Whiteville, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Whiteville is a city in Columbus County
, North Carolina
, United States
. The population was 5,148 at the 2000 census. It is the only city of Columbus County
and is the county seat
.
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 popular Harvest Days Festival.
Whiteville was also 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 museum. Clinton revisited in the spring of 2008.
Whiteville is also the home of the North Carolina Museum of Forestry, a satellite museum of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
.
The official newspaper serving Columbus County, The News Reporter
, is also 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.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km²), all of it land.
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.
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).
Waccamaw Academy and Columbus Christian Academy are private K-12 schools in Whiteville.
Southeastern Community College
is located a few miles to the west of Whiteville.
, 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.
Columbus County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 54,749 people, 21,308 households, and 15,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 58/sq mi . As of 2004, there were 24,668 housing units at an average density of 26/sq mi...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,148 at the 2000 census. It is the only city of Columbus County
Columbus County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 54,749 people, 21,308 households, and 15,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 58/sq mi . As of 2004, there were 24,668 housing units at an average density of 26/sq mi...
and is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
.
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
Dorothy Allison
Dorothy Allison is an American writer, speaker, and member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers.-Early life:Dorothy E. Allison was born on April 11, 1949 in Greenville, South Carolina to Ruth Gibson Allison, who was fifteen at the time. Ruth was a poor and unmarried mother who worked as a...
's novel Bastard Out of Carolina
Bastard Out of Carolina (novel)
Bastard Out of Carolina was the first novel published by author Dorothy Allison. The book, which is semi-autobiographical in nature, is set in Allison's hometown of Greenville, South Carolina...
. It is also regionally known for its popular Harvest Days Festival.
Whiteville was also the scene of then-President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton's
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
1999 "Bridging the Digital Divide
Digital divide
The Digital Divide refers to inequalities between individuals, households, business, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels in access to information and communication technologies and Internet connectivity and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information...
" speech at the Vineland Station Railroad Depot, which is now refurbished as a museum. Clinton revisited in the spring of 2008.
Whiteville is also the home of the North Carolina Museum of Forestry, a satellite museum of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. This museum is the oldest established museum in North Carolina and the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast...
.
The official newspaper serving Columbus County, The News Reporter
The News Reporter
The News Reporter is a broadsheet semi-weekly newspaper based in Whiteville, North Carolina. The paper was founded in 1896 and serves Columbus County, North Carolina, United States...
, is also based in Whiteville and has been in circulation since 1896.
The stretch of U.S. Route 701
U.S. Route 701
U.S. Route 701 is a spur of U.S. Route 1, although the two routes never intersect. However, using U.S. Route 301 or U.S. Route 501 would connect to U.S. Route 1. It runs 172 miles from Four Oaks, North Carolina at U.S. Route 301 to Georgetown, South Carolina at U.S. Route 17. It passes through...
through Columbus County is named for Whiteville's founder, James B. White, Columbus County's first state senator.
Geography
Whiteville is located at 34°19′48"N 78°42′16"W (34.330096, -78.704533).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,148 people, 2,191 households, and 1,336 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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 Primary School
- Edgewood Elementary School
- Central Middle School
- North Whiteville Academy
- Whiteville High School
- Southeastern Early College 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).
Waccamaw Academy and Columbus Christian Academy are private K-12 schools in Whiteville.
Southeastern Community College
Southeastern Community College
Southeastern Community College is a community college located outside of Whiteville, North Carolina.- External links :*...
is located a few miles to the west of Whiteville.
Sports
- Former NFL player Chester McGlockton, who played on the undefeated 1987 State 2A Champion WHS Wolfpack Football team.
- Former MLB Pitcher Tommy GreeneTommy GreeneIra Thomas Greene , is a former Major League Baseball player who pitched from 1989 to 1995 and 1997. He pitched for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros.-Pro career:...
. - NBA Player Chris WilcoxChris WilcoxChris Ray Wilcox is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons. He previously played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, and collegiately at the University of Maryland, where he helped the Terrapins win...
, who played on the WHS varsity basketball team his sophomore and junior years, leading the Wolfpack to the 1999 State 2A Basketball championship before transferring to Raleigh'sRaleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
William G. Enloe High School for his senior year. - Maggie WillMaggie WillMargaret "Maggie" Will is an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.Will won three times on the LPGA Tour between 1990 and 1994.-LPGA Tour wins:LPGA Tour playoff record -External links:...
, golfer. Three-time winner on the LPGA Tour.
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.Transportation
Although the railroad tracks leading from west of town towards Lake WaccamawLake Waccamaw
Lake Waccamaw is a unique fresh water lake located in Columbus County in North Carolina. The lake is oval in shape and measures roughly 5.2 by with an average depth of . It covers 36,170,802 square meters, an average width of 2.32 meters and a shoreline of about 22,852 meters...
, have long been disconnected, Whiteville is served by the Columbus County Municipal Airport
Columbus County Municipal Airport
Columbus County Municipal Airport is a public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Whiteville, a city in Columbus County, North Carolina, USA. This general aviation airport covers and has one runway....
and several highways, which include U.S. Route 74
U.S. Route 74
U.S. Route 74 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Cleveland, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.-Tennessee:Established in 1987, US-74 western terminus is exit 20 on I-75 in Cleveland...
, U.S. Route 76
U.S. Route 76
U.S. Route 76 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.-Tennessee:...
, U.S. Route 701
U.S. Route 701
U.S. Route 701 is a spur of U.S. Route 1, although the two routes never intersect. However, using U.S. Route 301 or U.S. Route 501 would connect to U.S. Route 1. It runs 172 miles from Four Oaks, North Carolina at U.S. Route 301 to Georgetown, South Carolina at U.S. Route 17. It passes through...
, North Carolina Highway 130
North Carolina Highway 130
North Carolina Highway 130 is a state highway in North Carolina that begins at the intersection with U.S. 74 Business in Maxton in an east direction to Ocean View Boulevard in Holden Beach, traversing Robeson, Columbus, and Brunswick counties.-Route description:NC Highway 130 begins at US 74 Bus....
, and North Carolina Highway 131.