Lenoir County

by Brad Eatman
Fall 2001

North Carolina is one of the most beautiful places in the United States. One of its most beautiful counties is Lenoir. It is located in the central coastal plain region of the state. The county covers an area of 402 square miles. It is also almost exactly half way between Raleigh and Atlantic Beach on Hwy 70.

A number of people are beginning to move to Lenoir County. As of July 1999, there were 58,842, with an increase of 1,568 people since 1990. This is an increase of 4.1%. There are 11,131 married couples living in Lenoir County, as well as 5,706 single homes. Over the last several years, many new businesses and restaurants have came to the area making Lenoir County one of the best places to live in eastern North Carolina.

The weather in Lenoir County is some of the best on the east coast. The closeness to the Atlantic Ocean keeps the temperatures in the county very pleasurable. In the summer the average temperature is 78 degrees, while in the winter it is 41 degrees. There is an average rainfall of 51 inches a year.

There are many towns or townships located in Lenoir County. Kinston, which is the largest town in the county, is also the county seat and has a population of 24,470. La Grange, Falling Creek, Deep Run, Rivermont, and Pink Hill are all located entirely within the county lines. Jason, Snow Hill, Hookerton, Ayden, Grifton, Dover, Albertson, and Comfort are located partially within the county.

There are many geographical features in Lenoir County that make it unique. The highest elevation in the county is 44 feet above sea level and is located in Pink Hill. The Neuse River runs through the heart of the county as well. One of the most interesting things located in Lenoir County is the Global Transpark. It was designed to allow North Carolina to become involved with national and global commerce. It helps solve the problem of expensive cargo cost by offering a shipping dock as well as many acres of land that can be used for future businesses. The park is located at the Kinston Regional Jetport and its surrounding area. The state has bought up much of the land surrounding the jetport in order to attract new business to the area. This allows not only North Carolina, but also the entire United States to become stronger competitors in the global marketplace. If a company was interested in opening a branch of their business in Lenoir County, the land in the transpark sells for $30,000 per acre.

Wildlife in Lenoir County is plentiful. Few types of game restricted to hunters in Lenoir County. Bear, deer, squirrel, quail, dove, duck, are plentiful in the county and all have a hunting season, unlike many other counties in eastern North Carolina. Many migratory birds make there winter home in Lenoir County including finches and geese. The Neuse River offers wildlife the habitat they need to thrive, while the many crops grown in the county offer plenty of food.

There are a number of landmarks and national parks in Lenoir County. There are 22 places listed in the national registry of historical places. Some of these places include Caswell Center, the CSS Ram Neuse Park, and the old Grainger Hill High School. The Caswell Center was dedicated to the first governor of North Carolina and is now used as a home for the mentally handicapped. The CSS Ram Neuse Park contains an old wood and iron warship from the civil war. It was found on the Neuse River just up from the park in Lenoir County and is one of only two ironclad warships ever found. The ironclad is on display in the park and is one of the counties most widely known national monuments. The Granger Hill High School was closed in the late 1970s. It was the old high school for Lenoir County. It became Kinston High shortly before its closing, and is now a performing arts center and historic site.

Recently it was discovered that Lenoir County was home to the second largest battle in North Carolina History. The battleground may be found just east of Kinston on Hwy 70. Archaeologist found several artifacts linking this battleground to a major struggle during the late years of the Civil War.

References

"North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office Assistance to Lenoir County." North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. 31 Dec. 1999. 15 Nov. 2001 http://www.hpo.dcr.state.nc.us/facts/Lenoir.htm.

"Lenoir County." North Carolina Low Income Housing Coalition. 2001. 15 Nov. 2001 http://www.nclihc.org/counties/lenoi.html.

"Lenoir County Industrial Park." North Carolina's Eastern Region. 2001. 15 Nov. 2001 http://www.gtp.net/industrial_parks/Lenoir%20County%20Industrial%20Park.htm.

"Lenoir County." North Carolina Maps. North carolina Geological Survey. 2001. 15 Nov. 2001 http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/county/lenoir_county.html.

"Lenoir County." Online Highways. 2001. 15 Nov. 2001 http://www.ohwy.com/NC/y/y37107.htm.

North Carolina Global Transpark. 2001. 16 Nov. 2001 http://www.ncgtp.com/.

Created November 19, 2001
Updated May 19, 2003