Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: Fuquay, The Quay | |
| Motto: "A Dash More" | |
 Location inWake County and the state ofNorth Carolina. | |
| Coordinates:35°35′31″N78°47′19″W / 35.59194°N 78.78861°W /35.59194; -78.78861 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| County | Wake |
| Incorporated | 1909 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • Mayor | Jonathan B. "Blake" Massengill (R)[1][2] |
| • Board of Commissioners[5] | Members
|
| • Town Manager | Adam Mitchell[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 18.73 sq mi (48.51 km2) |
| • Land | 18.64 sq mi (48.29 km2) |
| • Water | 0.085 sq mi (0.22 km2) |
| Elevation | 390 ft (120 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 34,152 |
| • Density | 1,831.6/sq mi (707.19/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP code | 27526[8] |
| Area codes | 919/984 |
| FIPS code | 37-25300 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406532[7] |
| Website | www.fuquay-varina.org |
Fuquay-Varina (/ˈfjuːkweɪvəˈriːnə/FYOO-kwayvuh-REE-nuh)[9] is a town in southernWake County, North Carolina, United States, lying south ofHolly Springs and southwest ofGarner. The population was 34,152 at the2020 census,[10] and estimated at 36,736 as of July 2021.[11] The hyphenated name attests to the town's history as two separate towns. Fuquay Springs and Varina merged in 1963 to create the modern town. 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 toResearch Triangle Park.
Frenchman William Fuquay first settled in the small farming town of Sippihaw, named for the originalNative American tribe that inhabited the area. Although there is no history of a tribe called Sippihaw, there are historical accounts in the area of a tribe called Susippihaw. Around 1858, while plowing the fields of the family tobacco farm, Stephen Fuquay, son of William, discovered aspring. Originally the spring was used solely for drinking water. Stephen soon came to the conclusion that themineral water 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 theCivil War. Ballentine had been the town's schoolmaster before going off to fight for theConfederate Army. 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", perhaps an homage to thewife of Jefferson Davis, 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 Companygeneral store. In time, it adopted the same name. Ballentine's business success allowed him to construct the Ballentine Spence House in 1910, the first house to have plumbing and electricity in the area. This house, a local historic landmark, still stands today.[12]
The Fuquay Mineral Spring's popularity grew in the 1890s and around the start of the 20th century as local businessman John Mills developed the idea to offer "Moonlight Excursions" to the springs. He fitted flatrail cars 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 stands, and a dance pavilion with aplayer piano. The town became a tourist destination and was the site of special celebrations onFourths of July andEaster 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 theBen Wiley Hotel (now called the Fuquay Mineral Spring Inn & Garden) 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 theCape Fear and Northern Railway and theNorfolk 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 growingtobacco 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,U.S. Route 401 was paved through town, shortening travel times to Raleigh and nearby communities.[12]
By this time, Fuquay Springs and Varina had become major trading hubs for southern Wake County as well as neighboringHarnett andJohnston 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. TheVictorian, Craftsman, andColonial Revival homes constructed in the late 19th century and early 20th century are contributing structures to theFuquay Springs Historic District, while the downtown shops and businesses are part of theVarina Commercial Historic District. Area landmarks located in these districts include theBen-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. Lexie McLean owned and operated McLean's Grocery on Academy Street for many years. McLean was a community leader and considered a major factor in the growth and development of the Fuquay-Varina area. Edward N. Farnell was the principal of the Fuquay Spring High School from 1952 through 1967. Farnell was an important community leader and educator; many of his students went on to become community and state leaders.
From 1970 to 2000, the population more than doubled, growing from 3,576 residents to 7,898. The population more than doubled again between 2000 and 2010, growing to 17,937 at the 2010 census.[10] According to theNC State Data Center, Fuquay-Varina grew 23% from 2000 to 2003, making it the 26th fastest growing community in the state and the 11th fastest for those with populations over 5,000.[12]
Fuquay-Varina is also the former hometown of Internet personalitiesRhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, who moved their studio there in 2010, as well as Link who until then lived inApex, North Carolina.
In addition to the Ben-Wiley Hotel, Fuquay Springs Historic District, and Varina Commercial Historic District, theFuquay Mineral Spring,Fuquay Springs High School,Fuquay Springs Teacherage,Fuquay-Varina Woman's Club Clubhouse,J. Beale Johnson House,Kemp B. Johnson House,Jones-Johnson-Ballentine Historic District, andWayland H. and Mamie Burt Stevens House are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[13][14]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.2 square miles (31.5 km2), of which 12.1 square miles (31.3 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.51%, is water.[15]
Fuquay-Varina is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where theNorth American Piedmont andAtlantic Coastal Plain regions meet. This area is known as the "Fall Line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. Its central Piedmont location situates Fuquay-Varina approximately three hours west ofAtlantic Beach by car and four hours east of theGreat Smoky Mountains.
Fuquay-Varina enjoys a moderatesubtropical climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with highhumidity. 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 may occur. 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 month is July.[16]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 127 | — | |
| 1920 | 555 | 337.0% | |
| 1930 | 963 | 73.5% | |
| 1940 | 1,323 | 37.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,992 | 50.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,389 | 70.1% | |
| 1970 | 3,576 | 5.5% | |
| 1980 | 3,110 | −13.0% | |
| 1990 | 4,562 | 46.7% | |
| 2000 | 7,898 | 73.1% | |
| 2010 | 17,937 | 127.1% | |
| 2020 | 34,152 | 90.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 43,817 | [17] | 28.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 23,542 | 68.93% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 4,700 | 13.76% |
| Native American | 104 | 0.3% |
| Asian | 828 | 2.42% |
| Pacific Islander | 19 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,761 | 5.16% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 3,198 | 9.36% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 34,152 people, 9,494 households, and 7,150 families residing in the town.
As of thecensus[20] of 2000, there were 7,898 people, 3,122 households, and 2,126 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,156.0 inhabitants per square mile (446.3/km2). There were 3,375 housing units at an average density of 494.0 per square mile (190.7/km2). The racial composition of the town was: 70.63%White, 24.40%Black orAfrican American, 7.38%Hispanic orLatino American, 0.48%Asian American, 0.41%Native American, 0.02%Native Hawaiian orOther Pacific Islander, 2.94%some other race, and 1.15%two or more races.
There were 3,122 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% weremarried couples 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. Theper capita income for the town was $20,268. About 9.0% of families and 11.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
The town features 17 parks located on over 300 acres (120 ha) of land.[21]
Fuquay-Varina is governed by acouncil-manager form of government. The current mayor is Blake Massengill while the town manager is Adam Mitchell. The Town Board serves as the main legislative body, whose members, called commissioners, are all electedat-large for staggered four-year terms, with one member serving as mayor pro ten for a two-year term. The mayor is elected at-large for a two-year term, and serves as chairman of the board. The mayor and commissioners are elected on anonpartisan basis.[22]
The town is served by sevenpublic schools, administered by theWake County Public School System. Public schools include Ballentine Elementary School, Fuquay-Varina Elementary School, Lincoln Heights Elementary School, Herbert Akins Road Elementary,Fuquay-Varina Middle School,Fuquay-Varina High School, and South Lakes Elementary School. Southern Wake Academy, a publicly funded charter school serving grades 6 through 12, is also located in Fuquay-Varina. Hilltop Christian School is aprivate school located in the town.[23]
The area is served byWake Technical Community College, located between Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh. The enrollment was approximately 64,000 as of 2024.[24]
Two state routes and one U.S. route run through Fuquay Varina. All three routes occupy part of Main Street in the main business district in town, and each goes in a different direction outside of the main business district.
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Municipalities and communities ofWake County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Greater Raleigh Metropolitan Region (Raleigh–Cary, MSA; part of theResearch Triangle) | ||
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| Miscellaneous | ||
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