Washington, North Carolina

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Washington, North Carolina
City
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyBeaufort
Government
 • TypeCouncil - Manager Form of Government
 • MayorArchie Jennings
Area
 • Total6.8 sq mi (17.7 km2)
 • Land6.5 sq mi (16.8 km2)
 • Water0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)
Elevation
10 ft (3 m)
Population
 (2008)
 • Total12,946
 • Density1,475.2/sq mi (569.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
27889
Area code252
FIPS code37-71220Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0996823Template:GR

Washington is a city in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 12,946 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Beaufort CountyTemplate:GR. The closest major city is Greenville,Template:GR approximately 20 miles to the west.

Washington, North Carolina sailboats

Established in 1776 in land donated by Col. James Bonner, Washington is the first city named after George Washington, the first president of the United States.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 9,583 people, 3,968 households, and 2,468 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,475.2 people per square mile (569.2/km²). There were 4,399 housing units at an average density of 677.2/sq mi (261.3/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 51.78% White, 45.50% Black or African American, 2.72% Hispanic or Latino American, 0.49% Asian American, 0.17% Native American, 0.02% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 1.04% some other race, and 1.00% two or more races.

There were 3,968 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 21.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 77.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,057, and the median income for a family was $30,280. Males had a median income of $26,053 versus $21,641 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,319. About 23.3% of families and 28.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.8% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Freeways and primary designated routes

United States Highways

  • U.S. Route 264, dubbed Pactolus Highway, runs roughly east-west through Washington, following John Small Avenue and Fifth Street.
  • U.S. Route 17 runs roughly north-south, following Carolina Avenue and North Bridge Street. South of Washington the road crosses the Pamlico River over the Pamlico-Tar Bridge.

North Carolina Highways

  • N.C. Route 32 runs east-west through Washington, following River Road and Main Street. The road terminates at U.S. Route 17.

Media

Print

The only newspaper to serve Washington is the Washington Daily News. As of September 2007, the Daily News had a circulation of 8,736 Monday through Saturday and 8,969 on Sunday. The Daily News was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service in 1990 for a series of stories concerning local water contamination, making it the smallest daily newspaper in history to win the coveted gold medal. In 2009, a second newspaper, The Beaufort Observer, went from a bi-monthly print publication to an online publication.

The town is served by a Downtown Bookstore called "I Can't Believe It's a Book Store" on W Main St.

Television

The following stations are licensed to Washington and/or have significant operations and viewers in the city:

Radio

The following Radio Stations are Licensed to Washington and Surrounded Areas.

Features

This mid-sized rural town was recently dubbed the "Heart of the Inner Banks". In an award-winning campaign by the Tourism Department to increase visitors, it is complimented by its historical buildings and landmarks—some dating back to colonial times. Recent efforts to construct condominiums and townhouses on the city's waterfront were reviewed by the Historic Preservation division and are up to spec with historic requirements and guidelines. The Turnage Theatre, a restored historic vaudeville and movie theater, has opened in the downtown area and hosts plays and other types of live entertainment. Washington was attacked during the American Civil War. An attorney's office located on historic Water Street still contains a cannon ball shot from a Confederate ship from the Tar River during the Union's occupation of the town. Union soldiers evacuated the town after the intense shelling, joining the Confederate troops in burning most buildings as both armies retreated. Civil War and other types of historical enthusiasts follow the Albemarle Tour through Washington.

Visitors and residents alike enjoy the self-guided Historic Walking Tour. Beautiful homes, some with Victorian design, some arts & crafts, others the traditional early-20th century dwellings stand side-by-side on sidewalks lined with crepe myrtle trees. (Visitors should note: Washington sidewalks do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 standards.) To find out more about Washington's history, go to the Brown Library (located downtown) and ask to see a copy of Pauline Worthy's "Washington on the Pamlico" an out-of-print book filled with enjoyable anecdotes and historical information, most of it derived from interviews with local citizens in 1976.

People from all over eastern North Carolina enjoy Washington's many activities: fishing, boating along the Pamlico River, dining in the downtown restaurants, Washington High School Pam Pack football games, and a monthly downtown music and art festival called "Music in the Streets," which is followed by a Farmer's and Artisan's Market on the town's green areas on the waterfront. American Civil War re-enactors meet in the outskirts of Washington every year. (See historical reenactment.) Many near-by towns also contain Civil War artifacts and museums.

The North Carolina Estuarium, located in Washington on the Pamlico River, describes the ecology of North Carolina's estuaries, especially the Tar-Pamlico River and Pamlico Sounds. It houses more than 200 scientific and historic exhibits, and features a scenic ¾ mile boardwalk along the Pamlico River.

The North Carolina Estuarium

The Beaufort County Arts Council, founded in 1972 and located in the restored Atlantic Coastline Railroad Station in Washington, offers cultural programs including an annual juried fine arts show, a holiday arts and crafts show, a student art show, year-round exhibitions in the adjacent Washington Civic Center gallery, a series of free public concerts, an annual art camp for youth, workshops, lectures, and organized trips to attend cultural events throughout the region.

References


External links

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