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Sanford was founded around a railroad crossing in the 1870s and named for C.O. Sanford, the civil engineer who laid out the lines through the area. It was incorporated in 1874 and grew quickly as a rail and industrial town, built on the clay and brownstone found where the sandhills meet the Piedmont. By the 1950s it produced about a tenth of the bricks made in the United States and earned the nickname Brick Capital of the USA.
When Lee County was created in 1907, its courthouse was placed between Sanford and the neighboring town of Jonesboro, which later merged into the city. Downtown Sanford keeps a historic district of brick storefronts, the restored 1920s Temple Theatre and the 1872 Railroad House, the oldest building in town and now a small museum.
For outdoor time, San-Lee Park offers stocked lakes, a nature center, campsites and mountain bike trails, while the Deep River area just north of town holds the Civil War era Endor Iron Furnace. The House in the Horseshoe, a Revolutionary War site with bullet holes still in its walls, is a short drive west.
Sanford grew where two railroads crossed in the 1870s, and its downtown along Steele and Moore streets keeps brick storefronts, murals and restored buildings with restaurants, shops and breweries. Sanford is known as the Brick City, a nod to its brickmaking past. Free parking is easy to find.
A restored 1925 theater on Moore Street in downtown Sanford that stages professional and community musicals, plays, concerts and youth productions through the year. Its intimate auditorium gives good views from most seats. Check the season schedule, and book early for holiday shows, which often sell out.
Built in 1872 for the railroad depot agent, this small white house is the oldest building in Sanford and now holds a local history museum with exhibits on the railroad, brickmaking and pottery traditions. It sits at the heart of downtown. Admission is free, but hours are limited, so check before visiting.
A Neoclassical courthouse built in 1908 after Lee County was formed, with a tall columned portico and a dome above downtown Sanford. It remains a working courthouse and the town's most recognizable landmark. Visitors can admire the exterior and grounds at any time; the interior is open on business days.
A large stone blast furnace on the Deep River near Cumnock, north of Sanford, built in the early 1860s and used to make iron for the Confederacy during the Civil War. It is one of the best-preserved furnaces of its kind in the state. A short trail from a parking area leads to the ruin.
A state historic site southwest of Sanford in a bend of the Deep River, centered on a 1770s plantation house where a Revolutionary War skirmish took place in 1781; bullet holes still mark the walls. The grounds are free and peaceful. A reenactment is held most summers, and house tours run on set days.
A Lee County park east of Sanford with two lakes, wooded hiking and mountain biking trails, campsites, a nature center, fishing and canoe and paddle boat rentals in season. It is one of the best outdoor spots near town. Trails are shaded but can be rooty, so wear sturdy shoes and bring insect repellent.
A rare 1901 steel camelback truss bridge over the Deep River near Cumnock, now closed to cars and used as a footbridge within a small county park. It is the last bridge of its kind in North Carolina. Walk across for river views, and look for the nearby trail that leads to old coal mining sites.
A state park east of Sanford along the Cape Fear River, named for a 150-foot crystalline rock outcrop that rises above the water. Trails lead through hardwood forest to overlooks, creeks and the river, with backcountry campsites. The Raven Rock loop is moderate, with stairs down to the base of the cliffs.
Held each spring in Sanford, this festival gathers potters from across North Carolina and nearby states to sell handmade stoneware, porcelain and art pottery, with demonstrations and food. It celebrates the region's long pottery tradition. Arrive early on the first morning for the best pieces.
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North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
North Carolina, United States
Photo: Indy beetle, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Indy beetle, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Gerry Dincher, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Gerry Dincher, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Donald Lee Pardue, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Gerry Dincher, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Donald Lee Pardue, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Donald Lee Pardue, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Gerry Dincher, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Donald Lee Pardue, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Donald Lee Pardue, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: ExCurtainClimber, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: ExCurtainClimber, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: Dincher, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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