Norwood is nestled in southern Stanly County between Lake Tillery and the banks of the Rocky River offering fishing, boating, watersports and relaxation! Norwood is "the best kept secret in North Carolina!" Whether you commute or work in Norwood, it's a great place to come home to.

Norwood's people originally lived at Allenton, or Allentown, located on the peninsula between the Pee Dee and Rocky Rivers know as the "Fork". This rich section was called "the granary of the Revolution" during that war. Three Allen brothers came in 1780, built homes and started a community. In 1816 a typhoid epidemic struck the town and the survivors moved up to Center Camp Meeting Ground and lived in tents. The present Norwood is on the site of the old campground. Norwood got its name when the post office across the river in Montgomery County was moved to the Norwood Brothers' Store. Norwood had one of the first cotton gins long before the Civil War but owing to the hazards of crossing the two rivers, growth was slow. The railroad in 1891 brought progress. Today it is the county's second largest incorporated town, with a brick business section, several large industries, nearby riverfront developments and a golf course at Piney Point, as well as schools and churches. Early family names were Colson, Lilly, Randle, Watkins, Barnhardt, Whitley, Turner and Marshall. Norwood celebrated its centennial in 1981. The county's earliest Agriculture Society was organized there in 1853.