Grifton, North Carolina


Grifton is a town in Pitt and Lenoir counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,617 at the 2010 census. The Pitt County portion of the town is a part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region.

History

The town was named after C.M.A. Griffin.

Geography

Grifton is located on the southern edge of Pitt County at , mostly on the northeast side of Contentnea Creek, which forms the county line. A small portion of the town is on the southwest side of the creek in Lenoir County. North Carolina Highway 11 passes just west of the town, leading north to Greenville, the Pitt county seat, and southwest to Kinston, the Lenoir county seat.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of. Contentnea Creek is a southeast-flowing tributary of the Neuse River.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,073 people, 812 households, and 583 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,209.4 people per square mile. There were 1,092 housing units at an average density of 637.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 63.24% White, 33.19% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 2.32% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 4.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Education

Grifton is served by Grifton School with grades Pre-K through 8. It is administered by the Pitt County Public School system. High school students attend nearby Ayden-Grifton High School, which is located between Ayden and Grifton. Just south of Grifton is the private K-12 school Arendell Parrott Academy.
Higher education is provided through Pitt Community College in Winterville and Lenoir Community College in Kinston. East Carolina University is located north of Grifton in Greenville.

Constructions

The WITN tower is a guyed TV mast with a height of located in the town.

Local events

Shad Festival

In 1971, citizens in the town of Grifton established the annual Grifton Shad Festival as a way to increase interest in the town and to provide family-oriented fun for all ages working together. The Shad Festival was suggested by then North Carolina extension agent Ed Comer. Most events are free and outdoors. There are now 40 events, ranging from parade and pony rides to art show, clogging, Hispanic dances, lying contest, historical museum and athletic competitions, including the Shad Toss.
The annual celebration includes:
John Lawson Legacy Days is an annual event held at the Grifton Historical Museum and Indian Village, focusing on reenactors, historic interpreters, and historical technology demonstrations. The event was first held in 2010 and is named after John Lawson, an English explorer, naturalist and surveyor who traveled through the Carolinas in 1701 and published a book about his travels in 1709. Lawson was killed by a group of Tuscarora near Grifton in 1711.

Back-N-Time Book Club

Back-N-Time Book Club is a book club organized by the Grifton Historical Museum in combination with North Carolina Literacy to introduce children and adults to reading.