While Richmond County was suggested as a new county by the General Assembly on February 1, 1779, it was not until October 23, 1779, that formal action was taken. The Act passed on October 23, 1779 authorized the creation of a new county out of Anson. Commissioners were named to lay out the new County and establish a County-seat. These men were Henry William Harrington, John Donaldson, Williams Legate, John Coal (Cole), Robert Wells, Robert Thomas and Richard Pemberton.

The new county was named Richmond, in honor of Charles Lenox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, who in 1778 initiated debate in the British parliament calling for removal of troops from America.

Rockingham is the county seat of Richmond County. It was on April 19, 1774, that a county-seat was authorized, to be called Rockingham. April 19 may be considered as the birth date for Rockingham. On April 1, 1785, the three duly appointed Commissioners - General H. W. Harrington, John Cole Sr., and Robert Webb, met and bought 18 acres of land from John James, Sr. for about $30, and 32 acres from John Cole for $50. This land was situated on the road that ran from the Mountains to Cross Creek (now Fayetteville). The land was bounded by Falling Creek on the south, and Hitchcock Creek on the North and West - a constricted area. The City of Rockingham was named for the Marquis of Rockingham, Charles Watson Wentonworth, a strong friend of the Colonies, who was Prime Minister in 1765. He was in bitter opposition to Lord North and the policy that lost America. He again became a Prime Minister in 1782, dying that year at the age of 52.

Even back in the Revolutionary war days, Richmond County was education-minded. It had the Legislature to enact in 1788 a bill creating Richmond Academy.

Hamlet was founded in the late 1800’s when an Englishman named John Shortbridge established a woolen mill along Marks Creek. A railroad was being built from Raleigh NC to Augusta GA, and it was through the influence of this early settler that the track was laid through Hamlet.

The first post office in Rockingham was established February 28, 1829, with William G. Webb as postmaster.

In November 4, 1883 at Cartledge Creek Baptist Church, the State Baptist Convention met and formally adopted the resolution naming the trustee’s for a new Institute, Wake Forest University.

The Railroad Passenger Station (circa 1895), visible from the train tracks, is registered as a Historic Landmark and is said to be the most photographed station in the eastern United States.

Hamlet was incorporated in 1897, and grew as railroad workers settled in town.

In 1911 the town of Ellerbe was incorporated.

In 1930 a monument was erected on Rockingham’s Washington Square in memory of Confederate soldiers who lost their lives during the Civil War.

In 1926 Richmond County produced 23,936 bales of cotton - the big cash crop.

By 1936 Hamlet was dubbed the “Hub of the Seaboard” with five Seaboard Railroad lines leading out of Hamlet and about thirty passenger trains leaving each day.

By 1951 diversification had reduced the cotton crop and boosted peach orchard to over 1 million trees.

Richmond County has had one citizen as Secretary of State - W. N. Everett (1923-1928; a Governor, Cameron Morrison, (1920-1924; and later U.S. Senator; and five Congressmen - Duncan McFarland (March 4, 1805 to March 3, 1807); General Alfred Dockery (twice) first in 1845 and elected again in 1851; Colonel Oliver Dockery, (March 4, 1867 to March 3, 1871); Colonel Walter S. Steel, (November, 1876 to March 1881); and finally C. B. Deane, elected for this 8th District in 1946 until 1957.

The census of 1790 gave Richmond County 5,055 inhabitants - and in ten years this had been increased by 568. In 1870, the census was 11,009, jumping to 23,948 by 1890. In 1899 a large slice (306 square miles) was cut from the county, and Scotland County was created. When the 1900 census was taken, population had decreased to 15,855. By 1920, the county had 25,567, and in 1996 the population was 45,745 - and one of the most alert industrial counties in the state.

Richmond County - a county with 477 square miles and 306,000 acres. Richmond County ranks 38th in size out of the state’s 100 counties.

Richmond County is situated in the heartland of the Carolinas, 70 miles east of Charlotte and 90 miles southwest of Raleigh. Richmond County is 477 square miles wide, making it the 38th largest of North Carolina’s 100 counties.

Average Elevation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 ft. above sea level
Average Winter Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44˚F
Average Summer Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79˚F
Average Rainfall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 in.
Average Snowfall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 in.

HOSPITALS
FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital    153 beds   
Sandhills Regional Medical Center          64 beds

DOCTORS
Medical . . . . . . .102
Dentists . . . . . . . 12
Chiropractors . . . 3

INTERSTATES
I-73 and I-74

U.S. HIGHWAYS
1, 74 and 220

STATE HIGHWAYS
38, 73, 381 and 177

AIRPORTS
Rockingham-Hamlet Airport
(charter service)
Closest Commercial Airport:
  Pinehurst, N.C. (25 miles)
Closest International Airports:
  Charlotte Douglas (85 miles)
  Raleigh/Durham (?miles)

BUS
Greyhound

RAIL
CSX Transportation
Amtrak

PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
  # of Schools        18
  Elementary         10
  Middle                  5
  High School          1
  Alternative             1
  Children’s Center   1

PRIVATE SCHOOLS
  Richmond Christian Academy    Grades 9-12
  Southeastern Christian Academy    Grades K-11
  Temple Christian School        Grades K-12

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
  Richmond Community College
  University of North Carolina at Pembroke
  Sandhills Community College