Originally called “Southern City” because of the significance of the railway to the area, East Spencer was incorporated in 1901. That name change to East Spencer had reference to the Spencer Shops. The Southern Railway Spencer Shops are a former locomotive repair facility. The shops were one of the Southern Railway’s primary maintenance locations. The shops were built in the 1890s and named after Southern Railway president Samuel Spencer.
East Spencer is a small quiet community with strong ties to the railway as is true of the surrounding communities.