At the crossroads of Southern Granville County, Stem preserves our diverse culture, history, natural beauty, and creative spirit. Stem connects big city convenience to small town living. We have all the elements for locally owned restaurants, shops, and artisans to thrive in our community. Coming home to Stem is a breath of fresh air with outdoor activities, ample trails, and public gathering spaces.
As of the 2020 Census, there were 966 people living in 466 households in Stem. This represents a 107.3% increase from the 2010 Census and with 291 homes approved to be built, Stem is poised for continued growth.
Out of the 466 households, 49.3% have children under the age of 18 living at home. The median age is 32.1 years and the median household income is $73,750.
Stem is a small community in the piedmont of North Carolina, located in Granville County and near the towns of Butner, Creedmoor, and Oxford. Near Interstate I85, it is only 25 minutes from Durham.
The history of Stem begins with the area known as Tally Ho. It was prime fox hunting territory in the 1700s with a stable with an adjoining tavern that served as a common meeting place for thirsty hunters. The tavern was named Tally Ho after the traditional fox hunting call.
The town of Stem was established as a separate and distinct entity from Tally Ho township in 1888 by William Thomas Stem. The Stem family were co-proprietors of a general store in the Tally Ho township and owners of the land where a new spur of the Richmond and Danville Railroad terminated. Stem was built around this new rail station. Mr. Stem also dug a well for the new rail station, which came to symbolize the welcoming spirit of the community. The town was officially incorporated in 1911.
The first high school was constructed in Stem in 1907 with Prof. Americus Jones as principal. The bank of Stem was opened on June 16, 1908 with J.H. Gooch as president and W.H. Hunt as vice president, and Allie Gooch as the first cashier. The first major highway through Stem was completed in 1914.
On March 31, 1928, on a night with very high winds, six stores caught fire in Stem and were burned down, one after the other, as they were built in a row. Citizens raised money for the first fire station that is now used as the Town Hall and the Police Department. A 1944 International fire truck was first donated to Stem by Civil Defense in 1959. Prior, in 1930, a garage was rented for $5 a month to store all of Stem’s fire equipment: two buckets, one hatchet, two shovels, one mallet, and one pick.
Long-time residents of Stem recall the tale of how the Stem High School basketball team played and defeated the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill men's team in an impromptu basketball game. As the story goes, the Stem team won the Granville County championship in 1936 and were rewarded by their coach with a trip to see UNC play Davidson at the Tin Can. The Davidson team was unable to show because of a snowstorm, so Coach Pegram volunteered his team so that the crowd could still watch a game. The team from Stem (Brent Meadows, Wallace Bowling, Thomas Farabow, Clyde Cates, and James & "Bunk" Guthrie) played well against their college opponents, and in the end won the game on a dramatic last-second shot.
The story is unverified in newspaper accounts from the time. If the game occurred, it was most likely on February 12, 1936, when an influenza outbreak caused the cancellation of a UNC/Davidson basketball game. The Daily Tar Heel from February 13, 1936, mentions only that the team practiced on the date of the cancelled game to prepare for their upcoming game against NC State. The story (true or not) has become a local legend and brought statewide attention to the town of Stem in 2000 when it was on the front page of the News & Observer.
James Edwin Webb, of Nasa and the Webb Telescope fame was born outside of Stem in the Tally Ho Township on October 7, 1906. Webb had a key role in creating the Manned Spacecraft Center, later the Johnson Space Center, in Houston. Despite the pressures to focus on the Apollo program, Webb ensured that NASA carried out a program of planetary exploration with the Mariner and Pioneer space programs. Webb was an early champion of space telescopes, like the one that would later bear his name.
By the late 1990’s many of the wells in Stem had become contaminated and unsafe for drinking water. Then Mayor, Jack Day, sought out and received grant funding to create a new sewer and water system in Stem. The system was completed in 2005 and spurred new development in the area. Stem doubled its population between the 2000 and 2010 census and the 2010 and 2020 census. With 291 homes currently approved for development, Stem is on track for more population growth.
Stem was incorporated as a municipality in 1911 by the North Carolina General Assembly. Its charter defines its governing body to consist of a Mayor and Board of Commissioners.
The Mayor is elected and has a term of 2 years. The Board of Commissioners consists of five elected officials, each of which has a term of 4 years.
The Mayor and Board of Commissioners appoint a Town Clerk and Town Attorney.
The Town Clerk is responsible for giving meeting notices, keeping meeting Minutes and other public records.
The Town Attorney is responsible for providing routine legal services to the Town Board.
The Town Board may create subsidiary boards for advice and administration, such as the Planning Board.
Law Enforcement
Fire Protection
Streets
Water And Sewer
Land Use Regulation
The town of Stem is assigned to the following schools:
Elementary School (K-5) – Butner-Stem Elementary School; Mount Energy
Middle School (6-8) – Butner-Stem Middle School
High School (9-12) – Granville Central High School