Engaging North Carolina
Franklin County
Quick Facts
Students: 234Applicants: 181
Alumni: 1313
Park Scholars: 0
Goodnight Scholars: 3
Caldwell Fellows: 0
Franklin County, established on Jan. 6, 1787, is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Statistical Area and is considered part of the Research Triangle region. Its county seat is Louisburg, which is about 30 miles from NC State’s main campus.
Primarily rural with some suburban areas, Franklin County has a population of 66,168 and a total employment of 12,180 (18.4%).
The county’s most profitable agricultural product, both traditionally and currently, is tobacco. The largest product by acreage is soybeans. The type of livestock produced most by total number is meat-type chickens.
The largest manufacturer is Novozymes North America, a manufacturer of biotech products located in Franklinton. It is the county’s third-largest employer, with 500-999 workers.
The county has two postsecondary institutions: Louisburg College, the nation’s oldest two-year coeducational college; and a campus of Vance-Granville Community College.
NC State is Here
Hosley Forest
About 90 miles north of NC State’s main campus is Hosley Forest, a 254-acre tract that includes both managed pine plantations and natural bottomland hardwood trees.
Formerly farmland, the forest was planted by its original owner, Wilfred Hosley of Wake Forest. After 10 years of growth, he gave the land to the university for forestry research in 1994. There is no active research at this time, but much potential exists to study the eradication of invasive species by silvicultural operations, impacts of silvicultural operations on endangered mussels downstream, effects of and levels of stewardship associated with commercial ATV access, and the practice of sound hardwood forest management in the southeastern U.S.
The forest has no public accessibility but is leased for hunting. There are no onsite facilities.
Wool sheep await their turn to take the ring during judging at the Four County 4-H Livestock Show at Double D Equestrian Center outside Louisburg.
Alma Morales awaits her turn during wool sheep judging at the Four County 4-H Livestock Show at Double D Equestrian Center outside Louisburg.
J.W. Brown and Holly Thurnburg (right) listen as NC State livestock extension agent Andy Burlingham explains his awards decisions during wool sheep judging at the Four County 4-H Livestock Show at Double D Equestrian Center outside Louisburg.
NC State livestock extension agent Andy Burlingham (right) of Greenville judges wool sheep at the Four County 4-H Livestock Show at Double D Equestrian Center outside Louisburg.
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