About Magnolia
Magnolia is a small town situated in the western side of rural Duplin County. Magnolia was chartered in 1855 and has a historic past as a major market in the flower bulb growing and shipping industry. Today, Magnolia is a charming and diverse community ideally positioned 2 miles West of Interstate 40 and conveniently located just over an hour’s drive from Raleigh and Fayetteville, an hour from the coast, and under an hour from Wilmington.
Magnolia contains 10 active churches representing several faiths. The Henry Gaylor Field, located in the heart of town, has a ballfield, tennis courts, and a gym.
Magnolia has an outstanding volunteer Fire and Rescue Department and is provided police protection by the Magnolia Police Department and Duplin County Sheriff’s Department. The town is served by Vidant Duplin Hospital (formerly Duplin General Hospital) as well as rest homes and nursing home facilities, all within a 10-minute drive. Major regional medical facilities in Raleigh, Durham, Greenville, and Wilmington are all within 90 minutes of Magnolia.
Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary School and James Kenan High School provide quality, accredited K-12 education and address special educational needs through opportunities such as the AG programs. James Sprunt Community College, located in nearby Kenansville, offers 2-year degree programs, college transfer courses, and technical training classes. 12 major colleges and universities offering undergraduate and post-graduate degree programs are located within 90 minutes of Magnolia.
Besides being located near Interstate 40, exit 373, Magnolia is located along U.S. Highway 117 and NC Highway 903. The I-40/I-95 interchange is 40 minutes away. An active rail line bisects the town, with service provided by CSX Transportation. Duplin County Airport is 10 miles from town and both New Hanover County International Airport and the state port in Wilmington are only an hour away.
History of Magnolia
The history of Magnolia begins with the creation of the Wilmington-Weldon Railroad in 1840. Running the length of Eastern NC, many of the depots and settlements which sprung up along the railroad developed into towns, including Magnolia, Warsaw, Wallace, Mount Olive, and Faison. Magnolia was originally incorporated as the Town of Stricklandsville on February 15, 1855, following the naming of the Strickland Depot after early settlers of the area. On February 2, 1857, the name of the town was officially changed to Magnolia, said to honor resident “Miss Maggie” Monk; James B. Monk was one of the Town’s first commissioners and Monk Street still bears their name today. In 1883, the first graded school in the eastern part of the state was chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly in Magnolia. By the late 1800s, Magnolia had developed a unique reputation as the largest flower bulb growing and shipping market in the U.S. and was renowned as far as Europe for exporting locally grown cannas, tuberoses, and caladiums to all parts of the U.S., Germany, and Holland.
Landmarks to Magnolia’s relation to the bulb-growing industry remain. The John F. Croom home, originally constructed in 1858/1859 as a school and used to quarter Union troops during the Civil War, was later used to store bulbs on its first floor. The Croom home stands today on the corner of S. Railroad Street and W. Bleeker Street, facing the railroad. Historic sites such as the Croom home and nearby Roger Dickson Farm — containing the Robert Dickson House, a North Carolina “coastal cottage” style dwelling built around 1815-1818 – speak to Magnolia’s storied past as a regional agricultural powerhouse. Magnolia retains its agricultural character with the area and surrounding county known for poultry and hog production.