Chinquapin, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chinquapin, North Carolina
Census-designated place
Chinquapin, North Carolina Location in North Carolina Show map of North Carolina Chinquapin, North Carolina Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Duplin
Area
• Total	1.39 sq mi (3.60 km2)
• Land	1.39 sq mi (3.60 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	36 ft (11 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	86
• Density	61.87/sq mi (23.90/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	28521
Area codes	910, 472
FIPS code	37-12520
GNIS feature ID	2812791

Chinquapin is a small community in Duplin County, North Carolina, United States. It is located right next to the Northeast Cape Fear River. In the 2020 census, Chinquapin was counted as a census-designated place (CDP). It had a population of 86 people.

History of Chinquapin

Early Settlers

The story of Chinquapin begins with the Thigpen family. They moved to this area in the 1730s. James Thigpen was the first of his family in Duplin County. He got land along the Northeast Cape Fear River. He named his large farm "Chinquapen Orchard."

The Thigpens named many creeks after places in their old home. These names included Cypress Creek and Muddy Creek. The name Chinquapin itself comes from an Algonquian word. It refers to a small tree called Castanea pumila, which is like a tiny American chestnut. These trees grow a lot near creeks and rivers in the southeastern U.S.

James Thigpen died at Chinquapen Orchard in 1737. His son, Dr. James Thigpen IV, bought the land. He held it for his own son, Job, until Job grew up. In 1754, Job and his wife Annie took over the farm. They shortened the name to simply Chinquapin.

New Arrivals and River Trade

Later, many Scotch-Irish immigrants came to the Cape Fear region. They bought land from a London merchant named Henry McCulloch. He owned a huge amount of land along the river. These new settlers often married people who had lived there longer, like the Thigpens.

In 1780, during the American Revolutionary War, Chinquapin was burned. This was likely done by Tories (people loyal to Britain). Job Thigpen had served in the North Carolina militia. He did not survive the war. His oldest son, Joab, had to rebuild the farm.

Chinquapin has always been a farming community. People grew corn and, for a long time, tobacco. Raising animals and cutting timber were also important jobs. Before railroads, the only way to sell goods was by river. Chinquapin was a good place to load farm products onto boats. This was especially true when the river was low further upstream.

Riverboats and Railroads

In 1865, near the end of the American Civil War, Union soldiers took a small steamboat. Its name was the A. P. Hurt. They put a former slave named Dan Buxton in charge of it. He operated the boat at Chinquapin. After the war, Buxton found the boat's original owners. He promised to return it if they kept him as pilot for life. He worked for sixty years until the boat sank in 1923.

Dan Buxton and P.D. Robbins were important river pilots. Robbins ran a steamboat nearby in Hallsville. They show a rich history of African American river workers in Duplin County.

In 1884, Chinquapin got its own post office. William Herring Sloan, a local farmer, was the first postmaster. Starting in 1890, the state spent money to clear the river. This made it easier for small steamboats to reach Hallsville. The project lasted until about 1913.

River trade was strong until lumber companies built railroads. A train station was built in Chinquapin around 1916. The Atlantic & Carolina Railroad connected Chinquapin to other towns. Other tracks were laid nearby to help cut down longleaf pine forests.

After the railroad came, the area had a short economic boom. But the railroad was taken apart during the Great Depression. Chinquapin has not grown much since the early 1900s. Most people now live in the countryside around the community. Some small businesses are still in Chinquapin. The community still has a post office and an elementary school.

Education in Chinquapin

Rosenwald Schools

In the early 1900s, Booker T. Washington and a kind person named Julius Rosenwald helped. They set up schools for Black children in rural areas. One of these "Rosenwald Schools" was in Chinquapin. It was still open in the 1930s.

Chinquapin High School

Chinquapin High School was built in 1925. It became an official school in 1926. Arthur Ranes was its first principal. The school building had two stories and was made of wood and brick. Later, in the 1950s, more classrooms and a cafeteria were added. In 2010, the county tore down the old school building.

Famous People from Chinquapin

Chinquapin is known for being the birthplace of two notable people.

• Caleb Bradham (1867–1934) was born in Chinquapin. He was the person who invented Pepsi-Cola.
• Randall Kenan (1963–2020) grew up in Chinquapin. He was an American author who wrote both fiction and non-fiction. His book of short stories, Let the Dead Bury Their Dead, was named a New York Times Notable Book in 1992. He also received several awards for his writing.

Population Information

In 2020, Chinquapin had a population of 86 people. The United States Census counts how many people live in different areas.

Churches in Chinquapin

• Chinquapin Presbyterian Church
• St. Lewis Missionary Baptist Church
• Shiloh Baptist Church
• Sharon Baptist Church
• Bethlehem Church
• First Missionary Baptist Church
• The Mount Church
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

See also

In Spanish: Chinquapin (Carolina del Norte) para niños