Artsy, small-town living in rural Pitt County
Pitt County’s Farmville was settled in the mid-1800s as an agricultural community, and it is still surrounded by farmland, but today this area also offers an artsy, historic downtown, robust recreation options and proximity to top regional employers, including East Carolina University and ECU Health Medical Center. “This is real small-town Americana. It’s a bedroom community. Some people get offended by that, but I’m excited by it because it means this is a place where you can live,” says Mayor John Moore, a resident of more than 70 years. “We have that hometown touch, but with a big city feel. You can come here for the week and turn around and spend a lifetime.”
A growing selection of competitively priced homes
This area is home to classic 20th century architecture, ranging from Cape Cod cottages and brick ranch-style homes to multistory Colonial Revivals and rustic farmhouses. Neat lawns are edged with boxwoods and azaleas, dogwoods and Callery pears. Loblolly pines, oaks and magnolias tower over backyards. The recently annexed Bynum Farms area is developing into a community of around 170 New Traditional homes. “We really have new and existing homes for every life stage, from your first home to your expanding family home, back full circle to downsizing,” Moore says. Prices start under $100,000 for modest cottages and bungalows and rise to more than $500,000 for large new construction and historic homes with spacious lots. Little Contentnea Creek and others in the area are prone to flooding.
Pitt County’s Farmville schools share one campus
Farmville students attend Pitt County Schools. H.B. Sugg Elementary, which earns an A-minus from Niche, serves youngsters between preschool and second grade. Older kids go to B-minus-rated Sam D. Bundy Elementary for third through fifth. Farmville Middle and Farmville Central High, which get a B-minus and a C-plus, respectively, serve sixth through 12th graders. All four schools share one campus on the town’s east side. “It’s a unique setup. You drop your kids off in kindergarten and pick them up when they graduate,” Moore says. Farmville Central High offers dual enrollment classes at Pitt Community College’s main campus in Winterville and at the Farmville Center satellite campus. Greenville-based East Carolina University offers more than 165 degree programs.
Town parks, May Museum and Farmville Public Library
The town has six public parks, including the Farmville Municipal Disc Golf Course on the northeast side and the nearby Farmville Municipal Athletic Park, an outdoor sports complex. On the north side, there’s a splash pad, not far from the Farmville Gold & Country Club, a 125-acre public course established in the ‘30s. May Museum & Park features exhibits on Farmville area history in a restored 1850s Greek Revival farmhouse. The Farmville Public Library is around the corner, close to downtown. “It’s a brand-new, state-of-the-art regional library. We get a little over 3,500 guests a month,” Moore says.
Farmville art walks and annual events
The Farmville Community Arts Council hosts art walks every third Friday, as well as big annual events. “We’ve got a great Dogwood Festival in April, a Ghost Walk in October with actors performing ghost stories, one of the best Christmas parades, and a fantastic Fourth of July festival,” Moore says. The Independence Day Celebration involves the classic cook-out food, fireworks and live music. And it’s held on the third rather than the fourth every year. “We do that so everyone can enjoy their day off,” Moore.
Shopping, dining and entertainment in downtown Farmville
“Our Main Street is true Main Street USA, with family-owned and operated restaurants, clothing stores, furniture stores, you name it. Even our Piggly Wiggly is still locally owned,” Moore says. Popular eateries include Plank Road Steakhouse, Farmville Pizza and Paleteria Deya of Farmville, an ice cream and treat shop. The historic downtown is also artsy. The ECU School of Art & Design’s glassblowing studio and Pitt Community College’s ceramics studio are next to each other, close to East Carolina Art Space, a studio and retail gallery, and the Art Deco-style Paramount community theater. Brightleaf Shopping Center, to the south, has chain retailers, like Dollar Tree and Roses. A new Tractor Supply is coming soon. “It’s going to be one of their largest locations, and it’ll bring Brightleaf up to 100% occupancy for the first time since the ‘90s,” Moore says.
Getting around Pitt County
Interstate 587 runs west toward Raleigh and east to Greenville, about 14 miles away. Without traffic, the commute usually takes under 30 minutes. Pitt-Greenville Airport, nearly 20 miles away, is used primarily for general aviation, but daily commuter flights to Charlotte are available. Pitt Area Transit System, or PATS, provides public transportation to the area.
