Dunn

History

Originally called "Lucknow", what would become present-day Dunn was a sleepy hamlet compared to Averasborough, a much larger city on the Cape Fear River. After the Battle of Averasborough in 1865, most residents from Averasborough left for Lucknow, renamed "Dunn" in 1873. The city of Dunn was incorporated on February 12, 1887, at which time it was a logging town and a turpentine distilling center. The name honors Bennett Dunn, who supervised the construction of the railway line between Wilson and Fayetteville. The Dunn Commercial Historic District, Harnett County Training School, Kenneth L. Howard House, Lebanon, Gen. William C. Lee House, John A. McKay House and Manufacturing Company, and John E. Wilson House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city's former mayor, Oscar Harris, died when walking around the city. He was 80.

Geography

Dunn is located in eastern Harnett County. It is bordered to the west by the town of Erwin. U.S. Route 301 (Clinton Avenue) passes through the center of Dunn, leading northeast to Benson and southwest to Fayetteville. U.S. Route 421 (Cumberland Street) crosses US-301 in the center of Dunn, leading northwest through Erwin to Lillington, the county seat, and southeast to Clinton. Interstate 95 passes through the eastern side of Dunn, with access from Exits 72 and 73. I-95 leads northeast to the Wilson area and southwest to the Fayetteville area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Dunn has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,966
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,715
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  1,669
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,503
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,471
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,372
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,352
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  1,276

Largest nearby schools

• Triton High
  High · Erwin · 1,287 students · 18.1:1 ratio
• Dunn Elementary
  Elementary · Dunn · 799 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• Coats Elementary
  Elementary · Coats · 671 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Coats-Erwin Middle
  Middle · Dunn · 606 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Erwin Elementary
  Elementary · Erwin · 562 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Dunn Middle
  Middle · Dunn · 412 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Buies Creek Elementary
  Elementary · Buies Creek · 232 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Harnett County Early College
  High · Dunn · 102 students · 20.4:1 ratio