Maxton

History

The Maxton area was first settled in the 18th century. The community was incorporated in 1874 under the name of Shoe Heel. The name changed to Tilden, in honor of 1876 U.S. President candidate Samuel J. Tilden. The name reverted to Shoe Heel in 1881 before finally settling on Maxton in 1887. As agriculture in the industry consolidated into larger corporate ventures in the 1960s, Maxton's status as a local market town declined. Located west of Interstate 95, its economy continued to wane in the following decades without the arrival of new industry. White people began leaving in search of better prospects, leading Maxton to become a majority-black town by 2000. With a newly elected government comprising many black officials, the town began expanding its incorporated limits to include many old black neighborhoods. In 2004, a highway bypass around the town was completed, depriving local businesses of the spending of travelers they had previously enjoyed. The Maxton Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. Maxton is the location of several former, but historically important schools. Charles N. Hunter a famous African-American educator who would go on to found the North Carolina Industrial Association opened his first school in Maxton.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,051
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,043
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  908
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  907
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  885
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  768
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  767
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  731

Largest nearby schools

• Purnell Swett High
  High · Pembroke · 1,608 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• Prospect Elementary
  Elementary · Maxton · 848 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Pembroke Middle
  Middle · Pembroke · 698 students · 17.4:1 ratio
• Pembroke Elementary
  Elementary · Pembroke · 692 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Union Elementary
  Elementary · Rowland · 343 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• Oxendine Elementary
  Elementary · Maxton · 289 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Old Main STREAM Academy
  Elementary · Pembroke · 280 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• Townsend Elementary
  Elementary · Maxton · 274 students · 17.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2012-07-29
  7 km NNW of Wallace, South Carolina
• M 2.9 — 2011-03-21
  9 km S of Cordova, North Carolina
• M 3.7 — 2006-09-25
  7 km W of Rowland, North Carolina
• M 3.4 — 2006-09-22
  4 km WSW of Blenheim, South Carolina