also grew in popularity.Template:Sfn In 1907, parts of Moore and Chatham counties were combined to form Lee County.Template:Sfn In 1922, the present Moore County Courthouse was built.<ref name= countyhistory/> In 1958, the Little River Township of Hoke County was annexed to Moore.Template:Sfn

Moore County has many golf resorts in the Southern Pines/Pinehurst area, and hosted the 1996 and 2001 Women's U.S. Opens, as well as the 1999 and 2005 Men's U.S. Opens. The Women's Open returned to Southern Pines in 2007. In 2014, they consecutively hosted both the Women's and Men's Opens in the same year, a first in U.S. Open history.<ref>2014 US Open Championship</ref>

Geography

File:Pine trees in Moore County.jpg

Pine trees in Moore County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (1.13%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moore County is bordered by Chatham, Lee, Harnett, Cumberland, Hoke, Scotland, Richmond, Montgomery County, and Randolph counties.<ref name= countyhistory/> It lies mostly within the Piedmont region, though some of the county extends into the state's Coastal Plain.<ref name= mazzocchi>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, the county lies within the Sandhills region,<ref name= quillen1/> and about two-thirds of its land are host to sandy soils.Template:Sfn The county drains into the Cape Fear River Basin and Lumber River Basin.Template:Sfn Local waterways include Pine Lake, Deep and Little Rivers<ref name= baxley1>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Aberdeen, Big Governors, Big Juniper, Drowning, Herds, McLendons, Sugar, and Little Crane Creeks.<ref name= mazzocchi/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Longleaf pine is native to the region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It grows in the Sandhills Game Land, a state nature preserve which covers part of Moore County,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, which resides wholly in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fish present in the county include bass, sunfish,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Cape Fear shiner.<ref name= baxley1/> The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker resides in the area.<ref name= quillen1/> Template:Clear

Demographics

2020 census

Moore County racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	75,391	75.6%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	10,545	10.57%
Native American	688	0.69%
Asian	1,237	1.24%
Pacific Islander	59	0.06%
Other/Mixed	4,442	4.45%
Hispanic or Latino	7,365	7.39%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 99,727 people, 41,530 households, and 27,191 families residing in the county. The population density was 107 people per square mile (41/km²). There were 48,237 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile (19/km²).

Racially, 77 percent of county residents identified as white, 10 percent as black, 7.4 percent as Hispanic/Latino, 2.8 as Native American, and 1.3 percent as Asian.<ref name= johnson1>Template:Cite news</ref> Compared to the rest of the state, the population of the county is older and more white.<ref name= quillen1>Template:Cite news</ref> For the first time, the census classified the municipalities of Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, Pinebluff, Taylortown, and Whispering Pines as constituting a contiguous urban area, due to the combined population of those areas exceeding 50,000 people.<ref name= risano/>

Between 2010 and 2020, Moore County grew by 11,480 residents.<ref name= johnson1/> The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management projected in 2023 that the county's population will grow to be 146,972 in 2040 and 170,097 in 2050.<ref name= risano>Template:Cite news</ref>

Law and government

Government

Carthage is the seat of Moore County.<ref name= mazzocchi/> The county's government is led by a five-member board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected at-large but represent districts in which they reside. The board is responsible for levying taxes and appropriating county funds, issuing ordinances within the confines of state law, and overseeing county government administration.<ref name= commission>Template:Cite web</ref> The commissioners appoint a county manager who leads the everyday function of county administration under the commissioners' direction. They also appoint their own clerk, a county attorney, and a tax administrator. In addition to the commissioners, county voters elect a register of deeds.<ref name= countyhistory>Template:Cite web</ref>

Moore County is a member of the Triangle J Council of Governments, a regional planning body.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is located in North Carolina's 9th congressional district,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the North Carolina Senate's 21st district, and the North Carolina House of Representatives' 51st, 52nd, and 78th districts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Judicial system

File:Moore County Courts Facility annex.jpg

Moore County Courts Facility

Moore County lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 29th Prosecutorial District, the 19D Superior Court District, and the 19D District Court District.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> County voters elect a sheriff.<ref name= countyhistory/>

Politics

Politically, Moore County is dominated by the Republican Party. As of December 2022, the county hosts 15,812 registered Democrats, 31,387 Republicans, four members of the Green Party, 613 Libertarians, and 28,112 unaffiliated voters.<ref name= woolverton1>Template:Cite news</ref>

Economy

Moore County residents are on average wealthier than their statewide contemporaries.<ref name= quillen1/> In mid-2021, the United States Census Bureau reported the county's median annual income as $63,324.<ref name= woolverton1/> As of December 2022, the poverty rate was about nine percent.<ref name= quillen1/> Healthcare and social assistance, accommodation and food services, and retail are the largest-employing private sectors in Moore.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moore's economy also relies heavily on tourism, largely driven by golfing events. In 2021, the county benefitted from $673 million in tourism spending, giving it the 10th largest tourism economy among North Carolina's counties.<ref name= hudson1>Template:Cite news</ref> Some county residents work in both civilian and military capacities at the U.S. Army's Fort Bragg in neighboring Cumberland County. Some manufacturing also takes place in Moore.<ref name= quillen1/>

Transportation

Template:Maplink Public airplane facilities are provided by the Moore County Airport, located near Pinehurst and Southern Pines,<ref name= infrastructure>Template:Cite web</ref> though many air travelers opt to fly into Raleigh-Durham International Airport before driving to Moore.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A private airport, Gilliam–McConnell Airfield is maintained in Carthage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> North–south rail lines are operated by CSX Transportation, with additional short-line rail service provided by the Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway and the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad Company.<ref name= infrastructure/> Amtrak maintains a passenger rail station in Southern Pines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

• Template:Jct<ref name= risano/>
• Template:Jct<ref name= pilotroads>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Template:Jct<ref name= risano/>
• Template:Jct<ref name= risano/>
• Template:Jct
• Template:Jct<ref name= pilotroads/>
• Template:Jct<ref name= pilotroads/>
• Template:Jct
• Template:Jct
• Template:Jct
• Template:Jct<ref name= risano/>
• Template:Jct
• Template:Jct<ref name= pilotroads/>

Education

Public primary and secondary education in the county is provided by Moore County Schools. Of the county's K-12 students, 72 percent are enrolled in public schools, 16 percent are enrolled in private and charter schools, and 11 percent are homeschooled. Post-secondary education is provided by the Sandhills Community College, which has its main campus in Moore.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> SandHoke Early College, a program managed by Hoke County Schools, also uses the campus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to the 2021 American Community Survey, an estimated 40.8 percent of county residents have attained a bachelor's degree or higher level of education.<ref name= censusprofile>Template:Cite web</ref>

Culture

Many Moore County residents helped developed the regional pottery craft centered in Jugtown, Randolph County. The county is host to the Moore County Agricultural Fair, the Carthage Buggy Festival, the Pet Parade and Bark-in-the-Park Festival, and the North Carolina Playwright Festival.<ref name= mazzocchi/> The Moore County Hounds hunting club hosts an annual British-style traditional fox hunt, the Blessing of the Hounds, on Thanksgiving Day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Moore County, particularly the Pinehurst–Southern Pines area, host many golf courses and golfing tournaments.<ref name= quillen1/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Equestrianism is popular in the county.<ref name= quillen1/> Several area buildings and sites have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name= mazzocchi/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Communities

File:Map of Moore County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels.PNG

Map of Moore County with municipal and township labels

Incorporated communities

• Aberdeen<ref name= municipalities/>
• Cameron<ref name= municipalities>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Carthage (county seat)<ref name= woolverton1/>
• Foxfire<ref name= municipalities/>
• Pinebluff<ref name= municipalities/>
• Pinehurst (largest community)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Robbins<ref name= municipalities/>
• Southern Pines<ref name= municipalities/>
• Taylortown<ref name= municipalities/>
• Vass<ref name= municipalities/>
• Whispering Pines<ref name= municipalities/>

Townships

The county is divided into ten townships, which have no legal or political authority:<ref name= countyhistory/> Template:Div col

• Carthage
• Bensalem
• Sheffields
• Ritter
• Deep River
• Greenwood
• McNeill
• Sandhill
• Mineral Springs
• Little River

Census-designated places

• Jackson Springs<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Seven Lakes<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Unincorporated communities

• Eagle Springs<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Glendon<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• High Falls<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Manly<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• West End<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable people

• Charles Brady (1951–2006), was raised here. He became a physician, career Navy officer, and NASA astronaut
• John Edwards (born 1953), politician, US Senator and former presidential candidate was raised here
• Jeff Hardy (born 1977) and Matt Hardy (born 1974), brothers, were raised here; they are professional wrestlers currently working in All Elite Wrestling as The Hardy Boyz
• Mable Parker McLean (1922–2012), academic administrator<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref>
• Shannon Moore (born 1979), was raised here; he is a wrestler currently working in the Independent Circuit
• Shanann Watts (1984–2018), murdered with her two daughters by her husband Chris in Colorado in 2018<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• List of counties in North Carolina
• Moore County substation attack, electrical substation attack in 2022

Works cited

• Template:Citation
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Citation

External links

• Template:Osmrelation
• Template:Official website
• Moore County Chamber of Commerce
• Moore County Historical Association
• Moore County NC History
• Go Sandhills History
• NCGenWeb Moore County, genealogy resources for the county