Robersonville Walkabout

Downtown Robersonville, NC
Robersonville is one of many towns that used to line the old road to the Outer Banks.  Before the US 64 freeway was built in stages from the 1970s into the 21st century, two lane roads carried beach traffic through towns like Spring Hope, Princeville, Bethel, Robersonville, Everetts and Williamston.

Railroad Street - Robersonville, NC
For many of these small rural Eastern North Carolina towns, the beach going traffic meant extra business and money spent in their farming and manufacturing communities.  When the freeway was built and finally bypassed the town - the beach traffic was still there but whizzed by at 55 and now over 70 miles per hour.  The impact the US 64 freeway has had on these small towns is very similar but not as romanticized as what the Interstate did to towns along US 66.

Robersonville Furniture Company - another example of a small town furniture store.
Robersonville is one of these towns.  Founded in 1872 and named after Confederate veteran Henry Robersonville, Robersonville was the first Martin County town that was not on the Roanoke River.  It depended on the railroad that runs through town and is operated by CSX today.
Robersonville is a town of about 1400 which is down from the town's peak of nearly 2000 in 1980.  Downtown Robersonville shows storefronts of what was once a very active downtown but is a silhouette of that today.

The first home of the Bank of Robersonville. The first level once was also home to a barber shop.  The top two floors still hold apartments.


A great tile floor entrance to the old Bank of Robersonville building
Today, Robersonville is home to the East Carolina Speedway and an over 400,000 manufacturing plant for Ann's House of Nuts.
By the 1960's, the Bank of Robersonville had moved to this location.  It is now the town hall.

The Crandell Building and Village Pharmacy feature metal facades common from the 1950s.
The third Saturday of every May, the town hosts the "Music on the Corner" featuring local musicians.  Refreshments, hot dogs, and chips are only 50 cents each which makes the event very family friendly!
A former service station along US 64A.  It most likely closed after the US 64 freeway was built.

Neon sign for Stonewall Lodge 296

Robersonville First Church of Christ

Comments

Traveler 2024 said…
I was in Robersonville and surrounding area, Gold Point and saw where the Rosenwald River Center and where the reinactments of Civil Wars are done at Fort Branch, also many homes and churches and especially the Big houses along the RR...Very old and interesting area, that used to put alot of people to work befor the 1970's and the Free Trade by Obama took the jobs away.
Michelle said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michelle said…
I grew up in Robersonville and can honestly say I never knew that the town was named after a man named Henry Robersonville! A lot of memories - good and bad. Looks like they have changed the name of the yearly event that took place on the 3rd Sunday in May each year. I knew it as 'The Elk's Turnout.' Graduated from Roanoke High School in the late 80's. Looks like they've changed the name of the school as well.
Ron said…
Much has changed about Robersonville (nothing to do with Obama!) since I lived there prior to 1984. In large part, the tobacco industry took a significant hit and warehouses closed. The 64 bypass was the final straw. Now, many houses sit and rot. Abandoned. The town/county doesn't seem concerned enough to foreclose on those properties, so they can be auctioned off, resold, and saved. If something isn't done soon, it will look like the apocalypse. It is a sad town to visit now but it isn't too late.

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