Fayetteville

Sister cities

• Saint-Avold

History

Merchants in Wilmington wanted a town on the Cape Fear River to secure trade with the frontier country. They were afraid people would use the Pee Dee River and transport their goods to Charleston, South Carolina. The merchants bought land from Newberry in Cross Creek. Campbelton became a place where poor whites and free blacks lived and gained a reputation for lawlessness. In 1783, Cross Creek and Campbelton united, and the new town was incorporated as Fayetteville in honor of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero who significantly aided the American forces during the war. Fayetteville was the first city to be named in his honor in the United States. as part of his 1824-1825 tour of all the states as "The Nation's Guest." Admirers stood in mud and pouring rain to welcome him. He was feted with a formal dinner, a ball, and multiple military displays. Fayetteville had 3,500 residents in 1820, but Cumberland County's population still ranked as the second most urban in the state, behind New Hanover County (Wilmington). Its "Great Fire" of 1831 was believed to be one of the worst in the nation's history, despite no deaths associated with the incident. Hundreds of homes, businesses, and most of the best-known public buildings were lost, including the old "State House". Fayetteville leaders moved quickly to help the victims and rebuild the town. There was no point in rebuilding the State House since the state government was firmly installed in Raleigh. On its site, the city built a Market House, recreating the city around it just as it had previously surrounded the State House. The new building had a covered area under which business could be conducted since every store in Fayetteville had been destroyed in the fire. Completed in 1832, it became…

Geography

The city limits extend west to the Hoke boundary. It is bordered on the north by the town of Spring Lake. According to the United States Census Bureau, Fayetteville has a total area of , of which is land and (1.21%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,068
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  6,021
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  5,730
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  5,594
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,525
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,988
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,975
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,244

Largest nearby schools

• Jack Britt High
  High · Fayetteville · 1,890 students · 18.9:1 ratio
• Pine Forest High
  High · Fayetteville · 1,572 students · 19.2:1 ratio
• South View High
  High · Hope Mills · 1,502 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Seventy-First High
  High · Fayetteville · 1,366 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• Terry Sanford High
  High · Fayetteville · 1,224 students · 20.1:1 ratio
• Westover High
  High · Fayetteville · 1,202 students · 17.9:1 ratio
• Alpha Academy
  Other · Fayetteville · 1,126 students · 26.2:1 ratio
• John R Griffin Middle
  Middle · Fayetteville · 1,091 students · 17.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2012-07-29
  7 km NNW of Wallace, South Carolina
• M 2.9 — 2011-03-21
  9 km S of Cordova, North Carolina
• M 3.7 — 2006-09-25
  7 km W of Rowland, North Carolina
• M 3.4 — 2006-09-22
  4 km WSW of Blenheim, South Carolina