Whiteville, North Carolina

Whiteville, North Carolina
City

Whiteville

Location within the state of North Carolina

Coordinates: 34°19′48″N 78°42′16″W / 34.33000°N 78.70444°WCoordinates: 34°19′48″N 78°42′16″W / 34.33000°N 78.70444°W
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Columbus
Government
 • Mayor Terry Mann
Area
 • Total 5.4 sq mi (14.1 km2)
 • Land 5.4 sq mi (14.1 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 101 ft (30 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 5,394
 • Density 987/sq mi (381.2/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 www.whitevillecity.com

Whiteville is a city in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,394 at the 2010 census.[3] It is the largest city in Columbus County and is the county seat.[4]

History

Whiteville was the birthplace and hometown of the 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 popular N.C. Pecan Harvest Festival.

Whiteville was the scene of then-President Bill Clinton's 1999 "Bridging the Digital Divide" speech at the Vineland Station Railroad Depot, which is now refurbished as a community center. Clinton revisited in the spring of 2008 to campaign for his wife, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Whiteville is also the home of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville, a satellite museum of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

The official newspaper serving Columbus County, The News Reporter, is based in Whiteville and has been in circulation since 1896.

The stretch of U.S. Route 701 through Columbus County is named for Whiteville's founder, James B. White, Columbus County's first state senator.

The Columbus County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[5]

Geography

Whiteville is located in north-central Columbus County at 34°19′48″N 78°42′16″W / 34.33000°N 78.70444°W (34.330096, -78.704533).[6] Combined U.S. Routes 74 and 76 bypass the city on its north side and lead east 46 miles (74 km) to Wilmington. US 74 leads northwest 32 miles (51 km) to Lumberton, and US 76 leads west 67 miles (108 km) to Florence, South Carolina. U.S. Route 701 passes through the west side of Whiteville, leading north 23 miles (37 km) to Elizabethtown and southwest 44 miles (71 km) to Conway, South Carolina.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Whiteville has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14.1 km2), all of it land.[3]

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 per square mile (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.

Education

The Whiteville City School system includes the following schools:

Whiteville High School, home of the Wolfpack, competes in division 1A NCHSAA sports and has won 16 state championships: six in baseball (1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 2012 and 2014), four individual track championships, one in team golf (1986), two in football (1965 and 1987), and three in basketball (1969, 1999, and 2000).

Columbus Christian Academy is a private K-12 school in Whiteville. Waccamaw Academy, which opened in 1968, closed in 2012.

Southeastern Community College is located a few miles to the west of Whiteville.

Notable people

Sports

Literature

[7]===Science===

Transportation

Although the railroad tracks leading from west of town toward 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.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Whiteville city, North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. ↑ http://today.duke.edu/2013/12/bouchet#photo

External links