Tar Heel, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tar Heel, North Carolina
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A pasture on the edge of Tar Heel
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Location in Bladen County and the state of North Carolina.
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Bladen |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council government |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.23 sq mi (0.59 km2) |
| • Land | 0.23 sq mi (0.59 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 125 ft (38 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 117 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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115 |
| • Density | 508.85/sq mi (196.46/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
28392
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| Area code(s) | 910 |
| FIPS code | 37-66740 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0995863 |
Tar Heel is a town located in Bladen County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 117.
Tar Heel is home to the largest pig processing plant in the world, which opened in 1992, operated by Smithfield Foods and is located just north of the town limits. On April 18, 2020 the plant reported a case of COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Geography
Tar Heel is located at 34°43′56″N 78°47′32″W / 34.73222°N 78.79222°W (34.732353, -78.792284), on the banks of the Cape Fear River. Its major highways are NC 87 and NC 131. Fayetteville is 25 miles (40 km) to the north, Elizabethtown is 15 miles (24 km) to the southeast, and Lumberton is 16 miles (26 km) to the southwest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), all of it land.
History
This farming community has a history dating back to the Revolutionary War. Colonel Thomas Robeson, for whom Robeson County was named, lived in the Tar Heel community. His home is located just to the east of the town. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as Walnut Grove.
The town of Mayville, no longer in existence, was on the Robeson and Bladen County line and was the village mentioned in the diary of Elizabeth Ellis Robeson (1847–1866). Just when the village moved to what is now Tar Heel is unknown. During the Civil War, Colonel Thomas Purdie and Captain Daniel Munn, residents of the Tar Heel area, led troops at Gettysburg and Fort Fisher.
The Town of Tar Heel was incorporated by the State of North Carolina in 1964.
The origin of the town name is different from the nickname given to the state of North Carolina. The town was known for its landing on the Cape Fear River. The state operated a ferry at this landing, and it was a major loading point for vessels that transported agricultural goods to the market in Wilmington. The major product was barrels of turpentine. Tar Heel had several turpentine stills, and the remains of some of the old stills can be found in the area. The results of transporting the barrels of turpentine, leaking barrels, caused a tar-like material to be found around the landing and the access to the river. When the community people talked of going to the village, it was said they were going to get tar on their heels, thus the name Tar Heel.
The town of Tar Heel is often confused with Chapel Hill's "Tar Heel Town", home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels.
The Purdie House and Purdie Methodist Church and Walnut Grove are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Services
The services provided by this small rural community are:
- Street maintenance, sanitation pickup for residents, and street lights.
- Police protection is provided by the Bladen County Sheriff's Office.
- Fire protection is provided by the Tar Heel Rural Volunteer Fire Department.
- Water services are provided by the Tar Heel Water Corporation.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 87 | — | |
| 1980 | 118 | 35.6% | |
| 1990 | 115 | −2.5% | |
| 2000 | 70 | −39.1% | |
| 2010 | 117 | 67.1% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 115 | −1.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the census of 2010, there are 117 people, 60 households, and 34 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town is majority White (93.2% or 107 persons). 5.1% (or 6 persons) are Mexican; and 3.4% (4 persons) are Native American with 2 people identifying solely as Native American and 2 others identifying as also White. There are 0.00% African American and 0.00% Asian or Pacific Islander.
Education
Public schools, part of the Bladen County School system, in the Tar Heel area:
- Tar Heel High School consolidated with Bladenboro High School to form West Bladen High School in 2001. The Tar Heel High School records show the school was originally built circa 1909.
See also
In Spanish: Tar Heel (Carolina del Norte) para niños
