Nash County, North Carolina

Nash County
County
Nash County Courthouse in Nashville
Flag Seal Logo
Motto:  "Where Business meets Opportunity"
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°58′N77°59′W / 35.97°N 77.99°W / 35.97; -77.99
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1777
Named for	Francis Nash
Seat	Nashville
Largest community	Rocky Mount
Area
• Total	542.82 sq mi (1,405.9 km2)
• Land	540.44 sq mi (1,399.7 km2)
• Water	2.38 sq mi (6.2 km2)  0.44%
Population  (2020)
• Total	94,970
• Estimate  (2023)	96,551
• Density	175.73/sq mi (67.85/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	nashcountync.gov

Nash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94,970. ^[1] Its county seat is Nashville. ^[2]

Nash County is part of the Rocky Mount, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area eventually comprising Nash County was originally organized as a part of Edgecombe County. Settlement first occurred in the 1740s; ^[3] the earliest land grants date to 1743. ^[4] As the population of Edgecombe increased, citizens in the western portion of the county found it difficult to travel to the county seat of Tarboro to conduct official business. Legislator Nathan Boddie proposed to the North Carolina Provincial Congress that the county be divided. ^[3] As a result, Nash was formed from all parts of Edgecombe west of the Falls of the Tar River in 1777. ^{[5] [6] [7]} It was named for American Revolutionary War Brigadier General Francis Nash, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Germantown. ^[5] The first session of the county court met on April 1, 1778, in the home of Micajah Thomas. Court was then held in a temporary building at Peach Tree until a permanent courthouse was erected in Nashville in 1784. ^[7] Nashville was formally designated the seat of county government in 1815 ^[8] and was incorporated in 1823. ^[9] In 1833, the county's first courthouse burned down and was replaced by a brick building. ^[9]

In 1786, the state of North Carolina conducted a census which recorded a total population of 5,277 in Nash County. The first U.S. Census in 1790 recorded a total population of 7,393, of whom 2,099 were slaves, 183 were free blacks, and the rest whites. ^[7] Several early communities in Nash County developed as stops along stagecoach routes, including Dortches, Red Oak, Stanhope, Hilliardston, and Castalia. ^[10] Settlement also occurred along rivers and creeks, accompanied by the construction of gristmills. ^[11] In the 1830s the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was laid, leading to further settlement. The building of a spur line in 1840 led to the eventual creation of the community of Whitakers. ^[12] By the 1860s, Nash County had a population over 11,600 and an economy centered on agriculture. ^[11] In 1855, parts of Nash, Edgecombe, Johnston, and Wayne counties were combined to form Wilson County. ^[13] Over 1,000 men from the county fought in the American Civil War. ^[11]

In 1871, after significant political controversy, all parts of Edgecombe County west of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad were annexed to Nash ^{[14] [6]} leading to the bifurcation of the Edgecombe communities of Battleboro and Sharpsburg between the two counties. ^[6] As a result of the boundary shift, Nash County's black population grew ^[15] and a greater portion of the town of Rocky Mount also lay within Nash County's border, including Rocky Mount Mills, the second textile mill to exist within in the state. ^[6] In 1899, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad established repair shops in Rocky Mount, precipitating the city's rapid growth. ^[11] In 1921 the county's third courthouse was built. ^[9]

Geography

Interactive map of Nash County

Nash County rests in the northeastern part of North Carolina ^[4] along the dividing line between the Peidmont and Coastal Plain regions. ^[3] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 542.82 square miles (1,405.9 km²), of which 540.44 square miles (1,399.7 km²) is land and 2.38 square miles (6.2 km²) (0.44%) is covered by water. ^[16] Elevation in the county gradually rises from the east to the west. ^[17]

State and local protected areas

• Flower Hill Nature Preserve (part)
• Sandy Creek Game Land (part) ^[18]
• Shocco Creek Game Land (part) ^[18]

Major water bodies

• Fishing Creek ^[3]
• Moccasin Creek ^[3]
• Pig Basket Creek
• Sapony Creek ^[3]
• Stoney Creek ^[3]
• Swift Creek ^[3]
• Tar River ^[3]
• Tar River Reservoir
• Toisnot Swamp
• Turkey Creek

Adjacent counties

• Franklin County – west
• Johnston County – southwest
• Wake County – southwest
• Wilson County – south
• Edgecombe County – east
• Halifax County – northeast
• Warren County – north

Major highways

• 
  Future I-87
• I-95 ^[19]
• 
  Future I-587
• US 64 ^[19]
• 
  US 64 Alt.
• 
  US 64 Bus. (Nashville)
• 
  US 64 Bus. (Rocky Mount)
• US 264 ^[19]
• 
  US 264 Alt.
• US 301
• 
  US 301 Bus.
• NC 4
• NC 33
• NC 43
• 
  NC 43 Bus.
• NC 48
• NC 56
• NC 58
• NC 97
• NC 98
• NC 231
• NC 561
• NC 581

Major infrastructure

• Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport

Demographics

2020 census

Nash County racial composition ^[20]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	46,317	48.77%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	36,679	38.62%
Native American	615	0.65%
Asian	904	0.95%
Pacific Islander	28	0.03%
Other/Mixed	3,105	3.27%
Hispanic or Latino	7,322	7.71%

As of the 2020 census, there were 94,970 people, 37,574 households, and 27,002 families residing in the county.

Demographic change

Historical population

Historical population Census Pop. Note %± 1790 7,390 — 1800 6,975 −5.6% 1810 7,268 4.2% 1820 8,185 12.6% 1830 8,490 3.7% 1840 9,047 6.6% 1850 10,657 17.8% 1860 11,687 9.7% 1870 11,077 −5.2% 1880 17,731 60.1% 1890 20,707 16.8% 1900 25,478 23.0% 1910 33,727 32.4% 1920 41,061 21.7% 1930 52,782 28.5% 1940 55,608 5.4% 1950 59,919 7.8% 1960 61,002 1.8% 1970 59,122 −3.1% 1980 67,153 13.6% 1990 76,677 14.2% 2000 87,420 14.0% 2010 95,840 9.6% 2020 94,970 −0.9% 2023 (est.) 96,551 [1] 1.7% U.S. Decennial Census [21] 1790–1960 [22] 1900–1990 [23] 1990–2000 [24] 2010 [25] 2020 [1]

After decades of growth, between 2010 and 2020, Nash County recorded an almost one percent population loss. ^[19]

Government and politics

Government

Nash County is run by a commission–manager government. Legislative and policy-making power is vested in a seven-member board of commissioners, with the commissioners elected in districts to serve four-year staggered terms. The board passes ordinances, adopts the county budget, and appoints the county manager. The manager wields executive authority over county administration, appoints directors of county government departments, and implement the commission's decisions. County government provides various services, including public safety, social services, cultural activities, and the provision of utilities. ^[26]

Nash County is represented in the General Assembly by the Senate's 11th district and the House of Representatives' 24th and 25th districts. ^[27] It lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 8th Prosecutorial District, the 8A Superior Court District, and the 8th District Court District. ^[28]

Nash County is a member of the regional Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments.

Politics

From the turn of the 20th century North Carolina established barriers that effectively disfranchised the large black population, which had been supporting Republican candidates. Conservative whites voted overwhelmingly Democratic and the county and state were part of the resulting political "Solid South" county. Although it gave a plurality to Populist candidate James B. Weaver in 1892, unlike Sampson County or Alabama's Chilton County, it did not subsequently turn to the Republican Party.

Nash County would vote Democratic in every election from 1896 to 1964 – in Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman's five elections, the Republicans never received eleven percent of the county's limited electorate's ballots. Many whites supported George Wallace's American Independent candidacy in 1968, after passage of the Voting Rights Act. More voted Republican for the first time in 1972.

While Nash voters supported favorite son and Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1976, the county's majority white voters shifted to Republican candidates from 1980 to 2004. But the last four elections have been closely contested. The margin of victory has been less than 1,000 votes in every election since. ^{[29] [30]} Nash County has emerged in recent years as a swing county and a bellwether county. As of 2024, it is the only North Carolina county to support the winning U.S. presidential election four times in a row, supporting Barack Obama in 2012, Donald Trump in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Trump in 2024. In 2024, it also split its majority vote between Republican and Democratic statewide candidates. Nash County also is one of just two counties (the other being Warren County, Mississippi) to alternate its vote the last five elections, voting for John McCain in 2008, Obama in 2012, Trump in 2016, Biden in 2020, and Trump in 2024. ^{[a] [31]}

United States presidential election results for Nash County, North Carolina ^[32]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	26,431	50.37%	25,508	48.61%	532	1.01%
2020	25,827	49.41%	25,947	49.64%	497	0.95%
2016	23,319	48.92%	23,235	48.75%	1,111	2.33%
2012	23,842	49.17%	24,313	50.14%	337	0.69%
2008	23,728	50.36%	23,099	49.02%	291	0.62%
2004	21,902	58.14%	15,693	41.66%	78	0.21%
2000	17,995	58.97%	12,376	40.56%	142	0.47%
1996	15,309	54.17%	11,142	39.42%	1,811	6.41%
1992	14,446	48.34%	10,809	36.17%	4,631	15.50%
1988	15,906	64.34%	8,740	35.35%	76	0.31%
1984	17,295	66.73%	8,588	33.14%	34	0.13%
1980	11,043	56.34%	8,184	41.75%	374	1.91%
1976	8,477	48.12%	8,937	50.73%	202	1.15%
1972	12,679	71.39%	4,503	25.35%	579	3.26%
1968	4,602	24.08%	5,283	27.64%	9,230	48.29%
1964	6,396	41.11%	9,163	58.89%	0	0.00%
1960	3,896	27.86%	10,086	72.14%	0	0.00%
1956	2,665	21.09%	9,969	78.91%	0	0.00%
1952	2,636	20.18%	10,424	79.82%	0	0.00%
1948	684	7.98%	7,590	88.50%	302	3.52%
1944	876	10.36%	7,577	89.64%	0	0.00%
1940	613	6.76%	8,456	93.24%	0	0.00%
1936	517	5.62%	8,682	94.38%	0	0.00%
1932	532	6.61%	7,472	92.79%	49	0.61%
1928	2,066	32.72%	4,249	67.28%	0	0.00%
1924	823	20.16%	3,129	76.63%	131	3.21%
1920	1,556	27.85%	4,031	72.15%	0	0.00%
1916	826	27.22%	2,189	72.15%	19	0.63%
1912	172	6.49%	1,862	70.21%	618	23.30%
1908	1,334	44.29%	1,678	55.71%	0	0.00%
1904	645	31.02%	1,428	68.69%	6	0.29%
1900	1,337	33.96%	2,600	66.04%	0	0.00%
1896	1,699	36.81%	2,916	63.17%	1	0.02%
1892	476	16.96%	997	35.53%	1,333	47.51%
1888	1,719	44.08%	2,181	55.92%	0	0.00%
1884	1,556	45.75%	1,845	54.25%	0	0.00%
1880	1,406	46.59%	1,612	53.41%	0	0.00%

Sheriff

The Sheriff's Office provides police services for the unincorporated areas of the county.

Economy

As of 2023, the biggest sectors in Nash County's economy were manufacturing, healthcare and social services, retail, food and accommodation services, and education. ^[33]

Sweet potato harvest in Nash County

As of 2023, over 40 percent of the county's area is cultivated farmland. Its top agricultural products are poultry, eggs, tobacco, and sweet potatoes. ^[34] Nash is one of the top sweet potato-producing counties in the state. ^{[34] [35]}

Communities

Map of Nash County with municipal and township labels

Cities

• Rocky Mount (largest community; parts located in Edgecombe County) ^[15]

Towns

• Bailey
• Castalia
• Dortches
• Middlesex
• Momeyer
• Nashville (county seat)
• Red Oak
• Spring Hope
• Sharpsburg (part)
• Whitakers (part)
• Zebulon (part)

Townships

• Bailey
• Battleboro
• Castalia
• Coopers
• Dry Wells
• Ferrells
• Griffins
• Jackson
• Mannings
• Nashville
• North Whitakers
• Oak Level
• Red Oak
• Rocky Mount
• Spring Hope
• South Whitakers
• Stony Creek

Unincorporated community

• Corinth

See also

• List of counties in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Nash County, North Carolina
• Haliwa-Saponi, state-recognized tribe that resides in the county
• Nash Community College, located near Nashville

Notes

1. Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska has also voted this way.

References

1. "QuickFacts: Nash County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Fleming 1998, p. 7.
4. "History of Nash County". Nash County, North Carolina. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
5. Corbitt 2000, p. 157.
6. Kelley, Lucas. "The Historical Origins of the 1871 Nash-Edgecombe County Line". Digital Rocky Mount Mills. Community Histories Workshop, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Retrieved November 15, 2024.
7. Olds, Fred A. (January 3, 1924). "History Series of Carolina Counties". Durham Morning Herald. p. 4.
8. Corbitt 2000, pp. 157–158.
9. Fleming 1998, p. 9.
10. Fleming 1998, pp. 7–8.
11. Fleming 1998, p. 8.
12. Fleming 1998, pp. 8, 21.
13. Corbitt 2000, p. 158.
14. Corbitt 2000, p. 159.
15. Fernelius, Katie Jane (March 24, 2021). "Rocky Mount Is Dead. Long Live Rocky Mount". The Assembly. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
16. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
17. Fleming 1998, p. 5.
18. "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
19. Barkin, Dan (October 17, 2021). "20 miles from Raleigh, Nash County launches new economic development effort". Business North Carolina. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
20. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
21. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
22. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
23. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
24. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
25. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 27, 2013.^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
26. Wood 2023, p. iii.
27. "Nash County Representation : 2023-2024 Session". North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
28. "Nash County". North Carolina Judicial Branch. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
29. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
30. "Anatomy of a swing state: What these 6 counties tell us about the upcoming NC election". The Charlotte Observer. November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
31. "NC county gets presidential prediction right yet again by backing Trump in 2024". The Charlotte Observer. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
32. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
33. Wood 2023, p. v.
34. Wood 2023, p. vi.
35. Ellis, Kevin (February 23, 2024). "Sweetpotato or sweet potato? Here's why N.C. group says one word is right". Business North Carolina. Retrieved November 19, 2024.

Works cited

• Corbitt, David Leroy (2000). The formation of the North Carolina counties, 1663-1943 (reprint ed.). Raleigh: North Carolina Division of Archives and History. OCLC   46398241.
• Fleming, Monika S. (1998). Rocky Mount and Nash County. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9781439635407.
• Wood, Donna (2023), Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023, Nash County, North Carolina

External links

• Geographic data related to Nash County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• NCGenWeb Nash County, genealogy resources for the county