Newbern, Alabama

Newbern, Alabama
Town
Location in Hale County and the state of Alabama Location in Hale County and the state of Alabama
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Hale
Area
• Total	1.2 sq mi (3 km2)
• Land	1.2 sq mi (3 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	187 ft (57 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	231
• Density	192.5/sq mi (77/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	36765
Area code(s)	334
FIPS code	01-53784
GNIS feature ID	0152687

Newbern is a town in Hale County, Alabama, United States. 2009 census estimates placed the population at 222. It is part of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community was named for New Bern, North Carolina. It is in the Central Standard Time Zone. The Rural Studio of Auburn University is based in Newbern; its architecture student practitioners work under the supervision of faculty on designing and building affordable housing and similar projects to support the population of rural areas in Alabama.

Geography

Newbern is located at (32.594818, -87.535431).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.

The Town is located in the geographic region known as the Black Belt, related to the fertile soil which attracted developers of cotton plantations in the antebellum years, and also to the population of enslaved African Americans who worked at those sites. Many areas of the rural Black Belt are still majority African American in population.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	454		—
1900	564		—
1910	515		−8.7%
1920	438		−15.0%
1930	389		−11.2%
1940	388		−0.3%
1950	367		−5.4%
1960	316		−13.9%
1970	286		−9.5%
1980	307		7.3%
1990	222		−27.7%
2000	231		4.1%
2010	186		−19.5%
Est. 2014	180		−3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 2013 Estimate

As of the census of 2000, there were 231 people, 91 households, and 59 families residing in the town. The population density was 198.5 people per square mile (76.9/km²). There were 110 housing units at an average density of 94.5 per square mile (36.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 22.94% White and 77.06% Black or African American.

There were 91 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were married couples living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the town the population was spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $20,682, and the median income for a family was $31,042. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $11,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,476. About 17.5% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 33.3% of those sixty five or over.

Notable residents

• Henry Watson, Jr. (1810-1891) owned a cotton plantation in Newbern.
• Charles Adams was one of the oldest residents, an African American born in 1903. He and his wife joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He later served in the branch presidency and as elders quorum president. He was serving in the later capacity in 2006 when 102. Adams died at the age of 105 on April 21, 2009.
• Frank Allen, a former Major League Baseball player, was from Newbern.
• Anthony Bryant, a current player in the NFL, is from Newbern.

Gallery

The below photographs were taken in Newbern as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey in the 1930s:

• FRONT ELEVATION - Presbyterian Church, State Route 61, Newbern, Hale County, AL HABS ALA,33-NEWB,3-1.tif

  Presbyterian Church

• Front (east), north side - Baptist Church, State Route 61, Newbern, Hale County, AL HABS ALA,33-NEWB,2-1.tif

  Baptist Church

• FRONT (WEST) AND SOUTH SIDE - Walthall House, State Route 61, Newbern, Hale County, AL HABS ALA,33-NEWB,1-1.tif

  Walthall House

External links

• Rural Studio