Granville County was formed in 1746 from Edgecombe County. It was named in honor of John Carteret, Earl of Granville, who owned the Granville District. It is in the northeastern section of the State and is bounded by Vance, Wake, Durham and Person counties and the state of Virginia. The present land area is 537 square miles and the 2010 population was 59,916. The first county seat was called Granville Court House. In 1748 the location selected became unsatisfactory. Therefore, it was ordered that the courthouse be located on a branch of Tar River called Tabbs Creek. Oxford was made the county seat in 1811 and was incorporated in 1816.
For more detailed information on the history of Granville County please visit the Granville County Historical Society web site by clicking on this link.