Hamilton, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Hamilton is a town in Martin County
, North Carolina
, United States
. The population was 516 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Gil Matthews.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
It is located on the Roanoke River
at the 60 Mile Mark.
of 2000, there were 516 people, 191 households, and 145 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,070.0 people per square mile (415.1/km²). There were 216 housing units at an average density of 447.9 per square mile (173.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 44.38% White, 53.29% African American, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races
, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.49% of the population.
There were 191 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples
living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 81.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,625, and the median income for a family was $28,977. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $16,563 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $12,832. About 18.2% of families and 24.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.8% of those under age 18 and 43.4% of those age 65 or over.
.
The most significant historical event of early Hamilton was the battle and fall of Fort Branch
, when Union vessels and troops came upriver from Plymouth (see Plymouth, North Carolina History) in an attempt to reach Weldon to cut off supplies to General Robert E. Lee
during the Civil War
. The fort protected Weldon until the day after the General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, whereupon the railroad line over the Weldon bridge had no more military significance. Afterwards, the fort was abandoned and the cannons were dumped into the Roanoke River
by departing Confederate
troops, and were only recently discovered. In July 1972, a group of men from Alabama
came and began pulling cannons from the river. The group was accused of violating North Carolina's antiquities laws in an effort to keep the cannons in Martin County
. The courts officially decided that the cannons belong to the state under the North Carolina Department of Archives and History. The department decided to permanently loan the artifact to Fort Branch.
The Historic Hamilton Commission, started in 1976, is in charge of 52 other historic sites in the county, including St. Martin's Episcopal Church
. The church was established as a missionary station of the Episcopalian
church in 1868. It was founded primarily by members of the Boyle family, such as Francis Atherton Boyle and Mary A. Boyle. St. Martin's was admitted to the Episcopal convention in 1873. Building began in 1879. All of the construction materials were from local suppliers, except the bell and stained glass, which were imported from Wales
. The church was consecrated on 17 May 1882. Rev. Dr. Watson preached the sermon; Bishop Lyman celebrated Holy Communion. The church is now inactive, but is still under the North Carolina Diocese. This means it is still a consecrated church.
Another important site in Hamilton is the Rosenwald School
. These are historically black schools started by Julius Rosenwald
, president of Sears, Roebuck and Co.,. During segregation
, white schools has approximately five times as much funding as black schools. The Rosenwald Fund
sought to provide support for these underprivileged schools. According to the Roanoke River Partners, the old school will be remodeled and used as their headquarters. Hamilton is in the exact middle of the Roanoke River
, making it a sensible location.
Martin County, North Carolina
-Politics:Martin County has tended to vote in line with the rest of the country in presidential elections. In 2008, Barack Obama won the county with 52.2% of the vote. This was very similar to his national figure of 52.91%.-Demographics:...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 516 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Gil Matthews.
Geography
Hamilton is located at 35°56′39"N 77°12′28"W (35.944116, -77.207772).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.
It is located on the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
at the 60 Mile Mark.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 516 people, 191 households, and 145 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,070.0 people per square mile (415.1/km²). There were 216 housing units at an average density of 447.9 per square mile (173.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 44.38% White, 53.29% African American, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.49% of the population.
There were 191 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 81.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $23,625, and the median income for a family was $28,977. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $16,563 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $12,832. About 18.2% of families and 24.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.8% of those under age 18 and 43.4% of those age 65 or over.
History
The town was founded in 1804 on the highest point of the Roanoke RiverRoanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
.
The most significant historical event of early Hamilton was the battle and fall of Fort Branch
Fort Branch
Fort Branch was a fort built by the Confederate Army especially to defend against attacks from the Union Army along the Roanoke River in North Carolina....
, when Union vessels and troops came upriver from Plymouth (see Plymouth, North Carolina History) in an attempt to reach Weldon to cut off supplies to General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The fort protected Weldon until the day after the General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, whereupon the railroad line over the Weldon bridge had no more military significance. Afterwards, the fort was abandoned and the cannons were dumped into the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
by departing Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
troops, and were only recently discovered. In July 1972, a group of men from Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
came and began pulling cannons from the river. The group was accused of violating North Carolina's antiquities laws in an effort to keep the cannons in Martin County
Martin County
Martin County is the name of six counties in the United States:* Martin County, Florida* Martin County, Indiana* Martin County, Kentucky* Martin County, Minnesota* Martin County, North Carolina* Martin County, Texas...
. The courts officially decided that the cannons belong to the state under the North Carolina Department of Archives and History. The department decided to permanently loan the artifact to Fort Branch.
The Historic Hamilton Commission, started in 1976, is in charge of 52 other historic sites in the county, including St. Martin's Episcopal Church
St. Martin's Episcopal Church
St. Martin's Episcopal Church can refer to many churches in the United States:*St. Martin's Episcopal Church George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush's church*St. Martin's Episcopal Church...
. The church was established as a missionary station of the Episcopalian
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
church in 1868. It was founded primarily by members of the Boyle family, such as Francis Atherton Boyle and Mary A. Boyle. St. Martin's was admitted to the Episcopal convention in 1873. Building began in 1879. All of the construction materials were from local suppliers, except the bell and stained glass, which were imported from Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The church was consecrated on 17 May 1882. Rev. Dr. Watson preached the sermon; Bishop Lyman celebrated Holy Communion. The church is now inactive, but is still under the North Carolina Diocese. This means it is still a consecrated church.
Another important site in Hamilton is the Rosenwald School
Rosenwald School
A Rosenwald School was the name informally applied to over five thousand schools, shops, and teachers' homes in the United States which were built primarily for the education of African-Americans in the early twentieth century. The need arose from the chronic underfunding of public education for...
. These are historically black schools started by Julius Rosenwald
Julius Rosenwald
Julius Rosenwald was a U.S. clothier, manufacturer, business executive, and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for the Rosenwald Fund which donated millions to support the education of African American children in the rural South, as well...
, president of Sears, Roebuck and Co.,. During segregation
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
, white schools has approximately five times as much funding as black schools. The Rosenwald Fund
Rosenwald Fund
The Rosenwald Fund was established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family for "the well-being of mankind."...
sought to provide support for these underprivileged schools. According to the Roanoke River Partners, the old school will be remodeled and used as their headquarters. Hamilton is in the exact middle of the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
, making it a sensible location.