Washington, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Washington, North Carolina
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Washington from the corner of Stewart Street and West Main Street
|
|||
|
|||
| Nickname(s):
Little Washington, Original Washington
|
|||
 Washington, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
|
|||
| Country |  United States |
||
| State |  North Carolina |
||
| County | Beaufort | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Council-Manager form of government | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 9.02 sq mi (23.37 km2) | ||
| • Land | 8.19 sq mi (21.21 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.83 sq mi (2.16 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
|
|||
| • Total | 9,875 | ||
| • Density | 1,205.74/sq mi (465.55/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP Code |
27889
|
||
| Area code | 252 | ||
| FIPS code | 37-71220 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 2405682 | ||
| Website | www.washingtonnc.gov | ||
Washington is a city in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. It sits on the northern bank of the Pamlico River. In 2020, about 9,875 people lived there. Washington is the main city, or county seat, of Beaufort County.
People often call it "Original Washington" or "Little Washington." This helps tell it apart from Washington, D.C.. The closest big city is Greenville, which is about 20 miles to the west.
The city was started in 1776. It was built on land given by a person named Col. James Bonner. Washington was the very first city in the United States to be named after George Washington. He later became the first president of the country.
Contents
History of Washington, NC
The area where Washington is now was first settled in the 1770s. It was founded by James Bonner on his land. Back then, it was known as Forks of the Tar. In 1776, its name was changed to Washington.
During the American Revolutionary War, Washington was an important place for supplies. It helped when other big ports nearby were blocked by the British army.
Geography and Climate
Washington is located in North Carolina. It has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.
| Climate data for Washington, North Carolina (1981–2010 normals), | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.8 (12.1) |
56.9 (13.8) |
63.8 (17.7) |
72.8 (22.7) |
80.5 (26.9) |
87.3 (30.7) |
89.7 (32.1) |
88.3 (31.3) |
83.2 (28.4) |
74.1 (23.4) |
65.6 (18.7) |
56.8 (13.8) |
72.7 (22.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.2 (1.2) |
36.4 (2.4) |
41.9 (5.5) |
50.3 (10.2) |
59.3 (15.2) |
68.5 (20.3) |
72.5 (22.5) |
70.9 (21.6) |
65.4 (18.6) |
53.5 (11.9) |
44.5 (6.9) |
35.7 (2.1) |
52.8 (11.6) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.85 (98) |
3.32 (84) |
4.22 (107) |
3.14 (80) |
4.11 (104) |
4.44 (113) |
5.45 (138) |
5.22 (133) |
5.81 (148) |
3.28 (83) |
3.2 (81) |
3.26 (83) |
49.3 (1,250) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.5 (1.3) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.8 (2.0) |
2 (5.1) |
| Source: NOAA (Monthly Climate Normals) | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 2,015 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,599 | −20.6% | |
| 1870 | 2,094 | 31.0% | |
| 1880 | 2,462 | 17.6% | |
| 1890 | 3,545 | 44.0% | |
| 1900 | 4,842 | 36.6% | |
| 1910 | 6,211 | 28.3% | |
| 1920 | 6,314 | 1.7% | |
| 1930 | 7,035 | 11.4% | |
| 1940 | 8,569 | 21.8% | |
| 1950 | 9,698 | 13.2% | |
| 1960 | 9,939 | 2.5% | |
| 1970 | 8,961 | −9.8% | |
| 1980 | 8,418 | −6.1% | |
| 1990 | 9,075 | 7.8% | |
| 2000 | 9,583 | 5.6% | |
| 2010 | 9,744 | 1.7% | |
| 2020 | 9,875 | 1.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 Census Information
In 2020, there were 9,875 people living in Washington. There were 4,038 households and 2,251 families.
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,483 | 45.4% |
| Black or African American | 4,252 | 43.06% |
| Native American | 20 | 0.2% |
| Asian | 73 | 0.74% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 332 | 3.36% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 714 | 7.23% |
2010 Census Information
In 2010, the city had 9,744 people. About 49% of the people were White. Around 45.5% were Black or African American. About 5.5% were Hispanic or Latino American.
The average age in the city was 40 years old. About 24.7% of the people were under 18.
Arts and Culture
.jpg)
Washington has many old buildings and important places. Some of these buildings are from the colonial and Victorian times. Several historic sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:
- Bank of Washington, West End Branch
- Beaufort County Courthouse
- Bowers-Tripp House
- North Market Street Historic District
- Rosedale
- Washington Historic District
- Zion Episcopal Church
A Farmer's and Artisan's Market is often held. It takes place on the green areas along the waterfront.
The North Carolina Estuarium is located along the Pamlico River. It has over 200 exhibits about the nature of North Carolina's estuaries. These are places where rivers meet the sea. The Estuarium also has a boardwalk that is about three-quarters of a mile long.
The Turnage Theatre is a restored building downtown. It used to be a vaudeville theater and a movie theater. It reopened in 2014 and now hosts plays and live shows.
During the American Civil War, the Union Army attacked Washington. A cannonball from this attack is on display in a lawyer's office on Water Street. Many towns nearby also have Civil War items and museums. People who re-enact Civil War battles meet near Washington every year.
The Washington Public Library is part of the BHM Regional Library system.
Education in Washington
Public schools in Washington are managed by Beaufort County Schools. Here are some of the schools in Washington:
- Early College High School
- Eastern Elementary School
- J.C. Tayloe Elementary School
- John Small Elementary School
- P.S. Jones Middle School
- Washington High School
Media and News
Print News
The Washington Daily News is a local newspaper. In 1990, it won a special award called the Pulitzer Prize. It won for stories about water pollution in the area. This made it the smallest daily newspaper ever to win that award.
Television and Radio
The TV station WITN is based in Washington.
The city also has several radio stations:
- 93.3 FM: WERO Bob 93.3
- 97.5 FM: WLGT 97.5 The Bridge
- 1320 AM: WTOW Washington Original Gospel Station
Famous People from Washington
Many notable people have come from Washington, North Carolina:
- Bam Adebayo: An NBA basketball player for the Miami Heat.
- Herbert Covington Bonner: A Democratic congressman from North Carolina (1940–1965).
- Josephus Daniels: He was the Secretary of the Navy during World War I. He also served as the Ambassador to Mexico under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- Murray Hamilton: An actor known for playing the mayor in the movie Jaws.
- Henry Churchill de Mille: A playwright. He was the father of famous film directors Cecil B. DeMille and William C. deMille.
- Dominique Wilkins: A nine-time NBA All-Star basketball player. He was known as "The Human Highlight Film" for his amazing dunks. He is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Ryan Zimmerman: An MLB baseball player for the Washington Nationals.
See also
In Spanish: Washington (Carolina del Norte) para niños
