Editing Fairmont, North Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Fairmont, North Carolina
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = "A Proud Past, A Promising Future" <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Main Street in Fairmont.JPG
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Main Street
| image_flag               = Fairmont, NC Town Flag.gif
| image_seal               = Seal of Fairmont, North Carolina.png

<!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map              = North Carolina
| pushpin_label_position   = left <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of North Carolina
| pushpin_mapsize          = 
| image_map                = 
| mapsize                  = 
| map_caption              = 
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[North Carolina]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Robeson County, North Carolina|Robeson]]
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = Mayor
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = <!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 7.16
| area_land_km2            = 7.15
| area_water_km2           = 0.01
| area_total_sq_mi         = 2.77
| area_land_sq_mi          = 2.76
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01

<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 2191
| population_density_km2   = 306.44
| population_density_sq_mi = 793.55

<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 118
| coordinates              = {{coord|34|29|41|N|79|06|49|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 28340
| area_codes               = [[Area codes 910 and 472|910, 472]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 37-22360<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2406479<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406479}}</ref>
| website                  = [http://www.fairmontnc.com/ www.fairmontnc.com]
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 
}}

'''Fairmont''' is a town in [[Robeson County, North Carolina|Robeson County]], [[North Carolina]], United States. The population was 2,191 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].

==History==
[[File:Fairmont (NC) Town Hall.jpg|thumb|Fairmont town hall]]

Fairmont was originally known as Ashpole in homage to the nearby Ashpole Swamp. It was incorporated as Union City in 1899, but the name was changed back to Ashpole in 1901. Six years later the name was changed to Fairmont.{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=167}}

[[File:Taking tobacco to market in Fairmont.jpg|thumb|right|Farmers taking tobacco to market in Fairmont in the early 1900s]]
The first settlers to this area received land grants from the Lords Proprietors and worked in  the logging and naval stores industries producing [[lumber]], [[turpentine]] and [[pitch (resin)|pitch]] for [[ships]]. The Bufort County Lumber Company opened in the northern section of town in the late 1890s employing 300 men and becoming one of the largest lumber companies in the south. By the late 19th century, a thriving [[tobacco]] market had been established as well. The [[Rail transport|railroads]] later followed to rapidly move these goods. By the early 20th century, tobacco became king, and by the late 1940s, Fairmont was considered the "Biggest Little Tobacco Market In the World."<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |title=Fairmont Tobacco Sales Schedule Announced For Opening August 3 |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn91068706/1948-07-22/ed-1/seq-1/ |work=The Red Springs Citizen |date=July 22, 1948 |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref> In 1951 Fairmont sold twice as much tobacco as was grown in Robeson County.  As health concerns have affected the sales of tobacco, many local farmers have turned to other cash crops, mainly corn, soybeans and wheat. The Border Belt Farmers Museum  was established in 1989 by converting an unused former railroad depot into a museum filled with farming, tobacco related, and historical memorabilia. It is open five days a week (M, W, F-11:00-3:00 & T, TH 9-12:00 & 1:00-3:00). The town has recently started promoting itself as "the shortest route to the S.C. beaches" by encouraging motorists traveling south on Interstate 95 to take exit 10. The advertising campaign, utilizing a very prominent billboard on the interstate, has resulted in a higher traffic flow and increased commercial traffic to the community.

Scenes from the movie ''[[Arthur Newman (film)|Arthur Newman]]'' were filmed here.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/11/09/1631372/hollywood-comes-to-downtown-raleigh.html |title=Hollywood comes to downtown Raleigh today |last=Cain |first=Brooke |work=[[News & Observer]] |date=November 9, 2011 |access-date=November 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111084727/http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/11/09/1631372/hollywood-comes-to-downtown-raleigh.html |archive-date=November 11, 2011 }}</ref>

The [[Fairmont Commercial Historic District]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2010.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Geography==
Fairmont lies within the Carolina Border Belt, a regional network of tobacco markets and warehouses along both sides of the [[North Carolina-South Carolina border]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.ncpedia.org/tobacco-belts| title = Tobacco Belts| last = Yeargin| first = W.W.| date = 2006| website = NCPedia
| publisher = North Carolina Government & Heritage Library| access-date = July 21, 2022 }}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|2.2|sqmi|km2}}, all  land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1900 = 432
| 1910 = 730
| 1920 = 1000
| 1930 = 1314
| 1940 = 1993
| 1950 = 2319
| 1960 = 2286
| 1970 = 2827
| 1980 = 2658
| 1990 = 2489
| 2000 = 2604
| 2010 = 2663
| 2020 = 2191
| estyear = 2022
| estimate = 2188
| estref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-37.xlsx |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in North Carolina: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=April 23, 2024}}</ref>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Fairmont racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3722360&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 10, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|532
|24.28%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|1,266
|57.78%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|272
|12.41%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|7
|0.32%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|84
|3.83%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|30
|1.37%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 2,191 people, 1,046 households, and 644 families residing in the town.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census]], there were 2,663 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 56.0% Black, 26.0% White, 13.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from some other race and 2.5% from two or more races. 1.9% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 2,604 people, 1,078 households, and 685 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,171.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,186 housing units at an average density of {{convert|533.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 30.26% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 58.68% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 9.87% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.23% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.46% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.50% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 1,078 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 66.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $17,194, and the median income for a family was $28,409. Males had a median income of $28,597 versus $17,716 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $12,006. About 30.4% of families and 32.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 42.9% of those under age 18 and 32.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
* [[Rod Griffin (basketball)|Rod Griffin]], 1977 ACC Player of the Year (basketball)
* [[Joy J. Johnson]], Baptist minister and state legislator
* [[Effie Neal Jones]], civil rights activist
* [[Joseph Mitchell (writer)|Joseph Mitchell]], American writer
* [[Thomas Avery Nye, Jr.]], politician

==References==
<references />

== Works cited ==
* {{cite book| last = Powell| first = William S.| title = The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places| publisher = The University of North Carolina Press| date = 1976| location = Chapel Hill| isbn = 9780807812471}}

==External links==
* [http://www.fairmontnc.com/ Official Fairmont, NC website]

{{Robeson County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Robeson County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in North Carolina]]