St. Pauls dates back to 1799 when the St. Pauls Presbyterian Church was built on land donated by William Davis. During the early 1800's only four building comprised the town: the church, the post office, a livery stable, and Davis' home. The first community and businesses grew up around the sixteen-mile post on the stage road from Fayetteville to Lumberton, where coached changed horses at Davis' livery stable.

The town's growth resulted in the establishment of an academy, Robeson Institute, in 1845. A 1925 paper reports that "It was a mixed school (gender), but was taught by competent teachers." In 1885 the academy burned and was never rebuilt. A new school, combined with the Masonic Lodge, was built in 1886.

The textile industry flourished during the early part of this century with the building of three cotton mills by 1920. The worldwide depression of the 30's contributed to the selling of the mills in 1943 to Burlington Mills Corporation. Until recently, the textile industry continued to be a leading contributor to the area's economy. St Pauls has since developed into a thriving retail center for northern Robeson County.

The railroad industry contributed much to to the history of St. Pauls. The Virginia and Carolina Railroad, connecting St. Pauls with Lumberton and Elizabethtown and branching with the Atlantic Coast Line at Hope Mills, was built 1907-1910 by the Atlantic Improvement Company. This influenced the surveying and sale of home lots and establishment of the business section next to the railway station.

As one of only a few remaining townships in the northern portion of Robeson County with readily available land for development, St Pauls' future is looking brighter with the coming of the Fayetteville Outer Loop.  Already located within the town is a manufacturer of personal protective armor using new-age synthetics.  Other industrial capacity has become available for industries and manufacturers to consider.  Located within a mile of I-95, St Pauls stands out among our neighbors as a prime place to locate a business and to bring a family!