kids encyclopedia robot

Snow Hill, North Carolina facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Snow Hill, North Carolina
Town
Snow Hill, North Carolina.jpg
Official seal of Snow Hill, North Carolina
Seal
Motto(s): 
"A Nice Place to Live"
Location of Snow Hill, North Carolina
Location of Snow Hill, North Carolina
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Greene
Founded 1811
Incorporated 1828
Named for A nearby plantation
Area
 • Total 1.54 sq mi (3.99 km2)
 • Land 1.54 sq mi (3.99 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
72 ft (22 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,481
 • Density 962.31/sq mi (371.64/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28580
Area code(s) 252
FIPS code 37-62760
GNIS feature ID 2407362

Snow Hill is a town located in Greene County, North Carolina, United States. It is the main town, also known as the county seat, of Greene County. In 2010, about 1,595 people lived there. Snow Hill is also part of the larger Greenville area.

This town is well-known for tennis! Many junior and adult players visit Snow Hill to compete in special tournaments organized by the USTA (United States Tennis Association). The Green Ridge Racquet Club is a popular spot for these events.

History of Snow Hill

Snow Hill has a long and interesting past. It is located near where a very important battle happened in 1713. This was the final big fight of the Tuscarora War at Fort Neoheroka.

How Snow Hill Got Its Name

There are a few ideas about how Snow Hill got its name.

  • One idea is that Native Americans camped by the Contentnea Creek. They called the white sands along the creek "snowy white," which became "snowy hills." It doesn't snow much there, so the white sand idea makes more sense.
  • Another idea comes from an old newspaper. It said the name meant "loblolly pine is in water."
  • A more recent idea from the Tuscarora language suggests it means "as fish go by."

Early Days and Growth

Snow Hill started as a small community in the middle of Greene County. It officially became a town in 1828. For a while, it was almost chosen to be the capital of North Carolina! It was also a very important trading spot along Contentnea Creek. This creek was a main route for trade between Wilson and New Bern. Contentnea Creek connects to the Neuse River near Kinston.

Baseball in Snow Hill

It's thought that Snow Hill is the smallest town in the United States to ever have a professional baseball team! From 1937 to 1940, a team called the Snow Hill Billies played in a league called the Class D Coastal Plain League. They even won the league championship in 1937. Some players who later became famous, like Aaron Robinson and Al Gettel (who played for the New York Yankees), started their careers with the Billies. Walter Rabb, who coached baseball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for almost 30 years, also played for them.

Recent Events and Historic Places

In April 2011, a strong tornado hit Snow Hill. It caused a lot of damage to the town.

Several places in Snow Hill are considered very important historically. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

Geography of Snow Hill

Snow Hill is located in the southern part of Greene County. It sits on a low hill next to the Contentnea Creek.

Major Roads

Several important roads pass through or near Snow Hill:

  • U.S. Route 13 goes through the northern part of town. It leads northeast about 23 miles (37 km) to Greenville and southwest about 21 miles (34 km) to Goldsboro.
  • U.S. Route 258 goes through the center of town. It leads north about 11 miles (18 km) to Farmville and south about 16 miles (26 km) to Kinston.

Area Size

The United States Census Bureau says that Snow Hill covers a total area of about 1.5 square miles (4.0 km2). All of this area is land.

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1870 320 —
1880 332 3.8%
1890 283 −14.8%
1900 405 43.1%
1910 450 11.1%
1920 700 55.6%
1930 826 18.0%
1940 928 12.3%
1950 946 1.9%
1960 1,043 10.3%
1970 1,359 30.3%
1980 1,374 1.1%
1990 1,378 0.3%
2000 1,514 9.9%
2010 1,595 5.4%
2020 1,481 −7.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,481 people living in Snow Hill. About 45.85% of the people were Black or African American, and about 39.43% were White. Around 10.33% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Education in Snow Hill

Schools in Snow Hill are managed by the Greene County Public School system. There are six schools:

  • Greene Central High School
  • Greene Early College High School
  • Greene County Middle School
  • Greene County Intermediate School
  • Snow Hill Primary School
  • West Greene Elementary School

For higher education, students can attend nearby East Carolina University. There are also community colleges in Goldsboro, Greenville, and Kinston.

Transportation

Airports

The closest airport to Snow Hill is Pitt-Greenville Airport (IATA: PGV, ICAO: KPGV, FAA LID: PGV). It offers flights to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. However, most people in Snow Hill use Raleigh-Durham International Airport for longer trips, both within the country and internationally.

Highways

Several state and U.S. highways run through Snow Hill. These include US 13, US 258, NC 903, NC 58, and NC 91. The closest Interstate Highway is I-795, which is about 21 miles (34 km) west in Fremont.

Notable People from Snow Hill

Many interesting people have come from Snow Hill, including:

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Snow Hill, North Carolina Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.