WASHINGTON COUNTY

Washington was formed in 1799 from Tyrrell. It was named in honor of George Washington. It is in the eastern section of the State and is bounded by Tyrrell, Hyde, Beaufort, Martin and Bertie counties, and the Albemarle Sound. The present land area is 348.46 square miles. The population from the 2010 Census was 13,228. Of that population, 6,084 were white, 6,587 were black or African American, 24 were American Indian, 38 were Asian, 1 was Pacific Islander and 340 were of a different race. Another 154 were reported to be of two or more races and 466 were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The courts were ordered to be held at Lee's Mill until a courthouse could be erected. Plymouth, already in existence when the county was established was incorporated in 1807. In 1823 the courthouse was moved from Lee's Mill to Plymouth. In 1873 the General Assembly authorized that the county seat be moved from Plymouth to McKey's Ferry provided the people approved the same by popular vote. Plymouth is the county seat.

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Washington County is primarily in the Pasquotank River Basin, though some parts are in the Roanoke River Basin or the Tar-Pamlico River Basin. It is a part of the Coastal Plain region of the state.

References:

"American Factfinder." 2011. U. S. Census Bureau. Online at http://factfinder2.census.gov/. Accessed 3/3/2011.

Corbitt, David L. 2000. The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663-1943. Sixth printing. Raleigh: State Department of Archives and History.

Powell, William Stevens, and Michael R. Hill. 2010. The North Carolina gazetteer: a dictionary of Tar Heel places and their history. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.

Additional resources:

North Carolina Digital Collections (Government & Heritage Library and NC State Archives)

NC LIVE resources

NC Natural Heritage Program database

WorldCat (Searches numerous library catalogs)