Grifton is a town in Lenoir and Pitt counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,448 at the 2020 census. The Pitt County portion of the town is a part of the Greenville Metropolitan Statistical Area located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region.
History
Settlement in the area dates back to 1756, when the locale was known as Peter's Ferry. By 1764, it was known as Blount's Ford. In the 1800s according to local knowledge, the Contentnea Creek bridge was set ablaze during the Civil War, prompting Mr. Coward to construct a replacement bridge in 1867. However, this bridge had a short lifespan, leading Franklin Bell, a nearby blacksmith and chair-maker, to operate a ferry across the creek. As a result, the location earned the name Bell's Ferry, which persisted even after the county erected a fresh bridge over the creek in 1869. It was incorporated under that name in 1883. The name was formally changed to Grifton six years later to honor local merchant C. M. A. Griffin. Soon thereafter, it became styled as Grifton.
Geography
Grifton is located on the southern edge of Pitt County mostly on the northeastern side of Contentnea Creek, which forms the county line. A small portion of the town is on the southwestern 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 , all land. Contentnea Creek is a southeastward-flowing tributary of the Neuse River.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Grifton had a population of 2,448. The median age was 39.9 years. 24.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 81.3 males age 18 and over. There were 762 families residing in the town.
There were 962 households in Grifton, of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.9% were married-couple households, 15.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 41.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)
| 1,107
| 45.22%
|-
!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
| 978
| 39.95%
|-
!scope="row"| Native American
| 6
| 0.25%
|-
!scope="row"| Asian
| 7
| 0.29%
|-
!scope="row"| Pacific Islander
| 2
| 0.08%
|-
!scope="row"| Other/Mixed
| 86
| 3.51%
|-
!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino
| 262
| 10.7%
|}
2000 census
As of the census 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 (throwing real fish).
The annual celebration includes:
- Hickory Shad fishing contest starting January 1
- SHAD-O (Grifton's version of Bingo)
- The "Miss Grifton" pageant, a competition for high-school aged girls
- Carnival rides and games
- Craft show
- Food prepared by local churches and civic organizations
- Saturday night street dance featuring local bands
John Lawson Legacy Days
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.