The Town of Wentworth, population 2811, is the county seat of Rockingham County, and lies in the North Carolina Piedmont.

      Named after the Marquis of Rockingham, Charles Watson Wentworth, who had served as British Prime Minister and supported American independence, the Town of Wentworth was originally chartered in 1798. Due to a lapse of the 1798 charter and the impending annexation plans of a neighboring city, efforts to incorporate the community of Wentworth began in 1996. On November 4, 1997, voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum on the incorporation of the Town, and the 1798 Wentworth Charter was amended to allow for the incorporation of the community. On July 1, 1998, the modern-day Town of Wentworth came into being.

      Wentworth today still reflects the nature of a rural nineteenth century county seat, its core consisting of a courthouse and jail surrounded by a collection of small supporting businesses, homes and churches, a community college, three public schools, and consolidated government offices.

      Soon to be the home of a new courthouse, EMS building, and the McMichael Civic Center (to be constructed on the campus of Rockingham Community College), Wentworth citizens look forward to many positive changes.

      At the same time, the Town’s Land Use Plan paves the way for continued preservation and protection of the rural character while encouraging compact, pedestrian-friendly development that supports the look and feel of a small town.

      See for yourself - take a look around our website. Better yet, come visit us! You’ll be glad you did!