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History · Parmele

Parmele dates to 1890

Most of Parmele was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: maps from 1901 on and the census since 1900.

1890founded
0on the National Register
3%homes built before 1940
2famous people
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Quick answers

How Parmele began, and where its name came from

When was Parmele founded?

1890

Parmele dates its founding to 1890 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 336 in 19002020 census: 243136 years

How did Parmele get its name?

Parmele was named for local lumber mill owner E. A. Parmele.

Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1891. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Parmele’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Parmele are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 484 in 1980; 243 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Parmele’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Parmele’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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People over time

Parmele, census by census

01002003004005001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 484

Peaked at 484 in 1980; 243 people lived here in 2020.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Parmele’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Parmele came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Parmele.

Read it all →

The town was settled in 1890 when the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad was built through the area to provide transportation from nearby lumber mills. It was named for local lumber mill owner E. A. Parmele. Following the construction of the Albemarle and Raleigh Railroad the population rapidly grew, and the community was incorporated as a town in 1893 by the North Carolina General Assembly. A fire burned through much of the town on April 1, 1904, destroying many businesses and leading to the decline of nearby lumber mills. In 1909, William C. Chance founded the Higgs Industrial School for African Americans (also known as the Parmele Industrial Institute) which at its peak occupied a six-building campus and merged with the town's public school. The school was closed following a fire at its main building in 1954.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Parmele, 1890 to 1980

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1890
    FoundingParmele is established
  3. 1891Post officeThe Parmele post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1901On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1928Born hereWilbur Little is born here
  7. 1929Born hereEloise Greenfield is born here
  8. 1980CensusPopulation peaks at 484
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

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On the map

Parmele on the map, 1901 to 1981

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Parmele. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Parmele on the 1901 USGS mapParmele on the 1981 USGS map1901Parmele sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Parmele.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Parmele

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
W
Wilbur LittleAmerican musician · b. 1928
E
Eloise GreenfieldAmerican writer · b. 1929

Questions about Parmele’s history

What year was Parmele founded?

In 1890, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Parmele’s post office opened in 1891, and the census of 1900 counted 336 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

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 Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.