Fuquay-Varina

History

Frenchman William Fuquay first settled in the small farming town of Sippihaw, named for the original Native American tribe that inhabited the area. Although there is no history of a tribe called Sippihaw, there are historical accounts in the area of a tribe called Susippihaw. Around 1858, while plowing the fields of the family tobacco farm, Stephen Fuquay, son of William, discovered a spring. Originally the spring was used solely for drinking water. Stephen soon came to the conclusion that the mineral water flowing from the springs had healing properties. As word spread, locals began to help the springs establish this reputation, which brought residents from neighboring communities and counties to its waters. The springs were eventually walled in to better serve the tourists coming to the area by road or rail. In 1860, Fuquay sold the springs to a group of local investors who formed the Chalybeate Springs Company to market the attraction and its waters. At that time another Sippihaw resident, J. D. "Squire" Ballentine, was returning home from the Civil War. Ballentine had been the town's schoolmaster before going off to fight for the Confederate Army. During his tour of duty, he had received letters from one of many southern ladies who wrote to the troops to improve their morale. Originally signing her name "Varina", perhaps an homage to the wife of Jefferson Davis, Virginia Avery would later meet and fall in love with Ballentine. He continued to call her Varina throughout their life together. When he became the first postmaster at the new post office in town in 1880, he named it "Varina" in her honor. A community grew just south of the springs, near the post office and the couple's Varina Mercantile Company general store. In time, it adopted the same name.…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.51%, is water. Fuquay-Varina is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain regions meet. This area is known as the "Fall Line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. Its central Piedmont location situates Fuquay-Varina approximately three hours west of Atlantic Beach by car and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains. Fuquay-Varina enjoys a moderate subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high humidity. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s °F (10 to 13 °C) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s °F (−2 to 2 °C), although an occasional 60 °F (15 °C) or warmer winter day may occur. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s °F (low 20s °C), with lows at night in the lower 50s °F (10 to 14 °C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s °F (29 to 35 °C). The rainiest month is July.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  30,502
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  28,704
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  26,126
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  25,793
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  24,283
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  23,977
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  22,824
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  20,137

Largest nearby schools

• Holly Springs High
  High · Holly Springs · 2,140 students · 19.8:1 ratio
• Fuquay-Varina High
  High · Fuquay-Varina · 1,940 students · 19:1 ratio
• Middle Creek High
  High · Apex · 1,659 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Willow Spring High
  Other · Fuquay Varina · 1,477 students · 18.2:1 ratio
• Triangle Math and Science Academy
  Other · Cary · 1,276 students · 30.4:1 ratio
• Pine Springs Preparatory Academy
  Elementary · Holly Springs · 1,243 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• Fuquay-Varina Middle
  Middle · Fuquay-Varina · 1,164 students · 17.6:1 ratio
• Lufkin Road Middle
  Middle · Apex · 995 students · 15.8:1 ratio