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Robbins A Gunsmith from Philadelphia named Alexander Kennedy relocated to a spot (near present day Robbins) where the Fayetteville-Salem Road crossed the Bear Creek in Northern Moore County. He built a gun manufacturing factory on the falls of the Bear Creek. Because of Kennedy's successful gun manufacturing factory, other factories sprang up making similar products. Kennedy manufactured rifles that were Moore County's main contributions to the war of 1812. Around 1795 the community was labeled with the name "Mechanics Hill". Each name change of this town denotes a new era in this community's growth. The railroad came through Robbins around the turn of the century. A wealthy businessman and railroad builder from Philadelphia named John Lenning laid out the streets for a new town near Mechanic's Hill. The townspeople named the new town Elise after Lenning's daughter in appreciation. On March 24th, the plat of the Elise Town Site was registered at the Moore County courthouse. The towns name was changed to Hemp and remained so for several more years. Karl Robbins, a russian immigrant, bought Pinehurst Silk Mills that was located in Hemp in 1930. His goal was to make his textile plant the most current, first-class operation possible, but Robbins' interest stretched beyond his own manufacturing facility to the town of Hemp itself. He has an impressive list of accomplishments. The citizens of Hemp so greatly appreciated Karl Robbins that they changed the name of their town to Robbins in 1943 in his honor. Gold was later found on the same spot Kennedy had sold for on $4. It was only a trickle but it kept the town alive until the Durham-Charlotte railroad came through in 1904. Robbins is located in Northern Moore County between the rolling hills and pastures and longleaf pines. The population is a little over 1200 and the town area is just over 1 square mile total. It has the greatest population density of any community in Moore County. Robbins is very proud of it's local potters and their shops. Touring the shops is a popular activity for people visiting the area. Many of the area's potters are direct descendants of early Moore County potters. Visiting the Robbins area potteries is like a step back in history where you can watch these artists at work creating masterpieces out of clay. There are also two very prominent people who call Robbins their hometown, US Senator and presidential candidate John Edwards and NASA Astronaut Dr. Charles Brady. |
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