The Early History of Norwood
Norwood is a section of the original land grant called the “King’s Big Grant” in 1773. This land consisted of several thousand acres that was given to a large group of men from Virginia, including three Allen brothers.
The first permanent settlement on this land grant was called Allen Town. Allen Town (or Allenton) was incorporated in 1799. Allen Town was abandoned after a typhoid epidemic in 1810, which killed most of the people living in Allen Town. This area now lies at the bottom of Lake Tillery.
The survivors of the epidemic moved to a local area named Center. This was located between the Rocky River and Pee Dee River.
The Town of Norwood was granted a charter by the North Carolina General Assembly on February 11, 1881 and was named after the Norwood brothers’ store, which housed the area’s post office.
