"New Bern" redirects here. For the fictional city of the TV series Jericho, see
New Bern, Kansas.
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 23,128 as of the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2006 was 27,650.[3] It is located at the convergence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers, 87 miles (140 km) northeast of Wilmington. New Bern is the second oldest town in North Carolina and served as the capital of the North Carolina colonial government and then briefly as the state capital. It is the county seat of Craven County and the principal city of the New Bern Micropolitan Statistical Area. Originally a Swiss settlement, the city is named after the capital of Switzerland, Bern and shares its flag. The Swiss connection (just as the Dutch in New Amsterdam, and German immigrants in Pennsylvania Dutch) with England was established by Marian exiles and marriages of the Royal House of Stuart, important people in the history of the Calvinism. New Bern is commonly known as the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.
History
New Bern was first settled in 1710 by Swiss and German immigrants[4] under the leadership of Christoph von Graffenried, Franz Louis Michel[5][6] and John Lawson. It was named after the (later) capital of Switzerland, Bern. The first permanent seat of the colonial government of North Carolina was located in New Bern. Following the American Revolutionary War, New Bern became the first state capital. Christoph von Graffenried ordered that the layout of the town was made into the shape of a cross, although the town is not in the shape today due to growth of the town and towns surrounding it.
Historical marker designating New Bern
Tryon Palace was completed in 1770 and was the former home of British governor William Tryon. It then became the original state capitol building of newly-independent North Carolina and remained so until the 1790s, when it burned down. A replica, built from the original plans and on the original foundation, is now maintained as a historic site and tourist attraction. During the 1800s Federal period, New Bern was the largest city in North Carolina.[7] New Bern recovered after Raleigh took its place as the state capital with the help of trade routes to the Caribbean and New England.[7] It reached a population of 3,600 in 1815.[7]
New Bern was the site of the Battle of New Bern early in the American Civil War in which the town was captured and occupied by Union forces.
Geography
Reconstructed Tryon Palace in 2008
New Bern is located at 35°6′33″N 77°4′9″W / 35.10917°N 77.06917°W / 35.10917; -77.06917 (35.109070, -77.069111)[8].
New Bern is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.0 square miles (69.9 km²), of which, 25.8 square miles (66.9 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) of it (4.30%) is water.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 23,128 people, 10,006 households, and 6,183 families residing in the city.
The population density was 895.5 people per square mile (345.7/km²). There were 11,094 housing units at an average density of 429.5/sq mi (165.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.96% White, 40.32% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.99% of the population.
There were 10,006 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,139, and the median income for a family was $38,990. Males had a median income of $28,720 versus $21,687 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,499. About 14.7% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.4% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Colleges
High School
Middle Schools
- Grover C. Fields Middle School
- H.J. McDonald Middle School
- West Craven Middle School
Elementary Schools
- Trent Park Elementary School
- Oaks Road Elementary School
- J.T. Barber Elementary School
- Brinson Memorial Elementary School
- Ben D. Quinn Elementary School
- Albert H. Bangert Elementary School
- Creekside Elementary School
- Bridgeton Elementary School
Private school
- Ruth's Chapel Christian School
- Epiphany School
- Calvary Baptist Christian School
- St. Paul Education Center
Notable residents
- Lewis Addison Armistead, Confederate Army brigadier general[9]
- George Edmund Badger, politician
- Graham Arthur Barden, congressman
- Cullen A. Battle, postbellum Mayor of New Bern
- Samuel J. Battle, first African-American policeman in Brooklyn, New York
- Walt Bellamy, NBA "Hall of Fame" basketball player
- Caleb Bradham, inventor
- Elwood Edwards, voice of AOL "You got mail'
- William Gaston, jurist and U.S. Representative
- Linda McMahon, wife of World Wrestling Entertainment founder Vince McMahon
- George Koonce, NFL player for the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, Athletic Director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- Beverly Perdue, first woman to be elected governor of North Carolina
- Brian Simmons, NFL player
- Nicholas Sparks, author
References
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ New Bern, North Carolina (NC) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
- ^ Bishir, Catherine (2005). North Carolina Architecture. UNC Press. pp. 2. http://books.google.com/books?id=NccTgQkmPIEC&client=opera.
- ^ Wilhelmsburg, Colonial Williamsburg, Robert A. Selig, The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club History
- ^ Christoph Von Graffenried's Account of the Founding of New Bern, Vincent H. Todd, Edwards & Broughton Printing Co., Raleigh, North Carolina, 1920
- ^ a b c Bishir, Catherine (2005). North Carolina Architecture. UNC Press. pp. 84. http://books.google.com/books?id=NccTgQkmPIEC&client=opera.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
External links
