History
Roxboro/ Person County History
Bordering the counties of Durham, Orange, Granville and Caswell, and sharing a border with the state of Virginia, Person County is in the Northern Piedmont section of North Carolina. It is 30 miles north of Durham on U.S. Highway 501 and 150 miles from the Charlotte area. The county is more than 400 square miles in size and claims two small mountains – Mt. Tirzah and Hagar’s Mountain. While much of the Piedmont region is filled with narrow ridges and abrupt ditches and gullies, the structure of Roxboro and Person County is much gentler. Its watercourses have created numerous valleys with strong swells that translate into hearty-sized, flat plateaus. The main watercourses in Person County are the Hyco and Mayo lakes and the Tar and Flat rivers. Roxboro, with a current population of 9,000, is the largest town and the county seat of Person County, which has a population of more than 39,000. The community’s size provides a sense of small-town hospitality and a gentler
pace that embraces progressive goals and an intense community spirit. Person County’s primary transportation sources are two U.S. highways, 501 and 158, and three state highways, 157, 57 and 49. Access to Interstate 85 is just 30 miles away. Rail service has been in Person County since the late 1800’s. Norfolk Southern, the community’s only rail carrier provides daily switching service to Roxboro from South Boston. For air transportation, most residents use one of two nearby airports – Raleigh/Durham Airport (45 miles) and Greensboro (60 miles). For commercial and smaller plane traffic, corporations and flight hobbyists have access to Person County Executive Airport, which has a 6,000-foot paved and lighted runway.
6 Roxboro Guide - Roxboro Area Chamber of Commerce
HISTORY Person County was established in 1791, when neighboring Caswell County was divided into two equal squares. It was named after Revolutionary War General Thomas Person, a trustee at the University of North Carolina who gave generously to the college. Subsequently, a building – Person Hall – was later constructed in his honor on the UNC campus. Stephen Moore, also a Revolutionary War general, had a love of the community and its picturesque setting. While commanding troops in the area, he once rode to the top of a hill to survey the beauty of the land. He proclaimed Person County a “Lost Eden” and vowed to return one day to make it his home.