Community Description

The town of Robbins is located in the northwest quadrant of Moore County, ten miles from the geographic center of North Carolina. Robbins is twelve miles from the County seat of Carthage, 35 miles south of Asheboro, and 23 miles north of Pinehurst. Robbins is geographically different than the rest of Moore County. The town lies in the Piedmont, or clay soil area. The remainder of the County is in the Sandhills, or coastal plain. The foliage in the southern part of the County consists primarily of pine trees, while in Robbins the foliage is much more diverse with many different hardwood trees.

Defining the Robbins area is very difficult. The incorporated town itself is one square mile; however, there is an extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) for zoning and police patrol; this ETJ extends one mile outside of the town limits in all directions. This area is rural, so many people outside this ETJ define themselves as living in Robbins. The Robbins zip code encompasses these rural areas, as well as several surrounding communities. Although these unincorporated communities have their own sense of identity, they are still considered an integral part of the Robbins area because they utilize many of their services.

The town of Robbins has one main road, Highway 705, where most businesses are located. There is a wide variety of housing, ranging from numerous trailer parks to modest homes. Plank Road lies at one end of the town and normally connects the town to Carthage via route 24/27. However, Plank Road is currently closed due to the construction of a new bridge. The area north of the town limits of Robbins on highway 705 is heavily populated with pottery shops.

The town of Robbins began in 1795 when Alexander Kennedy, a revolutionary war soldier, settled in the area and established a gun factory. The promise of jobs drew others to the area, which became known as Mechanics Hill. In 1823, a post office was established, and in 1832, the first church, Mechanics Hill Baptist, was founded. In 1838, the gun factory closed and the townspeople cleared the land to use for agricultural purposes. It was during this time that gold was discovered in the area, and the town experienced a minor gold rush (Dunlap, n.d.).

At the turn of the twentieth century, the Durham-Charlotte railroad came through, and a depot was built in the town. In 1900, the town registered its name as Elise, in honor of the daughter of the president of the railroad. The railroad brought many more jobs and people to the town. In 1904, Elise Academy, now Elise Middle School, was established to educate the children of Elise (Dunlap, n.d.). It was at this time that the townspeople applied for an official U.S. post office; they were notified that there was already a town in North Carolina with the name Elise. The post office assigned the town the name of Hemp, and after much argument among the townspeople, the new name was begrudgingly adopted in 1915. However, many people continued to refer to the town as Elise for years to come. In 1935, Hemp was incorporated as a town (Changing The Name of Hemp, 1943).

During the 1920's, the town experienced industrial growth. Hemp was supplied with power in 1923, and the following year, Moore Mills Textile plant, the first textile mill, was established. The mill was purchased by Karl Robbins in 1930 and renamed the Robbins Silk Mill. The textile industry continued to play a significant role in the town until 1990.

Karl Robbins was committed to developing and improving the community. His philanthropy was far reaching; Robbins donated money to the schools and churches, built playgrounds and parks, and funded the first water and waste system in 1937 (Changing the Name of Hemp, 1943). In 1943, the citizens decided to change the town name to Robbins, in honor of its great benefactor. The Robbins family continues to support the town; in 1994, the Robbins Foundation donated funds to help build a town library (A. Moore, personal communications, October 19, 1999).

Robbins has a long history of community pride. For 44 years, Robbins has celebrated its past and its present with Farmers Day, an annual festival held on the first Saturday in August. Members of the town get together to showcase livestock, listen to music, eat, and socialize. The town is proud of its hometown heroes, Astronaut Charles Brady, Jr., and U.S. Senator John Edwards (T. Brady, personal communication, November 4, 1999).

The economy of Robbins has been marked by periods of growth and decline. In 1795, the Kennedy family opened the largest gun factory in the south in an effort to supply revolutionary war soldiers with rifles. The Kennedy gun factory created 75-100 jobs for the area; the factory continued to grow through the early 1800s, employing 150 people at its peak (Changing the Name of Hemp, 1943). When the gun factory closed in 1838 the land was cleared for agriculture. It was at this time that gold was discovered (City Government of Robbins, n.d.). Mining kept the town alive through the transitions in major industries. The gold mines are now being utilized to mine for talc.

The textile industry has been very influential throughout the last century. A single mill established in the 1920's has provided many jobs and has been the focal point of the economy. Originally called Moore Mills, the name was changed to Robbins Mill after Karl Robbins purchased the business in 1930 (City Government of Robbins, n.d.). The mill was the major employer in Robbins and helped to sustain the town through the depression (Changing the Name of Hemp, 1943). Eventually, the mill was taken over by Milliken Company. At its greatest capacity, Milliken employed 1500 people, but gradually downsized to 300 employees by the time of its closing in 1990 (M. Shamberger, personal communications, September 29, 1999).

During the 1990's, Robbins experienced many economic changes. Along with the closing of the mill, Ithaca Industries, a large hosiery plant, closed in 1997. The loss of these industries has had a lasting impact on the town, and has shifted the economic focus from the textile industry to several smaller businesses. One consistent influence on the economy has been the pottery industry; at this time there are 22 well-known potters working in the area. In the past decade, the potters have experienced a growth in popularity, increasing tourism to the region (A. Moore, personal communications, October 19, 1999).

The economy of Robbins has been revitalized in the past year and a half despite the major loss of jobs due to the factory closings (M. Shamberger, personal communications, September 29, 1999). Currently, the major employers in Robbins are: Perdue Farms Inc. (470 employees), Mansion Homes (180 employees), and Candor Hosiery (275 employees). Additional employers are: North Carolina Lace Corporation, Klaussner Furniture, Standard Mineral (talc mining), U.S. Sign Co., and Gullistan Carpet.

Presently, there is no formal economic development plan for the town of Robbins. However, there is an "Industrial Recruitment Committee" that hopes to strengthen the economy. The town is growing and developing. A new library was built in 1994, a town park opened in the summer of 1999, and an overhaul of the waste management system is planned for the near future (A. Moore, personal communications, October 19, 1999).

Geography, economy, and history all interact to define the direction and trends of a community. These three components have all worked together to shape the town. Robbins has enjoyed a rich and diverse history, marked by the numerous name changes, for the past 200 years. Additionally, the location and geographic composition of the town sets Robbins apart from the rest of Moore County. Economically, Robbins has relied heavily on the textile industry, although the employers have changed over time. These changes have led to periods of significant economic growth and decline. Throughout the years, Robbins has remained a strong and supportive community, integrating its past with its vision for the future.

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