Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Fuquay-Varina is a town in Wake County
Wake County, North Carolina
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...
, 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 7,898 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the population was estimated to be 17,910. The town is a 30-minute drive south of Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina. Economically, the town initially grew due to tobacco trade and agriculture, but has seen recent population growth and real estate development due to its proximity to the Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
.
Geography
Fuquay-Varina is located at 35°35′31"N 78°47′19"W (35.591969, -78.788746).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 town has a total area of 6.9 square miles (17.8 km²), of which, 6.8 square miles (17.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.44%) is water.
Fuquay-Varina is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
and Atlantic Coastal Plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
regions meet. This area is known as the "fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. Its central Piedmont location situates Fuquay-Varina about three hours west of Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2008, there were 1,815 people, 971 households, and 498 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 4,728 housing units at an average density of 2,206.0 per square mile...
, North Carolina, by car and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
of the Appalachian range
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
.
Climate
Fuquay-Varina enjoys a moderate subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high humidityHumidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s°F (10 to 13 °C) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2°C), although an occasional 60°F (15°C) or warmer winter day is not uncommon. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s°F (low 20s°C), with lows at night in the lower 50s°F (10 to 14°C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s°F (29 to 35°C). The rainiest months are July and August.
Early history
FrenchmanFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
William Fuquay first settled in the small farming town of Sippihaw, named for the original Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe that inhabited the area. His great-grandson, a tobacco farmer named Stephen, discovered a spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
in the mid-19th century while plowing the fields of the family plantation. Originally used solely for drinking water, Stephen soon came to the conclusion that the mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
flowing from the springs had healing properties. As word spread, locals began to help the springs establish this reputation, which brought residents from neighboring communities and counties to its waters. The springs were eventually walled in to better serve the tourists coming to the area by road or rail.
In 1860, Fuquay sold the springs to a group of local investors who formed the Chalybeate Springs Company to market the attraction and its waters. At that time another Sippihaw resident, J. D. “Squire” Ballentine, was returning home from the 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...
. Ballentine had been the town’s schoolmaster before going off to fight for the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
. During his tour of duty, he had received letters from one of many southern ladies who wrote to the troops to improve their morale. Originally signing her name “Varina,” Virginia Avery would later meet and fall in love with Ballentine. He continued to call her Varina throughout their life together. When he became the first postmaster at the new post office in town in 1880, he named it “Varina” in her honor. A community grew just south of the springs, near the post office and the couple’s Varina Mercantile Company general store
Mercantile Stores
Mercantile Stores Company Inc. until 1998, was a traditional department store retailer operating 102 fashion apparel stores and 16 home fashion stores in 17 states. The stores were operated under 13 different nameplates and varied in size, with the average store approximating . Store names...
. In time, it adopted the same name. Ballentine’s business success allowed him to construct the local historic landmark Ballentine Spence House in 1910, the first house to have plumbing and electricity in the area. This house still stands today.
Growth at the turn of the century
The Fuquay Mineral Spring’s popularity grew toward the turn of the 20th century, especially in the 1890s as local businessman John Mills developed the idea to offer “Moonlight Excursions” to the springs. He fitted flat rail carsRailroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
with seats and offered nighttime train trips to southern Wake County from Raleigh. As more guests came to the springs to “take the waters,” a group of small hotels sprung up in town, along with restaurants, barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
stands, and a dance pavilion with a player piano
Player piano
A player piano is a self-playing piano, containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism that operates the piano action via pre-programmed music perforated paper, or in rare instances, metallic rolls. The rise of the player piano grew with the rise of the mass-produced piano for the home in...
. The town became a tourist destination and was the site of special celebrations on Fourths of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
and Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
Mondays. During these events, residents of Raleigh would take the train down to watch the accompanying baseball games and participate in the dances and celebrations. Hotels like the Ben Wiley Hotel catered to the out-of-towners and became as much a center of town life as the springs. In 1902, Sippihaw was renamed “Fuquay Springs” in honor of its founding family and was officially incorporated in 1909.
When it was incorporated, the new Fuquay Springs town limits included the core of the neighboring town of Varina consisting of its business district and the rail junction of the Cape Fear and Northern Railway
Durham and Southern Railway
The Durham and Southern Railway operated of railroad from Dunn to Durham, North Carolina, USA. It was originally chartered as the Cape Fear and Northern Railway by Holly Springs resident George Benton Alford in 1892 and construction began in 1898. The name was changed to Durham and Southern in 1906...
and the Norfolk Southern Railway. But Varina reestablished itself the following year when the Varina Union Station was erected and a new post office was created, spurred by the lobbying of Ballentine. Four years later, the Bank of Varina was established, competing directly with the Bank of Fuquay (now Fidelity Bank). Several warehouses for the growing tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
business were built in town over the next few years, capitalizing on the railroad connections. Another supply store and a knitting factory followed. As Varina came into its own as a hub for area agriculture, the Fuquay Springs Corporation was formed and began bottling and selling mineral water from the springs commercially. Area businesses continued to develop and, in 1927, US 401 was paved through town, shortening travel times to Raleigh and nearby communities.
Unification and the present
By this time, Fuquay Springs and Varina had become major trading hubs for southern Wake County as well as neighboring HarnettHarnett County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 91,025 people, 33,800 households, and 24,099 families residing in the county. The population density was 153 people per square mile . There were 38,605 housing units at an average density of 65 per square mile...
and Johnston
Johnston County, North Carolina
-Major highways:* Interstate 40* Interstate 95* U.S. Highway 70* U.S. Highway 301* U.S. Highway 701-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 121,965 people, 46,595 households, and 33,688 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were...
counties. Yet improvements to automobiles and area roads caused a decline in tourism at the springs. Rather than visiting the springs, residents in the region chose to visit the coast as travel times decreased. During this time, however, the tobacco industry continued to drive the area economy, with five warehouses, a cotton buyer, and fifteen stores established by the end of the 1920s. The shared emphasis on agricultural and industrial growth brought the towns to a shared vision, and as their residents worked, played, and attended church together, the towns merged into Fuquay-Varina in 1963.
While development in the area today includes numerous residential communities and commercial sites along the major roadways into town, many of the older structures from its past remain within the town limits. The Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival homes constructed in the late 19th century and early 20th century are contributing structures to the Fuquay Springs National Register Residential Historic District, while the downtown shops and businesses are part of the Varina National Register Commercial Historic District. Area landmarks located in these districts include the Ben Wiley Hotel, the Ballentine Spence House, and the Dr. Wiley S. Cozart House, built across the street from the springs by the original owner and proprietor of the Ben Wiley. The springs are now contained in a small park developed on the site in 1945 which was handed over to the town in 1998 to maintain as a historic park. Mr. Lexie McLean owned and operated McLean's Grocery on Academy Street for many years. Mr McLean was a community leader and considered a major factor in the growth and development of the Fuquay-Varina area.
From 1970 to 2000, the population more than doubled, growing from 3,576 residents to 7,898. Current estimates by the NC State
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
Data Center show that Fuquay-Varina grew an additional 23% from 2000-2003 to 9,726 people, making
it the 26th fastest growing community in the state and the 11th fastest for those with populations over 5,000.
The mayor of Fuquay-Varina is John W. Byrne. He has held office since 2001 with no serious opposition. In November, 2009 Byrne faced opposition from Bob Gray, a Fuquay native. Though the challenge was not taken seriously, it was argued that Gray's garnering of roughly 30% of the vote indicated dissatisfaction from a sizable amount of Fuquay citizens. Locals have argued that Gray's challenge might have been more successful had his campaign message not been negative and had refrained from making promises to "eat ten Sub sandwiches" in one sitting if he was elected Mayor. Byrne was reelected in 2011 with 67% of the vote over local businessman Michael Dorman.
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 7,898 people, 3,122 households, and 2,126 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 1,156.0 people per square mile (446.5/km²). There were 3,375 housing units at an average density of 494.0 per square mile (190.8/km²). The racial composition of the town was: 70.63% White, 24.40% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 7.38% Hispanic or Latino American
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
, 0.48% Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.41% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.02% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 2.94% some other race
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 1.15% two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
.
There were 3,122 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% 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, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,903, and the median income for a family was $49,531. Males had a median income of $35,497 versus $28,551 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 $20,268. About 9.0% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The town is served by six Public schools which are administered by the Wake County Public School SystemWake County Public School System
The Wake County Public School System is a public school district located in Wake County, North Carolina. With 143,289 students enrolled in 163 schools as of the 2010/11 academic year, it is the largest public school district in North Carolina and the 17th largest district in the United States.-...
. Public schools include Ballentine Elementary School, Fuquay-Varina Elementary School, Lincoln Heights Elementary School, Herbert Akins Road Elementary, Fuquay-Varina Middle School, and Fuquay-Varina High School
Fuquay-Varina High School
Fuquay-Varina High School is a public high school in Fuquay-Varina North Carolina. It had an enrollment of 1831 students in grades 9-12, during the 2008-2009 academic year. The current principal is Edward McFarland, who took that position in 2006...
. Hilltop Christian School
Hilltop Christian School
Hilltop Christian School is a private, Christian, coeducational, primary and secondary day school located in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, United States. Also known as Hilltop Christian or simply Hilltop, the school seeks to educate students in a traditional Christian environment.-External links:**...
is a private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
located in the town.
The area is served by Wake Technical Community College
Wake Technical Community College
Wake Technical Community College, commonly known as Wake Tech, is a two-year accredited institution of higher education and technical training school. Its main campus is located approximately five miles south of Raleigh, North Carolina, near McCullers Crossroads. It also operates several branch...
, which is located between Fuquay Varina and Raleigh. The 2007 enrollment was approximately 57,000 and is projected to grow to 78,000 by 2015.
Roads
- I-540Interstate 540 (North Carolina)In the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 540 and North Carolina Highway 540 share a partially completed interstate grade beltway, also known as the Raleigh Outer Loop, around the city of Raleigh. -Route description:...
is planned to be connected to the Fuquay-Varina area sometime in the next decade. - NC 55, NC 42, and US 401U.S. Route 401U.S. Route 401 is an north–south United States highway, a spur of U.S. Route 1, that traverses along the fall line from Sumter, South Carolina to Interstate 85 near Wise, North Carolina.-Route description:...
are the major roads in Fuquay-Varina.
Public transport
- Air: Raleigh-Durham International AirportRaleigh-Durham International AirportRaleigh-Durham International Airport is a public international airport located 4.5 miles northeast of the town of Morrisville in suburban Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The airport covers and operates three runways, providing direct service to 40 domestic and international...
is located in northwestern Wake county on I-40Interstate 40Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
. - Fuquay-Varina is not served directly by passenger trains. AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
serves the nearby municipalities of CaryCary, North CarolinaCary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
and RaleighRaleigh, 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...
. - Local Bus: The Triangle Transit AuthorityTriangle Transit AuthorityThe Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority which is known by the name Triangle Transit provides regional bus service to The Triangle region of North Carolina in the counties of Wake, Durham and Orange.- History :The 1989 Session of the North Carolina General Assembly enabled...
operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in RaleighRaleigh, 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...
, DurhamDurham, North CarolinaDurham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, and Chapel HillChapel Hill, North CarolinaChapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
.
Parks and recreation
The town is served by the following parks:- Fuquay Mineral Spring Park - This park is the site of the natural spring around which the Fuquay Springs community developed. The facility includes picnic tables, a footbridge, restored spring house, park benches, granite historical marker, and memorial brick path.
- South Park - Facilities include a concession/scorekeeper building, scorekeeper booth, two baseball fields, one multi-purpose field, two soccer fields, multi-purpose area, community centerCommunity centreCommunity centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
, administrative offices, picnic shelter, playground units, grilling area, and a walking track. - Falcon Park - Facilities include a youth baseball/softball field, picnic shelter, playground, charcoal grill area, concession stand, sand volleyball court and a gymnasium.
- Action Park - Facilities include two youth softball/baseball fields, one multipurpose field (softball, baseball, football, soccer), four lighted tennis courts, and a playground.
- Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park - The park has nature trails and free teaching kits available for use. Lesson plans and supplies for grades K-12 are included in each kit and kits are available to be checked out from the community center. Facilities include 1.5 - 2 miles (3.2 km) of interpretive walking trails, overlooks, bridges, outdoor classroom, restrooms, and a picnic pavilion with tables.
- Ballentine School Park - Facilities include three youth baseball/softball fields and one multi-purpose field.
- Library Park - Facilities include a picnic shelter, playground area, and a charcoal grilling area.
- Honeycutt Road Park - Facilities include two lighted soccer fields, one lighted multi-purpose field, two tennis courts, playground, concession stand with restrooms, paved walking track, and paved parking areas.
- Kinton Soccer Field - Youth soccer field
- Randsell Soccer Field - Youth soccer field
- Fleming Loop Soccer Complex - Youth soccer fields
- Lawrence Street Park - Soccer Field (2 acres (8,093.7 m²))
- Herbert Akins Park - Three soccer fields (10 acres (40,468.6 m²)).
- Banks Road Park - Two soccer fields and a baseball/softball field (14 acres (56,656 m²)).
- Hotel Quality Inn