Northampton County: Water and History

The shoreline of Lake Gaston touches Northampton County in North Carolina. The lake offers opportunities for boating, fishing, and water sports. Lake Gaston is about 35 miles long, covers more than 20,000 acres, and has 350 miles of shoreline. If you want to make water the focus of your trip, these dimensions offer a helpful guide. Historic sites and wildlife watching add other dimensions to your stay.

Rivers and seasonal wildlife

Roanoke Rapids Lake covers more than 4,600 acres of water and has more than 50 miles of shoreline. The Roanoke River is accessible via the Roanoke River Paddle Trail and its paddle trail camping platforms. More than 200 bird species have been observed in the river’s floodplain, including 51 Neotropical migratory species. Large populations of breeding Neotropical migratory birds can be observed there in spring and summer. This lets you connect the timing of your trip with a specific nature theme: the diversity of species provides the broader context, while breeding activity is specifically noted for spring and summer.

Historic sites in Jackson

The Jackson Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior on June 16, 2004. At its center is the Northampton County Courthouse, built in 1858, a Greek Revival courthouse from the Antebellum era. Greek Revival describes an architectural style inspired by ancient Greek architecture; Antebellum refers to the period before the Civil War. Also on Courthouse Square is the Clerk’s and Register’s Office, completed in 1831 and the oldest surviving public building in the town. The Northampton County Courthouse Square in Jackson was added to the National Register in 1977. Church of the Saviour and Cemetery in Jackson is also a listed site; it was added in 2001. Mowfield in Jackson was added in 1975.

The Northampton County Museum in Jackson preserves the county’s history, material culture, and cultural heritage from prehistoric times to the present. As an educational and exhibition center, it focuses on the region’s historical, cultural, and natural resources. The active, educational, and interactive museum offers young people opportunities to gain firsthand knowledge. A mural by Napoleon Hill is located in the museum. This combination of history, education, and art adds a distinct dimension to a visit, alongside the architecture of Courthouse Square.

More insights into history and recreation

The county’s school history also has a specific name: in 1971, James H. Jones became the county’s first Black representative on the school board and played an important role in integrating local schools in the 1960s and 1970s. In Woodland, Penny Beasley has painted murals on the sides of buildings. Woodland--Olney School in Woodland was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. In Garysburg, Garysburg United Methodist Church and Cemetery, also called Chapel Grove Church, was added in 1985.

If you’re interested in horse history, Sir Archie offers another historic connection: he stood as a breeding stallion at Mowfield Plantation from 1818 until his death at the age of 28 in 1833. For golf enthusiasts, Valley Pine Country Club in Lasker has a regulation-length 18-hole golf course. The course is 6,333 yards long and has three sets of tees, as well as four par-3 holes and four par-5 holes. These details offer a concrete sense of the course’s size and layout.

Odom Shooting Range has a 100-yard rifle range with eight shooting stations, a 25-yard pistol range with eight shooting stations, and a 3-D archery range with six shooting stations. Use is free. Visitors must bring their own ammunition and targets for the pistol and rifle ranges. This clearly describes both the different ranges and an important condition for visiting.

Discover more destinations: Garysburg, Transylvania County, Richmond County, Catawba, Iredell, Pender, Mitchell County, Davie County.

For the broader travel overview: North Carolina.