Swan Quarter (sometimes named Swanquarter) 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 ...

and

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 ...

(CDP) in Hyde 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 the Hyde

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 ...

. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 324.

Geography

Swan Quarter is in western Hyde County at latitude 35.405 N and longitude 76.331 W. The elevation is above sea level. It is located on Swanquarter Bay, an inlet of

Pamlico Sound Pamlico Sound ( ) is a lagoon in North Carolina which is the largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, extending long and 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide. It is part of a large, interconnected network of lagoon estuaries that in ...

U.S. Route 264 U.S. Route 264 (US 264) is an east–west United States Highway located completely within the U.S. state of North Carolina, running for . Its western terminus is located at Interstate 87 (I-87), I-440, and US 64 in Raleigh. US&nbs ...

runs along the northern edge of the community, leading east to Manteo and west to

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. According to the

U.S. 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 ...

, the Swan Quarter CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.10%, are water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 275 people, 164 households, and 153 families residing in the CDP.

2010 census

The population, at the time of the 2010 census, was 324.

History

In the 18th century, Samuel Swann settled along

near the head of Swan Bay. Swann's Quarter was the first name given to this settlement. Eventually shortened to Swan Quarter, it became the county seat in 1836. The Hyde County Courthouse and

Lake Mattamuskeet Pump Station Lake Mattamuskeet Pump Station, also known as Mattamuskeet Lodge, is a historic pumping station building located on Lake Mattamuskeet at the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge near Swan Quarter, Hyde County, North Carolina. It was built in 191 ...

, also known as Mattamuskeet Lodge, are 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 ...

Transportation

A 50-car ferry connects Swan Quarter in Hyde County on the mainland with

Ocracoke Island Ocracoke
, from the North Carolina Collection website at the

, crossing Pamlico Sound in two and a half hours.

Wildlife and preservation

Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge The Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge is a federally protected wildlife refuge located within Hyde County, North Carolina, United States. North Carolina's largest natural lake, Lake Mattamuskeet, is located entirely within the National Wildli ...

is located east of Swan Quarter by

and

North Carolina Highway 94 North Carolina Highway 94 (NC 94) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It runs from Hyde County in Swan Quarter to Chowan County near Edenton. Route description The route spans the Albemarle Sound at the ...

in Hyde County. It provides habitat for migratory waterfowl and other birds, for endangered species such as bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and American alligators. It also provides wildlife-related recreation and environmental education for the public on its of land.

Education

The local school is Mattamuskeet School of

Hyde County Schools Hyde County Schools is a public school district in Hyde County, North Carolina. Headquartered in Swan Squarter, currently operates two K-12 schools. History David S. Cecelski, author of ''Along Freedom Road: Hyde County, North Carolina, and th ...

. In the de jure segregation era, the grade school for black students was, by the 1960s, O. A. Peay School, a consolidation of earlier such schools, near Swan Quarter. The high school for black students was Hyde County Training School in Sladesville. The high school for white students was West Hyde School. Peay's and Hyde County Training School's students held school reunions, though these diminished by 2017.

References

External links

Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge

About Swan Quarter Landing

Hyde County Genealogy
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Hyde County, North Carolina County seats in North Carolina