Everything about Fayetteville North Carolina totally explained
Fayetteville is a city located in
Cumberland County,
North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 121,015. It is the
county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of
Fort Bragg, a
U.S. Army post located northwest of the city.
As of 2007, the city of Fayetteville has a population of approximately 203,000 including annexation since the 2000 census. The population contained in the newly-annexed city limits is actually declining. It currently ranks as the sixth-largest municipality in North Carolina. Fayetteville is located near the
Sandhills in the western part of the
Coastal Plain region, on the
Cape Fear River. With a population of 341,363, the
Fayetteville metropolitan area is the largest in southeastern North Carolina, and the fifth-largest in the state. Suburban areas of metro Fayetteville include
Hope Mills,
Spring Lake, and
Raeford.
History
Early Settlement
The area of present-day Fayetteville was inhabited by various
Siouan Native American peoples such as the Eno, Shakori,
Waccamaw, Keyauwee, and
Cape Fear Indians for more than 12,000 years.
After the violent upheavals of the
Yamasee War and
Tuscarora Wars during the second decade of the eighteenth century, the administration of North Carolina colony encouraged colonial settlement along the upper
Cape Fear River, the only navigable waterway entirely within
North Carolina. Two inland settlements, Cross Creek, and the riverfront settlement of Campbellton were established by
Scots from
Campbellton,
Argyll and Bute,
Scotland.
Merchants in Wilmington wanted a town on the Cape Fear River to secure trade with the frontier country. They were afraid people would use the Pee Dee River, taking their goods to
Charleston, S.C. Merchants, though, bought land from Newberry in Cross Creek. Campbellton became a place where free blacks and poor whites lived and was known for its lawlessness.
After the
American Revolutionary War, the two towns were united and renamed to honor
General Lafayette, a French military hero who fought with and significantly aided the American Army during the
American Revolutionary War. Many cities are named after Lafayette but, Fayetteville, N.C. was the first and, it's told, the only one he actually visited. The Frenchman arrived in Fayetteville by horse-drawn carriage in 1825.
American Revolution
The Fayetteville area was the home of many residents, particularly the
Highland Scots, who were loyal to the British government. But it also included a number of active Patriots.
In late June 1775, the "
Liberty Point Resolves" preceded the
Declaration of Independence by a little more than a year. The Liberty Point document pledged the group to "go forth and be ready to sacrifice our lives and fortunes to secure (the county's) freedom and safety." The document concluded: "This obligation to continue in full force until a reconciliation shall take place between Great Britain and America, upon constitutional principles, an event we most ardently desire; and we'll hold all those persons inimical to the liberty of the colonies, who shall refuse to subscribe to this Association; and we'll in all things follow the advice of our General Committee respecting the purposes aforesaid, the preservation of peace and good order, and the safety of individual and private property." Robert Rowan, who apparently organized the group, signed first.
Robert Rowan (circa 1738-1798) was one of the area's leading public figures of the 1700s. A merchant and entrepreneur by trade, Rowan arrived in Cross Creek in the 1760s. He served as an officer in the
French and Indian War, as
sheriff, justice and legislator, and as a leader of the Patriot cause in the Revolutionary War. Rowan circulated the statement known as the "Liberty Point Resolves" in 1775. Rowan Street and Rowan Park in Fayetteville and a local chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution are named for him, though
Rowan County (founded in 1753) was named for another Rowan (
Matthew Rowan), who wasn't related to Robert.
Flora MacDonald (1722-1790), the Scottish Highland heroine, who gained fame for aiding "Bonnie Prince Charlie" after his Highlander army's defeat at
Culloden in 1746, lived in North Carolina for about five years. Legend has it that she exhorted the Loyalist force at Cross Creek that included her husband, Allan, as it headed off to its eventual defeat at the
Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776.
Seventy-First Township in western Cumberland County (now a part of Fayetteville) is named for a British unit during the American Revolution - the 71st Regiment of Foot or 'Fraser's Highlanders,' as they were first called.
Post-Revolutionary Fayetteville
Fayetteville experienced what is sometimes called its "golden decade" during the 1780s. It played host, in 1789, to the convention that ratified the
U.S. Constitution and to the
General Assembly session that chartered the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, America's oldest public university. The legislators paused for the state funeral of former Governor
Richard Caswell, who fell ill after arriving in Fayetteville and died November 10, 1789. Fayetteville lost out to the future city of
Raleigh in the bid to become the permanent state capital. Fayetteville was the capital of the state from 1789-1793.
In 1793 the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry formed and is still active as a ceremonial unit. It is the second-oldest
militia unit in the country.
Henry Evans (circa 1760-1810) a free black preacher is locally known as the "Father of Methodism," for blacks and whites, in Fayetteville. Evans was a
shoemaker by trade and a licensed
Methodist preacher. He met opposition from whites when he began preaching to
slaves in Fayetteville, but his preaching later attracted whites to his services. He is credited with building the first church in town, called the African Meeting House, in 1796. Evans Metropolitan AME Zion Church is named in his honor.
Antebellum Fayetteville
Fayetteville remained a village of only 3,500 residents in 1820, but
Cumberland County's population still ranked as the second-most urban in the state behind
New Hanover County (Wilmington).
The "Great Fire" of 1831 was believed to be one of the worst in the nation's history, even though, remarkably, no lives were lost. Hundreds of homes and businesses and most of its best-known public buildings were lost, including the old "State House." Fayetteville leaders moved quickly to help the victims and rebuild the town.
The Market House, completed in 1832, became the center of commerce and celebration. The structure was built on the ruins of the old State House. It was a town market until 1906. Slaves were sold there before abolition. It served as Fayetteville Town Hall until 1907. The City Council is considering turning the Market House into a local history museum.
The Civil War Era
In March 1865, Gen.
William T. Sherman and his 60,000-man army moved into Fayetteville. The
Confederate arsenal was totally destroyed. Sherman's troops also destroyed foundries and cotton factories and the offices of
The Fayetteville Observer. Not far from Fayetteville, Confederate and
Union troops engaged in the last
cavalry battle of the Civil War, the
Battle of Monroe's Crossroads.
Downtown Fayetteville was the site of a skirmish, as Confederate Lt. Gen.
Wade Hampton and his men surprised a cavalry patrol, killing 11 Union soldiers and capturing a dozen on
March 11,
1865.
20th century to the Present
Cumberland County's population exploded after in the post-
World War II years, with its 43% increase in the 1960s the largest in any of North Carolina's 100 counties. Construction was fast-paced as shopping developments and suburban subdivisions began to spread outside the Fayetteville city limits toward
Fort Bragg and
Pope Air Force Base. The Fayetteville and Cumberland County school systems moved toward integration gradually beginning in the early '60s and busing brought about large-scale student integration in the 1970s.
Civil rights marches and sit-ins, with students from Fayetteville State Teachers College (now
Fayetteville State University) at the forefront, led to the end of whites-only service at restaurants and segregated seating in theaters. Politics changed. Blacks and women gained office in significant numbers, from the late 1960s and on into the early '80s.
The
Vietnam Era was a time of turmoil in the Fayetteville area. Fort Bragg didn't send many large units to Vietnam. But from 1966 to 1970, more than 200,000 soldiers trained at the post before leaving for the war. The effect of such a large troop rotation was dramatic and would continue to be for years to come. Then there were the
anti-war protests. They drew national attention because of the proximity to Fort Bragg, in a community that generally supported the war.
Jane Fonda came to Fayetteville to participate in three anti-war events.
Bars were not new to Fayetteville, by any means, but Hay Street, became notorious for bars,
strip clubs and
prostitutes during the Vietnam era up until the late 1980s. Fayetteville's reputation was dealt a huge blow and nicknames such as "Fayettenam" stuck.
Fayetteville has successfully reversed the image of its downtown area from a multitude of downtown revitalization projects. New additions, such as the
Airborne & Special Operations Museum, The Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum, Fayetteville Linear Park, and Fayetteville Festival Park, which opened in late 2006, have all contributed to the changing face of the downtown area.
The towns and rural areas surrounding Fayetteville have experienced rapid growth over the past decade. This growth has spilled over into suburbs such as
Hope Mills,
Raeford and
Spring Lake.
The western part of Cumberland County was annexed into Fayetteville in recent years.
Crime
Fayetteville has been one of the most crime-ridden cities in North Carolina. Although crime rates have gone down since 1999, when the rate was 841.2 per 100,000 residents, they're still high. As of 2005, the number of crimes per 100,000 residents was 672.4.
Downtown Fayetteville was known in the late 80's and early 90's for its crime mostly including prostitution and drug related incidents. Since then, Fayetteville has cleaned up and has placed their police station downtown.
Fort Bragg/Pope Air Force Base
Fort Bragg and
Pope Air Force Base are located next to the city of Fayetteville.
Several U.S. Army airborne units are stationed at Fort Bragg, most prominently the
XVIII Airborne Corps HQ, the
82nd Airborne Division, and the
United States Army Special Operations Command.
Fort Bragg was the home of the Field Artillery at the onset of World War II. All the Army's artillery units east of the Mississippi River were based at the post, about 5,000 men in all. Soldiers tested the Army's new bantam car, which was soon to be known as the
Jeep, although most of the power to move artillery still came from horses and burros. On Sept. 12, 1940, the Army contracted to expand the post, bringing the
9th Infantry Division to Fort Bragg.
Missions at Pope AFB range from providing airlift and close air support to American armed forces, to humanitarian missions flown all over the world. Pope AFB particularly provides air transportation for the 82nd Airborne, among other airborne units on Fort Bragg.
Geography
Fayetteville is located at 35°04'00" North, 78°55'03" West (35.066663, -78.917579).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 60.0 square miles (155.3 km²). 58.8 square miles (152.2 km²) of it's land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it's water. The total area is 1.98% water.
Education
Public Schools
Private Schools
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| 1930 |
13,309 |
| 1940 |
17,428 |
| 1960 |
47,106 |
| 1970 |
53,510 |
| 1980 |
59,507 |
| 1990 |
75,695 |
| 2000 |
121,015 |
| 2005 |
137,777 |
| 2007 |
203,000 |
As of the
census of 2000, there were 121,015 people, 48,414 households, and 31,662 families residing in the city. The
population density was 2,059.2 people per square mile (795.0/km²). There were 53,565 housing units at an average density of 351.9 persons/km² (911.5 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 48.8% White, 42.4%
African American, 1.1%
Native American, 2.2%
Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.5% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 5.7% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. Because of the transient nature of military families, Fayetteville is one of the most diverse cities in the nation.
There were 48,414 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were
married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,287, and the median income for a family was $41,210. Males had a median income of $30,493 versus $23,477 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $19,141. 14.8% of the population and 11.7% of families were below the
poverty line. 21.4% of those under the age of 18 and 14.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
A 15-month fight came to an end — at least for now — on Sept. 30, 2005 when Fayetteville annexed 27 square miles and 46,000 residents. Affected residents and developers had blocked the annexation for more than a year with three lawsuits. They lost in the state Court of Appeals in June. The court ruled the challenges were filed after the deadline. The law requires all challenges to be filed within 60 days of when a municipality adopts an annexation ordinance. When the state Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal, the city went ahead with its plans. A request for the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case is pending, and a decision may come in January.
Transportation
Air Transportation
The
Fayetteville Regional Airport is served by
Delta Air Lines connection carrier
Atlantic Southeast Airlines,
Delta Air Lines regional feeder service, and
US Airways connection carrier
US Airways Express, with daily flights to
Charlotte (
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport) and
Atlanta (
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) and seasonal service to
Philadelphia (
Philadelphia International Airport).
Highways
» *
Freeways:
:*
All American Freeway » :*Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway
*Interstate Highways: Interstate 95, Future Interstate 295 » *North Carolina Highways
:*N.C. 24 » :*N.C. 53
:*N.C. 59 » :*N.C. 87
:*N.C. 162 » :*N.C. 210
*United States Highways: » :*U.S. 13
:*
U.S. 301 » :*
U.S. 401
Public Transportation
Passenger Rail
There is an
Amtrak station downtown, with routes leading to points along the East Coast.
Famous People from Fayetteville
Chris Armstrong - ex-Arena Football League player
Chip Beck - Professional PGA Golfer
Bunkie Blackburn - NASCAR driver
Christopher Daniels - Professional wrestler for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Brad Edwards - Former Washington Redskins Player, and Super Bowl winner
Henry Evans - Free black Methodist preacher who established Methodism in the Cape Fear River valley of North Carolina.
Raymond Floyd - Professional PGA Golfer
Blenda Gay - Former NFL player, murdered in 1976
Frank P. Graham - President of the University of North Carolina and United States Senator
Moonlight Graham - New York Giants outfielder for two innings on May 25, 1905; represented in the novel Shoeless Joe and the movie Field of Dreams
Joe Horn - National Football League wide receiver
Edward M. Joyner Jr. - Canadian Football League Right Defensive End for the Ottawa Rough Riders. Grey Cup winners 1968 and 1969
Michael Joiner - basketball player for Florida State Seminoles and New Zealand National Basketball League
Jimmy Raye - former NFL wide receiver
Hiram Rhodes Revels - first African American member of Congress
Charles Manly Stedman - U.S. Representative and Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Robert Strange - United States Senator
Jerry Richardson - Owner of the Carolina Panthers, played for the Baltimore Colts, Fayetteville High School, now Fayetteville Terry Sanford High
Calvin Lowry - NFL Safety for Tennessee Titans, Penn State, Douglas Byrd Sr. High
Entertainers
Joey Arias - Singer and performance artist
Jonathan Byrd - Folk singer-songwriter
Jimmy Herring - Guitarist, Widespread Panic, Allman Brothers Band, the Dead, Aquarium Rescue Unit
Julianne Moore - Actress
Anthony Stokes - Singer & Actor
Candice Woodcock - reality television star from
Jeff Capel III - University of Oklahoma men's basketball head coach and former basketball star at Duke University and South View Highschool.
Rookie of the Year - recording artist
Radio Stations
98.1 FM WQSM Q98 Top 40 Music
88.3 FM WUAW Various genres
88.7 FM WRAE Religious Music
89.3 FM WZRI Christian Contemporary Music
91.9 FM WFSS Public Radio
95.7 FM WKML Country
96.5 FM WFLB Classic Hits
99.1 FM WZFX Hip Hop
103.5 FM WRCQ Rock
104.5 FM WCCG Adults R&B Music
105.7 FM WGQR Gospel Music
106.9 FM WFVL Oldies
107.3 FM WCLN Contemporary Christian
107.7 FM WUKS R&B
640 AM WFNC News/talk
1230 AM WFAY Sports
1450 AM WCIE Spanish
1490 AM WAZZ Standards
1600 AM WIDU black gospel/talk
Points of interest
* Cameo Art House Theatre
Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
Cape Fear Botanical Garden
Fort Bragg
Cape Fear River Trail
Fayetteville Museum of Art (External Link
)
Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum
Evans Metropolitan AME Zion Church
Hay Street United Methodist Church
Museum Of The Cape Fear
Airborne and Special Operations Museum
Cool Spring Tavern
Myrtle Hill Plantation
Liberty Point
Cross Creek Linear Park
Fascinate-U Children's Museum
Jordan Soccer Complex
Cross Creek Mall
Cape Fear Regional Theater
Sports
Religion
Old Bluff Presbyterian Church was founded in Wade in 1758 and is one of the oldest churches in the Upper Cape Fear Valley. Since then, hundreds of houses of worship have been established in and around Cumberland County. Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist and Presbyterian churches have the largest congregations.
Bluff Presbyterian Church maintains a detailed history of Old Bluff Presbyterian Church at their website.
The fourth Sunday of September each year is the annual Old Bluff Reunion; it's open to the public.
Also, Fayetteville is home to St. Patrick Church. It is the oldest Catholic parish in North Carolina.
Sister City
Saint-Avold, FranceFurther Information
Get more info on 'Fayetteville North Carolina'.
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