Erwin

History

Prior to Erwin, there was a colonial-era settlement in the area known as "Averasboro". The Battle of Averasborough was fought nearby during the American Civil War. In 1902, the Duke family built the Erwin Cotton Mill, which closed on December 1, 2000, due to the North American Free Trade Agreement increasing the labor costs of the mill workers, leaving Swift Textiles to relocate the mill's operations to Mexico. The new town was named "Duke" after the founding shareholders. In 1925, the name was changed to "Erwin" because of the formation of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Oak Grove, Averasboro Battlefield Historic District, and Downtown Erwin are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On 12 July 2026 around 9 PM local time, a vehicle struck one of the transmission towers that serves the town, leaving the town without electricity service for the entire night, carrying into the next day. Duke Energy had to replace the pole with a temporary power pole that will serve until a new permanent tower is installed. No people were injured during the incident, as it was caused by weather.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Erwin has a total area of , of which , or 0.91%, are water. The Cape Fear River forms part of the western border of the town. Juniper Creek, a tributary to the Cape Fear River, enters in Erwin.

Race & ethnicity

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 Virtual Academy
  Other · Lillington · 122 students