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Vibrant
communities pay special attention to cultural and civic affairs,
Whiteville is no exception. Under the umbrella of the Columbus
County Arts Council, many diverse groups receive funding or
cultural guidance. These include the Columbus County Theatre
Association, the Oratorio society, the Visual Arts Guild and
many others. Dozens of community, school and church groups
provide a broad spectrum of cultural and artistic opportunities
for Whiteville residents. The Southeastern Community College
Performing Arts Series brings acclaimed performers in music,
dance and theatre to the community such as The Count Basie
Orchestra, The Kingston Trio and Broadway hits like
"Camelot". Monthly art exhibits featuring outstanding
area artists are always well received.
Whiteville also
enjoys the efforts of many national civic organizations such as:
Optimist, Civitan, Lions, Rotary, General Federation of Women's
Clubs and Kiwanis Clubs, just to
mention a few. These clubs contribute much to the quality of
life we enjoy in Whiteville. For addresses of specific
organizations, please contact the Greater Whiteville Chamber of
Commerce.
Whiteville's beginnings date back to 1733 land grants. James B
White, for
whom Whiteville is named, owned over 2000 acres of land which
included a plantation, Marsh Castle. It was originally part of
an 640 acre tract of land inherited by John Burgin and his wife,
Margaret. John Burgin, an attorney, served as secretary to Governor
Arthur Dobbs in 1754 and was treasurer of the colony in 1766.
In the years
following the Revolutionary War, the area became more
populous. For the convenience of these settlers, a new county,
Columbus, was established from Bladen and Brunswick Counties.
The site of Columbus County Courthouse was chosen and given to
Columbus County by James B. White, who became the county's
first state senator. Today's Courthouse Square can be seen on
the original plan of Whiteville.
Later, the
railroad depot was located south of Whiteville at Vineland,
which existed as a separate town until 1926 when it became
part of Whiteville. The Vineland section is still referred to
as "downtown" and old Whiteville as
"uptown".
Soldiers from
Whiteville and Columbus County participated in the major
battles of the Civil War from Manasses to Appomatox. Residents
of Whiteville reported hearing the guns fired at Fort Fisher.
Tales of looting and destruction, by marauders from Sherman's
army, have been handed down for years.
As the South
slowly rebuilt after the Civil War, so did Columbus
County and Whiteville. Better roads and communications in the
early decades of the 20th century changed Whiteville from an
agricultural community to a growing town. Population increased
over 30% from 1920 to 1930.
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