HENDERSON & FRANKLINTON HISTORY
Franklinton was established as Franklin Depot in 1839 on land owned by Shemuel Kearney. His home, built in 1759, is located south of town and is currently the oldest residence in Franklin County. Franklin Depot changed its name to Franklinton in 1842 when the town was incorporated.
According to many locals, Trinity College, originally located near Greensboro, was initially planned and approved to be moved to Franklinton in 1889. Generous offers though by local businessmen Washington Duke and Julian S. Carr brought the college to the city of Durham instead in 1892. This well known school is now called Duke University. A source from the University Archives states that nearby Raleigh was actually the initial approved bidder. This does not mean Franklinton wasn't included as a possible site even though no other bidding communities are mentioned. The citizens of Raleigh offered land now occupied by North Carolina State University and pledged $35,000.00 for a new building which was quickly approved by the Methodist Conference for Trinity College. It eventually lost to a higher bid of $85,000.00 plus donations in 1890.
Franklinton was once home to Albion Academy, a co-educational African-American school started by clergyman Moses A. Hopkins in 1879. Once a State Normal & Industrial School (trade school), it eventually became a graded school and later merged with the B.F. Person School in 1957 to become B.F. Person-Albion High School. When schools were fully integrated, the upper grades consolidated with Franklinton High School in 1969. The B.F. Person-Albion High School was renamed Franklinton Elementary School.
Also located in Franklinton is the historic Sterling Cotton Mill, founded by Samuel C. Vann and first opened in 1895. Remaining in the Vann family for many years, the mill was purchased in 1972 by Union Underwear Company...manufacturers of Fruit of the Loom fabric products. Sterling Cotton Mill eventually closed in 1991. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Burlington Industries, another well known textile and fabric maker at the time, had a facility located in Franklinton...also known as Vamoco Mills. It closed in 1989, and was demolished in 2007. A third mill was also located in Franklinton which has since closed.
On June 10, 1946, former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson (boxer) died in a car crash on U.S. Route 1 near Franklinton.
On April 4, 1963, the entire town of Franklinton was threatened by a large wildfire which consumed roughly 9,500 acres (38 km2) of woodlands and destroyed several homes north and west of town. A similar incident occurred on February 10, 2008 covering practically the same area though not as widespread, about 1,000 acres (4.0 km2). There were a couple homes which were damaged during that event. U.S. Highway 1 was temporarily closed adjacent to the affected area while firefighters battled the fires. No injuries were reported. High winds and dry conditions were factors in both incidents.
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