Plymouth, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Plymouth is the largest town in Washington County
, North Carolina
, United States
. The population was 4,107 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Washington County
. Plymouth is located on the Roanoke River
about seven miles (11 km) upriver from its mouth into the Albemarle Sound
in North Carolina's Inner Banks
region.
, the town of Plymouth has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which, 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²) of it is land and 0.26% is water.
of 2000, there were 4,107 people, 1,623 households, and 1,119 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,061.7 people per square mile (409.7/km²). There were 1,829 housing units at an average density of 472.8/sq mi (182.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 35.04% White, 63.09% African American, 0.02% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.73% from other races
, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
There were 1,623 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples
living together, 27.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 77.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $17,281, and the median income for a family was $26,800. Males had a median income of $26,352 versus $17,350 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $12,067. About 30.8% of families and 37.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.3% of those under age 18 and 28.8% of those age 65 or over.
) which was merged into Weyerhauser in 1957. In March 2007 Weyerhauser sold its paper interests to Domtar Paper Company LLC. The paper mill is now a Domtar papermill, while the onsite sawmill is still owned by Weyerhauser. In October 2009, Domtar announced the end of paper machine operations, and the mill will be converted to produce fluff pulp alone, with a 33% workforce reduction to about 360 employees.
The town is rebranding itself as a tourist destination to offset the reduction in paper-making employment, taking advantage of its sublime natural beauty, being surrounded by vast tracts of forests and beautiful swamplands. A riverfront boardwalk has been built, presenting scenic views of the
Roanoke River.
The Moratuc tribe of American Indians was living in a large settlement on Welch Creek near the current Domtar
pulp mill site in 1585 when the area was explored by English settlers. Moratuc was an Indian name for the Roanoke River
. The Moratuc were probably an Algonquian
tribe, but there is debate that they may have been Iroquois
.
Plymouth was established in 1787 by Arthur Rhodes on 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of his Brick House plantation he subdivided into 172 lots. Note that "Brickhouse" is a common local patronym. In 1790 the North Carolina General Assembly
named Plymouth a "port of delivery" and in 1808 it was named a "port of entry
". The county seat of Washington Co. was moved to Plymouth from Lee's Mill, as Roper, North Carolina
was then known, by special act of the NC General Assembly on January 31, 1823. A new courthouse was completed by November 1824 on the same lot where the present courthouse stands. It stood until 1862 when it caught fire and burned to the ground from a shell fired by a Union gunboat during bombardment of Plymouth.
Plymouth has the historical distinction of being the site of the second largest battle in North Carolina and its last Confederate victory, the Battle of Plymouth (1864)
, during the American Civil War
. The Confederate ironclad warship
"CSS Albemarle
" and its eventual sinking on October 27, 1864 while moored at a dock in Plymouth are the centerpieces of this history. Beginning early in the war and for its remainder, the Union controlled the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. The geographical importance for the Northern forces of Plymouth's location at the mouth of the Roanoke River was the Union desire to push upriver and capture the vital Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
line passing through Weldon, North Carolina
, which would completely cut off the major supply line for General Robert E. Lee
's army in Virginia from more southerly ports. This would essentially end all material support for Lee's forces and force his defeat or retreat from Virginia. Fort Branch, located upriver at Hamilton, successfully blocked the Union gunboats and troops sailing upstream from Plymouth at the river bend called Rainbow Branch in an attempt to push upriver to Weldon. The fort held until April 10, 1865, one day after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, at which point it was abandoned and its cannons hurled into the Roanoke River. Thus, the war histories of Fort Branch and Plymouth are intimately connected.
The Port O'Plymouth History Museum, located in the circa 1923 former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
station in downtown Plymouth, has an excellent nationally-recognized collection of Civil War artifacts, including one of the most complete belt buckle and button collections in the U.S., and a model of the ironclad ram "CSS Albemarle
".
Washington County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,723 people, 5,367 households, and 3,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 6,174 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
, 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 4,107 at the 2000 census. It 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....
of Washington County
Washington County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,723 people, 5,367 households, and 3,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 6,174 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
. Plymouth is located on the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
about seven miles (11 km) upriver from its mouth into the Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound
Albemarle Sound is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the town of Kitty Hawk is located,...
in North Carolina's Inner Banks
Inner Banks
The Inner Banks is a term used by some to describe the inland coastal region of eastern North Carolina, an area on the East Coast of the United States that is 22,227 square-miles by its broadest definition...
region.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 town of Plymouth has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which, 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²) of it is land and 0.26% is water.
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 4,107 people, 1,623 households, and 1,119 families residing in the town. 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 1,061.7 people per square mile (409.7/km²). There were 1,829 housing units at an average density of 472.8/sq mi (182.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 35.04% White, 63.09% African American, 0.02% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.73% 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 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
There were 1,623 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% 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, 27.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 77.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $17,281, and the median income for a family was $26,800. Males had a median income of $26,352 versus $17,350 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 town was $12,067. About 30.8% of families and 37.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.3% of those under age 18 and 28.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
The primary industry for the area is Domtar Paper Company, LLC., a paper manufacturer. The paper mill and its related facilities have been the largest employer since 1937. It was owned by Kieckhefer Container Company (John W. KieckheferJohn W. Kieckhefer
John W. Kieckhefer was an American businessman. He took over Enterprise Box & Lumber Company, which was a family-run business started by his grandfather, Charles Kieckefer and later run by his father William Kieckhefer. When he became the company's president, he changed the name to Kieckhefer...
) which was merged into Weyerhauser in 1957. In March 2007 Weyerhauser sold its paper interests to Domtar Paper Company LLC. The paper mill is now a Domtar papermill, while the onsite sawmill is still owned by Weyerhauser. In October 2009, Domtar announced the end of paper machine operations, and the mill will be converted to produce fluff pulp alone, with a 33% workforce reduction to about 360 employees.
The town is rebranding itself as a tourist destination to offset the reduction in paper-making employment, taking advantage of its sublime natural beauty, being surrounded by vast tracts of forests and beautiful swamplands. A riverfront boardwalk has been built, presenting scenic views of the
Roanoke River.
The Moratuc tribe of American Indians was living in a large settlement on Welch Creek near the current Domtar
Domtar
Domtar Corporation is the largest integrated producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity, and is also a manufacturer of papergrade pulp....
pulp mill site in 1585 when the area was explored by English settlers. Moratuc was an Indian name for the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
. The Moratuc were probably an Algonquian
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
tribe, but there is debate that they may have been Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
.
Plymouth was established in 1787 by Arthur Rhodes on 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of his Brick House plantation he subdivided into 172 lots. Note that "Brickhouse" is a common local patronym. In 1790 the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
named Plymouth a "port of delivery" and in 1808 it was named a "port of entry
Port of entry
In general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
". The county seat of Washington Co. was moved to Plymouth from Lee's Mill, as Roper, North Carolina
Roper, North Carolina
Roper is a town in Washington County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 613 at the 2000 census. It was known as Lee's Mill until 1890, when the John L...
was then known, by special act of the NC General Assembly on January 31, 1823. A new courthouse was completed by November 1824 on the same lot where the present courthouse stands. It stood until 1862 when it caught fire and burned to the ground from a shell fired by a Union gunboat during bombardment of Plymouth.
Plymouth has the historical distinction of being the site of the second largest battle in North Carolina and its last Confederate victory, the Battle of Plymouth (1864)
Battle of Plymouth (1864)
The Battle of Plymouth was an engagement during the American Civil War that was fought from April 17 through April 20, 1864, in Washington County, North Carolina.-Battle:...
, during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The Confederate ironclad warship
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
"CSS Albemarle
CSS Albemarle
CSS Albemarle was an ironclad ram of the Confederate Navy , named for a town and a sound in North Carolina and a county in Virginia...
" and its eventual sinking on October 27, 1864 while moored at a dock in Plymouth are the centerpieces of this history. Beginning early in the war and for its remainder, the Union controlled the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. The geographical importance for the Northern forces of Plymouth's location at the mouth of the Roanoke River was the Union desire to push upriver and capture the vital Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Originally chartered in 1835 as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad name began use in 1855. At the time of its 1840 completion, the line was the longest railroad in the world with 161.5 miles of track...
line passing through Weldon, North Carolina
Weldon, North Carolina
Weldon is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,374 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Weldon is located at ....
, which would completely cut off the major supply line for General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's army in Virginia from more southerly ports. This would essentially end all material support for Lee's forces and force his defeat or retreat from Virginia. Fort Branch, located upriver at Hamilton, successfully blocked the Union gunboats and troops sailing upstream from Plymouth at the river bend called Rainbow Branch in an attempt to push upriver to Weldon. The fort held until April 10, 1865, one day after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, at which point it was abandoned and its cannons hurled into the Roanoke River. Thus, the war histories of Fort Branch and Plymouth are intimately connected.
The Port O'Plymouth History Museum, located in the circa 1923 former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
station in downtown Plymouth, has an excellent nationally-recognized collection of Civil War artifacts, including one of the most complete belt buckle and button collections in the U.S., and a model of the ironclad ram "CSS Albemarle
CSS Albemarle
CSS Albemarle was an ironclad ram of the Confederate Navy , named for a town and a sound in North Carolina and a county in Virginia...
".
Education
- Pines Elementary School
- Plymouth High SchoolPlymouth High School (North Carolina)Plymouth High School is a public high school located in Plymouth, North Carolina. It is one of two high schools, along with Creswell High School, in Washington County Schools. The principal is Jamie Liverman. Plymouth High School's enrollment as of 2010 is 526 students. The student body is 80%...
Notable people
- J. B. SmooveJ. B. SmooveJerry Brooks , better known by his stage name J.B. Smoove, is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian, who began his TV career on Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam in the early '90's...
- Actor and comedian, plays Leon Black on Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself... - Augustin DalyAugustin DalyJohn Augustin Daly was an American theatrical manager and playwright active in both the US and UK.-Biography:Daly was born in Plymouth, North Carolina and educated at Norfolk, Va...
- Playwright, drama critic, theatrical owner and manager - Jacklyn H. LucasJacklyn H. LucasPrivate First Class Jacklyn Harold Lucas was a United States Marine who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Iwo Jima campaign — for unhesitatingly hurling himself over his comrades upon one grenade and for pulling another one under himself...
- Youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor - Don Brown, NovelistDon Brown (author)Don Brown, born June 3, 1960 in Plymouth, North Carolina,Brown is the author of six published novels, and is perhaps best known for his bestselling novel, Treason, released by Zondervan Publishing Company in 2005....
- Author of the Navy Justice Series, Author of Six Novels, Former Military Prosecutor - Charles BowserCharles BowserCharles Bowser is a former American football linebacker who played four seasons in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins. Bowser played his college career at Duke University, setting the school's single season and career sacks record at 17.5 and 22, respectively...
, Former Professional Football Player, the Miami Dolphins
External links
- Plymouth Town Website
- Washington County Website
- Opposition to Navy OLF Airfield in Washington County
- Roanoke River Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
- God's Creation Wildlife Museum
- Port O'Plymouth History Museum
- CSS Albemarle Replica
- Photos of Plymouth on Flikr
- Domtar Corporate Website
- Weyerhaeuser Corp.
- Weyerhaeuser paper mill image
