The area of present-day Fayetteville was historically inhabited by variousSiouanNative American peoples, such as theEno,Shakori,Waccamaw, Keyauwee, andCape Fear people. They followed successive cultures of other indigenous peoples in the area for more than 12,000 years.
After the violent upheavals of theYamasee War andTuscarora Wars during the second decade of the 18th century, the colonial government ofNorth Carolina, encouraged colonial settlement along the upperCape Fear River, the only navigable waterway entirely within the colony. Two inland settlements, Campbelton and Cross Creek, were settled byScots fromCampbeltown,Argyll and Bute,Scotland.
Merchants inWilmington, wanted a town on the Cape Fear River to secure trade with the frontier country. They were afraid people would use thePee Dee River and transport their goods toCharleston, South Carolina. The merchants bought land from Newberry in Cross Creek. Campbelton became a place where poor whites and free blacks lived and gained a reputation for lawlessness.[10][11]
In 1783, Cross Creek and Campbelton united, and the new town was incorporated as Fayetteville in honor ofGilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero who significantly aided the American forces during the war.[12] Fayetteville was the first city to be named in his honor in the United States.[12] Lafayette visited the city on March 4 and 5, 1825, during hisgrand tour of the United States.[12]
Center tile of floor of the Market House which served as a town market until 1906Liberty Point in Fayetteville, where the "Liberty Point Resolves" were signed in June 1775The Cool Spring Tavern, built in 1788, is the oldest structure in Fayetteville. Most earlier structures were destroyed by the "great fire" of 1831.
The local region was heavily settled by Scots in the mid/late 1700s, and most of these wereGaelic-speakingHighlanders. The vast majority of Highland Scots, recent immigrants, remained loyal to the British government and rallied to the call to arms from the Royal Governor. Despite this, they were eventually defeated by a larger Revolutionary force at theBattle of Moore's Creek Bridge. The area also included several active Revolutionaries.
"This obligation to continue in full force until a reconciliation shall take place between Great Britain and America, upon constitutional principles, an event we most ardently desire; and we will hold all those persons inimical to the liberty of the colonies, who shall refuse to subscribe to this Association; and we will in all things follow the advice of our General Committee respecting the purposes aforesaid, the preservation of peace and good order, and the safety of individual and private property."
Robert Rowan, who apparently organized the group, signed first.
Robert Rowan (circa 1738–1798) was one of the area's leading public figures of the 18th century. A merchant and entrepreneur, he settled in Cross Creek in the 1760s. He served as an officer in theFrench and Indian War, assheriff, justice and legislator, and as a leader of the Patriot cause in the Revolutionary War. Rowan Street and Rowan Park in Fayetteville and a local chapter of theDaughters of the American Revolution are named for him, thoughRowan County (founded in 1753) was named for his uncle, Matthew Rowan.
Flora MacDonald (1722–1790), a Scots Highland woman known for aidingBonnie Prince Charlie after his Highlander army's defeat atCulloden in 1746, lived in North Carolina for about five years. She was a staunchLoyalist and aided her husband in raising the local Scots to fight for the King against the Revolution.
Seventy-First Township in western Cumberland County (now a part of Fayetteville) is named for a British regiment during the American Revolution – the71st Regiment of Foot or "Fraser's Highlanders", as they were first called.
Fayetteville had what is sometimes called its "golden decade" during the 1780s. It was the site in 1789 for the state convention that ratified theU.S. Constitution, and for theGeneral Assembly session that chartered theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Fayetteville lost out to the future city ofRaleigh in the bid to become the permanent state capital.
In 1793, the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry formed and is still[as of?] active as a ceremonial unit. It is the second-oldestmilitia unit in the country.
Henry Evans (circa 1760–1810), a free black preacher, is locally known as the "Father of Methodism" in the area. Evans was ashoemaker by trade and a licensedMethodist preacher. He met opposition from whites when he began preaching toenslaved people in Fayetteville, but he later attracted whites to his services. He is credited with building the first church in town, the African Meeting House, in 1796. Evans MetropolitanAME Zion Church is named in his honor.
On March 4–5, 1825, General Lafayette, visited his namesake town - the first one named for him and the only one he personally visited[13] as part of his 1824-1825 tour of all the states as "The Nation's Guest." Admirers stood in mud and pouring rain to welcome him. He was feted with a formal dinner, a ball, and multiple military displays.[14]
Fayetteville had 3,500 residents in 1820, butCumberland County's population still ranked as the second most urban in the state, behindNew Hanover County (Wilmington). Its "Great Fire" of 1831 was believed to be one of the worst in the nation's history, despite no deaths associated with the incident. Hundreds of homes, businesses, and most of the best-known public buildings were lost, including the old "State House". Fayetteville leaders moved quickly to help the victims and rebuild the town.[15]
There was no point in rebuilding the State House since the state government was firmly installed inRaleigh. On its site, the city built aMarket House, recreating the city around it just as it had previously surrounded the State House. The new building had a covered area under which business could be conducted since every store in Fayetteville had been destroyed in the fire. Completed in 1832, it became the town's and county's administrative building. It was a town market until 1906 and served as Fayetteville Town Hall until 1907. Currently (2020), it is a local history museum.
The Confederate arsenal in Fayetteville was destroyed in March 1865 by Union Gen.William T. Sherman during the Civil War.1 dollar banknote from the Bank of Fayetteville, 1861
Downtown Fayetteville was the site of a skirmish, as Confederate Lt. Gen.Wade Hampton and his men surprised a cavalry patrol, killing 11 Union soldiers and capturing a dozen on March 11, 1865.
Children working in the Tolar, Hart and Holt Mills in Fayetteville, 1914. Photo byLewis Hine.
Cumberland County's population increased in the post-World War II years, with its 43% increase in the 1960s the largest in any of North Carolina's 100 counties. Construction was fast-paced as shopping developments, and suburban subdivisions began to spread outside the Fayetteville city limits towardFort Bragg andPope Air Force Base. The Fayetteville and Cumberland County school systems moved towardintegration gradually, beginning in the early 1960s;busing brought about wider-scale student integration in the 1970s.
Segregation of public facilities continued. Marches and sit-ins during theCivil Rights Movement, with students from Fayetteville State Teachers College (Fayetteville State University) at the forefront, led to the end of whites-only service at restaurants and segregated seating in theaters. Blacks and women gained office in significant numbers from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.
TheVietnam Era was a time of change in the Fayetteville area. From 1966 to 1970, more than 200,000 soldiers trained at Fort Bragg before leaving for Vietnam. This buildup stimulated area businesses.Anti-war protests in Fayetteville drew national attention because of Fort Bragg, a city that generally supported the war. Anti-war groups invited the actress and activistJane Fonda to Fayetteville to participate in three anti-war events. The era also saw an increase in crime and drug addiction, especially along Hay Street, with media giving the city the nickname "Fayettenam".[17] At this time, Fayetteville also made headlines after Army doctorJeffrey R. MacDonald murdered his pregnant wife and two daughters in their Ft. Bragg home in 1970; the book and movieFatal Vision were based on these events.
To combat the dispersal ofsuburbanization, Fayetteville has worked to redevelop its downtown through variousrevitalization projects; it has attracted large commercial and defense companies such as Purolator,General Dynamics andWal-Mart Stores and Distribution Center. Development of theAirborne & Special Operations Museum, Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum, Fayetteville Linear Park, and Fayetteville Festival Park, which opened in late 2006, have added regional attractions to the center.
In the first decade of the 21st century, the towns and rural areas surrounding Fayetteville had rapid growth. Suburbs such asHope Mills,Raeford, andSpring Lake had population increases.
In 2005, Congress passed theBase Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act, resulting in several new commands relocating to Fort Bragg. These include theU.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) andU.S. Army Reserve Command, both of which relocated fromFort McPherson inAtlanta. More than 30,000 people were expected to relocate to the area with associated businesses and families. FORSCOM awards over $300 billion in contracts annually.[18]
In the November/December 2009 issue ofWhere to Retire, the magazine named Fayetteville as one of the best places to retire in the United States for military retirements.[19]
In April 2019, a report by GoBankingRates (which analyzed data from 175 American cities) listed Fayetteville as one of the top ten American cities at risk of a severe housing crash. 26.8% of home mortgages in Fayetteville were listed as being "under water", while the median home value was listed as $108,000.[20]
In December 2015, Fayetteville unveiled theGuinness World Record for the biggest Christmas stocking, weighing approximately 1,600 pounds (730 kg), and measuring 74.5 x 139 feet.[21]
Fort Bragg was the home of the Field Artillery at the onset of World War II. All the Army'sartillery units east of the Mississippi River were based at the post, about 5,000 troops. Soldiers tested the Army's new bantam car, soon known as theJeep, although most of the power to move artillery still came from horses and burros. On September 12, 1940, the Army contracted to expand the post, bringing the9th Infantry Division to Fort Bragg.
The mission of Pope Field is to provideairlift to American armed forces and humanitarian missions flown worldwide. Pope Field mainly includes air transportation for the 82nd Airborne, among other airborne units on Fort Bragg.
All of Pope'sfighter jet squadrons have been relocated toMoody AFB, Georgia. The central entity at Pope is now the Air Force Reserve, although they still have a small number of active personnel.
In September 2008, Fayetteville annexed 85% of Fort Bragg, bringing the city's population to 206,000. Fort Bragg retains its police, fire, and EMS services. Fayetteville hopes to attract large retail businesses to the area using the new population figures.[24]
Fayetteville becomes the first "Sanctuary for Soldiers".82D Airborne Division 4-mile Run
On September 5, 2008, Cumberland County announced it was the "World's First Sanctuary for Soldiers and Their Families"; it marked major roads with blue and white "Sanctuary" signage. Within the county, soldiers were to be provided with local services, ranging from free childcare to job placement for soldiers' spouses.[25]
Five hundred volunteers have signed up to watch over military families. They were recruited to offer one-to-one services; member businesses will also offer discounts and preferential treatment.Time magazine recognized Fayetteville for its support of military families and identified it as "America's Most Pro-Military Town".[26]
The city limits extend west to theHoke boundary. It is bordered on the north by the town ofSpring Lake.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Fayetteville has a total area of 150.08 square miles (388.7 km2), of which 148.26 square miles (384.0 km2) is land and 1.82 square miles (4.7 km2) (1.21%) is water.[2]
Fayetteville is in theSandhills of North Carolina, which are between thecoastal plain to the southeast and thePiedmont to the northwest. The city is built on theCape Fear River, a 202-mile-long (325 km) river that originates inHaywood and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Carver's Falls, measuring 150 feet (46 m) wide and two stories tall is on Carver Creek, a tributary of the Cape Fear, just northeast of the city limits.Cross Creek rises on the west side of Fayetteville and flows through to the east side of Fayetteville into the Cape Fear River.
Fayetteville is located in thehumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa) zone, with mostly moderate temperatures year round. Winters are mild but can get cool, with snow occurring a few days per year. Summers are hot, with levels of humidity that can cause spontaneous thunderstorms and rain showers. Temperature records range from −5 °F (−21 °C) on February 13, 1899, to 110 °F (43 °C) on August 21, 1983, which was the highest temperature ever recorded in the State ofNorth Carolina. OnApril 16, 2011, Fayetteville was struck by an EF3 tornado during North Carolina's largest tornado outbreak. Surrounding areas such as Sanford, Dunn, and Raleigh were also affected. The most recent and most notable hurricane that affected Fayetteville was Hurricane Helene in September 27th, causing severe flooding in areas of Fayetteville.[27][28]
Climate data for Fayetteville, North Carolina (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1899–present)
Fayetteville city, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the U.S. census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
There were 78,274 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were headed bymarried couples living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45, and the average family size was 3.02.[37]
In the city the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 14.4% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.[37]
In 2013, the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $44,924, and the median income for a family was $49,608. Male full-time workers had a median income of $37,371 versus $32,208 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $23,362. 18.4% of the population and 16.2% of families were below thepoverty line. 27.1% of those under the age of 18 and 9.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.[38]
On September 30, 2005, Fayettevilleannexed 27 square miles (70 km2) and 46,000 residents. Some affected residents and developers challenged the annexation in the courts, but were ultimately unsuccessful. The exception was the Gates Four neighborhood which won its case against annexation despite the annexation of all surrounding neighborhoods.[39][40][41]
Founded in Wade in 1758,Old Bluff Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest churches in the Upper Cape Fear Valley. The fourth Sunday of September each year is the annual Old Bluff Reunion; it is open to the public.[42] Bluff Presbyterian Church maintains a detailed history at its website.[43]
Hundreds of houses of worship have been established in and around Cumberland County, includingCatholic,Baptist,Pentecostal,Methodist andPresbyterian churches, which have the largest congregations.[44] Fayetteville is also home to Congregation Beth Israel, formed in 1910 by theJewish families of Fayetteville.
Fayetteville is home to St. Patrick Church, the oldest Catholic parish in the state, dating back to the 18th century.[45][independent source needed]
The Masjid Omar ibn Sayyid mosque was named afterOmar ibn Said, an AfricanMuslim who was jailed as a fugitive slave and sold in Fayetteville in the 19th century. Visitors to themosque can find historical information about him and the Muslim community.[46] Additionally, a historical marker to ibn Said was cast along Murchison Road in 2010,[47] the first roadside in North Carolina to recognize a Muslim.[48]
Fort Bragg is the backbone of the county's economy. Fort Bragg and Pope Field pump about $4.5 billion a year into the region's economy,[49] making Fayetteville one of the best retail markets in the country. Fayetteville serves as the region's hub for shops, restaurants, services, lodging, health care, and entertainment.
As of March 2019, Fayetteville reflected an unemployment rate of 5.2%, which is higher than the national average of 3.8% and the North Carolina average of 4%.[50]
The Fayetteville area has a large and growingdefense industry and was ranked in the top five areas in US for 2008, 2010, 2011 by a trade publication.[52] Eight of the ten top American defense contractors are located in the area, includingLockheed Martin,Boeing,Northrop Grumman,General Dynamics, andL-3 Communications.The city hosts Partnership for Defense Initiatives (PDI), a trade association promoting defense contractors.[53]
An October 2023 study released byAmericans for the Arts, (AFTA)[54] found that nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Fayetteville and Cumberland County created $72.2 million in total economic activity in 2022, supported over 1100 jobs, provided $44.1 million in personal income to residents and generated $9.5 million in local, state and federal tax revenue.[55] At an April 2024 event theArts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County announced that arts and cultural activities drew more than 900,000 visitors to the region.[56]
The Cape Fear River Trail is designated as part of theEast Coast Greenway, a series of urban trails and greenways that will eventually connect from Maine to Key West, Florida.Hay Street in Downtown Fayetteville
The city's park system includes family-oriented amenities such as the splash pad at Honeycutt Park and the Clark Park Nature Center, which offers live animal displays and educational programs for children.[63]
Cumberland County Schools' headquarters are located in Fayetteville. CCS operates a total of 87 schools: 53 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, 15 high schools and 9 Alternative and Specialty schools, including 1 year-round classical, 1 evening academy, 1 web academy and 2 special schools. Cumberland County Schools is the fourth-largest school system in the state and 78th-largest in the country.[68]
Cumberland County Schools serves most areas of Fayetteville for grades PK-12.[69] TheDepartment of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) operates public schools onFort Bragg for PK-8, but for high school Fort Bragg students attend local public schools in their respective counties.[70]
Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum in the restored 1890 Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad DepotThe historic Fayetteville Amtrak station
Fayetteville Regional Airport is served by five regional carriers that provide daily and seasonal passenger services to three major airline hubs within the United States. An additional regional carrier and several fixed-base operators offer further services for both passenger and general aviation operations.Landmark Aviation also provides services for passenger and general aviation traffic at the Fayetteville Regional Airport.
TheFayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) serves the Fayetteville andSpring Lake regions, with ten bus routes and two shuttle routes. FAST operates thirteen fixed bus routes within the city of Fayetteville. Service is between the hours of 5:45 am and 10:30 pm on weekdays, with reduced hours on Saturdays and no Sunday service. Most routes begin and end at the Transfer Center at 147 Old Wilmington Road in Fayetteville. Other transfer points are located at University Estates, Cross Creek Mall, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Bunce and Cliffdale Rds and Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
TheAtlantic Coast Line Railroad Station, built in 1911, provides dailyAmtrak service with northbound and southbound routes leading to points along the East Coast.[86]
^"Discoverfayetteville.com". Archived from the original on February 3, 2007. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Fayetteville, 2844 Village Drive; Copyright 2013, NC 28304-3813."History".St Patrick Catholic Church. Archived fromthe original on October 26, 2015. RetrievedJune 23, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Fayetteville Academy". Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. RetrievedJuly 17, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Baca, George.Conjuring Crisis: Racism and Civil Rights in a Southern Military City (Rutgers University Press; 2010) 196 pages. An ethnographic study of urban politics and racial tensions in Fort Bragg and Fayetteville.
Fenn, Elizabeth A.; Watson, Harry L.; Nathans, Sydney; Clayton, Thomas H.; Wood, Peter H. (2003). Joe A. Mobley (ed.).The Way We Lived in North Carolina. TheUniversity of North Carolina Press.
Meyer, Duane (2007).The Highland Scots of North Carolina, 1732–1776. The University of Matthew Burris.
Oates, John (1981).The story of Fayetteville and the upper Cape Fear. Fayetteville Woman's Club.
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