Parmele

History

The town was settled in 1890 when the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was built through the area to provide transportation from nearby lumber mills. It was named for local lumber mill owner E. A. Parmele. Following the construction of the Albemarle and Raleigh Railroad the population rapidly grew, and the community was incorporated as a town in 1893 by the North Carolina General Assembly. A fire burned through much of the town on April 1, 1904, destroying many businesses and leading to the decline of nearby lumber mills. In 1909, William C. Chance founded the Higgs Industrial School for African Americans (also known as the Parmele Industrial Institute) which at its peak occupied a six-building campus and merged with the town's public school. The school was closed following a fire at its main building in 1954.

Geography

Parmele is in western Martin County, west of Williamston, the county seat, and the same distance east of Tarboro. U.S. Route 64 Alt passes through the north side of the town, leading east to Robersonville and west to Bethel. The current U.S. Route 64 freeway (opened in 1996) passes to the north of Parmele, with the closest access from either Robersonville or Bethel. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Parmele has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity