Pine Level, chartered 1872, is a town in
Johnston 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. The population was 1,700 at the 2010 census,
up from 1,313 in 2000. Pine Level is located southeast of
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 ...
, the state capital.
Geography
Pine Level is in eastern Johnston County at (35.510176, -78.245885).
U.S. Route 70 Alternate runs through the south side of the town, leading west to
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
and southeast to
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...
.
Selma
Selma may refer to:
Places
*Selma, Algeria
*Selma, Nova Scotia, Canada
*Selma, Switzerland, village in the Grisons
United States:
*Selma, Alabama, city in Dallas County, best known for the Selma to Montgomery marches
*Selma, Arkansas
*Selma, Cali ...
is to the northwest, and
Smithfield, the Johnston
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
, is to the west.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, Pine Level has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,313 people, 592 households, and 374 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,239.1 people per square mile (478.3/km). There were 652 housing units at an average density of 615.3/sq mi (237.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 88.12%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 8.53%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.23%
Native American, 0.08%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 2.74% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.30% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.97% of the population.
There were 592 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,250, and the median income for a family was $40,227. Males had a median income of $31,033 versus $22,222 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $16,384. About 9.9% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over. The Town and surrounding Township has been noted for having more millionaires per capita than any town or township in the United States of America.
Education
* Micro-Pine Level Elementary School
History
In 1963, Floyd G. Hinnant, Postmaster of Pine Level, wrote down his history of Pine Level:
[Hinnant, Floyd G. Pine Level, North Carolina. 1963.]
In the days of slow transportation this little town, the third oldest in Johnston County, was a trading center for the pioneer turpentine prospectors and merchants who were obligated to feed the workers who followed those who were setting up turpentine distilleries. In 1868 two brothers, Daniel Thomas Oliver and William Berry Oliver migrated from Robinson County in the interest of turpentine, setting up a distillery. Finding the natural setting of pine trees applicable to their need and in a fairly level country, the town found its name, Pine Level.
Some records say Gaston Britt and Bryant Hinnant were merchants at the time the Oliver boys landed. They, too, built two separate stores with supplies for the workers. The D. T. Oliver Store is no longer doing business but the original building is still standing and is used as a workshop by a great grandson. The William Berry Store was purchased by the only surviving son, the late D. B. Oliver, in 1900 and is still in operation by his four sons. The Southern Railroad running through the pine tree growth enabled the turpentine dealers to dispose of the turpentine by the railroad placing a train stop in town. Then a place for a post office was arranged with Mr. Thomas Hinnant being the first recorded post master in 1886. Happy were the people when the Post Office Dept. in Washington, D. C. gave the south the free mail delivery service. Pine Level has an up-to-date post office with efficient service rendered.
During the early nineteen hundreds many more settlers moved into our little town and at this time we have one of the most progressive rural sections in the state. Pine Level has a population of nearly 1,000. It has a bank, oil mill, modern cotton gin, mercantile businesses which service the farmers of a large area, five churches, two civic clubs, a veteran's organization and a fine volunteer fire department. Work is now progressing on a modern water system to keep pace with the rapidly growing town.
Notable people
*
Tony Braswell, politician and businessman
*
Larry Strickland
Larry Strickland (September 3, 1931 – August 29, 1979) was an American Football center for six seasons between 1954 and 1959 for the Chicago Bears, a one-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro.
Strickland was born in Tyler, Texas
...
, member of the
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...
References
External links
*
Pine Level, North Carolinaat Johnston County Visitors Bureau (johnstoncountync.org)
{{authority control
Towns in Johnston County, North Carolina
Towns in North Carolina