The Early Days

1761

Pitt County is established after legislation dividing Beaufort County at Tranters Creek was approved. Pitt County was 656 square miles with approximately 2,600 residents. The county was named for British politician William Pitt, who experienced great success during the French and Indian War.

1761

A five-member commission is appointed to supervise the construction of Pitt County’s first courthouse. Commission Chairman John Hardee’s house, located three miles east of what would become Greenville and south of the Tar River serves as the county’s first courthouse.

1771

A Pitt County legislator named Richard Evans divides off his plantation in order to form a town on the south side of the Tar River. The town was named Martinsborough in honor of then-Royal Governor Josiah Martin.

1774  

Following the death of Richard Evans before official completion of the town’s establishment, seven appointed commissioners lay the town off into 100 half-acre lots sold by public auction. The original charter is amended to fulfill all of the requirements of the General Assembly and Martinsborough becomes the county seat of Pitt County. The David Stone and Peter Brown survey map of North Carolina (pictured above) was one of the first maps to show the settlement of Greenville.

1775

A courthouse is constructed at the corner of Evans Street and Third Street in Greenville, marking the end of use of the Hardee home as the county’s courthouse. The courthouse stood on pillars with an open market beneath it.

1787

On January 8, 1787, an act of the the North Carolina General Assembly changes the name of Martinsborough to Greenesville in honor of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene (pictured above). The name change was the result of people of the town seeking a namesake more in keeping with the new order of things following the revolution. The “es” was eventually dropped from the name, but the timing of the decision is uncertain.

1787

The North Carolina General Assembly charters the Pitt Academy, marking the beginning of Greenville’s esteemed history of education. Founders included a number of Pitt County’s Revolutionary leaders, several town commissioners, and other local leaders.

1791

President George Washington visits Greenville (which had recently been shortened from the name Greenesville) and notes in his diary that it included about 15 families and had a large tar and turpentine market.

New Prosperity

1811

The General Assembly authorizes commissioners in Pitt County to hold a lottery to raise $2,000 to build a bridge over the Tar River. The law specified that the bridge should not obstruct the passage of fish or boats. The bridge is not constructed until 1823.

1814

North Carolina General Assembly charters the Greenville Academy. The 1814 act did not mention the previous charter Pitt Academy, although some historians believe the two charters were for the same school under different names. Greenville Academy was housed in a two-story frame building at Second and Greene Streets. In later years, it was also known as Greenville Male Academy. The academy eventually moved to a new location on Evans Street (the site now occupied by Sheppard Memorial Library). The school, pictured above, closed before the end of the nineteenth century.

1828

Richard Evans opens the Macon House Hotel on Cotanche Street between Second and Third Streets. The hotel would become Greenville’s center of social and political activity.

1830’s

Steamboat activity increases, helping Greenville more easily import and export goods. A steamboat on the Tar River in the 1800’s is pictured above.

1833

A new courthouse is constructed on Evans Street at its intersection with Third Street. Construction of the two-story brick building was funded through an annual property and poll tax approved by the legislature in 1789.

1840’s

Greenville develops a thriving cotton culture, and the town’s location at the intersection of the river and the plank road from Wilson, NC, helps make it a regional link between the Piedmont area and cities on the North Carolina coast.

1857

The Pitt County Courthouse is destroyed by a fire. Most of the county’s existing records are also burned, limiting researchers’ abilities to track Greenville’s genealogy.

1861

The citizens of Greenville adopt a resolution to hold a Secession Convention. Two men, F.B. Satterthwaite and Bryan Grimes, represent Pitt County at the Raleigh Secession Convention. Approximately 2,000 Pitt County men join the Confederate militia, while nearly the same number of men join the federal militia. The county’s diverse population makes it an important battleground in the Civil War with numerous skirmishes taking place in Greenville and surrounding areas over the next three years.

A Whole New World

1870’s

As Reconstruction comes to an end, Greenville begins to expand with new businesses and residents popping up in the town.

1880’s

New businesses begin to flourish in Greenville with multiple new businesses starting in the town’s central business district just blocks south of the Tar River. The image above is of the Charles A. White Store built in 1885 at Five Points on the corner of Fifth and Evans Streets.

1889

Greenville gets its first railroad connection after years of debate among residents in Greenville and other parts of Pitt County. The railroad access opened up more opportunities for the growth and expansion of businesses in the city. The Eastern Reflector newspaper proclaimed “Greenville is now no longer among the out-of-the-way places, but is joined to the outside world with bands of steel.”

1890’s

Access to the train opens Greenville up to the rest of the world, and tobacco becomes the town’s primary cash crop. Greenville becomes the largest tobacco market in eastern North Carolina. An image of the first tobacco warehouse in town that was built in 1891 on Ninth Street is provided above.

1903

The General Assembly authorizes a bond for water, light, and sewer systems in Greenville, The City of Greenville’s first Water and Light Commission (to later be renamed Greenville Utilities Commission) was established to oversee operations, and all systems were operating by 1907.

1907

The Greenville Chamber of Commerce is established with a goal of improving the business community and capturing a new state university.

1907

The North Carolina Legislature establishes East Carolina Teachers Training School, now East Carolina University. A groundbreaking ceremony for the school is held in 1908.

1909

East Carolina Teachers Training School officially opens and Greenville becomes the educational center of eastern North Carolina.

1914

White’s Theatre opens on Fifth Street in the downtown area. The theatre started as a venue for stage and film entertainment. It changed names and types of entertainment through the years before closing when the Greenville Redevelopment Commission purchased it in 2008. The historic theatre reopened as the State Theatre, a live music venue, in 2019.

1923

Greenville physician Dr. Charles Laughinghouse and a group of other physicians raise $85,000 to start Pitt Community Hospital. The hospital’s first temporary location was downtown above the H.L. Hodge’s Hardware Store before moving to a structure on the corner of Johnston and Woodlawn Streets east of downtown. The three-story hospital had 42 beds and two full-time physicians, with 16 nurses.

1924

In early 1924, the Greenville Kiwanis Club began to work to open a black hospital in Greenville. They rented the Old Bernard House near the corner of First and Evans Streets and hired Miss Hopkins, a graduate nurse and Greenville native to manage it. The Kiwanis Club approached both white and black churches for donations and the Pitt General Hospital agreed to share their sterilizing plant, operating rooms, X-ray and pathological laboratories. Thus, the St. Frances Hospital for Colored People opened on September 1, 1924 with 15 beds and a staff of 2 graduate nurses and a few nurses in training.

1936

Local farmer J. E. Winslow, owner of Winslow’s Stables, joins some other area farmers to form the North Carolina Farm Bureau to help farmers avoid some of the terrible losses they suffered during the recent economic downturns. Farm bureaus became very popular, forming in numerous counties across the state with Winslow serving as the state president for more than 10 years. Today, North Carolina Farm Bureau remains a leading advocate at the local, state, national, and international levels for the interests and needs of the farming community.

1937

Guy Smith Stadium opens in the area that once served as the fairgrounds. The stadium would host Coastal Plains League baseball games for the Greenville Greenies until 1951. Today, the stadium once again will be hosting a Coastal Plains League team in summer of 2024 while also being utilized by the J.H. Rose High School baseball team and the city’s Babe Ruth Baseball League.

1939

The City of Greenville opens a new City Hall located on the corner of Fifth and Washington Streets. The building was constructed by one of eastern North Carolina’s leading architects, Frank W. Benton of Wilson, in an Art Deco style.

1940

The City of Greenville and Pitt County purchase 500 acres of land with an air strip to create the city’s first airport. An Airport Commission was formed in 1946 and appointed to lease and operate an airport for the city. Different companies have provided service over the years. Today, the service provider is American Airlines.

Educational, Medical, Economic, and Cultural Hub

1948

Thanks to the work of Jasper L. Tripp, Roy L. Tripp, and J.R. Cullifer, the Roxy Theatre opens on Albemarle Avenue. The theatre became a hub for entertainment in the African American community until it was transformed into a community center in 1975. Today, the Roxy is home to the Greenville Theater Arts Center (GTAC).

1950

Greenville Industries is incorporated by eight local businessmen as a for-profit, land-holding company that sold real estate at a reduced price to new or expanding industries. The goal was to diversify an economy that had previously been mainly agricultural.

1951

A new hospital, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, opens on West Fifth Street. The hospital, which today houses some administrative offices for Pitt County and Pitt County Schools, included 120 beds at the time before growing to 205 beds by 1963. Despite the expansion, the hospital was still too small so efforts to facilitate the passage of a bond referendum to build a new hospital got underway.

1953

The City of Greenville opens Elm Street Park on May 6, 1953 with a packed house on hand to watch Little League baseball. The park has grown over the years, but it has remained a hub for Little League baseball action.

1959

Grady-White Boats opens in Greenville. The business would eventually become one of the largest fiberglass boat manufacturers in the world and one of the strongest community partners in the city.

1960

The Greenville Art Center opens at the old Graham Flanagan home on Evans Street. The center was the result of efforts by the East Carolina Art Society, which started in 1956, and the Greenville Women’s Club to provide a “home” for the art center after displaying art in Greenville an exhibition space at Sheppard Memorial Library for the previous few years.

1960

The newly-established Redevelopment Commission for the City of Greenville begins the controversial Shore Drive Redevelopment Project that would impact hundreds of families living just south of the Tar River in the “downtown” neighborhood of homes, businesses, and the Sycamore Hill Baptist Church. The redevelopment project broke up a vibrant African American community in the name of economic development. Once the project was completed, the area was left with only the Sycamore Hill Baptist Church on the corner of Greene and First Streets. The image above shows a couple of houses from the neighborhood along First Street.

1963

East Carolina University opens James Skinner Ficklen Memorial Stadium during a football game agains Wake Forest. The stadium included seating on the south side of the field for 10,000 people with a small press box. ECU won the game, 20-10.

1966

The Town Common opens, providing an open space park north of downtown along the Tar River in the area that was once the “downtown” neighborhood. In the image above, the Sycamore Hill Baptist Church can still be seen at the top right corner of the park. Today, the Town Common is one of the city’s most popular parks, hosting a variety of events and gatherings while also providing a connection to the city’s greenway system.

1969

A fire consumes nearly all of the Sycamore Hill Baptist Church, forcing the church to relocate to Eighth Street and vacating the last remaining element of the former “downtown” neighborhood.

1970

In a major win for Greenville Industries and one of the first major steps toward the establishment of Greenville’s reputation as a pharmaceutical hub, a dedication ceremony is held for Burroughs Wellcome. The facility relocated from New York to locations in Greenville and the Research Triangle Park in the Raleigh/Durham area. The facility has expanded and changed ownership over the years, and today the campus is primarily the home of Thermo Fisher Scientific, a pharmaceutical production and manufacturing facility that employs nearly 2,000.

1973

Sunday in the Park is held at the Town Common for the first time. The summertime concert series recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of eight concerts in the summer of 2023.

1975

River Park North is opened by the City of Greenville, providing the City’s first nature-based park north of the Tar River. Today, the park includes 324 acres offering a variety of activities including boating, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and a nature center. 

1977

The new Pitt County Memorial Hospital opens in its current location with 355 beds. Additionally, the East Carolina University School of Medicine also opens for its first class of 28 students. In 1982, the Brody Medical Science Building, pictured above behind the hospital, was opened.

1980

In March of 1980, Greenville experienced the largest recorded snowfall in its history with areas receiving between 24 and 30 inches of snow. The storm also brought some of the coldest temperatures ever recorded with most areas below zero.

1986

Greenville City Schools and Pitt County Schools merge to form the Pitt County School System consisting of 30 schools. Today, Pitt County Schools serves more than 24,000 students in its 38 schools.

1986

The Children’s Hospital opens at Pitt County Memorial Hospital. The hospital would expand over the years, and today the ECU Health Maynard Children’s Hospital, shown above, is one of the country’s premier places for pediatric care.

1986

The Greenville Aquatics and Fitness Center opens to the public as the first ever membership exercise/wellness facility operated by the Greenville Recreation & Parks Department. Today, the facility offers an indoor heated pool, strength training equipment, cardio equipment, swim lessons, and a basketball court along with various types of exercise classes.

1987

Edward Carter is elected to be the first African American Mayor in Greenville’s history. Carter had previously served on the City Council for four years. Additionally, the format for City Council elections was changed during the 1987 municipal election to the 5 districts, one at-large, one mayor format that it is today.

1993

The City of Greenville opens a new Police/Fire Headquarters located on Greene Street downtown. The 47,956-square foot facility included two stories of office and meeting spaces for both Police and Fire/Rescue while also offering five bays for rescue vehicles, living quarters, a kitchen, and shared common areas including meeting rooms and an exercise area. This facility was the first of its kind for public safety in the area.

1995

After years of planning, the City of Greenville opens its first greenway, the Green Mill Run Greenway, to provide an alternative for transportation in the city. The 1.1-mile linear trail (a pilot project at the time) connects Green Springs Park to Elm Street Park. In the image above, Mayor Nancy Jenkins speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony in 1994. Today, there are nearly 9 miles of greenway trails throughout the city.

1999

Hurricane Floyd passes over Greenville in September, dumping approximately 17 inches of rain. With more than 20 inches of rain having already fallen earlier in the month during the passage of Hurricane Dennis, the Tar River rose to record levels (29.74 feet) and flooded many areas of the city. Some portions of Pitt County were under water for more than two weeks, while more than 4,300 structures were damaged countywide at a cost of more than $346 million. There were six deaths reported in the county.

1999

In December of 1999, the City of Greenville purchases Bradford Creek Public Golf Course, a 185-acre course featuring tree-lined fairways, ponds, and slow-moving streams along with a clubhouse utilized for various events and a public driving range.

2000

The first-ever Freeboot Friday event is held at Five Points Plaza in downtown Greenville. The event, held on the Friday evening before an East Carolina University home football game, serves as the official pep rally for the Pirates while providing a variety of live entertainment, food, and family-friendly fun.

2001

H. Boyd Lee Park is opened, becoming the City’s first park located south of Greenville Boulevard. The park was named for Boyd Lee, who had served as the City of Greenville’s Recreation and Parks Director for more than 30 years. At the time, it was the largest recreational facility in the city.

2001

Through a partnership between the City of Greenville and Pitt County, the Greenville Convention Center is opened. Today, the convention center features more than 91,000 square feet of flexible event and meeting space on a campus that also includes three hotels and two restaurants.

2004

The City of Greenville is named “SportsTown USA” for North Carolina by Sports Illustrated and the National Recreation and Parks Association. The designation is the result of an expansive list of sports and activities available in the community, and the rising popularity of the local BMX scene that was home to some of the top names in the sport including Dave Mirra, Ryan Nyquist, and more.

2006

The City of Greenville officially opens a new City Hall located at 200 West Fifth Street across the street from the previous City Hall that would be converted to a Municipal Building for City offices. The new City Hall included 48,057 square feet at a cost of $7.5 million. The glass walls and open atrium was designed to tie into the idea of open government and transparency.

2007

After moving to the new City Hall across the street, the City of Greenville opens the Municipal Building to house various City offices. The City spent eight months renovating the former City Hall (30,000 square feet) at a cost of $4.2 million.

2013

Greenville opens its first stand-alone Emergency Operations Center. Located at Fire Station 6, the 4,000-square foot facility was designed to withstand 150 MPH winds and protect and support operations during severe weather, like hurricanes or tornadoes, as well as man-made disasters. When not in use as an EOC, the facility is used for fire and rescue training purposes.

2013

Splashpoint at the Dream Park is opened on Chestnut Street to provide the City’s first sprayground. The park’s theme was based on the former fire station and fire training tower that once stood in the park’s location in the Higgs Neighborhood.

2016

A newly renovated South Greenville Recreation Center opens for the public on Howell Street. The facility underwent more than $3 million in renovations and additions to more than double its size to the 18,815 square feet. The new facility was the City’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certified building, a certification it received for its sustainable design and green features.

2018

The City of Greenville opens the G.K. Butterfield Transportation Center on South Pitt Street. The center provides a centrally located transfer facility where local and regional transportation services can connect.

2019

In a the latest step toward enhancing connectivity while relieving congestion and improving safety along Greenville’s roadways, the North Carolina Department of Transportation opens the Southwest Bypass, a 12.6-mile roadway that stretches from Greenville to south of Ayden.

2020

During a ceremony at Elm Street Park, the City of Greenville is announced as the new home of the Little League Softball World Series. The international event at Elm Street Park was postponed during its first year in Greenville due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the event has grown in attendance each year since in 2021.

2020

Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza is opened on the western end of the Town Common in the same location where the Sycamore Hill Baptist Church once stood. The $1.9 million plaza provides a prominent entrance to the park’s west end while commemorating the Shore Drive neighborhood that was taken away during the redevelopment project in the 1960s.

2021

The first phase of Wildwood Park is opened by the City of Greenville. Wildwood Park, the City’s largest park, includes more than 360 acres of recreational activities including natural surface trails, kayak and canoe launches, a nature-themed playground, a mountain bike trail, BMX pump track and skills course, camping platforms, an event space, and more.

2022

The North Carolina Department of Transportation officially unveiled the Interstate 587 shield during a ceremony in Greenville on Wednesday, June 22. The newly-designated, 37-mile stretch of interstate connects Greenville to I-95/I-795 in Wilson County and becomes Greenville’s first interstate connection.