Liberty, North Carolina

Liberty, North Carolina
Town
Motto: "A Great Place to Live"

Location of Liberty, North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°51′10″N 79°34′19″W / 35.85278°N 79.57194°WCoordinates: 35°51′10″N 79°34′19″W / 35.85278°N 79.57194°W
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Randolph
Area
 • Total 2.6 sq mi (6.8 km2)
 • Land 2.6 sq mi (6.8 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 791 ft (241 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,656
 • Density 1,021.5/sq mi (390.5/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 27298
Area code(s) 336
FIPS code 37-38100[1]
GNIS feature ID 0988407[2]
Website www.liberty-nc.com

Liberty is a town in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States.

History

Originally named Liberty Oak, the town was founded in 1809 near the plantation of John Leak (according to: The Town of Liberty). The first church within the town was the Liberty Christian Church (now the United Church of Christ) founded on October 11, 1884. The town's first school, the Liberty Academy, was founded on May 6, 1885 as a charter school and helped to foster the town's early reputation as a place of higher learning. Liberty is home to the mother church of the Southern Baptist Religion (Sandy Creek Baptist Church), World Skeet Shoot Champion Craig Kirkman, the home of Chance Jones, and is the birthplace of professional baseball player Joe Frazier.

The Liberty Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[3]

Events and landmarks

Liberty is also home to The Liberty Antiques Festival a world famous antiques' show that draws such famous faces as Julia Roberts. Also The Liberty Showcase who has had many famous Nashville recording stars such as Ronnie McDowell, Lorrie Morgan, Gene Watson, Exile, and many more. The movies "Killers Three" (1968) and "Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice" (1992) were filmed in Liberty and the surrounding areas.

One of Liberty's most noticeable landmarks is the Patterson House Museum. Originally constructed in 1885 By Dr. Armstead Jackson Patterson as a retirement home for his parents; it is now a museum located near the town hall. Other local landmarks are the historical Liberty train station[which is not open to the public],and the Vance York house.

In 2001 Liberty was honored to become one of the few towns on the North Carolina National Historic Register for its rich history & historic architecture largely due to the efforts of Mrs. Francine Swaim, a local writer, teacher, and historian.

As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,661.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there are 2,661 people, 1,033 households, and 708 families residing in the town. The population density is 1,020.8 people per square mile (393.6/km²). There are 1,094 housing units at an average density of 419.7 per square mile (161.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 65.69% White, 23.64% African American, 0.71% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 8.08% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. 14.21% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 1,033 households out of which 32.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% are married couples living together, 14.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% are non-families. 27.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.56 and the average family size is 3.09. In the town the population is spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $35,052, and the median income for a family is $44,179. Males have a median income of $27,944 versus $21,462 for females. The per capita income for the town is $16,345. 12.2% of the population and 9.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 12.9% of those under the age of 18 and 16.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Aviation

Liberty has long been important to the aviation community. In addition to having several private airports in the vicinity, Liberty lies at the intersection of several air traffic routes that serve the east coast. A Vortac owned by the Federal Aviation Administration for air traffic navigation is located just outside of town near Sandy Creek Church. Liberty is, also, located near the delineation point for the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (Atlanta Center) and the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (Washington Center). All planes flying west of Liberty must be directed by Atlanta, while all planes flying east must be directed by Washington.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.

Attractions

External links