Haywood is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in southeastern Chatham County,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, United States. It is part of the Moncure

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

. Along with several other unincorporated communities, it lies along the panhandle of Chatham County between Lee County and

Wake County Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...

. Haywood lies at an elevation of .

History

Haywood was settled in 1796 at the confluence of the

Deep Deep or The Deep may refer to: Places United States * Deep Creek (Appomattox River tributary), Virginia * Deep Creek (Great Salt Lake), Idaho and Utah * Deep Creek (Mahantango Creek tributary), Pennsylvania * Deep Creek (Mojave River tributary), ...

and Haw rivers, which marks the beginning of the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Carol ...

. Before it was settled, Haywood was one of the sites considered in 1788 as a possible location for North Carolina's new capital, although

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

was ultimately chosen. Not only did the town lose the opportunity of hosting the state capital, in 1792 Haywood was also passed up as the location for what would become the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. During its first four years after settlement, the community was renamed twice, from Lyons to Haywoodsborough to Haywood. The new town pinned its hopes on the shipping industry, as Haywood's location at the confluence of two rivers was suitable for an inland port. The state government gave the Cape Fear Navigation Company the right to build and operate

locks Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

on the Cape Fear River. The rivers, however, proved difficult to navigate, and by 1834 the company had lost interest in improving the river above Fayetteville. In 1852, the Cape Fear Navigation Company formally abrogated its rights to that section to the newly formed Cape Fear and Deep River Navigation Company. The Deep River Company was troubled financially and never developed a port for Haywood. The final blow to the shipping industry came with the completion of the railroad. Haywood made a critical mistake by denying trains access to the town; consequently, the railroad station would be located in Moncure, to the west. Haywood reached its economic peak in the period before the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

briefly brought about a racially integrated election in 1870 as well as integrated political meetings. The 20th century was marked by economic decline and the dissolution of the local government. The Obediah Farrar House was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1993.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in North Carolina Unincorporated communities in Chatham County, North Carolina Haywood family