Editing Spencer, North Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name                   = Spencer, North Carolina
| settlement_type                 = [[Town]]
| nickname                        = 
| motto                           = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline                   = Spencer, North Carolina 04.jpg
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = Downtown Spencer
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = 
| image_map                       = NCMap-doton-Spencer.PNG
| mapsize                         = 250x200px
| map_caption                     = Location of Spencer, North Carolina
| 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               = [[Rowan County, North Carolina|Rowan]]
| government_footnotes            = 
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = Mayor
| leader_name                     = Jonathan Williams
| 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                  = 7.95
| area_land_km2                   = 7.95
| area_water_km2                  = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi                = 3.07
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 3.07
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.00

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_total                = 3308
| population_density_km2          = 416.14
| population_density_sq_mi        = 1077.88

<!-- 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                    = 719
| coordinates                     = {{coord|35|41|55|N|80|25|31|W|region:US-NC|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code                     = 28159
| area_code                       = [[Area code 704|704]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 37-63760<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 2407381<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2407381}}</ref>
| website                         = [http://www.spencernc.gov/ spencernc.gov]
| footnotes                       = 
| pop_est_as_of                   = 
| pop_est_footnotes               = 
| population_est                  = 
| name                            = 
}}

'''Spencer''' is a town in [[Rowan County, North Carolina|Rowan County]], [[North Carolina]], United States, incorporated in 1905. As of the [[United States Census, 2010|2010 census]], the town population was 3,267.

==History==
[[File:PhC25 195.jpg|thumb|left|Main Street of Spencer, 1900s]]
The town was named for [[Samuel Spencer (Southern Railway)|Samuel Spencer]], first president of the [[Southern Railway (US)|Southern Railway]], who is credited with establishment of the railroad's mechanical shops at the site in 1896. The site was approximately the midpoint of the railroad's mainline between [[Atlanta, GA]] and [[Washington, D.C.]] As the shops were being built the Southern Railway developed a town, also named Spencer, alongside the shops for worker housing. Initially, the Southern partitioned 85 acres into 500 lots. Instead of creating a traditional "company" town in which the workers rented houses Southern sold the lots to workers or businesses for $100 apiece. The deeds did contain restrictive covenants which maintained that a dwelling costing in excess of $400 and approved by a Southern appointed architect be built within a year. The Southern donated lots for religious institutions. Southern also helped establish a [[YMCA]] in the town. The community grew quickly and by 1901 had 625 residents.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} By the 1920s it had 4,000 residents.{{sfn|Neal|2011|p=83}}

The former [[Southern Railway's Spencer Shops|Spencer Shops]] were phased out during the 1950s through 1970s and have now become the location of the [[North Carolina Transportation Museum]].

The [[Alexander Long House]], [[Southern Railway's Spencer Shops]], and [[Spencer Historic District]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|2.7|sqmi|km2}}, all  land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 1915
|1920= 2510
|1930= 3128
|1940= 3072
|1950= 3242
|1960= 2904
|1970= 3075
|1980= 2938
|1990= 3219
|2000= 3355
|2010= 3267
|2020= 3308
|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|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Spencer racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3763760&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 21, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,686
| 50.97%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,065
| 32.19%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 10
| 0.3%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 22
| 0.67%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 7
| 0.21%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 175
| 5.29%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 343
| 10.37%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 3,308 people, 1,153 households, and 807 families residing in the town.

===2000 census===
[[File:Spencer town hall and former high school.jpg|thumb|Town hall]]
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 3,355 people, 1,308 households, and 844 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,264.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,427 housing units at an average density of {{convert|537.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 70.28% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 23.61% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.36% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.48% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 3.61% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.64% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 6.77% of the population.

There were 1,308 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,687, and the median income for a family was $43,702. Males had a median income of $28,860 versus $25,766 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $16,354. About 7.7% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Places of Education==
* [[North Rowan High School]]
* North Rowan Middle School
* North Rowan Elementary School

==Notable person==
*[[Gil Robinson]] (1910{{endash}}1985), NFL player

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Works cited ==
* {{cite book| last = Neal| first = Larry K. Jr.| title = Southern Railway's Historic Spencer Shops| publisher = Arcadia Publishing| date = 2011| location = | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XsIEPeWHoicC| isbn = 9780738587806}}

==External links==
* [http://www.spencernc.gov/ Official website of Spencer, NC]

{{Rowan County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Rowan County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Southern Railway (U.S.)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1905]]
[[Category:1905 establishments in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Railway towns in North Carolina]]