Chocowinity’s post office opened in 1871, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
Most of Chocowinity was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1903 on, and the census since 1960.
The meaning of the name Chocowinity appears to be derived from the Tuscarora word chackauene, meaning "otter" or "little otters." However, most people from the area insist that the name actually means "fish in many waters." In 1928, Rev. N.C. Hughes, D.D., met a well-educated Native American encamped on the banks of the Edisto River in South Carolina. While talking with him, Hughes mentioned he lived in a small village with a Native American name. Hughes pronounced the name "Chocowinity" and also spelled its former name of "Chocawanateth." The Indian thought for a moment and finally responded, "Oh yes, I have it now. That word means FISH FROM MANY WATERS."
Passages that mention Chocowinity, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The James Sprunt Historical Publications vol 14, No 2 Some Colonial History of Beaufort County, N C1916 · page 21Read the page →
Read the text
Some COLONIAL History or BEAUFORT County 91 cal Indian name, the meaning of which I have been unable to find out. Chocowinity was on the frontier when the Indians surprised the white settlements on the morning of September 22, 1711. Tradition has it that the first house to be fired was the one owned by John Porter at Chocowinity.24 Chocowinity has never attained to any size, being still a mere village. It had less chance to grow because of commercial reasons than did Bath, for it is situated a
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Chocowinity, 1871 to 1938
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (2), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1938
1938
2013
2004
