Nash County, North Carolina

Nash County, NC Facts and Information

Nash County was formed in 1777 from the western part of Edgecombe County. Located in the northeast section of the state, it is bounded by Edgecombe, Wilson, Johnston, Franklin, and Halifax counties. It was named for General Francis Nash (1742-77), of Hillsborough, a soldier who was mortally wounded while fighting under General George Washington at Germantown during the American Revolution. Nashville, the county seat, was settled in 1780 and chartered in 1815. First land grants in the area date back to 1743.

Nash County has a total area of 542.71 square miles, with 540.33 square miles of land area. The average temperature is 61.9 degrees with the average temperature in January of 39° F and the average July temperature of 78° F. The average rainfall is 43 inches. The elevation of Nash County is 180 feet above sea level.

After the Revolution, which touched the county only lightly, Nash County settled down to a pace that made it one of the State's leading farm areas. Since the Civil War, it has been known primarily as a leading agricultural county, but it has experienced steady industrial growth since that time. Currently, only 2.4% of the total employment within the county is classified as agricultural. However, Nash County ranks 8th in area devoted to farmland in North Carolina.

Nash County could be classified as either a northern coastal plain county or a far eastern piedmont county. It has a primarily rolling terrain with sandy soil, however, brick and tile clays are found along the Tar River, which flows through Nash County and Rocky Mount. A granite belt is located relatively close to the surface and extends westward from the city for about 20 miles.

The average rainfall in Nash County is 43 inches. The average temperature is 61.9 degrees with the January average temperature 39 degrees Fahrenheit and the average July temperature is 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nash County Population
According to the most recent census results, the population of Nash County in 2000 was 87,420 making it the 30th largest county in the state. The largest city within the county is Rocky Mount, with a population of 55,893 according to the most recent census results, population of the Rocky Mount MSA was 145,571. Other Nash County towns and their latest census counts are:

Nashville - 4,309
Red Oak - 2,723
Sharpsburg - 2,421
Spring Hope - 1,261
Middlesex - 838
Dortches - 809
Whitakers - 799
Bailey - 670
Castalia - 340
Momeyer - 291

Nash County has an abundant water supply from the Tar River and its tributary creeks. A 1,400 acre reservoir on the Tar River, southwest of Rocky Mount, was completed in 1971. In addition to ensuring an abundant water supply, it offers attractive recreational areas with fishing, water skiing and boating.

HEALTH CARE
Nash Health Care Systems encompasses Nash General Hospital, Nash Day Hospital, Coastal Plain Hospital & Counseling Center and Bryant T. Aldridge Rehabilitation Center. Nash General Hospital, a 300-bed acute care facility, was opened in 1971. This seven-story facility was the first hospital in the state to have all-private rooms. Expansion has created Nash Day Hospital, the first freestanding outpatient facility in the nation. Nash Day offers radiology, radiation oncology, surgery, rehabilitation, laboratory and endoscopy services. Nash Day is also home to the Rocky Mount Heartburn Treatment Center, a nationally recognized center of excellence for the treatment of heartburn. Coastal Plain Hospital & Psychiatric Center is a 50-bed psychiatric care and substance abuse center. Opened in November 1999, Aldridge Rehab Center is a 23-bed comprehensive rehabilitation state-of-the-art facility featuring a therapeutic swimming pool and gymnasium as well as an innovative walking garden. The number for Nash Health Care Systems is (252) 443-8000.

Edgecombe-Nash Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities/Substance Abuse Services is located at 500 Nash Medical Arts Mall on the Nash General Hospital campus. This agency provides and/or makes referrals to private vendors for a number of services for individuals with mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse needs. These include outpatient therapy, emergency services, consultation and education, case management; Referral to inpatient psychiatric services for children, adolescents, adults, and elderly individuals who are acutely mentally ill; Referral to Inpatient hospitalization detoxification services for individuals who are alcohol or drug abusers; referral to Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program for consumers with severe and persistent mental illness; Adult developmental activity program (ADAP) for individuals who are developmentally disabled; Alcohol and drug education traffic schools (ADETS), Drug education schools (DES) and Inpatient hospitalization detoxification services for individuals who are alcohol or drug abusers; Provision of and referral to either social setting, non-hospital medical, or outpatient detoxification services for individuals who are alcoholics as well as forensic services for individuals of all disability groups. Their phone number is (252) 937-8141.

TRANSPORTATION
Nash County features a range of transportation facilities. Served by the main line of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, along the eastern boundary, the Nash County Railroad serves the central portion of the county and the southern portion of the county is served by Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The county is also served by a network of major highways including US Highways 301, 264, 64; Interstate 95 and state highways 97, 48, 58, and 44. There are also numerous motor freight carrier terminals in the Rocky Mount area.

Regional air service as well as shuttle service to Raleigh-Durham International Airport is provided by the Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport which opened in 1970. Located on NC Highway 97, RWI is just a short drive of 6.5 miles from Rocky Mount and only minutes from industrial traffic routes.

Carolina Trailways, a regional bus company that has been operating in North Carolina since the 1920s, now owned by Greyhound, provides scheduled intercity bus service to the Rocky Mount Terminal.

North Carolina's state-supported Carolinian and Piedmont trains and Amtrak's north-south Silver Meteor, Silver Palm and Silver Star trains have scheduled daily service to the Rocky Mount train station.

Nash-Edgecombe Transportation Service (NETS) provides subscription and dial-a-ride transportation for rural residents of Nash County. Dial-A-Ride transportation services (DARTS), operates dial-a-ride paratransit service for certain authorized residents of the City of Rocky Mount who begin and end their trips within 3/4 mile of Rocky Mount Transit's fixed routes.

Rocky Mount Transit operates fixed-route buses for the city of Rocky Mount.

EDUCATION
Rocky Mount is the home of North Carolina Wesleyan College. This four-year co-educational liberal arts college began operations in 1960 on a 200-acre campus. Shaw University of Raleigh has a center in Rocky Mount and offers a component of liberal arts instruction. The Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools serve 17,480 students from 28 campuses including three consolidated high schools and one alternative high school.

Private and parochial schools are also available in the area. Our Lady of Perpetual Help enrolls approximately 250 students in the P-7 program. Falls Road Baptist School, Grace Christian School, NEW Christian Academy, The Enfield Academy and the Rocky Mount Academy are K-12 programs enrolling approximately 1,100 students.

Nash County's continuing educational needs are being met by Nash Community College, offering a full curriculum in vocational college transfer courses as well as providing free literacy and basic skills education to adults. Their program includes courses in trades and industry, business administration, information technology, nursing and secretarial science.

North Carolina State University and East Carolina University are an easy one-hour drive from Nash County.

CULTURAL
The Rocky Mount Arts and Crafts Center offers unique opportunities in the visual and performing arts for the Nash County area. The Center contains an art gallery, theater, classrooms and an art studio. Regular art exhibits, courses in interior design, painting, sculpture, ceramics, crewel, theater-related courses and other arts and crafts activities are offered to all ages.

The area's cultural activities are also enhanced by the Community Concert Series of Symphony Orchestras, the North Carolina Wesleyan Concert Series and professional plays at North Carolina Wesleyan College.

Braswell Library houses houses Adult Collections and Resources with over 23,000 fiction, 33,000 nonfiction, and 2,500 reference titles, 370 periodical holdings, 2400 audio and 700 videos. The Children's and Youth Collections and Resources holds over 19,000 fiction, 11,000 nonfiction, and 560 reference titles and over 1000 videos and 1,000 cassette titles plus 30 magazines. A Spanish language collection of books, audio and videos has over 400 titles. The Nash County Bookmobile maintains an on-board collection that numbers between 2,500 and 3,000 titles, and the shelves back at their library office hold another 6,500 or so. The Bookmobile borrows from Braswell's circulating collection when necessary.

The Spring Hope Historical museum is sponsored and maintained by the Spring Hope Historical Association and is dedicated to the premise that a preservation of the past is a true legacy for the generations to come. Located on Main St., Spring Hope, NC.

RECREATIONAL
Nash County and Rocky Mount also have abundant recreational opportunities. The Tar River Reservoir provides an excellent place for all water-related sports. Fine hunting and fishing are found within the community and throughout eastern North Carolina.

The city of Rocky Mount and Nashville boast facilities for recreational programs in tennis, softball and picnicking. Rocky Mount's Sunset Park has many parks and playgrounds, a miniature train, carousel and city zoo. There are many activities at this park including a miniature train, historic carousel, picnic shelters, lighted tennis courts, a softball field, and lighted basketball courts. Recent additions include Spray Park - a one-of-a-kind attraction featuring 10 computer controlled water spray fountains within a traditional playground structure, and Skate Park for skate boarding enthusiasts. Other local municipalities provide various recreational programs for their residents as well.

Since 1954, the City of Rocky Mount Children's Museum has provided an educational program for young people by interpreting and exhibiting significant objects and enriching their lives through the development of proper attitudes through creative outlets. An emphasis is placed on providing children with "hands on" experiences of the latest technological advances possible as well as giving them an understanding of the history that led us to these advances. The museum has been the subject of many state and regional publications, including "Southern Living" magazine. Ongoing programs at the museum include: classes, animal and science talks, birthday parties, outreach presentations to schools and curator opportunities. Each month, members of the Tar River Astronomy Club gather at the Museum for programs and special viewing.

Excellent golfing facilities are available at courses in the Rocky Mount, Nashville and Spring Hope areas.

AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY
In the second quarter of 2001, Nash County had a labor force of 41,765. Of this total work force, 4.1% were engaged in agricultural employment and 23.2% were engaged in manufacturing jobs. Growing workforce industry groups are the retail trade (19.8%) and service (20.1%).

Agricultural products from Nash County include tobacco, poultry, swine, corn, forestry, soybeans, sweet potatoes, cotton, peanuts, cucumbers, small grain, beef cattle, dairy cattle and products, nursery and horticultural plants.

Nash County enjoys a rare blend of rural lifestyle coupled with the economic advantages of a diversified agricultural, industrial and service-based economy. Nash County is also positioned as a major gateway between the Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions of North Carolina.

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