Pittsboro, North Carolina
| Pittsboro, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
 The Court House in the Traffic Circle in Downtown Pittsboro, NC was destroyed by fire March 25, 2010. The Statue in front of the Court House is a Confederate Soldier. |
|
 Location of Pittsboro, North Carolina |
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| Coordinates: 35°43′13″N 79°10′35″W / 35.72028°N 79.17639°WCoordinates: 35°43′13″N 79°10′35″W / 35.72028°N 79.17639°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Chatham |
| Area | |
| – Total | 3.4 sq mi (8.8 km2) |
| – Land | 3.4 sq mi (8.7 km2) |
| – Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 394 ft (120 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| – Total | 2,226 |
| – Density | 663.1/sq mi (256.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| – Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 27228, 27312 |
| Area code(s) | 919 |
| FIPS code | 37-52660[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1021992[2] |
| Website | http://www.pittsboronc.org |
Pittsboro, North Carolina is a town located in Chatham County, 34 miles southwest of Raleigh, 47 miles southeast of Greensboro, and 17 miles south of Chapel Hill. The population was 2,226 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Chatham County.[3]
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[edit] Town history
Pittsboro was established as a town in 1785. The Chatham County Court House stood on land belonging to Miles Scurlock; however, in 1787, the legislature declared that a town could not be established on Scurlock’s land. The town’s trustees instead purchased adjacent land belonging to William Petty and laid out the town. That same year, Pittsboro was officially named the county seat. Although Chatham County is named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, Pittsboro is named for his son, William Pitt the Younger.
Pittsboro was once considered as a potential site for both the University of North Carolina and the state capitol. UNC was eventually sited in Chapel Hill, while the state capitol was located approximately 34 miles to the northeast of Pittsboro, in Raleigh.
Charles M. Stedman, the last Civil War veteran to serve in Congress, was born in Pittsboro on January 29, 1841.
[edit] City government
- Mayor: Randy Voller
- Commissioners: Pamela Baldwin, Gene Brooks, Clinton Bryan III, Hugh Harrington, Michael A Fiocco
[edit] Educational facilities
The town is served by four local schools; Pittsboro Elementary School, Horton Middle School, Northwood High School, and Central Carolina Community College (CCCC), Chatham County Campus.
[edit] Media outlets
- Newspapers
- Chatham Journal (weekly, based in Pittsboro)[4]
- The Chatham News (daily, based in Siler City)[5]
- The Chatham Record (daily, based Pittsboro)[6]
- Network television
[edit] Geography
Pittsboro is located at 35°43′13″N 79°10′35″W / 35.72028°N 79.17639°W (35.720332, -79.176393)[7].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which, 3.4 square miles (8.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.89 percent) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,226 people, 855 households, and 535 families residing in the town. The population density was 663.1 people per square mile (255.8/km²). There were 939 housing units at an average density of 279.7/sq mi (107.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 64.38 percent White, 27.54 percent African American, 0.49 percent Native American, 0.67 percent Asian, 0.04 percent Pacific Islander, 4.99 percent from other races, and 1.89 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.81 percent of the population.
There were 855 households out of which 29.0 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9 percent were married couples living together, 18.7 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4 percent were non-families. 32.3 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.3 percent from 18 to 24, 28.7 percent from 25 to 44, 19.6 percent from 45 to 64, and 21.5 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,800, and the median income for a family was $42,391. Males had a median income of $29,500 versus $26,719 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,863. About 19.2 percent of families and 18.3 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3 percent of those under age 18 and 13.7 percent of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economy
[edit] In the news
[edit] Development controversy
In the early 2000s, Pittsboro became the center of a heated controversy regarding new real estate development. Because of its proximity to nearby cities such as Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, real estate and commercial developers have taken an interest in Pittsboro. This is especially true for land to the north and east of the town, which is closer to the aforementioned cities. At least one subdivision is planned for this area which will have a population larger than Pittsboro itself.
New development is controversial for many reasons, including:
- Concerns about environmental damage to the already endangered Jordan Lake/Haw River watershed
- Displacement of local businesses due to an influx of retail chains and franchise restaurants
- Changes to the “small town” lifestyle
- Strain on Pittsboro’s aging and fragile water infrastructure
- Possible overcrowding and lack of facilities at local schools
- Rising property taxes due to increased land values, which may displace long-time residents
- Increased traffic and congestion, leading to lower air quality and noise pollution
- Transformation from open, undeveloped land into a stereotypical suburban landscape
- Shifts in population demographics
- Concerns about increased crime
Massive developer interest in the undeveloped land around Pittsboro has led to the formation of several citizens’ action groups, such as the Chatham Coalition, Chatham Conservative Voice, Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities, and Chatham First. Through active involvement in local government, some of these groups have urged town and county politicians to closely examine the effects of urbanization and create regulations which protect the natural resources and rural character of the area. Others have lobbied for increased development, claiming that property owners have the right to develop their land as they see fit.
[edit] Local currency: the PLENTY
Some citizens of Pittsboro have revitalized a local form of currency called the PLENTY. It was created in 2002. In 2009, it was being exchanged at a local bank at the rate of $9 for every $10 of PLENTY. Local resident Lyle Estill, president of a Pittsboro company named Piedmont Biofuels, which accepts the PLENTY, told USA Today that: “We’re a wiped-out small town in America. This will strengthen the local economy … The nice thing about the PLENTY is that it can’t leave here.”[8] Estill claims to have been misquoted, but regardless, the article brought Pittsboro into the spotlight of national and international media.[9]
[edit] Chatham County Courthouse fire
On March 25, 2010, the Chatham County Courthouse (pictured above), while undergoing a $415,000 exterior renovation, caught fire. Smoke was first reported in the area around 4:15 p.m.; the fire was dispatched to the Pittsboro Fire Department around 4:45 p.m. By 5 p.m., smoke was reported to be rising from out of the clock tower, which was surrounded by scaffolds. The building was evacuated safely.
The building suffered severe damage to the clock tower and the third floor. It was reported that the fire had destroyed all the computers and records, but that there are offsite copies and the information should be recoverable.[10]
On March 26, 2010, at approximately 1 a.m., the clock tower collapsed onto the main building, causing the entire structure to collapse onto its foundation and leaving only the building’s facade intact. Overall, 11 local fire companies participated in extinguishing the blaze.[11]
The fire marshal’s investigation into the fire, determined that it was caused by a lit soldering torch that fell onto some wood, which in turn, started a small fire. Workers attempted to extinguish the blaze, but were unsuccessful in their efforts. On Wednesday, March 31, 2010, the Chatham County Commissioners voted in favor of rebuilding the courthouse.[12]
[edit] References
- ^ a b “American FactFinder”. United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ “US Board on Geographic Names”. United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ “Find a County”. National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.chathamjournal.com
- ^ http://www.thechathamnews.com
- ^ http://www.thechathamrecord.com
- ^ “US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990”. United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-04-05-scrip_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
- ^ http://theplenty.org/media
- ^ http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7303536/
- ^ http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7306330/
- ^ http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7335504/
[edit] External links
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