Greenville, North Carolina
Greenville (/ˈɡriːnvɪl/ GREEN-vil; locally /ˈɡriːnvəl/ GREEN-vəl) is the county seat and most populous city of Pitt County, North Carolina, United States. It is the principal city of the Greenville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the 12th-most populous city in North Carolina. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain. As of the 2020 census, there were 87,521 people in the city.[6] The city has continued to see a population increase with a majority of the influx being seen during the 20th and early 21st centuries.[7]
Not to be confused with Greensboro, North Carolina or Greenville, South Carolina.
Greenville
United States
1771
1774 (Martinsborough)
1786 (Greenville)
38.20 sq mi (98.95 km2)
37.44 sq mi (96.97 km2)
0.76 sq mi (1.98 km2) 1.99%
26 ft (8 m)
87,521
89,233
12th in North Carolina
2,337.63/sq mi (902.55/km2)
1,810.1/sq mi (698.9/km2)
175,119 (US: 252nd)
Greenvillian
37-28080
2403753[3]
Many major companies have moved their regional, national, and international headquarters to Greenville. Companies include Grady-White Boats, Hyster-Yale Group, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Denso, among others. Greenville is the home of East Carolina University, the fourth-largest university in the University of North Carolina System, and ECU Health Medical Center, the flagship hospital for ECU Health and the teaching hospital for the Brody School of Medicine.
History[edit]
Founding[edit]
Greenville formed in 1771 as "Martinsborough," named after the Royal Governor Josiah Martin. In 1774 the town was moved to its present location on the south bank of the Tar River, three miles (4.8 km) west of its original site. In 1786, the name was changed to Greenesville in honor of General Nathanael Greene, the American Revolutionary War hero. It was later shortened to Greenville.[8]
19th century[edit]
During Greenville's early years, the Tar River was a navigable waterway, and by the 1860s there were several established steamboat lines transporting passengers and goods on the river. Cotton was the leading agricultural crop, and Greenville became a major cotton export center. Before the turn of the century, however, tobacco surpassed cotton and became the leading money crop. Greenville became one of the state's leading tobacco marketing and warehouse centers.[8]
20th century[edit]
For over a century, Greenville was recognized only as an important tobacco market and the home of a small state-supported college, chartered by the Legislature in March 1907 and named East Carolina Teacher's Training School, a co-ed institution. By the mid 1960s, East Carolina College had become the third-largest state-supported college, and enrollment approached 8,000 students — twice the 1960 enrollment figure. In 1967, it became East Carolina University. ECU Medical School admitted its first four-year class in 1977. At the turn of the century, enrollment at ECU topped the 18,000 mark, and now exceeds 29,000 students.[9]
Greenville's current economic development began in 1963 when Empire Brush was recruited to the new Greenville Industrial Park, established by Greenville Industries, Inc. (a for-profit land holding company) in partnership with the Pitt County Development Commission (established by a voter referendum in 1957) and Greenville Utilities Commission. One of the community's greatest successes came in 1968 when Burroughs Wellcome, a major pharmaceutical research and manufacturing firm, located a pharmaceutical development/manufacturing facility near the city. The site is now owned by Patheon, a Thermo Fisher Scientific company, which employs approximately 1,200 people.[10] The city and Pitt County have also become home to many other major industries and businesses including Catalent, DENSO (formerly ASMO), Domtar Personal Care, Grady-White Boats, and Hyster-Yale Group.[8]
Government[edit]
City Council[edit]
Greenville has a council–manager form of government. The Greenville City Council is the governing body of the city.[1]
The mayor presides at council meetings and authorizes documents approved by the City Council. Together, they are responsible for establishing city policies and appointing members for boards and commissions. The City Council approves resolutions and ordinances, adopts an annual budget, manages the financing of city operations, and authorizes contracts.[1]
The city manager, appointed by the Greenville City Council, is responsible for implementing the policies enacted by the City Council and managing the daily operations of city government.[1]
Five of the council members serve individual districts and the sixth is elected by the entire city and serves at-large, much like the mayor.[1]
Media[edit]
Newspapers and publications[edit]
The Daily Reflector serves as the main daily newspaper and is Greenville's oldest business.[50] Other notable newspapers that serve the city include G-Vegas Magazine, The Greenville Times, The East Carolinian, Her Magazine, The Minority Voice and Viva Greenville.
Infrastructure[edit]
Health care[edit]
The health care community in Greenville is one of the largest in the state of North Carolina. With 861 beds, ECU Health Medical Center is the fifth largest hospital in North Carolina and is one of five academic medical centers in the state (others include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, Wake Forest University, and Campbell University). ECU Health Medical Center is the only trauma center east of Raleigh and serves as the teaching hospital for The Brody School of Medicine. The hospital hosts over 1,700 licensed medical providers and serves over 1.2 million residents of the region. Many medical offices and clinics along with the hospital and university teaching facilities lie on Greenville's west side, comprising what is known as the Medical District.[53] The East Carolina Heart Institute is open and has added 250 jobs at the hospital along with a six floor facility.[54] A new 418,000 square foot Cancer Center broke ground at ECU Health Medical Center. The 96 inpatient room facility serves as one of the major destinations for oncology patients in Eastern North Carolina.[55] The Golden LEAF Foundation announced a $10.8 million grant in 2018 and The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation also donated $10 million.[56][57] Vidant Cancer Care at the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Tower opened in March 2018.[55]
Transportation[edit]
Major highways:
Rail freight transport is provided by CSX Transportation, along a north–south corridor, and Norfolk Southern Railway, along a east–west corridor.
Public transportation is provided by the G.K. Butterfield Transportation Center, which connects Uptown Greenville with local bus service, through the Greenville Area Transit (GREAT), and intercity bus service via Amtrak Thruway and Greyhound Lines. East Carolina University operates a local bus service, ECU Transit, and Pitt Area Transit (PATS) provides "by request" transportation.[58][59]
Air service is available through the Pitt-Greenville Airport with scheduled flights daily to Charlotte Douglas International Airport via Piedmont Airlines and PSA Airlines.
Section of the South Tar River Greenway were completed in 2009, and 2011; a third section is planned.[60][61]
As of 2022, the NCDOT Rail Division is studying the feasibility of Amtrak passenger rail transport between the city and Raleigh.[62]
