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Local figure

John Sanford Spurgeon

John Sanford Spurgeon (1863–1950) was a dentist who practiced in Hillsborough for more than sixty years after taking his degree at Vanderbilt in 1886. In 1895 he and his wife, Carrie, bought the old Burwell School house, where the family lived until 1965. He was president of the Bank of Orange from its opening in 1904 until 1936. His dental office burned with the frame Spurgeon building in the downtown fire of April 1921.

Source: NC State Historic Preservation Office: National Register file OR0077ad

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Life and Orange County connections

Storylines this person is part of, in date order. Each opens its own page, with its events date by date.

StorylineHillsboro's improvements, 1922–19231922–1923 · 5 events · In 1922 and 1923 Hillsboro gained a new bridge, a new school and paved streets. On February 8, 1922 the State Highway Commission let a reinforced concrete bridge over the Eno to contractor George W. Kane for $30,651.20; it was the main way into town from the south until 1964. That September the town's new $100,000 brick school on West Tryon Street was nearly ready, and by early 1923 it housed grades one through eleven of the consolidated Hillsboro schools. Paving the streets with bond money cost Main Street some of its old elms and maples, to the regret of some citizens, and in April the Carolina Playmakers performed in the school's new auditorium.

Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 14 dated events in the chronology →

During their lifetime

  1. Hillsborough's Young Men's Christian Association elects Joseph G. Cooley president Meeting on a Monday night, the Hillsborough Young Men's Christian Association chose Joseph G. Cooley president for the coming year, with J. S. Spurgeon and Henry Richards vice presidents, and planned its third anniversary meeting for the first Monday in December. People: Joseph G. Cooley, John Sanford Spurgeon, Samuel Mallett Gattis Place: Hillsborough · Also named: Henry RichardsSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), November 21, 1891, p. 3
  2. Hillsborough elects former Republican postmaster N. W. Brown mayor Hillsborough's town election made N. W. Brown mayor and chose seven commissioners, among them W. H. Newman, E. A. Rosemond, Dr. J. S. Spurgeon, J. G. Cooley and James A. Cheek. The new board met the next day and made John Hayes constable and Rosemond treasurer. People: N. W. Brown, John Sanford Spurgeon, Edward Atkins Rosemond, James A. Cheek, Joseph G. Cooley Place: Hillsborough · Also named: W. H. Newman, John HayesSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), May 12, 1894, p. 3
  3. Dr. John S. Spurgeon buys the former Burwell School The dentist paid Charles Parks $2,500 for lots 152 and 153. The Spurgeons, whose household included Carrie Waitt Spurgeon, daughter of a Burwell student, lived there for about seventy years and added electricity and plumbing. People: Charles M. Parks, John Sanford Spurgeon Place: Hillsborough · Also named: Carrie Waitt Spurgeon, Charles ParksElizabeth Keckly Center at the Burwell School: virtual exhibit timeline
  4. Hillsboro Township names separate committees for the town district's white and Black schools Meeting at the court house, the Hillsboro Township school committee appointed committeemen for each school district in the township and, because of the large number of children, named separate committees for the white and the Black schools of Hillsboro District No. 15. Major John W. Graham, James A. Cheek and C. R. Lassiter took the white school; Thomas H. Webb, N. W. Brown and Dr. J. S. Spurgeon took the Black school. People: John W. Graham, N. W. Brown, John Sanford Spurgeon, James A. Cheek Place: Court house, Hillsborough · Also named: C. R. Lassiter, Thomas H. WebbSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), August 3, 1899, p. 2
  5. Hillsborough men organize Myrtle Lodge of the Knights of Pythias A Knights of Pythias lodge, Myrtle Lodge, was organized and its officers installed at Hillsborough, with C. R. Lassiter as vice chancellor, William T. Nash as prelate and Dr. J. S. Spurgeon as master of finance. It set its meetings for every Tuesday night. People: John Sanford Spurgeon Place: Hillsborough · Also named: C. R. Lassiter, William T. NashSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), August 31, 1899, p. 2
  6. Hillsborough elects Mayor Norwood and a five-member town board under its amended charter In the first town election under the amended charter, Hillsborough chose Mayor Norwood and Commissioners James Webb, James A. Cheek, O. J. Forrest, N. W. Brown and Fletcher R. Faucett, with Brown polling 92 votes. The new board took the oath on May 9, elected R. L. Faucett clerk and re-elected Dr. J. S. Spurgeon treasurer. People: N. W. Brown, John Sanford Spurgeon, James A. Cheek, O. J. Forrest Place: Court house, Hillsborough · Also named: James Webb, Fletcher R. Faucett, R. L. Faucett, Mayor Norwood, NorwoodSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), May 16, 1901, p. 3
  7. The Bank of Orange is chartered and elects its officers The Bank of Orange was chartered at Raleigh on April 18 with $5,000 capital, which might rise to $50,000, to do a commercial and savings business. Its stockholders met on April 26 at the court house, adopted by-laws and elected directors, who chose J. S. Spurgeon president, C. A. Scott vice president and Paul C. Collins cashier. People: John Sanford Spurgeon, Paul C. Collins, Shepperd Strudwick (1868-1961), Samuel Mallett Gattis, O. J. Forrest Place: Court house, Hillsborough · Also named: C. A. Scott · Also mentions: Bank of OrangeSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), April 21, 1904, p. 3 · Also: Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), April 28, 1904, p. 3
  8. A brick bank house for the Bank of Orange goes up on Churton Street Ground was broken on May 11 for the Bank of Orange's building, a brick house with a glass front built by the Webbs beside their large brick store on Churton Street; by mid-June the bank had moved from a desk in Webb's store into its new quarters. People: Paul C. Collins, John Sanford Spurgeon Place: Bank of Orange, Churton Street, Hillsborough · Also mentions: Churton StreetSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), May 19, 1904, p. 3 · Also: Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), June 16, 1904, p. 3
  9. The Bank of Orange opens in Hillsborough Started in May 1904 with $5,000 in capital, it was Hillsborough's first bank since the Civil War. Dr. J. S. Spurgeon was president and Paul C. Collins cashier for its whole life. People: Paul C. Collins, John Sanford Spurgeon Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 274 · Also: Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), May 26, 1904, p. 3
  10. The Spurgeon Building Company is chartered at Hillsborough to put up buildings The Secretary of State chartered the Spurgeon Building Company of Hillsborough to buy and sell real estate and construct buildings, with $10,000 subscribed. Its incorporators were Dr. J. S. Spurgeon, J. H. Webb and a third man named Collins. People: John Sanford Spurgeon Place: Hillsborough · Also named: J. H. WebbSearch the index · DigitalNC: Twin City Sentinel (Winston-Salem), May 10, 1917, p. 10
  11. Fire destroys two store buildings in Hillsborough's business district A fire that began behind O. J. and B. B. Forest's general store destroyed that brick store, the frame Spurgeon building next door with Tolar's grocery and Dr. J. S. Spurgeon's dental office, and a storehouse. The brick post office building stopped the fire, which did about $30,000 in damage with little insurance. People: John Sanford Spurgeon Place: Business district beside the brick post office building, Hillsborough · Also named: O. J. Forest, B. B. ForestSearch the index · DigitalNC: Durham Morning Herald, April 27, 1921, p. 9 · Also: DigitalNC newspaper, April 28, 1921, p. 12
  12. Former postmaster George C. Lynch buys a Hillsboro business lot for a brick store George C. Lynch, a former Hillsboro postmaster, bought a business lot from Dr. J. S. Spurgeon and planned to begin a brick store building within a few weeks for a grocery and general merchandise store. People: John Sanford Spurgeon Place: Hillsboro · Also named: George C. LynchSearch the index · The News (Chapel Hill), February 15, 1923, p. 1
Show all 13 dated events
  1. Dr. J. S. Spurgeon, Hillsboro dentist for 63 years, dies Dr. J. S. Spurgeon, 88, one of North Carolina's oldest dentists and a past president of the North Carolina Dental Association, died at his Hillsboro home, having retired only the previous August after 63 years of practice. Around the turn of the century he had also served Mebane and Chapel Hill on scheduled trips by horse and buggy, and he had been master of Hillsboro's Eagle Lodge. Place: HillsboroughSearch the index · The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), January 4, 1951, p. 8

After their death in 1950

Later events: estates and burials, and the buildings, honors and histories that remember them.

  1. A plaque honoring Hillsborough dentist J. S. Spurgeon is given to the UNC School of Dentistry The family and friends of Dr. John Sanford Spurgeon (1863-1950) of Hillsborough, a past president of the North Carolina Dental Society, gave the University's School of Dentistry a bronze plaque in his memory. The student Spurgeon Society made the presentation and Dean John C. Brauer accepted it for the student lounge. Place: School of Dentistry, Chapel Hill · Also named: John C. BrauerSearch the index · The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), October 29, 1953, p. 1

Places in this person’s story

Buildings, schools, churches and other sites named in the dated events on this page, the most often named first. The map shows the 1 with a known location.

Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Site locations from the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office survey, Open Orange, Orange County GIS, OpenStreetMap and a few other published sources named on each site’s page; town and community pins show approximate locations.

  • Bank of Orange Businesses, mills and venues · Hillsborough · 3 events here
  • Burwell School Schools and academies · Hillsborough · 1 event here

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People named in the same events

People named in the same dated entries as John Sanford Spurgeon, those sharing the most entries first. Each line links one of the shared entries in the chronology, where its source is cited. A shared entry shows these people in the same event, not how well they knew each other.

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