Oxford, North Carolina
| Oxford, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
| City | |
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Oxford
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 Location of Oxford, North Carolina |
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| Coordinates: 36°18′43″N 78°35′27″W / 36.31194°N 78.59083°WCoordinates: 36°18′43″N 78°35′27″W / 36.31194°N 78.59083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Granville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.1 sq mi (15.7 km2) |
| • Land | 6.1 sq mi (15.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 479 ft (146 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 8,461 |
| • Density | 1,399/sq mi (540.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 27565 |
| Area code(s) | 919 |
| FIPS code | 37-49800 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1021773 |
| Website | www |
Oxford is a city in Granville County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 8,461 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Granville County.
The city's history dates to 1761, when local legislator Samuel Benton built a plantation home and called it "Oxford". The legislature ordered the area around his plantation to be the seat of Granville County. The city was not incorporated until 1816.
The first Masonic orphanage for children in the United States was built in Oxford. It was originally established as St. John's College in 1858. The college floundered, however. In 1872 the community suggested that the property be used to educate the less fortunate. In December 1873 the first residents were admitted to the Oxford Orphans Asylum, which is today known as the "Masonic Home for Children at Oxford".
In 1851 James H. Horner established Horner Military Academy, which served many young men from New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina and other states. Many of the students went on to become leaders in the United States government, such as James Crawford Biggs, Solicitor General under President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the inception of the New Deal.
The Oxford Female College was established in 1851 by North Carolina Baptists. After suffering financial difficulties, the college was sold and became a private educational institution renamed "Oxford Female Seminary". In 1880 F. P. Hobgood took over leadership of the school, and it flourished until his death in 1924. The school closed the following year.
In 1883 the state legislature established the Colored Orphan Asylum in Oxford. Henry Plummer Cheatham, a former US congressman (1889-1893), was appointed superintendent in the early 1900s and led the institution for 28 years.
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