Whiteville, North Carolina
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| Whiteville, North Carolina | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Columbus |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | A. Dial Gray |
| Area | |
| - Total | 5.4 sq mi (13.9 km²) |
| - Land | 5.4 sq mi (13.9 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 98 ft (30 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 5,148 |
| - Density | 957/sq mi (369.5/km²) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 28472 |
| Area code(s) | 910 |
| FIPS code | 37-73660[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1025798[2] |
| Website: http://www.whitevillecity.com/ | |
Whiteville is a city in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,148 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Columbus County.[3]
Whiteville was the birthplace and hometown of the important 20th century poet A. R. Ammons.
Whiteville is notable for being the location of the courthouse-burning scene in the 1996 film adaptation of Dorothy Allison's novel Bastard Out of Carolina. It is also regionally known for its Harvest Days Festival and Fire Ant Festival.
Whiteville was also the scene of former President Bill Clinton's 1999 "Bridging the Digital Divide" speech at the (now refurbished, as a museum) Vineland Station Railroad Depot. Bill Clinton also visited in the spring of 2008.
Whiteville is also the home of the North Carolina Museum of Forestry.
The stretch of U.S. Route 701 through Columbus County is named for Whiteville's founder, James B. White.
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[edit] Geography
Whiteville is located at (34.330096, -78.704533).[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.4 square miles (13.9 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,148 people, 2,191 households, and 1,336 families residing in the city. The population density was 957.5 people per square mile (369.5/km²). There were 2,450 housing units at an average density of 455.7/sq mi (175.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.51% White, 36.67% African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 2,191 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 77.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,455, and the median income for a family was $34,128. Males had a median income of $35,074 versus $23,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,337. About 19.0% of families and 26.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.0% of those under age 18 and 33.7% of those age 65 or over.
In the past decade and a half, Whiteville's economy has been decimated by the loss of textile manufacturing jobs and the reduced profitability of tobacco farming.
[edit] Education
The Whiteville City School system includes Whiteville Primary, Edgewood Elementary, Central Middle, and Whiteville High School. Whiteville High School, home of the Wolfpack, competes in division 2A NCHSAA sports and has won 14 state championships: four in baseball (1983, 1985, 1989, and 1991), four individual track championships, one in team golf (1986), two in football (1965 and 1987), and three in basketball (1969, 1999, and 2000).
Southeastern Community College is located a few miles to the west of Whiteville.
[edit] Notable Whitevillians
Sports: NBA player Chris Wilcox, who led the WHS Wolfpack to the 1999 State 2A Championship. Former NFL Great Chester McGlockton, who helped the WHS Wolfpack to the 1987 State 2A football championship. Former MLB Pitcher Tommy Greene.
Literature: A. R. Ammons, one of the most highly lauded poets of the twentieth century. He often mentioned his growing up in Whiteville in several interviews and essays, and occasionally used Columbus County as the setting for his poetry.
Whiteville's City Hall is named for Horace B. Whitley, who was mayor for most of the second half of the twentieth century.
[edit] Transportation
Although the railroad tracks leading from west of town towards Lake Waccamaw, have long been disconnected, Whiteville is served by the Columbus County Municipal Airport and several highways, which include U.S. Route 74, U.S. Route 76, U.S. Route 701, North Carolina Highway 130, and North Carolina Highway 131.
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Official website of Whiteville, NC
- Greater Whiteville Chamber of Commerce
- Whiteville City Schools
- The News Reporter
- Whiteville, North Carolina is at coordinates Coordinates:
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