Oriental is a town in Pamlico County, North Carolina, USA. The population was 875 at the 2000 census.
Oriental is the largest city in the county, and home to most of its motels, bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants, marinas, boat
brokerages, the newspaper, several sport fishing charters, and the county's cultural center.
Oriental, an incorporated municipality, is in Eastern North Carolina's Inner Banks region
where Smith, Pierce, Raccoon, Greens, Camp, Kershaw, and Whittaker creeks enter the 5-mile wide mouth of the Neuse River where it
becomes the Pamlico Sound. The area was settled by American Indians, who fished and farmed in the creeks and river long before
Europeans settled the area. Pamlico County has a rich Indian history told in the many artifacts found in the region. Today, fewer
than 1 percent of the town's residents are Native American.
Land records date grants from the King of England to colonial farmers and many residents can trace their family’s genealogy to
these times. The area was the haunt of pirates in the early days of European dominance. The famous pirate Edward Teach or
Blackbeard made his home in Bath to the North of Oriental. The Midgettes (also Midyettes) and other old families that still have
descendants in the town came much later, in the late 1800s.
From the early 1900's Oriental's economy was supported by lumber, fishing and farming. Train service stopped in the 1950's.
The last sawmill closed just about the time that sailors began to discover the village - in the early 1960's. Just 4 sailboats
called Oriental home in 1960 - today the number has grown to more than 2,000. Oriental is now known as the "Sailing Capital Of
North Carolina". Tourism, real estate, agriculture and marine related businesses lead the local economy. The town is the site of
several new condominiums and other developments. Oriental is home to several new upscale real estate developments, including
River Dunes (home to the 2007 Coastal Living Idea House) and Whittaker Harbor. A portion of its homes are unoccupied during the
week, belonging to second-home owners from Raleigh, Cary, Charlotte or other urban areas of North Carolina.
Fishing trawlers still grace the small harbor, bringing in a catch of shrimp, crab or perhaps flounder depending on the
season. But fishing here as elsewhere along the coast is diminishing. As a result, many boats based in Oriental fish as far south
as Florida.
The United States Post Office Department established a post office in 1886. Lou Midyette was named postmaster of what was then
known as Smith’s Creek. Lou's wife, Rebecca, disregarding the town's history, renamed the community "Oriental" after a nameplate
from a sunken ship that washed up on a local beach. Oriental was incorporated in 1899. The Oriental History Museum offers
enlightening displays of Oriental's early years. The Museum and the Oriental Tourism Board have combined to develop a 1.2 mile
historical walking tour covering 37 sites.
Two local festivals attract visitors from far and wide: the Croaker Festival, an arts and vendor event (benefiting the
county's nonprofits) culminating in a fireworks display held during the first weekend each July, and the Spirit of Christmas,
always held in early December. The Spirit of Christmas consists of local businesses holding open houses with hot cider and
treats, while the local churches hold Nativity plays and host Christmas music concerts. There is also a boat parade in the
harbor, where locals decorate their yachts with Christmas lights. In addition, the Oriental Rotary Club sponsors an annual
catch-and-release tarpon fishing tournament the last weekend in July (2007 was the 15th year) and, on New Year's Eve, the
Oriental dragon makes a run through town twice (at 8:00 p.m. for the young 'uns, and at midnight for the adults). The Oriental
Cup Regatta is held the last Saturday in June, and there are boat races most Saturdays from May through September, and very
informal ones most Wednesdays, too. Oriental hosts a Celebration of the Arts festival in mid-September, and has other art
festivals throughout the year. The Town sponsors free evening concerts once each summer month which have been well attending by
county residents and visitors from neighboring Craven and Carteret counties.
Geography
Oriental is located at 35°1′52″N, 76°41′16″W (35.031010,
-76.687871)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area
of 3.5 km² (1.4 mi²). 3.0 km² (1.1 mi²) of it is
land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (16.79%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 875 people, 440 households, and 293 families residing in the
town. The population density was 293.8/km² (763.0/mi²). There were 576 housing units
at an average density of 193.4/km² (502.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.73% White,7.31% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.46% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population.
There were 440 households out of which 12.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were
non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.38.
In the town the population was spread out with 10.7% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 15.2% from 25 to 44, 34.9% from
45 to 64, and 35.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,794, and the median income for a family was $44,196. Males had a median
income of $37,292 versus $25,938 for females. The per capita income for the town was
$25,949. About 6.2% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
Famous natives
Oriental is the hometown of Kevin Williamson, creator of Scream and Dawson's Creek. Ken Midyette won two NAIA
National Diving Championships while a student at East Carolina University.
External links
Coordinates:
35.03101° N 76.687871°
W
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