Wanchese, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wanchese, North Carolina
CDP
Entrance to Wanchese Harbor
Location in Dare County and the state of North Carolina.
Wanchese, North Carolina Location in North Carolina Show map of North Carolina Wanchese, North Carolina Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Dare
Named for	Wanchese
Area
• Total	4.71 sq mi (12.20 km2)
• Land	4.67 sq mi (12.08 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,522
• Density	326.26/sq mi (125.97/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	27981
Area code(s)	252
FIPS code	37-70920
GNIS feature ID	0996765

Wanchese (/ˈwɒntʃiːz/) is a small community in North Carolina, United States. It's located on Roanoke Island in Dare County. The town is named after Wanchese, a Native American leader from the Roanoke tribe. English explorers met him in the 1500s.

In 2010, about 1,642 people lived in Wanchese. Today, it's a major hub for commercial fishing and building boats in the Outer Banks. The local government for Wanchese is the Dare County Board of Commissioners. Wanchese is part of District 1, along with nearby towns like Manteo.

Where is Wanchese Located?

Wanchese is found at the southern end of Roanoke Island. Its exact location is 35°50′42″N 75°38′22″W / 35.845046°N 75.639544°W / 35.845046; -75.639544.

The community covers about 5.5 square miles (14.2 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 4.7 square miles (12.2 square kilometers). The rest, about 0.8 square miles (2.1 square kilometers), is water.

A Look at Wanchese History

You can also learn more at: History of Roanoke Island

Scientists have found old evidence showing that Wanchese was once the site of the very first fishing village on Roanoke Island. Indigenous people lived here about 1,500 years ago. They used this spot for fishing for over 1,100 years. They also gathered oysters and other shellfish from the nearby waters.

The Tillett Site Discoveries

A special place called the Tillett Site shows how people lived long ago. It was first used when Roanoke Island was still connected to the mainland. This was during the Archaic Period, from 8000 to 1000 BC.

Later, the sea level rose, and the area became an island. The water became salty, which was perfect for the local fishing cultures. This included the historic Roanoke tribe.

Scientists found signs of three main times when people lived at the Tillett site:

• Mount Pleasant period: Around 400 to 800 AD.
• Colington period: From 800 to 1650. This shows the early culture of the Carolina Algonquian people.
• Historic period: Mostly from 1884 to 1910/20. During this time, the Green family used the site as a farm. People also continued to fish here.

During the first two periods, the Tillett site was a place where people stayed for part of the year. The Roanoke people came from the mainland to fish and collect shellfish. When English explorers arrived, the Algonquian-speaking Roanoke tribe still used the site for seasonal fishing. Their main town was on the western side of Croatan Sound.

After English settlers permanently moved to the area in the 1650s, people continued to use the site for fishing. In the 1800s, Wanchese had the only lighthouse on Roanoke Island. It was called Marshes Light. A copy of this lighthouse has since been rebuilt in Manteo. In the 1980s, plans were made to turn Wanchese into a large commercial fishing port. It would also have a facility for processing seafood.

Who Lives in Wanchese?

The latest count in 2020 showed that 1,522 people lived in Wanchese. There were 683 households and 488 families.

Learning in Wanchese

Students in Wanchese go to schools run by Dare County Schools. The local schools include Manteo Elementary School, Manteo Middle School, and Manteo High School.

See also

In Spanish: Wanchese (Carolina del Norte) para niños