Pikeville, North Carolina

Pikeville is a town in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 678 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is notable as being the home of Collier Motors, an automobile sales and service business established in 1955 that has remained an American Motors (AMC) dealership.[6][7]

Pikeville, North Carolina
Town
Nickname(s):  "The Gem of Wayne County"[1]
Pikeville, North Carolina Location within the state of North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°29′56″N 77°59′10″W
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Wayne
Area [2]
• Total	0.76 sq mi (1.96 km^2)
• Land	0.76 sq mi (1.96 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	138 ft (42 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	678
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	674
• Density	892.72/sq mi (344.61/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	27863
Area code(s)	919
FIPS code	37-51780[4]
GNIS feature ID	0992193[5]
Website	Pikeville, NC website

Geography

Pikeville is located at 35°29′56″N 77°59′10″W (35.498829, -77.986114).[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all of it land.

History

Early history

Torhunta was a large Native American farming community in present-day northern Wayne county before settlers destroyed it during the Tuscarora War. The Native Americans left North Carolina and returned to their home in New York where they became members of the Iroquois Nation. After the Native Americans left the area, there was an influx of settlers who came into the rich Neuse River lands and began to clear plantations. Many of these settlers were of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers.[9]

Samuel Pike moved to the area and settled on the south side of Nahunta Swamp which had been granted by King George II of Great Britain in 1763. This grant of land included between 2,500 and 3,000 acres (12 km²). In 1785, Pike deeded most of this land to his only son Nathan. It was this Nathan Pike for whom the township, the Post Office, and later the town was named.

Nathan Pike owned and operated a large tavern, shop, trading post and hotel. It was then known as Pike’s Junction. In 1856, the first post office opened. During the period of 1793 to 1835 Pike sold around 2,000 acres (8.1 km²) of his land to other families who came here to settle.

Civil War

During General Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign in 1865, Pikeville suffered the same fate of many southern towns. Union soldiers destroyed the hotel and tavern Nathan Pike had built, and many buildings and homes were damaged or destroyed. Some of General Sherman’s forces camped in areas east of Pikeville during this time.

Turn of the century

The first school in the area was located at a crossroads named Mount Carmel in 1865. In 1908, the Pikeville grade school was made Pikeville High School. It was composed of the schools of Mount Carmel, Sherrad’s Cross Roads, Pleasant Grove, Oak Dale, Possum Trot, Taylor’s Oak Grove, Smith’s Patetown as well as Pikeville grade School. In 1960, Charles B. Aycock High School was opened in Pikeville in honor of the state governor who was an advocate for quality education.[10]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	122		—
1900	168		—
1910	210		25.0%
1920	333		58.6%
1930	449		34.8%
1940	425		−5.3%
1950	464		9.2%
1960	525		13.1%
1970	580		10.5%
1980	662		14.1%
1990	598		−9.7%
2000	719		20.2%
2010	678		−5.7%
Est. 2019	674	[3]	−0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 719 people, 306 households, and 197 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,355.7 people per square mile (523.8/km²). There were 334 housing units at an average density of 629.7 per square mile (243.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.52% White, 1.11% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population.

There were 306 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $30,469 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,526. Below the poverty line were 8.2% of people, 6.4% of families, 8.5% of those under 18 and 12.1% of those over 64.

Education

Education in Pikeville is administered by the Wayne County Public Schools system. Schools located in the town include Northeast Elementary School, Northwest Elementary School and Charles B. Aycock High School. Higher education is offered through Wayne Community College in Goldsboro.

Transportation

Passenger

• Air: Raleigh-Durham International Airport is the closest major airport with service to more than 45 domestic and international destinations. Wayne Executive Jetport is an airport located nearby, but is only used for general aviation.
• Interstate Highway: Interstate 795 runs just west of Pikeville and I-95 is located 15 miles (24 km) west in Kenly.
• Pikeville is not served directly by passenger trains. The closest Amtrak station is located in Wilson.
• Bus: The area is served by Greyhound with a location in nearby Goldsboro.

Roads

• The main highways in Pikeville are Interstate 795 and US 117.

References

1. "Welcome to the Town of Pikeville, The Gem of Wayne County..." Town of Pikeville, NC. Archived from the original on 2010-01-31. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
6. Cotter, Tom; Martin, Keith (2010). "The good, the bad, and the lucky: Pikeville Purgatory". The Corvette in the Barn: More Great Stories of Automotive Archaeology. MBI Publishing. pp. 239–234. ISBN 978-0-7603-3797-4.
7. Truesdell, Rich (2009-04-04). "An AMC Weekend in North Carolina". Automotive Traveler. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
9. "History of Town of Pikeville, NC". Town of Pikeville, NC. Archived from the original on 2011-08-24. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
10. Pikeville, NC 27863 Archived August 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

• Town website