Fuquay-Varina,
North Carolina is a mid-sized community with
lovely scenic landscape and moderate temperatures.
Fuquay Springs, originally a resort town built around mineral springs,
and Varina, a railroad town known for its tobacco,
came together to form the hyphenated town of Fuquay-Varina in 1963.
Varina immortalized a love story. J.D.
Ballentine was the first schoolmaster of Fuquay Springs. A soldier in the
Confederate Army, he began receiving letters from a young lady who signed her
name “Varina”. To promote
troop morale, many young southern ladies wrote to the soldiers.
As it was not proper to write to unknown young men, the problem was
solved by all of them signing the name “Varina”.
Many Confederate soldiers sought their “Varina” after the war.
Mr. Ballentine found his and convinced her to marry him. He continued to
call her Varina throughout their married life, and when made postmaster of a
small nearby community, he named it “Varina”.
Since the merge, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina boasts two distinct historical
downtown areas.
According to Census
2000 data, Fuquay-Varina is home to 7,898 residents; however, more recent
polls indicate a current population of approximately 10,300 residents. Located in beautiful Wake
County, (population 627,846), Fuquay-Varina, NC is poised for considerable
growth over the next few years. Eight
square miles define the borders of this incorporated North
Carolina town.
Businesses that range from small family establishments to international
corporations drive Fuquay-Varina’s prosperous economy.
The local base of employment balances the agricultural and tobacco trades
with cutting-edge businesses and high-tech industries. Close proximity to the resources in Raleigh
and the renowned Research Triangle Park
contributes to the success of the area. Residents
of Fuquay-Varina earn an average median income of $42,903, which is slightly
above the national average.
The schools in Fuquay-Varina, affiliated with the Wake
County Public School System, operate award-winning programs at their five
elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. Fuquay-Varina, North
Carolina also offers a private Montessori school and a K-12 parochial school. Residents seeking higher education benefit from convenient access to
all ten of the Triangle colleges and universities. These include the fine facilities of Duke
University, North Carolina State University
and the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill.
Recreation is abundant in Fuquay-Varina, NC. Eighteen-hole golf
courses, hiking trails, tennis courts and a variety of additional sports
programs and facilities found throughout the local parks and recreational
facilities, provide year round activities to the community.
Fuquay-Varina’s charming downtown district, currently undergoing a
major revitalization project, offers fast food, fine dining and several unique
shopping opportunities. When completed, the downtown area will be the “Varina
Commercial Historical District”. Historical sites in
the area include the Ballentine
Spence House, Fuquay Mineral Springs and several additional sites listed on
the National Register
of Historic Places.
Fuquay-Varina, NC is a thirty-minute drive from the dazzling capital city of Raleigh. Raleigh provides an amazing array of entertainment, historic
and recreational venues that attract thousands of tourists from North Carolina
and all over the world. Known as
the “Smithsonian of the South”, Raleigh
provides visitors with twenty free museums,
including the North Carolina Museum of Art
and the NC Museum of History.
The variety of shopping
establishments in Raleigh is astounding. There
are nine major retail areas, including three massive malls and a wealth of
shopping centers. Raleigh also
offers live concerts, exciting Broadway
performances, amateur and professional sporting
events, in addition to the various Capital
City historic sites.
Fuquay-Varina, North
Carolina continues to progress while maintaining an appealing village
atmosphere. As part of the
prestigious Triangle
region, Fuquay-Varina is consistently listed as one of NC’s most enviable
places to live, work and raise a family.
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