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Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Rocky Mount is a city in Nash and Edgecombe counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina.[5][6] The city's population was 54,341 as of the 2020 census, making it the 20th-most populous city in North Carolina at the time.[7] The city is 45 mi (72 km) east of Raleigh, the state capital.

Rocky Mount
Rocky Mount City Lake Park
Nickname: 
City On The Rise
Motto: 
"The Center Of It All"
Location in Edgecombe and Nash Counties and the state of North Carolina.
Rocky Mount
Rocky Mount
Coordinates: 35°58′06″N 77°48′16″W / 35.96833°N 77.80444°W / 35.96833; -77.80444
Country United States
State North Carolina
CountiesEdgecombe, Nash
FoundedMarch 22, 1816
IncorporatedFebruary 19, 1867
Named forRocky mounds along the Tar River[1]
Government
 • TypeCouncil–Manager
 • MayorSandy Roberson
 • City managerPeter Varney
 • City council
Members
  • Andre Knight
  • Reuben C. Blackwell, IV
  • Richard Joyner
  • T.J. Walker
  • Lige Daughtridge
  • W.B. Bullock
  • Chris Carroll Miller
Area
 • City44.89 sq mi (116.27 km2)
 • Land44.68 sq mi (115.73 km2)
 • Water0.21 sq mi (0.54 km2)
Elevation85 ft (26 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City54,341
 • Density1,216.14/sq mi (469.55/km2)
 • Urban
63,297 (US: 432nd)[3]
 • Urban density1,408.0/sq mi (543.6/km2)
 • Metro
143,870 (US: 293rd)
 • CSA
288,747 (US: 112th)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
27801, 27802, 27803, 27804, 27809, 27815
Area code252
FIPS code37-57500
GNIS feature ID2404643[4]
Interstate Highways
U.S. Highways
State Highways
Websitewww.rockymountnc.gov

It is the principal city of the Rocky Mount metropolitan area, often called the "Twin Counties"; in the 2020 census, the metro population was 143,870.[8][9][10] Rocky Mount is also an anchor city of the Rocky Mount-Wilson-Roanoke Rapids Combined Statistical Area in northeast North Carolina with a total population of 288,747 as of the 2020 census.[8]

Incorporated in 1867, the community at the falls of the Tar River that became the city of Rocky Mount was first settled by traders in the mid-1700s. Historically strong in rail transportation, textiles, and agriculture, the economy of Rocky Mount has diversified into biomedical pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and logistics.[11][12] Rocky Mount has twice received the All-America City Award from the National Civic League: in 1969 and 1999.[13]

History Edit

Beginnings Edit

The region around the Tar River was continuously inhabited by various cultures of indigenous people for 12,000 years. It had long been home to the historic Tuscarora people, who spoke an Iroquoian language, before the first Europeans arrived.[14] After the English colonists and indigenous allies waged the Tuscarora War in the early 1700s and drove most of the survivors off to the North (the main party migrated to what became New York, settling with other Iroquoian peoples), the English speakers began to settle the area.[15] They settled along the fall line between the Piedmont and coastal plain, below which the rivers were navigable to the coast. The difference in height meant that the downstream waters could power a mill.[14]

The Falls of the Tar River Primitive Baptist Church was established in 1757.[16] As the church was the center of community life, its records were the first civil and vital records of the developing town. Its congregation effectively administered law enforcement, with officers issuing citations for crimes.[17]

19th century Edit

A post office was established at the falls of the Tar River on March 22, 1816. At this point, the name "Rocky Mount" officially appears in documented history, referring to the rocky mound at the falls of the Tar River. Rocky Mount Mills, the second cotton mill in the state of North Carolina, was built there soon after in 1818.[6] Its proprietors were two entrepreneurs and Joel Battle, grandson of an original colonial settler to the area. Joel bought out the other proprietors before turning over the enterprise to his cousin James Smith Battle. The mill's spindles were initially operated by enslaved African Americans until the 1850s. At that time, the mill owners hired exclusively white women and girls, who were employed for the rest of the century.[9][18]

The Battle family was also involved in the construction of the longest continuous railroad in the world up to that time, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, which ran about two miles (3 km) east of the mill.[9] It connected the area to major ports in Virginia to the north and the port of Wilmington, North Carolina to the south. The tracks first reached Rocky Mount on Christmas Eve in 1839. In 1840, a train of cars en route to Wilmington stopped in Rocky Mount to import some "Old Nash" for special toasts at opening festivities, and from there the fame of Nash County apple brandy spread.

The railroad exerted a powerful influence on the development of the town. In 1871, the county line moved from the Tar River to its present location in the center of the tracks.[6] The Raleigh-Tarboro stage route also passed just south of Rocky Mount (roughly where I-95 and U.S. 64 run today), and for a time was the logical debarking point for railroad travelers wishing to proceed east or west.[6]

During the Civil War, the surrounding region was raided in 1863 by Union troops under the command of Brigadier General Edward E. Potter. They burned down the mill, which supplied Confederate yarn and cloth. After the war ended, the owners rebuilt the mill.[19] On February 19, 1867, the village outside the mill was incorporated as a town.[6]

In the latter half of the 19th century, the tobacco industry became established in the state. Adjacent to the sandy coastal plain, Rocky Mount was well situated to take advantage of the rapidly rising demand for brightleaf tobacco that grew best in the sandy soil.[20] Tobacco also shaped the city's social life. Warehouses where tobacco was stored and marketed began hosting balls for the community in the 1880s; these became known as "june germans" for the time of year and style of dance. June Germans eventually transformed into all-night dance parties and attracted musicians and socialites from miles around well into the 1900s.[21] By the end of the 19th century, tobacco had surpassed King Cotton as the town's primary agricultural product.[20]

20th century Edit

 
Rocky Mount in 1907
 
A map of Rocky Mount in 1950

At the turn of the 20th century, Rocky Mount became the northern headquarters of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, which located its major repair shops and yard facilities in the town. With it came an influx of railroad employees.[16] In 1900, Rocky Mount's population was around 3,000.

On February 28, 1907, with a population around 7,500, Rocky Mount was officially incorporated as a city. A main railroad line, a well established cotton mill, and productive farmland for brightleaf tobacco were major contributors to the area's growth and prosperity over the next decades.[6] A vibrant central business district arose.[22]

As in the rest of the South, states imposed legal racial segregation, including restrictions and discrimination in housing. White suburbs developed largely on the west side of town, such as Villa Place and West Haven. Black neighborhoods, such as Crosstown and Around the "Y", where jazz musician Thelonious Monk was born,[23] were concentrated on the east side of town.

Several notable Civil Rights events occurred in Rocky Mount. In 1946, African-American tobacco warehouse workers voted to organize in Rocky Mount as part of a broader nationwide movement known as Operation Dixie. It included voter registration to fight against disenfranchisement of blacks and other political action against segregation.[24] On November 27, 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech at Booker T. Washington High School; he used his refrain "I have a dream" a year before his better known delivery at the March on Washington, which became famous.[25][26] The city had a sanitation workers' strike in 1978 when government sanitation workers protested their black co-worker being wrongfully arrested. He was acquitted in court on the charges. In 2018 the city council apologized to him for the case.[27]

 
Downtown Rocky Mount, 1962

After WWII, the city continued to grow. In the 1950s and 1960s the city's economy diversified to include banking, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and the headquarters of a fast food chain known as Hardee's.[28]

New higher education facilities were founded, including North Carolina Wesleyan College in 1956 and Nash Community College and Edgecombe Community College in 1968. In 1970, Rocky Mount received an All-America City Award. In the 1970s the city's hospitals were consolidated under Nash General Hospital. That was also the period of completion of Rocky Mount–Wilson Regional Airport.[29][6]

From the 1980s, the inner city suffered urban decay, as businesses had moved out to suburban highway locations. Rocky Mount's downtown deteriorated as new neighborhoods and shopping malls were built, such as Golden East Crossing. The city expanded its boundaries by annexation, for instance, in 1996, the town of Battleboro to the north of the city.[30][31] In 1999, the city won its second All-America City Award.[13]

In the fall of 1999 two hurricanes made landfall in eastern North Carolina. Both passed over Rocky Mount: Hurricane Dennis as a tropical storm in August with 20 inches (510 mm) of rain and Hurricane Floyd in September with nearly 17 inches (430 mm) of rain. Floyd is especially memorable because most localized flooding happened quickly overnight. Many residents were not aware of the flooding until the water came into their homes, and many required rescue. The hurricane resulted in the worst flooding in history of the Tar River, which had become saturated in August. It exceeded 500-year flood levels along its lower stretches, and many homes and businesses were destroyed.[30][32][33]

21st century Edit

During the first decades of the 21st century, the city has encouraged efforts to revitalize the historic downtown, supporting projects to renovate buildings such as the train station and Douglas Block, or repurpose them, such as the Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences.[34]

In 2007, Capitol Broadcasting Company bought Rocky Mount Mills. It is adapting it as a mixed-use campus of breweries, restaurants, residential lofts, and event space.[35] Major new community projects include the 143-acre (58 ha) sports complex and 165,000-square-foot (15,300 m2) downtown event center.[30] In 2019, CSX, the successor company of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, broke ground on a new intermodal cargo terminal that is expected to stimulate the local economy in the next decade.[36]

Geography Edit

 
Interactive map of Rocky Mount

Rocky Mount is located in northeastern North Carolina, at the fall line between the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the east and the Piedmont region to the west. The city is 58 miles (93 km) east of Raleigh, the state capital, 91 miles (146 km) northeast of Fayetteville, 144 miles (232 km) north of Wilmington, 19 miles (31 km) north of Wilson, 42 miles (68 km) south of Roanoke Rapids, and 127 miles (204 km) south of Richmond, Virginia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 104.9 square miles (271.8 km2), of which 104.6 square miles (270.8 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), or 0.35%, is covered by water.[37] The Tar River passes through the city from west to east, crossing the fall line at Upper Falls and Little Falls and descending 25 feet (7.6 m) within the city limits. The city boundaries straddle the line between Edgecombe and Nash counties, which follows the railroad tracks through the center of the city running north to south.

Neighborhoods Edit

Historic Rocky Mount Mills Village Edit

Situated near the Tar River, the Rocky Mount Mills Village grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a small community of tenants working for the mill. Built between 1885 and 1940, each home in the historic district is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.[38] Changes in industrialization eventually forced the closing of the mill, and this way of life came to an end. However, when the mill closed, the property remained intact. Though the property has been a rental for its entire existence, covenants are placed on the property to assure home ownership and owner occupancy and protect the historical integrity.[39]

Climate Edit

Rocky Mount has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by cool, sometimes moderately cold winters, and hot, humid summers.[40] The average high temperatures range from 51 °F (11 °C) in the winter to around 90 °F (32 °C) in the summer. The average low temperatures range from 31 °F (−1 °C) in the winter to around 69 °F (21 °C) in the summer.[41]

Climate data for Rocky Mount, North Carolina (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1954–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 78
(26)
82
(28)
89
(32)
96
(36)
98
(37)
106
(41)
105
(41)
103
(39)
102
(39)
101
(38)
86
(30)
80
(27)
106
(41)
Average high °F (°C) 50.3
(10.2)
53.6
(12.0)
60.9
(16.1)
71.2
(21.8)
78.0
(25.6)
85.3
(29.6)
88.4
(31.3)
85.3
(29.6)
81.3
(27.4)
72.2
(22.3)
64.7
(18.2)
55.0
(12.8)
70.5
(21.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 40.5
(4.7)
42.6
(5.9)
49.5
(9.7)
59.3
(15.2)
67.5
(19.7)
75.4
(24.1)
78.9
(26.1)
76.3
(24.6)
71.7
(22.1)
61.0
(16.1)
51.7
(10.9)
44.3
(6.8)
59.9
(15.5)
Average low °F (°C) 30.6
(−0.8)
31.7
(−0.2)
38.1
(3.4)
47.3
(8.5)
57.0
(13.9)
65.4
(18.6)
69.3
(20.7)
67.4
(19.7)
62.2
(16.8)
49.7
(9.8)
38.8
(3.8)
33.7
(0.9)
49.3
(9.6)
Record low °F (°C) −8
(−22)
4
(−16)
11
(−12)
25
(−4)
32
(0)
43
(6)
51
(11)
45
(7)
37
(3)
19
(−7)
16
(−9)
0
(−18)
−8
(−22)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.22
(82)
3.00
(76)
3.85
(98)
3.54
(90)
3.63
(92)
4.81
(122)
5.10
(130)
5.28
(134)
6.15
(156)
3.55
(90)
3.20
(81)
3.23
(82)
48.56
(1,233)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 1.9
(4.8)
0.3
(0.76)
0.2
(0.51)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.4
(1.0)
2.8
(7.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.0 in) 8.1 7.2 8.2 7.7 8.3 9.1 9.8 8.6 7.7 6.1 6.5 7.8 95.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.8
Source 1: NOAA[42][43]
Source 2: Weather.com[41]

Demographics Edit

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1870357
188055254.6%
189081647.8%
19002,937259.9%
19108,051174.1%
192012,74258.3%
193021,41268.0%
194025,56819.4%
195027,6978.3%
196032,14716.1%
197034,2846.6%
198041,28320.4%
199048,99718.7%
200055,89314.1%
201057,4772.8%
202054,341−5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[44]
2020[45]

2020 census Edit

Rocky Mount racial composition[46]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 14,470 26.63%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 34,426 63.35%
Native American 298 0.55%
Asian 757 1.39%
Pacific Islander 26 0.05%
Other/Mixed 1,692 3.11%
Hispanic or Latino 2,672 4.92%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 54,341 people, 22,260 households, and 14,334 families residing in the city.

2010 census Edit

As of the census of 2010, 57,477 people, 23,097 households, and 14,639 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,312.6 inhabitants per square mile (506.8 inhabitants/km2). The city had 26,953 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 61.3% African American, 32.4% White, 0.6% Native American, 1.0% Asian, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.7% of the population.

Of the 23,097 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples living together, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were not families. About 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 26.6% 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 3.04.

In the city, the population was distributed as 27.5% between the ages of 1 and 19, 6.4% from 20 to 24, 24% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38.7 years. 45.8% of the population are males compared to 54.2% for females.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,059, and for a family was $39,929. The per capita income for the city was $21,779. About 19.0% of the population is below the poverty line.[37]

Religion Edit

Rocky Mount's population is 40.3% religiously affiliated, below the state average of 48.9%.[47] Christianity is the largest religion, with Baptists (13.3%) making up the largest religious group, followed by Pentecostals (4.5%) and Methodists (3.5%). Presbyterians (1.5%), Episcopalians (0.9%), and Catholics (0.8%) make up a significant amount of the Christian population as well. The remaining Christian population (15.2%) is affiliated with other churches. Islam (0.5%) is the second largest religion after Christianity.[48]

Economy Edit

 
Southern Bank Business Center in downtown Rocky Mount
 
North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles headquarters

The economy of the Rocky Mount metropolitan area, historically dependent on agriculture and textile manufacturing, has diversified into pharmaceuticals and manufacturing. As the city is Located near the juncture of a number of highways and railway, distribution and logistics are important to local businesses. The area has a strong service sector and a number of financial and customer support centers are located here.[11][12]

Rocky Mount is located 45 mi (72 km) from the state capital Raleigh and the associated Research Triangle. This has helped attract new companies to Rocky Mount seeking a skilled labor and a lower costs of living and doing business.[11]

The metropolitan area was named in a 2020 study as the third-highest in the United States where manufacturing is thriving with a manufacturing output of $6.2 billion, or $42,270 per capita. Between 2014 and 2018, manufacturing grew in the Rocky Mount area by 11.8%, and there were 108% more manufacturing jobs than the national average.[49][50]

In 2019, CSX Transportation began construction of a $200 million cargo terminal in Rocky Mount.[51][36]

Largest employers Edit

Below is a list of some of the largest employers in the metropolitan area as of 2018.[52]

# Employer No. of employees
1 Pfizer 3,200[53]
2 Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools 2,275
3 Cummins–Rocky Mount Engine Plant 1,800
4 Nash UNC Health Care 1,600
5 Edgecombe County Public Schools 1,100
6 QVC Distribution center 1,100
7 CenturyLink 1,000
8 Sara Lee Frozen Bakery 950
9 Alorica 885
10 City of Rocky Mount 850

Shopping Edit

Rocky Mount is a regional shopping destination with many big-box retailers and specialty shops located in the city. Rocky Mount's shopping centers are generally congregated along and around US 301 (Wesleyan Boulevard). Two examples are Golden East Crossing and Englewood Square.[54][55]

In the downtown, the Douglas Block is a commercial area that was a former African American business district.[56] Station Square is a shopping area located next to city hall and the train station.[57]

Arts and culture Edit

 
Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences
 
Historic Rocky Mount Mills

The city is home to multiple venues for the performing arts. The Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences hosts the Maria V. Howard Arts Center, a Children's Museum and Science Center, and a community theater.[58] The Dunn Center for the Performing Arts at Wesleyan College regularly has college arts performances and touring acts, and is also the home of the Tar River Orchestra and Chorus.[59][60] Most recently, the Rocky Mount Event Center opened in downtown with space to hold up to 5,000 seats for entertainment and sporting events.[61]

Rocky Mount Mills is a craft brewery incubator, the first of its kind on North Carolina, that is now home to many up-and-coming breweries and restaurants. In addition, the mill hosts summer music festivals and other events throughout the year. It has been in the process of redevelopment since 2014 by Capitol Broadcasting Company, which also owns the popular American Tobacco campus in downtown Durham, North Carolina. Nearby are dozens of historical homes for rent in the Rocky Mount Mills Village.[62][63] The next phase of development is Goat Island on the Tar River, which will offer public access to hiking trails, sandy beaches, and rafting/canoeing.[12]

A Rocky Mount Railroad Museum has been in the planning stages for a number of years given the cultural significance of the railroad on the city—in the early to mid-1900s the Emerson Shops alone of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad employed over 2,000 people—but is currently without a facility.[28][64][65] It has been proposed to be located inside the train station.[66]

National Register of Historic Places Edit

The Bellamy-Philips House, Bellemonte, Benvenue, Edgemont Historic District, Falls Road Historic District, Lincoln Park Historic District, Machaven, The Meadows, Rocky Mount Central City Historic District, Rocky Mount Electric Power Plant, Rocky Mount Mills, Rocky Mount Mills Village Historic District, Stonewall, Villa Place Historic District, and West Haven Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[67]

Parks and recreation Edit

 
Rocky Mount Event Center in downtown

Rocky Mount is a major center for youth traveling sports as a midpoint between New York and Florida along I-95.[68] The Rocky Mount Sports Complex, maintained by the Parks and Recreation department, includes seven outdoor baseball fields, four softball fields, eight soccer fields, a professional disc golf course, basketball courts, and volleyball courts. The complex sees many statewide and interstate baseball and soccer tournaments. It also has a football stadium home to the NCWC Battling Bishops football team and Elizabeth City State University's annual Down East Viking Classic.[69] The Rocky Mount Event Center administered by the city has added eight indoor basketball courts, sixteen volleyball courts, a ropes course, a climbing wall, and a family entertainment center, with plans to host indoor basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics competitions.[68][70]

Tar River Trail is a 7-mile (11 km) greenway running east to west along the namesake river that connects with multiple parks, city landmarks, and the sports complex, with designated boat ramps for recreational paddling trips on the river. Notable among the connected parks is City Lake Park, built in 1937 during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration, and the 57-acre (23 ha) biodiverse Battle Park centered on the falls of the Tar River.[71][72] The trail also includes a 220-foot (67 m) long clear-span wooden bridge believed to be the longest such wooden bridge in the United States.[73]

Government Edit

 
Frederick E. Turnage Municipal Building in downtown Rocky Mount

The city of Rocky Mount has a council-manager form of government. The city is divided into seven wards with a total of seven council members elected to the city council, one from each ward. Members of the city council serve four-year terms with staggered elections every two years, while the mayor is elected at-large by citizens and serves a four-year term. The mayor is ex officio chair of the city council and only votes in case of a tie. The council appoints a city manager to serve as chief administrative officer of day-to-day affairs of government. As of 2022, the current city manager is Peter Varney.[74] Since the city straddles the Nash County-Edgecombe County border, the commissions of both counties are also involved in governance of the city.[75]

City council Edit

  • Sandy Roberson (Mayor)
  • Andre Knight (Ward 1)
  • Reuben C. Blackwell, IV (Ward 2)
  • Richard Joyner (Ward 3)
  • T. J. Walker (Ward 4)
  • Lige Daughtridge (Ward 5)
  • Tom Harris (Ward 6)
  • Jabaris Walker (Ward 7)

Education Edit

 
Aerial view of North Carolina Wesleyan University campus

North Carolina Wesleyan University is a four-year private liberal arts college located in Rocky Mount and home to the Eastern North Carolina Center for Business and Entrepreneurship. The center's programs are free, open to the public, and focusing on business development, entrepreneurship, and community engagement.[76] The city is also served by Nash Community College, which has a brewing, distillation, and fermentation program in partnership with the Mills, and Edgecombe Community College, which has a downtown campus specializing in biotechnology and medical simulation.[77][78] Shaw University's College of Adult and Professional Education, or C.A.P.E., program also has a satellite campus in the Mills Village.[79]

The city of Rocky Mount is primarily served by the Nash-Rocky Mount Public School System, which as a whole has 15,000 students in 28 schools.[80] Parts of the city in Edgecombe County are also served by the Edgecombe County Public Schools system.[81] Public high schools include Nash Central High School, Northern Nash High School, Rocky Mount High School, Southwest Edgecombe High School and Southern Nash High School. The three nontraditional public schools are Tar River Academy,The Center for Industry Technology and Innovation and its sister school the Nash Rocky Mount Early College. The one local charter school is Rocky Mount Preparatory School. There are also a number of private schools in the area.

Braswell Memorial Library serves the community as its major public library with affiliated libraries throughout the Twin Counties. It recently became part of the State Library's NC Cardinal consortium of public libraries that share an integrated system allowing books and other materials to be checked out from other libraries across the state.[82][83]

Media Edit

Rocky Mount is considered part of the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville television and radio media market, the 25th largest in the United States. However, multiple broadcast stations in the Greenville-New Bern-Washington market also cover the city.

Locally, WHIG-TV, founded in 1997 and currently hosted out of Wesleyan College, and WNCR-LD, founded in 2002 and located in downtown, are Rocky Mount's community television stations.[84][85][86] WRQM 90.9 FM is the repeater station of public radio station WUNC, the local NPR affiliate. In the 1990s, it was known as "Down East Radio" and also hosted out of Wesleyan College.[87]

The Rocky Mount Telegram serves as the main daily newspaper for the city of Rocky Mount and surrounding areas.[88]

Infrastructure Edit

Transportation Edit

Roads and highways Edit

 
US 64 is the city's main east–west corridor

The city is served by three major highways:

  •   I-95 to its west.
  •   US 64 (Future I-87) as its main east–west corridor.
  •   US 301 (Wesleyan Boulevard) as its main north–south corridor.

In the downtown area, both US 64 Bus. (Sunset Avenue / Thomas Street) and US 301 Bus. (Church Street) serve as major thoroughfares. State highways NC 4, NC 43, NC 48 and NC 97 serve the city by connecting to nearby towns.

Airports Edit

The Rocky Mount–Wilson Regional Airport (IATA: RWI, ICAO: KRWI, FAA LID: RWI) serves the general aviation needs of the surrounding counties. It is on NC 97, 9 miles (14 km) southwest of downtown Rocky Mount. The closest airport with scheduled commercial service is Pitt–Greenville Airport (PGV), 40 miles (64 km) to the southeast. Cargo and charter flights in the area also use the Kinston Regional Jetport (ISO), 50 miles (80 km) to the south. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), is 74 miles (119 km) to the west.

Rail Edit

 
Helen P. Gay Rocky Mount Historic Train Station in downtown, originally built in 1893.

Amtrak provides three north and three southbound trains per day at the Rocky Mount station located in downtown. Service is to Washington, D.C., New York City, Miami and Philadelphia. Freight service is provided by CSX. Trains travel to destinations in eastern North Carolina and also to points west and south of the city.

Public transit Edit

Tar River Transit provides public transportation in and around the city of Rocky Mount, and operates 10 fixed bus routes throughout the city.[89][90]

Health care Edit

Nash UNC Health Care is a nonprofit hospital affiliated with UNC Health Care, which it joined in 2014. It has 345 beds at four different locations. Its flagship facility is Nash General Hospital.[91] When Nash General opened in 1971, it consolidated four different hospitals in the Rocky Mount area, and was the first all-private-room hospital in North Carolina.[92] Other hospitals operated are Nash Day Hospital, Bryant T. Aldridge Rehabilitation Center, and Coastal Plain Hospital. Nash UNC has added more facilities in recent years: a Surgery Pavilion in 2004, a renovated Emergency Department and Nash Heart Center in 2014, and Nash Women's Center in 2016. In 2018, the Danny Talbott Cancer Center facility opened, named in honor of a Rocky Mount athletic legend and cancer survivor.[91][93][94]

Notable people Edit

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ "Rocky Mount". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ United States Census Bureau (December 29, 2022). "2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications". Federal Register.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rocky Mount, North Carolina
  5. ^ "Rocky Mount". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
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External links Edit

  •   Geographic data related to Rocky Mount, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
  • Official website

rocky, mount, north, carolina, rocky, mount, city, nash, edgecombe, counties, state, north, carolina, city, population, 2020, census, making, 20th, most, populous, city, north, carolina, time, city, east, raleigh, state, capital, rocky, mountcityrocky, mount, . Rocky Mount is a city in Nash and Edgecombe counties in the U S state of North Carolina 5 6 The city s population was 54 341 as of the 2020 census making it the 20th most populous city in North Carolina at the time 7 The city is 45 mi 72 km east of Raleigh the state capital Rocky MountCityRocky Mount City Lake ParkFlagSealLogoNickname City On The RiseMotto The Center Of It All Location in Edgecombe and Nash Counties and the state of North Carolina Rocky MountShow map of North CarolinaRocky MountShow map of the United StatesCoordinates 35 58 06 N 77 48 16 W 35 96833 N 77 80444 W 35 96833 77 80444Country United StatesState North CarolinaCountiesEdgecombe NashFoundedMarch 22 1816IncorporatedFebruary 19 1867Named forRocky mounds along the Tar River 1 Government TypeCouncil Manager MayorSandy Roberson City managerPeter Varney City councilMembers Andre KnightReuben C Blackwell IVRichard JoynerT J WalkerLige DaughtridgeW B BullockChris Carroll MillerArea 2 City44 89 sq mi 116 27 km2 Land44 68 sq mi 115 73 km2 Water0 21 sq mi 0 54 km2 Elevation 4 85 ft 26 m Population 2020 City54 341 Density1 216 14 sq mi 469 55 km2 Urban63 297 US 432nd 3 Urban density1 408 0 sq mi 543 6 km2 Metro143 870 US 293rd CSA288 747 US 112th Time zoneUTC 5 EST Summer DST UTC 4 EDT ZIP Codes27801 27802 27803 27804 27809 27815Area code252FIPS code37 57500GNIS feature ID2404643 4 Interstate HighwaysU S HighwaysState HighwaysWebsitewww wbr rockymountnc wbr govIt is the principal city of the Rocky Mount metropolitan area often called the Twin Counties in the 2020 census the metro population was 143 870 8 9 10 Rocky Mount is also an anchor city of the Rocky Mount Wilson Roanoke Rapids Combined Statistical Area in northeast North Carolina with a total population of 288 747 as of the 2020 census 8 Incorporated in 1867 the community at the falls of the Tar River that became the city of Rocky Mount was first settled by traders in the mid 1700s Historically strong in rail transportation textiles and agriculture the economy of Rocky Mount has diversified into biomedical pharmaceuticals manufacturing and logistics 11 12 Rocky Mount has twice received the All America City Award from the National Civic League in 1969 and 1999 13 Contents 1 History 1 1 Beginnings 1 2 19th century 1 3 20th century 1 4 21st century 2 Geography 2 1 Neighborhoods 2 1 1 Historic Rocky Mount Mills Village 2 2 Climate 3 Demographics 3 1 2020 census 3 2 2010 census 3 3 Religion 4 Economy 4 1 Largest employers 4 2 Shopping 5 Arts and culture 5 1 National Register of Historic Places 6 Parks and recreation 7 Government 7 1 City council 8 Education 9 Media 10 Infrastructure 10 1 Transportation 10 1 1 Roads and highways 10 1 2 Airports 10 1 3 Rail 10 1 4 Public transit 10 2 Health care 11 Notable people 12 See also 13 References 14 External linksHistory EditBeginnings Edit The region around the Tar River was continuously inhabited by various cultures of indigenous people for 12 000 years It had long been home to the historic Tuscarora people who spoke an Iroquoian language before the first Europeans arrived 14 After the English colonists and indigenous allies waged the Tuscarora War in the early 1700s and drove most of the survivors off to the North the main party migrated to what became New York settling with other Iroquoian peoples the English speakers began to settle the area 15 They settled along the fall line between the Piedmont and coastal plain below which the rivers were navigable to the coast The difference in height meant that the downstream waters could power a mill 14 The Falls of the Tar River Primitive Baptist Church was established in 1757 16 As the church was the center of community life its records were the first civil and vital records of the developing town Its congregation effectively administered law enforcement with officers issuing citations for crimes 17 19th century Edit A post office was established at the falls of the Tar River on March 22 1816 At this point the name Rocky Mount officially appears in documented history referring to the rocky mound at the falls of the Tar River Rocky Mount Mills the second cotton mill in the state of North Carolina was built there soon after in 1818 6 Its proprietors were two entrepreneurs and Joel Battle grandson of an original colonial settler to the area Joel bought out the other proprietors before turning over the enterprise to his cousin James Smith Battle The mill s spindles were initially operated by enslaved African Americans until the 1850s At that time the mill owners hired exclusively white women and girls who were employed for the rest of the century 9 18 The Battle family was also involved in the construction of the longest continuous railroad in the world up to that time the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad which ran about two miles 3 km east of the mill 9 It connected the area to major ports in Virginia to the north and the port of Wilmington North Carolina to the south The tracks first reached Rocky Mount on Christmas Eve in 1839 In 1840 a train of cars en route to Wilmington stopped in Rocky Mount to import some Old Nash for special toasts at opening festivities and from there the fame of Nash County apple brandy spread The railroad exerted a powerful influence on the development of the town In 1871 the county line moved from the Tar River to its present location in the center of the tracks 6 The Raleigh Tarboro stage route also passed just south of Rocky Mount roughly where I 95 and U S 64 run today and for a time was the logical debarking point for railroad travelers wishing to proceed east or west 6 During the Civil War the surrounding region was raided in 1863 by Union troops under the command of Brigadier General Edward E Potter They burned down the mill which supplied Confederate yarn and cloth After the war ended the owners rebuilt the mill 19 On February 19 1867 the village outside the mill was incorporated as a town 6 In the latter half of the 19th century the tobacco industry became established in the state Adjacent to the sandy coastal plain Rocky Mount was well situated to take advantage of the rapidly rising demand for brightleaf tobacco that grew best in the sandy soil 20 Tobacco also shaped the city s social life Warehouses where tobacco was stored and marketed began hosting balls for the community in the 1880s these became known as june germans for the time of year and style of dance June Germans eventually transformed into all night dance parties and attracted musicians and socialites from miles around well into the 1900s 21 By the end of the 19th century tobacco had surpassed King Cotton as the town s primary agricultural product 20 20th century Edit nbsp Rocky Mount in 1907 nbsp A map of Rocky Mount in 1950At the turn of the 20th century Rocky Mount became the northern headquarters of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad which located its major repair shops and yard facilities in the town With it came an influx of railroad employees 16 In 1900 Rocky Mount s population was around 3 000 On February 28 1907 with a population around 7 500 Rocky Mount was officially incorporated as a city A main railroad line a well established cotton mill and productive farmland for brightleaf tobacco were major contributors to the area s growth and prosperity over the next decades 6 A vibrant central business district arose 22 As in the rest of the South states imposed legal racial segregation including restrictions and discrimination in housing White suburbs developed largely on the west side of town such as Villa Place and West Haven Black neighborhoods such as Crosstown and Around the Y where jazz musician Thelonious Monk was born 23 were concentrated on the east side of town Several notable Civil Rights events occurred in Rocky Mount In 1946 African American tobacco warehouse workers voted to organize in Rocky Mount as part of a broader nationwide movement known as Operation Dixie It included voter registration to fight against disenfranchisement of blacks and other political action against segregation 24 On November 27 1962 Martin Luther King Jr gave a speech at Booker T Washington High School he used his refrain I have a dream a year before his better known delivery at the March on Washington which became famous 25 26 The city had a sanitation workers strike in 1978 when government sanitation workers protested their black co worker being wrongfully arrested He was acquitted in court on the charges In 2018 the city council apologized to him for the case 27 nbsp Downtown Rocky Mount 1962After WWII the city continued to grow In the 1950s and 1960s the city s economy diversified to include banking manufacturing pharmaceuticals and the headquarters of a fast food chain known as Hardee s 28 New higher education facilities were founded including North Carolina Wesleyan College in 1956 and Nash Community College and Edgecombe Community College in 1968 In 1970 Rocky Mount received an All America City Award In the 1970s the city s hospitals were consolidated under Nash General Hospital That was also the period of completion of Rocky Mount Wilson Regional Airport 29 6 From the 1980s the inner city suffered urban decay as businesses had moved out to suburban highway locations Rocky Mount s downtown deteriorated as new neighborhoods and shopping malls were built such as Golden East Crossing The city expanded its boundaries by annexation for instance in 1996 the town of Battleboro to the north of the city 30 31 In 1999 the city won its second All America City Award 13 In the fall of 1999 two hurricanes made landfall in eastern North Carolina Both passed over Rocky Mount Hurricane Dennis as a tropical storm in August with 20 inches 510 mm of rain and Hurricane Floyd in September with nearly 17 inches 430 mm of rain Floyd is especially memorable because most localized flooding happened quickly overnight Many residents were not aware of the flooding until the water came into their homes and many required rescue The hurricane resulted in the worst flooding in history of the Tar River which had become saturated in August It exceeded 500 year flood levels along its lower stretches and many homes and businesses were destroyed 30 32 33 21st century Edit During the first decades of the 21st century the city has encouraged efforts to revitalize the historic downtown supporting projects to renovate buildings such as the train station and Douglas Block or repurpose them such as the Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences 34 In 2007 Capitol Broadcasting Company bought Rocky Mount Mills It is adapting it as a mixed use campus of breweries restaurants residential lofts and event space 35 Major new community projects include the 143 acre 58 ha sports complex and 165 000 square foot 15 300 m2 downtown event center 30 In 2019 CSX the successor company of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad broke ground on a new intermodal cargo terminal that is expected to stimulate the local economy in the next decade 36 Geography Edit nbsp Interactive map of Rocky Mount Rocky Mount is located in northeastern North Carolina at the fall line between the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the east and the Piedmont region to the west The city is 58 miles 93 km east of Raleigh the state capital 91 miles 146 km northeast of Fayetteville 144 miles 232 km north of Wilmington 19 miles 31 km north of Wilson 42 miles 68 km south of Roanoke Rapids and 127 miles 204 km south of Richmond Virginia According to the United States Census Bureau the city has a total area of 104 9 square miles 271 8 km2 of which 104 6 square miles 270 8 km2 is land and 0 4 square miles 1 0 km2 or 0 35 is covered by water 37 The Tar River passes through the city from west to east crossing the fall line at Upper Falls and Little Falls and descending 25 feet 7 6 m within the city limits The city boundaries straddle the line between Edgecombe and Nash counties which follows the railroad tracks through the center of the city running north to south Neighborhoods Edit Historic Rocky Mount Mills Village Edit Main article Rocky Mount Mills Village Historic District Situated near the Tar River the Rocky Mount Mills Village grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a small community of tenants working for the mill Built between 1885 and 1940 each home in the historic district is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places 38 Changes in industrialization eventually forced the closing of the mill and this way of life came to an end However when the mill closed the property remained intact Though the property has been a rental for its entire existence covenants are placed on the property to assure home ownership and owner occupancy and protect the historical integrity 39 Climate Edit Rocky Mount has a humid subtropical climate Koppen Cfa characterized by cool sometimes moderately cold winters and hot humid summers 40 The average high temperatures range from 51 F 11 C in the winter to around 90 F 32 C in the summer The average low temperatures range from 31 F 1 C in the winter to around 69 F 21 C in the summer 41 Climate data for Rocky Mount North Carolina 1991 2020 normals extremes 1954 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 78 26 82 28 89 32 96 36 98 37 106 41 105 41 103 39 102 39 101 38 86 30 80 27 106 41 Average high F C 50 3 10 2 53 6 12 0 60 9 16 1 71 2 21 8 78 0 25 6 85 3 29 6 88 4 31 3 85 3 29 6 81 3 27 4 72 2 22 3 64 7 18 2 55 0 12 8 70 5 21 4 Daily mean F C 40 5 4 7 42 6 5 9 49 5 9 7 59 3 15 2 67 5 19 7 75 4 24 1 78 9 26 1 76 3 24 6 71 7 22 1 61 0 16 1 51 7 10 9 44 3 6 8 59 9 15 5 Average low F C 30 6 0 8 31 7 0 2 38 1 3 4 47 3 8 5 57 0 13 9 65 4 18 6 69 3 20 7 67 4 19 7 62 2 16 8 49 7 9 8 38 8 3 8 33 7 0 9 49 3 9 6 Record low F C 8 22 4 16 11 12 25 4 32 0 43 6 51 11 45 7 37 3 19 7 16 9 0 18 8 22 Average precipitation inches mm 3 22 82 3 00 76 3 85 98 3 54 90 3 63 92 4 81 122 5 10 130 5 28 134 6 15 156 3 55 90 3 20 81 3 23 82 48 56 1 233 Average snowfall inches cm 1 9 4 8 0 3 0 76 0 2 0 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 2 8 7 1 Average precipitation days 0 0 in 8 1 7 2 8 2 7 7 8 3 9 1 9 8 8 6 7 7 6 1 6 5 7 8 95 1Average snowy days 0 1 in 0 5 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8Source 1 NOAA 42 43 Source 2 Weather com 41 Demographics EditHistorical population CensusPop Note 1870357 188055254 6 189081647 8 19002 937259 9 19108 051174 1 192012 74258 3 193021 41268 0 194025 56819 4 195027 6978 3 196032 14716 1 197034 2846 6 198041 28320 4 199048 99718 7 200055 89314 1 201057 4772 8 202054 341 5 5 U S Decennial Census 44 2020 45 2020 census Edit Rocky Mount racial composition 46 Race Number PercentageWhite non Hispanic 14 470 26 63 Black or African American non Hispanic 34 426 63 35 Native American 298 0 55 Asian 757 1 39 Pacific Islander 26 0 05 Other Mixed 1 692 3 11 Hispanic or Latino 2 672 4 92 As of the 2020 United States census there were 54 341 people 22 260 households and 14 334 families residing in the city 2010 census Edit As of the census of 2010 57 477 people 23 097 households and 14 639 families resided in the city The population density was 1 312 6 inhabitants per square mile 506 8 inhabitants km2 The city had 26 953 housing units The racial makeup of the city was 61 3 African American 32 4 White 0 6 Native American 1 0 Asian and 1 6 from two or more races Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3 7 of the population Of the 23 097 households 27 3 had children under the age of 18 living with them 35 7 were married couples living together 22 9 had a female householder with no husband present and 36 6 were not families About 31 4 of all households were made up of individuals living alone and 26 6 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 3 04 In the city the population was distributed as 27 5 between the ages of 1 and 19 6 4 from 20 to 24 24 from 25 to 44 27 9 from 45 to 64 and 14 2 who were 65 years of age or older The median age is 38 7 years 45 8 of the population are males compared to 54 2 for females The median income for a household in the city was 37 059 and for a family was 39 929 The per capita income for the city was 21 779 About 19 0 of the population is below the poverty line 37 Religion Edit Rocky Mount s population is 40 3 religiously affiliated below the state average of 48 9 47 Christianity is the largest religion with Baptists 13 3 making up the largest religious group followed by Pentecostals 4 5 and Methodists 3 5 Presbyterians 1 5 Episcopalians 0 9 and Catholics 0 8 make up a significant amount of the Christian population as well The remaining Christian population 15 2 is affiliated with other churches Islam 0 5 is the second largest religion after Christianity 48 Economy Edit nbsp Southern Bank Business Center in downtown Rocky Mount nbsp North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles headquartersThe economy of the Rocky Mount metropolitan area historically dependent on agriculture and textile manufacturing has diversified into pharmaceuticals and manufacturing As the city is Located near the juncture of a number of highways and railway distribution and logistics are important to local businesses The area has a strong service sector and a number of financial and customer support centers are located here 11 12 Rocky Mount is located 45 mi 72 km from the state capital Raleigh and the associated Research Triangle This has helped attract new companies to Rocky Mount seeking a skilled labor and a lower costs of living and doing business 11 The metropolitan area was named in a 2020 study as the third highest in the United States where manufacturing is thriving with a manufacturing output of 6 2 billion or 42 270 per capita Between 2014 and 2018 manufacturing grew in the Rocky Mount area by 11 8 and there were 108 more manufacturing jobs than the national average 49 50 In 2019 CSX Transportation began construction of a 200 million cargo terminal in Rocky Mount 51 36 Largest employers Edit Below is a list of some of the largest employers in the metropolitan area as of 2018 52 Employer No of employees1 Pfizer 3 200 53 2 Nash Rocky Mount Public Schools 2 2753 Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant 1 8004 Nash UNC Health Care 1 6005 Edgecombe County Public Schools 1 1006 QVC Distribution center 1 1007 CenturyLink 1 0008 Sara Lee Frozen Bakery 9509 Alorica 88510 City of Rocky Mount 850Shopping Edit Rocky Mount is a regional shopping destination with many big box retailers and specialty shops located in the city Rocky Mount s shopping centers are generally congregated along and around US 301 Wesleyan Boulevard Two examples are Golden East Crossing and Englewood Square 54 55 In the downtown the Douglas Block is a commercial area that was a former African American business district 56 Station Square is a shopping area located next to city hall and the train station 57 Arts and culture Edit nbsp Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences nbsp Historic Rocky Mount MillsThe city is home to multiple venues for the performing arts The Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences hosts the Maria V Howard Arts Center a Children s Museum and Science Center and a community theater 58 The Dunn Center for the Performing Arts at Wesleyan College regularly has college arts performances and touring acts and is also the home of the Tar River Orchestra and Chorus 59 60 Most recently the Rocky Mount Event Center opened in downtown with space to hold up to 5 000 seats for entertainment and sporting events 61 Rocky Mount Mills is a craft brewery incubator the first of its kind on North Carolina that is now home to many up and coming breweries and restaurants In addition the mill hosts summer music festivals and other events throughout the year It has been in the process of redevelopment since 2014 by Capitol Broadcasting Company which also owns the popular American Tobacco campus in downtown Durham North Carolina Nearby are dozens of historical homes for rent in the Rocky Mount Mills Village 62 63 The next phase of development is Goat Island on the Tar River which will offer public access to hiking trails sandy beaches and rafting canoeing 12 A Rocky Mount Railroad Museum has been in the planning stages for a number of years given the cultural significance of the railroad on the city in the early to mid 1900s the Emerson Shops alone of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad employed over 2 000 people but is currently without a facility 28 64 65 It has been proposed to be located inside the train station 66 National Register of Historic Places Edit The Bellamy Philips House Bellemonte Benvenue Edgemont Historic District Falls Road Historic District Lincoln Park Historic District Machaven The Meadows Rocky Mount Central City Historic District Rocky Mount Electric Power Plant Rocky Mount Mills Rocky Mount Mills Village Historic District Stonewall Villa Place Historic District and West Haven Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places 67 Parks and recreation Edit nbsp Rocky Mount Event Center in downtownRocky Mount is a major center for youth traveling sports as a midpoint between New York and Florida along I 95 68 The Rocky Mount Sports Complex maintained by the Parks and Recreation department includes seven outdoor baseball fields four softball fields eight soccer fields a professional disc golf course basketball courts and volleyball courts The complex sees many statewide and interstate baseball and soccer tournaments It also has a football stadium home to the NCWC Battling Bishops football team and Elizabeth City State University s annual Down East Viking Classic 69 The Rocky Mount Event Center administered by the city has added eight indoor basketball courts sixteen volleyball courts a ropes course a climbing wall and a family entertainment center with plans to host indoor basketball volleyball and gymnastics competitions 68 70 Tar River Trail is a 7 mile 11 km greenway running east to west along the namesake river that connects with multiple parks city landmarks and the sports complex with designated boat ramps for recreational paddling trips on the river Notable among the connected parks is City Lake Park built in 1937 during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration and the 57 acre 23 ha biodiverse Battle Park centered on the falls of the Tar River 71 72 The trail also includes a 220 foot 67 m long clear span wooden bridge believed to be the longest such wooden bridge in the United States 73 Government Edit nbsp Frederick E Turnage Municipal Building in downtown Rocky MountThe city of Rocky Mount has a council manager form of government The city is divided into seven wards with a total of seven council members elected to the city council one from each ward Members of the city council serve four year terms with staggered elections every two years while the mayor is elected at large by citizens and serves a four year term The mayor is ex officio chair of the city council and only votes in case of a tie The council appoints a city manager to serve as chief administrative officer of day to day affairs of government As of 2022 the current city manager is Peter Varney 74 Since the city straddles the Nash County Edgecombe County border the commissions of both counties are also involved in governance of the city 75 City council Edit Sandy Roberson Mayor Andre Knight Ward 1 Reuben C Blackwell IV Ward 2 Richard Joyner Ward 3 T J Walker Ward 4 Lige Daughtridge Ward 5 Tom Harris Ward 6 Jabaris Walker Ward 7 Education EditMain article List of schools in Rocky Mount North Carolina nbsp Aerial view of North Carolina Wesleyan University campusNorth Carolina Wesleyan University is a four year private liberal arts college located in Rocky Mount and home to the Eastern North Carolina Center for Business and Entrepreneurship The center s programs are free open to the public and focusing on business development entrepreneurship and community engagement 76 The city is also served by Nash Community College which has a brewing distillation and fermentation program in partnership with the Mills and Edgecombe Community College which has a downtown campus specializing in biotechnology and medical simulation 77 78 Shaw University s College of Adult and Professional Education or C A P E program also has a satellite campus in the Mills Village 79 The city of Rocky Mount is primarily served by the Nash Rocky Mount Public School System which as a whole has 15 000 students in 28 schools 80 Parts of the city in Edgecombe County are also served by the Edgecombe County Public Schools system 81 Public high schools include Nash Central High School Northern Nash High School Rocky Mount High School Southwest Edgecombe High School and Southern Nash High School The three nontraditional public schools are Tar River Academy The Center for Industry Technology and Innovation and its sister school the Nash Rocky Mount Early College The one local charter school is Rocky Mount Preparatory School There are also a number of private schools in the area Braswell Memorial Library serves the community as its major public library with affiliated libraries throughout the Twin Counties It recently became part of the State Library s NC Cardinal consortium of public libraries that share an integrated system allowing books and other materials to be checked out from other libraries across the state 82 83 Media EditRocky Mount is considered part of the Raleigh Durham Fayetteville television and radio media market the 25th largest in the United States However multiple broadcast stations in the Greenville New Bern Washington market also cover the city Locally WHIG TV founded in 1997 and currently hosted out of Wesleyan College and WNCR LD founded in 2002 and located in downtown are Rocky Mount s community television stations 84 85 86 WRQM 90 9 FM is the repeater station of public radio station WUNC the local NPR affiliate In the 1990s it was known as Down East Radio and also hosted out of Wesleyan College 87 The Rocky Mount Telegram serves as the main daily newspaper for the city of Rocky Mount and surrounding areas 88 Infrastructure EditTransportation Edit Roads and highways Edit nbsp US 64 is the city s main east west corridorThe city is served by three major highways nbsp I 95 to its west nbsp US 64 Future I 87 as its main east west corridor nbsp US 301 Wesleyan Boulevard as its main north south corridor In the downtown area both US 64 Bus Sunset Avenue Thomas Street and US 301 Bus Church Street serve as major thoroughfares State highways NC 4 NC 43 NC 48 and NC 97 serve the city by connecting to nearby towns Airports Edit The Rocky Mount Wilson Regional Airport IATA RWI ICAO KRWI FAA LID RWI serves the general aviation needs of the surrounding counties It is on NC 97 9 miles 14 km southwest of downtown Rocky Mount The closest airport with scheduled commercial service is Pitt Greenville Airport PGV 40 miles 64 km to the southeast Cargo and charter flights in the area also use the Kinston Regional Jetport ISO 50 miles 80 km to the south Raleigh Durham International Airport RDU is 74 miles 119 km to the west Rail Edit nbsp Helen P Gay Rocky Mount Historic Train Station in downtown originally built in 1893 Amtrak provides three north and three southbound trains per day at the Rocky Mount station located in downtown Service is to Washington D C New York City Miami and Philadelphia Freight service is provided by CSX Trains travel to destinations in eastern North Carolina and also to points west and south of the city Public transit Edit Tar River Transit provides public transportation in and around the city of Rocky Mount and operates 10 fixed bus routes throughout the city 89 90 Health care Edit Nash UNC Health Care is a nonprofit hospital affiliated with UNC Health Care which it joined in 2014 It has 345 beds at four different locations Its flagship facility is Nash General Hospital 91 When Nash General opened in 1971 it consolidated four different hospitals in the Rocky Mount area and was the first all private room hospital in North Carolina 92 Other hospitals operated are Nash Day Hospital Bryant T Aldridge Rehabilitation Center and Coastal Plain Hospital Nash UNC has added more facilities in recent years a Surgery Pavilion in 2004 a renovated Emergency Department and Nash Heart Center in 2014 and Nash Women s Center in 2016 In 2018 the Danny Talbott Cancer Center facility opened named in honor of a Rocky Mount athletic legend and cancer survivor 91 93 94 Notable people EditAndrew B Anderson Jr U S Air Force lieutenant general and chief of staff born in Rocky Mount 95 Lloyd W Bailey faithless elector in the 1968 Presidential election 96 Thurbert Baker the first African American Attorney General in the State of Georgia born in Rocky Mount F C Barnes Gospel musician born in Rocky Mount 97 Luther Barnes Gospel music producer born in Rocky Mount 97 Gardner Bishop barber and civil rights activist born in Rocky Mount Herman Boone coach depicted by Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans born in Rocky Mount 9 Benjamin Bunn former U S congressman and first mayor of Rocky Mount who lived in historic Benvenue 98 Jim Clack NFL football player who won two Super Bowl championships with the Pittsburgh Steelers born in Rocky Mount 9 Jeff Collins member of the North Carolina General Assembly 99 Roy Cooper Governor of North Carolina 100 Elijah L Daughtridge 12th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina born in Rocky Mount Harold Denton nuclear physicist born in Rocky Mount who advised the President during the Three Mile Island accident 9 Harold Bascom Durham Jr recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War 101 Mike Easley former governor of North Carolina and state attorney general born in Rocky Mount 102 Phil Ford UNC and NBA basketball player born in Rocky Mount 103 Jim Gardner former U S congressman and lieutenant governor who cofounded Hardee s in the city 9 Maureen Garrett soap opera actress born in Rocky Mount Alberta Gay mother of Marvin Gaye born in Rocky Mount 104 Kaye Gibbons novelist who attended Rocky Mount Senior High School and wrote Ellen Foster 9 Billy Godwin former head baseball coach for East Carolina University born in Rocky Mount 102 Brian Goodwin MLB baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates Allan Gurganus author who wrote Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All born in Rocky Mount 105 Bill Harrison former CEO and chairman of JPMorgan Chase born in Rocky Mount 102 Matt Hill Electric blues musician born in Rocky Mount Chuck Hinton MLB baseball player born in Rocky Mount 106 Earle Hyman actor born in Rocky Mount who portrayed Cliff s father on The Cosby Show 9 107 Terrence J actor and co anchor of E News lived in Rocky Mount and attended nearby Northern Nash High School 108 Jack Kerouac father of the Beat Generation who resided with family off and on and referred to city as Testament Va in On the Road 109 Kay Kyser big band musician radio and film personality born in Rocky Mount 110 Buck Leonard Negro league baseball player member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame 111 Westray Battle Long second director of Women s Army Corps under Dwight D Eisenhower during World War II born in Rocky Mount 112 Bill Mathis American Football League football player who was a running back for the New York Jets Mae Mercer Blues singer actress and producer born in annexed former town of Battleboro Thelonious Monk Jazz pianist born in Rocky Mount 113 William Murray former football player and head coach at Duke University born in Rocky Mount 114 Vann R Newkirk II journalist and staff writer for The Atlantic born in Rocky Mount 115 Thomas J Pearsall attorney politician and philanthropist He was the main instigator of the Pearsall Plan and was a co founder of North Carolina Wesleyan College Charles Pittman NBA basketball player born in Rocky Mount 116 Chuck Robbins CEO of Cisco Systems who attended Rocky Mount High School 117 Etaf Rum New York Times best selling author of A Woman is No Man who lives in Rocky Mount 118 Susie Sharp first female North Carolina Supreme Court justice born in Rocky Mount Don Stallings NFL football player who played for the Washington Redskins and for the University of North Carolina in college Danny Talbott UNC and NFL quarterback who led Rocky Mount High School to state championships in football basketball and baseball 93 Ken Thompson former CEO and chairman of Wachovia born in Rocky Mount 102 Jim Thorpe Olympic gold medalist who played minor league baseball for the Rocky Mount Railroaders 9 Mike Tyson MLB baseball player born in Rocky Mount 119 Phil Valentine talk show radio host was born in Rocky Mount but grew up in nearby Nashville 120 Tim Valentine former U S congressman born in Rocky Mount 9 Harold Vick Jazz musician known for his work in the film School Daze 1988 born in Rocky Mount Buck Williams NBA basketball player born in Rocky Mount 121 Mary Elizabeth Winstead Emmy Award winning actress born in Rocky Mount 122 Adrian H Wood educator and blogger who was born and raised in Rocky Mount 123 See also Edit nbsp United States portal nbsp North Carolina portalList of municipalities in North Carolina Rocky Mount Pines a former minor league baseball team of the Carolina League List of U S communities with African American majority populationsReferences Edit Rocky Mount Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved December 7 2022 ArcGIS REST Services Directory United States Census Bureau Retrieved September 20 2022 United States Census Bureau December 29 2022 2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications Federal Register a b U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Rocky Mount North Carolina Rocky Mount Geographic Names Information System United States Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior a b c d e f g Information City of Rocky Mount City of Rocky Mount Retrieved November 17 2016 U S Census Bureau QuickFacts Rocky Mount city North Carolina www census gov May 18 2023 Retrieved May 18 2023 a b 2020 Population and Housing State Data United States Census Bureau Population Division August 12 2021 Retrieved August 14 2021 a b c d e f g h i j k Fleming Monika 2013 Legendary Locals of Edgecombe and Nash Counties Arcadia Publishing ISBN 9781467100441 Annual Estimates of the Resident Population April 1 2010 to July 1 2018 United States Metropolitan Statistical Area and for Puerto Rico American FactFinder U S Census Bureau Archived from the original on February 13 2020 Retrieved July 15 2019 a b c Davis Corey March 2 2018 Area economy poised for growth Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved May 18 2018 a b c Blake Kathy July 30 2018 The Nash Edgecombe economy heats up Business North Carolina Retrieved April 9 2019 a b Previous Winners National Civic League Retrieved November 21 2016 a b Coscolluela Nicole Landscape and Environment Digital Rocky Mount Mills UNC Chapel Hill Community Histories Workshop Retrieved March 27 2019 Coscolluela Nicole Native American Connections Digital Rocky Mount Mills UNC Chapel Hill Community Histories Workshop Retrieved March 27 2019 a b Fleming Monika 1998 Rocky Mount and Nash County Arcadia Publishing ISBN 9780752412139 Dune Sierra Lying About the Age of a Horse The Primitive Baptist Church on The Falls of the Tar River Records Digital Rocky Mount Mills UNC Chapel Hill Community Histories Workshop Retrieved March 27 2019 Gaddis Elijah Early Mill History Digital Rocky Mount Mills UNC Chapel Hill Community Histories Workshop Retrieved March 27 2019 Kelley Lucas The Civil War Digital Rocky Mount Mills UNC Chapel Hill Community Histories Workshop Retrieved March 27 2019 a b Biles Roger April 2007 Tobacco Towns Urban Growth and Economic Development in Eastern North Carolina The North Carolina Historical Review 2nd ed North Carolina Office of Archives and History 84 2 156 190 JSTOR 23522906 Tomlin Jimmy 2014 Dance Till Dawn Our State Eckard J Eric February 28 2012 1910 1934 Headlines have a familiar ring Rocky Mount Telegram Archived from the original on February 15 2016 Kelley Robin 2009 Thelonious Monk The Life and Times of an American Original Simon and Schuster ISBN 9781439190494 Korstad Robert 2003 Civil Rights Unionism Tobacco Workers and the Struggle for Democracy in the Mid twentieth century South University of North Carolina Press ISBN 9780807854549 Shaffer Josh August 11 2015 Martin Luther King s Rocky Mount dream speech rings out again News amp Observer Home King s First Dream King s First Dream Retrieved March 27 2019 Kay Lindell John October 9 2018 Council apologizes for historic strike Rocky Mount Telegram a b Henderson John February 28 2012 1935 1959 Bustling times in post War era Rocky Mount Telegram Archived from the original on July 9 2015 Retrieved April 10 2019 Cooper Geoffrey February 28 2012 1960 1984 Tobacco textiles fuel economy Rocky Mount Telegram Archived from the original on September 1 2014 a b c Handgraaf Brie February 28 2012 1985 2010 New dynamics drive change Rocky Mount Telegram Archived from the original on September 1 2014 North Carolina General Assembly Battleboro Rocky Mount merger House Bill 1177 1995 Session Retrieved Aug 16 2017 Friends of Braswell Library 2004 Flooded Reflections of Hurricane Floyd Chapel Hill Press ISBN 9781880849989 Bales Jerad D USGS 1999 North Carolina Flooding Summary Pubs usgs gov Retrieved December 9 2010 Professional s Category Great Main Street In the Making Rocky Mount American Planning Association North Carolina Chapter Retrieved April 15 2019 Abrams Amanda June 18 2018 Revitalizing a Historic Mill Town in North Carolina Urban Land Retrieved April 15 2019 a b West William F March 16 2019 CSX to break ground for rail hub in April Rocky Mount Telegram a b Annual Estimates of the Resident Population April 1 2010 to July 1 2018 American FactFinder U S Census Bureau Archived from the original on February 13 2020 Retrieved July 15 2019 History Rocky Mount Mills Rocky Mount Mills Retrieved April 9 2019 Michelle Kullen December 1998 Rocky Mount Mills Village Historic District PDF National Register of Historic Places Nomination and Inventory North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office Retrieved November 15 2016 Rocky Mount North Carolina Koppen Climate Classification Weatherbase Retrieved November 12 2019 a b Rocky Mount NC Monthly Weather Forecast weather com The Weather Channel Retrieved November 12 2019 NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 14 2021 Station Rocky MT 8 ESE NC U S Climate Normals 2020 U S Monthly Climate Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved May 14 2021 Census of Population and Housing United States Census Bureau Retrieved January 25 2013 U S Census Bureau QuickFacts Rocky Mount city North Carolina www census gov Retrieved September 14 2022 Explore Census Data data census gov Retrieved December 24 2021 North Carolina Religion Bestplaces net Retrieved November 12 2019 Rocky Mount North Carolina Religion Bestplaces net Retrieved November 12 2019 Qin Johan January 23 2020 Top Cities Where U S Manufacturing is Thriving AdvisorSmith Retrieved May 14 2020 Carney Spencer February 9 2020 City receives high ranking for manufacturing Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved May 14 2020 Davis Corey March 2 2018 CSX plans for property still unclear Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved May 18 2018 Major Employers in Rocky Mount MSA Edgecombe amp Nash 2018 PDF econdev org Retrieved April 19 2019 Pfizer Announces Post Tornado Relief Plans for Rocky Mount Community and Manufacturing Facility Press release Pfizer Pfizer July 21 2023 Retrieved July 21 2023 Home Golden East Crossing Retrieved November 6 2022 Englewood Square Shopping Center Rocky Mount NC America s Realty www americasrealtyllc com Retrieved November 6 2022 Downtown Redevelopment Rocky Mount s Douglas Block Community and Economic Development Retrieved November 16 2016 Davis Corey September 8 2017 Additions planned at Station Square Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved April 10 2019 About Us Imperial Centre for the Arts amp Sciences Imperial Centre for the Arts amp Sciences Retrieved April 9 2019 General Information North Carolina Wesleyan College North Carolina Wesleyan College Retrieved April 9 2019 About Tar River Orchestra amp Chorus Tar River Orchestra amp Choir Retrieved April 16 2019 John Kay Lindell October 26 2018 Free concert launches event center Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved October 27 2018 CBC Purchases Vacant Rocky Mount Mill Capitol Broadcasting Company July 16 2007 Retrieved November 16 2016 Baverman Laura July 30 2014 The Rocky Mount Brewmill Crafting North Carolina s future in beer WRAL Retrieved November 16 2016 Sayblack Philip January 17 2016 Committee has train museum plan on track Retrieved April 10 2019 History Rocky Mount Railroad Museum Rocky Mount Railroad Museum Retrieved March 9 2019 Kay Lindell John May 27 2019 Council to weigh property leases Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved June 2 2019 National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 a b Henderson John August 17 2015 Tourism plays vital role in local economy Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved April 16 2019 Henderson John November 16 2011 Sports complex draws youth tourism dollars Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved April 16 2019 Kay Lindell John April 16 2019 Event Center to host state gymnastics championships Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved April 16 2019 Sayblack Philip August 10 2016 City considers upgrades to Battle Park Rocky Mount Telegram Archived from the original on August 14 2016 Friends of Battle Park Preserving a Natural Gem in our city Friends of Battle Park Retrieved April 15 2019 Banowetz Jeff April 2002 Bridging the Gap Recreation Management Retrieved April 15 2019 Mayor amp City Council City of Rocky Mount City of Rocky Mount Retrieved November 21 2016 Fernelius Katie Jane March 24 2021 Rocky Mount Is Dead Long Live Rocky Mount The Assembly Archived from the original on June 14 2021 Retrieved March 27 2022 Davis Corey December 14 2018 New director leads business center Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved April 16 2019 Deal Kelley August 26 2018 NCC brewing program taps new instructors Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved April 16 2019 Biotechnology and Medical Simulation Center at ECC One of Two in the State Golden LEAF Foundation Golden LEAF Foundation Retrieved April 15 2019 Harper Amelia August 17 2016 Shaw site moves to mill village Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved July 15 2019 2017 Fast Facts PDF Nash Rocky Mount Public Schools Retrieved April 15 2019 Schools Edgecombe County Public Schools Edgecombe County Public Schools Retrieved April 15 2019 Home Braswell Memorial Library Braswell Memorial Library Retrieved April 10 2019 Roche Catherine February 24 2019 Braswell joins library consortium Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved April 15 2019 FCC Public Inspection File Federal Communications Commission Retrieved April 9 2019 WHIG TV sets up shop on Wesleyan campus Rocky Mount Telegram December 13 2017 Retrieved June 2 2019 West William May 30 2019 Local TV station moves to downtown location Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved June 2 2019 Raleigh Durham FM Dial Archived from the original on February 1 2003 Retrieved July 1 2017 Home Rocky Mount Telegram Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved May 15 2018 Welcome Aboard Rocky Mount s Tar River Transit Tar River Transit Retrieved November 17 2016 Routes and Schedules Tar River Transit Retrieved November 17 2016 a b About Us Nash UNC Health Care Nash UNC Health Care Retrieved April 19 2019 Our History Nash UNC Health Care Nash UNC Health Care Retrieved April 19 2019 a b Davis Corey February 4 2018 Talbott honored humbled by cancer center naming Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved April 21 2019 Davis Corey May 6 2016 New women s center opens at Nash UNC Health Care Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved November 21 2016 Lt Gen Andrew B Anderson Jr United States Air Force April 1 1979 The Defector Elector New York Times December 18 1968 p 46 Archived from the original on November 11 2020 Retrieved November 10 2020 a b Pioneer Bishop Faircloth F C Barnes Goes on to Glory Gospel Today July 17 2011 Smith Claiborne T Jr Bunn Benjamin Hickman NCpedia NCpedia Retrieved July 15 2019 Ovaska Few Sarah February 4 2011 The New Crop Rep Jeff Collins NC Policy Watch About Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina PDF Congress gov Retrieved June 4 2022 2LT Harold Bascom Durham Jr Military Hall of Honor Retrieved October 19 2020 a b c d Notables Explore Nash County Explore Nash County Retrieved April 9 2019 Phil Ford basketball reference com profile Basketball Reference com Retrieved September 10 2014 Ritz David 1991 Divided Soul The Life of Marvin Gaye Cambridge Mass Da Capo Press pp 5 6 ISBN 978 0 306 81191 3 Eight Famous People From Rocky Mount North Carolina Rocky Mount Review Retrieved May 16 2016 Schudel Chuck January 30 2013 Chuck Hinton last Washington Senator to hit 300 dies at 78 The Washington Post Retrieved February 1 2013 Earle Hyman Biography IMDb IMDb Retrieved May 16 2016 Foot Locker Partners with E News Co Anchor Terrence Jenkins for Back to School WSJ com Retrieved September 10 2014 Dorfner John J September 23 2007 The Road to Rocky Mount News amp Observer Raleigh Retrieved March 27 2019 Kay Kyser North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Retrieved November 18 2016 Leonard Buck Baseball Hall of fame Hall of Famers National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Retrieved July 17 2011 Nicholas Westray B 1991 Long Westray Battle NCpedia Solis Gabriel 2007 Monk s Music Thelonious Monk and Jazz History in the Making University of California Press pp 19 20 ISBN 9780520940963 William Murray Twin Counties Hall of Fame Twin Counties Hall of Fame Retrieved April 11 2019 Newkirk II Vann R August 22 2017 Growing Up in the Shadow of the Confederacy The Atlantic Retrieved June 6 2019 Charles Pittman Stats Basketball Reference com Basketball Reference com Retrieved April 11 2019 Meet Rocky Mount High UNC graduate Chuck Robbins next CEO of Cisco WRAL Techwire May 4 2015 Retrieved April 11 2019 White Jenny June 18 2019 Local author pens best selling novel Rocky Mount Telegram Retrieved June 30 2019 Mike Tyson Stats Baseball reference com profile Baseball Reference com Retrieved April 11 2019 Family friends pay respect to Valentine Rocky Mount Telegram November 15 2015 Retrieved April 11 2019 Buck Williams basketball reference com profile Basketball Reference com Retrieved September 10 2014 Mary Elizabeth Winstead Maxim Maxim Archived from the original on November 4 2012 Retrieved September 10 2014 Adrian amp Family www talesofaneducateddebutante com External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rocky Mount North Carolina nbsp Geographic data related to Rocky Mount North Carolina at OpenStreetMap Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rocky Mount North Carolina amp oldid 1179657154, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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