Located off I-95, on the border of Johnston County and Wilson County, the Town of Kenly prides itself on being a small town committed to organized growth and progress.
Farm Life Museum
 The town is known throughout the area as “Friendly Kenly.” Our citizens strive to preserve our small-town charm and make Kenly an ideal place to raise a family or start a business.
The Town of Kenly has three exits off of I-95 (exits 105, 106, and 107). A large number of travelers pass through the Kenly area everyday. These travelers frequently stop at several attractions in and around the Kenly area such as the Tobacco Farm Life Museum, Southern National Speedway, the Bentonville Battleground State Historic Site, and the Ava Gardner Museum.
Carolina Premium Outlets are also located in nearby Smithfield. For more information on these and other attractions, please see the Johnston County Visitor’s Bureau web site.
A Brief History Of The Kenly Area
By Bob Boyette
Bob Boyette is a local columnist who has also written several books about the Kenly area.
Kenly, Johnston County’s most northern town, was incorporated in 1887. Its establishment was a direct result of the coming of the railroad in 1886. That railroad was the ‘shortcut’, running from Wilson, NC to Florence, SC, saving travelers more than 60 miles on trips from the north to Florida. The town was named after a railroad man, John Reese Kenly.
Railroad officials wanted the town to be located about three miles from Beulah, a town that already existed. However, the principal landowner there refused to sell land needed for the town’s establishment. Railroad officials then purchased land for the town at its present location from Miss Lottie Watkins.
Southern National Speedway
The Town’s first business was established in 1886, the same year the railroad was built through Kenly. That business, owned by J.H. Stancil, was a conglomeration of all enterprises necessary for a small town. It included a general merchandise store and a barroom. The proprietor lived in the building.
Three years after the town was incorporated, its first church, the Free Will Baptist, was organized. Twelve members of the Holly Springs Church, located at Beulah, moved their membership to Kenly and became charter members.
About the turn of the century the Dennis Simmons Lumber Company came and helped put “Kenly on the map.” It built a tram railroad that ran more than 10 miles northwest bringing virgin “heart pine” timber to the big sawmill that stayed in town for about 15 years. Many families that came with that lumber company remained when it left. A large building built by the company was later used as a cotton and tobacco warehouse. It was also the scene of the town’s first indoor basketball games.
The tram railroad was sold to Wiley Narron and his sons. It became Narron Central Railroad. They planned to continue building the railroad to Zebulon, but were forced to abandon those plans because of a recession in 1921.
Kenly’s first school, known as Kenly Academy, was built by J.T. and W.H. Edgerton around 1896. It was moved from East Second Street and College Avenue to College Avenue in 1907. At that time it became a boarding school and the only high school in this area. A few weeks of school had been held in the Farmer’s Alliance Hall as early as 1890.
Beulah, the location the railroad wanted for the town, played an important role in local history. Official Johnston County records were stored there for “safekeeping” from the advancing Union Army prior to the battle of the Civil War at Bentonville in southern Johnston County.
FACT SHEET
| General Statistics |
| Area | 1.5 square miles |
| Elevation | 188 feet |
| Population (per 2000 Census) | 1,569 |
| Population (per 2007 State estimates) | 1,856 |
| % Change in Population | 18.3% |
| 2008-2009 Property Tax Rates |
| for Johnston County property owners |
| Town of Kenly | $0.61 |
| Johnston County | $0.78 |
| Total tax per $100 valuation | $1.39 |
| for Wilson County property owners |
| Town of Kenly | $0.61 |
| Wilson County | $0.73 |
| Total tax per $100 valuation | $1.34 |
| Demographic Data |
| Male | 47.5% |
| Female | 52.5% |
| Median Resident Age | 36.2 years |
| Median Household Income | $20,865 |
| Median Family Income | $33,214 |
| Median House Value | $75,700 |
| Ethnic Diversity |
| White (Non-Hispanic) | 54.5% |
| African-American | 40.6% |
| Hispanic | 3.6% |
| American Indian | 0.3% |
| Other | 1.0% |
| Educational Attainment |
| High school graduate (or equivalent) | 40.4% |
| Some college or Associate's degree | 18.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 6.1% |
| Master's, Professional, or Doctoral degree | 2.4% |
Demographic data source: 2000 U.S. Census
Largest Kenly Area Employers
Last Updated Wednesday, August 13 2008 @ 07:43 PM
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