Spring Lake

History

The current name of the town first appeared around 1923 for a spring fed lake, which probably formed when the railroad was built about 1860. The community grew slowly until World War II. At its incorporation, the town selected the post office on Main Street as the center of town. The town limits extended only eight-tenths of a mile from its center, but increased rapidly as nearby Fort Bragg was built up. Today, Spring Lake remains a quaint town with its close ties to nearby Fort Bragg. Previously, the area was called "Clayton Cut", due to the pathway cut that ran through the area where the railroad later resided, and also "Prince's Siding", after a man named Prince who owned a sawmill on this land. Spring Lake was officially incorporated on April 9, 1951. Grady Howard was named interim mayor on this date, and was officially elected the first mayor of Spring Lake on June 5, 1951. The modern growth spurt beginning in World War II is attributed to the proximity of Fort Bragg. Long Valley Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

Geography

Spring Lake is located in northwestern Cumberland County. It is bordered to the south by the city of Fayetteville, the Cumberland County seat, to the west by Hoke and Moore counties, and to the north by Harnett County. Large portions of the town limits are occupied by Pope Air Force Base and parts of Fort Bragg. North Carolina Highways 87 and 24 run concurrently through the town, leading south to downtown Fayetteville. NC 87 leads north to Sanford, while NC 24 runs northwest to Carthage. North Carolina Highway 210 leads northeast to Lillington and southeast as Murchison Road to downtown Fayetteville. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Spring Lake has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.88%, is water. The Little River, a tributary of the Cape Fear River, runs the length of the town from west to east, passing north of the town center. It includes sections of the Fort Bragg property, including Pope Field.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Pine Forest High
  High · Fayetteville · 1,572 students · 19.2:1 ratio
• Terry Sanford High
  High · Fayetteville · 1,224 students · 20.1:1 ratio
• Westover High
  High · Fayetteville · 1,202 students · 17.9:1 ratio
• E E Smith High
  High · Fayetteville · 1,004 students · 17:1 ratio
• Westover Middle
  Middle · Fayetteville · 784 students · 16:1 ratio
• Pine Forest Middle
  Middle · Fayetteville · 738 students · 16:1 ratio
• Cliffdale Elementary
  Elementary · Fayetteville · 658 students · 15:1 ratio
• Bill Hefner Elementary
  Elementary · Fayetteville · 651 students · 15.5:1 ratio