Dunn, North Carolina

Originally called "Lucknow", what would become present-day Dunn was a sleepy hamlet compared to Averasborough, a much larger city on the Cape Fear River. After the Battle of Averasborough in 1865, most residents from Averasborough left for Lucknow, renamed "Dunn" in 1873.

The city of Dunn was incorporated on February 12, 1887, at which time it was a logging town and a turpentine distilling center. The name honors Bennett Dunn,{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7-QbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qlIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6881%2C6953371 | title=State Filled With Strange Town Names | work=The Dispatch | date=Aug 28, 1986 | access-date=16 May 2015 | author=Bowden, Barry | pages=25}} who supervised the construction of the railway line between Wilson and Fayetteville.

The Dunn Commercial Historic District, Harnett County Training School, Kenneth L. Howard House, Lebanon, Gen. William C. Lee House, John A. McKay House and Manufacturing Company, and John E. Wilson House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{NRISref|version=2010a}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/listings/20140829.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=2014-08-29|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/18/14 through 8/23/14|publisher=National Park Service}}

The city's former mayor, Oscar Harris, died when walking around the city. He was 80.{{Cite web|url=https://abc11.com/5887702/|title=Former Dunn Mayor Oscar Harris dies|date=2020-01-29|website=ABC11 Raleigh-Durham|language=en|access-date=2020-01-31}}

Dunn is located in eastern Harnett County. It is bordered to the west by the town of Erwin. U.S. Route 301 (Clinton Avenue) passes through the center of Dunn, leading northeast {{convert|6|mi|0}} to Benson and southwest {{convert|25|mi}} to Fayetteville. U.S. Route 421 (Cumberland Street) crosses US-301 in the center of Dunn, leading northwest through Erwin {{convert|15|mi}} to Lillington, the county seat, and southeast {{convert|28|mi}} to Clinton. Interstate 95 passes through the eastern side of Dunn, with access from Exits 72 and 73. I-95 leads northeast {{convert|50|mi}} to the Wilson area and southwest to the Fayetteville area.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Dunn has a total area of {{convert|18.1|km2|order=flip}}, all land.

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Dunn has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Dunn was {{convert|108|F|C|1}} on August 22, 1983, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-4|F|C|1}} on January 21, 1985.

{{Weather box

|location = Dunn, North Carolina, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1962–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 80

|Feb record high F = 88

|Mar record high F = 89

|Apr record high F = 94

|May record high F = 99

|Jun record high F = 104

|Jul record high F = 105

|Aug record high F = 108

|Sep record high F = 100

|Oct record high F = 96

|Nov record high F = 86

|Dec record high F = 80

|Jan avg record high F = 72.1

|Feb avg record high F = 75.2

|Mar avg record high F = 81.6

|Apr avg record high F = 86.6

|May avg record high F = 91.5

|Jun avg record high F = 96.2

|Jul avg record high F = 97.7

|Aug avg record high F = 96.2

|Sep avg record high F = 91.7

|Oct avg record high F = 86.1

|Nov avg record high F = 78.3

|Dec avg record high F = 73.3

|year avg record high F = 98.9

|Jan high F = 54.5

|Feb high F = 58.3

|Mar high F = 65.5

|Apr high F = 75.1

|May high F = 81.9

|Jun high F = 88.8

|Jul high F = 91.8

|Aug high F = 89.9

|Sep high F = 84.6

|Oct high F = 75.4

|Nov high F = 65.7

|Dec high F = 57.5

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 43.1

|Feb mean F = 46.0

|Mar mean F = 52.8

|Apr mean F = 61.9

|May mean F = 69.9

|Jun mean F = 77.8

|Jul mean F = 81.3

|Aug mean F = 79.6

|Sep mean F = 74.0

|Oct mean F = 62.9

|Nov mean F = 52.6

|Dec mean F = 46.0

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 31.8

|Feb low F = 33.7

|Mar low F = 40.0

|Apr low F = 48.7

|May low F = 57.9

|Jun low F = 66.8

|Jul low F = 70.8

|Aug low F = 69.3

|Sep low F = 63.3

|Oct low F = 50.5

|Nov low F = 39.6

|Dec low F = 34.6

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 15.7

|Feb avg record low F = 20.2

|Mar avg record low F = 24.5

|Apr avg record low F = 33.3

|May avg record low F = 43.9

|Jun avg record low F = 55.4

|Jul avg record low F = 62.7

|Aug avg record low F = 60.5

|Sep avg record low F = 51.0

|Oct avg record low F = 35.0

|Nov avg record low F = 25.1

|Dec avg record low F = 20.8

|year avg record low F = 14.1

|Jan record low F = -4

|Feb record low F = 4

|Mar record low F = 10

|Apr record low F = 25

|May record low F = 33

|Jun record low F = 43

|Jul record low F = 52

|Aug record low F = 47

|Sep record low F = 37

|Oct record low F = 21

|Nov record low F = 12

|Dec record low F = 1

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.63

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.23

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.68

|Apr precipitation inch = 3.57

|May precipitation inch = 3.83

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.97

|Jul precipitation inch = 5.93

|Aug precipitation inch = 5.46

|Sep precipitation inch = 5.50

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.17

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.56

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.57

|year precipitation inch = 50.10

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 10.0

|Feb precipitation days = 8.7

|Mar precipitation days = 9.7

|Apr precipitation days = 8.4

|May precipitation days = 9.4

|Jun precipitation days = 9.3

|Jul precipitation days = 11.4

|Aug precipitation days = 10.5

|Sep precipitation days = 8.3

|Oct precipitation days = 7.2

|Nov precipitation days = 7.7

|Dec precipitation days = 10.2

|Jan snow inch = 1.0

|Feb snow inch = 0.2

|Mar snow inch = 0.3

|Apr snow inch = 0.0

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.0

|Nov snow inch = 0.0

|Dec snow inch = 0.6

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 0.3

|Feb snow days = 0.2

|Mar snow days = 0.0

|Apr snow days = 0.0

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.0

|Nov snow days = 0.0

|Dec snow days = 0.2

|Jan snow depth inch =

|Feb snow depth inch =

|Mar snow depth inch =

|Apr snow depth inch =

|May snow depth inch =

|Jun snow depth inch =

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|Sep snow depth inch =

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|year snow depth inch =

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00312500&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Dunn 4 NW, NC

|access-date = February 3, 2025

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=rah

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Raleigh

|access-date = February 3, 2025

}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1890= 419

|1900= 1072

|1910= 1823

|1920= 2805

|1930= 4558

|1940= 5256

|1950= 6316

|1960= 7566

|1970= 8302

|1980= 8962

|1990= 8336

|2000= 9196

|2010= 9263

|2020= 8446

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 16, 2014}}
2013 Estimate{{cite web|title=Population Estimates|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2014-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522161634/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|archive-date=2014-05-22|url-status=dead}}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,446 people, 4,031 households, and 2,284 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,196 people, 3,797 households, and 2,422 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,482.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people}}. There were 4,100 housing units at an average density of {{convert|660.8|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 54.56% White, 41.21% African American, 0.97% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.

There were 3,797 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,550, and the median income for a family was $39,521. Males had a median income of $31,029 versus $21,961 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,178. About 19.6% of families and 23.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.2% of those under age 18 and 19.2% of those age 65 or over.

Dunn is home to four schools. Dunn Elementary is for preschool through third grade; Wayne Avenue Elementary serves fourth and fifth grade students; Dunn Middle School is for grades six through eight. Dunn's students then attend Triton High School in nearby Erwin.

Dunn is also home to private religious schools, including Dream Big Christian Academy, Calvary Christian Academy, Heritage Bible College, and Foundations Bible College and Theological Seminary.

{{Undue weight section|date=September 2021}}

In December 1981, three students at Dunn High School were spanked with a wooden paddle by the assistant principal, Glenn Varney, as punishment for skipping school. School corporal punishment is legal in the state of North Carolina and was at the time permitted by the Harnett County school district.Paddle ban: Harnett County sees the light regarding corporal punishment in school, The Fayetteville Observer, September 15, 2008 The paddling led the parents of one of the students, 17-year-old Shelly Gaspersohn, to file a $55,000 lawsuit against Varney and the school the following May (Gaspersohn v. Harnett County Board of Education), claiming that the punishment was too severe. When Shelley reached the age of 18 in October, she took over as direct plaintiff. In December 1983, following one week of testimony and 15 minutes of deliberation, the jury found for the defendants, and the plaintiff's subsequent appeal was ultimately rejected two years later by the Supreme Court of North Carolina. The trial was chronicled by psychologist Irwin Hyman, who was a witness for the plaintiff, in his 1990 book, Reading, Writing and the Hickory Stick.Hyman, Irwin. Reading, Writing and the Hickory Stick: The Appalling Story of Physical and Psychological Abuse in American Schools (Lexington Books, 1990)

On October 17, 1984, Shelly Gaspersohn recounted her experience before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice, led by the subcommittee chairman, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. She stated that the county medical examiner who treated her for bruises and external hemorrhaging in the days after she was paddled filed a child abuse charge against Varney (a fact that was not allowed to be presented at trial), but that "there is no agency that can investigate a charge of child abuse against a public school teacher." Shelly's mother, Marlene Gaspersohn, also testified during the same session. When asked if she believed schools had the right to administer corporal punishment to students," Mrs. Gaspersohn replied, "I used to think that they had that right, but after experiencing the trauma that it can create, I have changed my mind completely about it."CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN THE SCHOOLS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1984 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON JUVENILE JUSTICE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, WASHINGTON, DC

Shelly Gaspersohn also called for the abolition of school paddling in a guest column for USA Today, published October 23, 1984."Don't Inflict My Pain on Others," By Shelly S. Gaspersohn, Guest columnist, USA Today, October 23, 1984

In 2008 Harnett County changed its policy to ban corporal punishment in schools.

• Dorothy F. Bailey, civil leader
• Kevin Barnes, NFL cornerback
• Renee Ellmers, congresswoman
• Beth Finch, politician and businesswoman
• Algeania Freeman, academic administrator
• Kenneth L. Hardison, lawyer and author
• Oscar N. Harris, politician
• Cal Lampley, record producer and composer
• William C. Lee, Army general
• David R. Lewis, former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
• Debbi Morgan, actress
• James Toon, gridiron football player and coach
• Clayton White, football coach and player
• Link Wray, musician

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.dunn-nc.org/ City of Dunn official website]
• [http://www.mydailyrecord.com/ The Daily Record]
• [http://www.dunnchamber.com/ Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce]
• [https://www.dunnhistorymuseum.com/ Dunn Area History Museum]

{{Harnett County, North Carolina}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in North Carolina

Category:Cities in Harnett County, North Carolina