General Dentist Near Fuquay Varina, NC

About Fuquay-Varina, NC

Located on the Southern edge of Wake County, Fuquay-Varina is a community with a storied history in central North Carolina. The community is approximately 25 minutes from the capital, Raleigh, and 3 hours west of Atlantic Beach on the North Carolina coast. Due to its proximity to the Research Triangle Park, the community has seen population growth and building development in recent years.

History

The community of Fuquay-Varina was once two towns. A native of France and a farmer, William Fuquay, first settled in the small farming town of Sippihaw, named after a local native American tribe. Fuquay established a family plantation and tobacco farm. The great grandson of William, Stephen, discovered a spring on the family plantation while plowing the fields. This natural spring of mineral water became popular for drinking water, however Stephen was convinced the water coming from the spring had healing properties. The rumors about this healing spring spread, bringing residents and visitors from neighboring towns. With the increasing popularity of visitors, the springs were walled to increase accessibility. In 1860, the Fuquay family sold the springs to local investors.

Once a school master and confederate army soldier, D. "Squire" Ballentine, returned home from the Civil War to become the first postmaster off the community post office in 1880. Ballentine called the post office Varina, after a term of endearment he had given his wife, Virginia Avery. The couple opened the Varina Mercantile Company near the post office and south of the Fuquay family springs in Sippihaw. A community developed near the mercantile and post office, and over time, adopted the name Varina.

Around the start of the 20th century the springs continued to grow in popularity as they were further developed as a tourist attraction by a local developer John Mills. As the number of visitors to the springs continued to increase, hotels and restaurants started to spring up in the area. For residents of nearby Raleigh, the town became a tourist destination for watching baseball and dancing. In 1902, what was known as Sippihaw was renamed to "Fuquay Springs". The town was officially incorporated in 1909. The town limits of the incorporated area included the neighboring Varina area. Ballentine lobbied for Varina to reestablish itself as an independent community, and in 1910 a new Varina Union Station was built on the rail line and a new post office was constructed. In the new four years a new community bank was established and Varina grew into its own as it became home to Tobacco businesses and a knitting factory utilizing the town railway. The two communities continued to develop and become major trading destinations for Wake, Harnett, and Johnston counties. In 1963, the towns of Fuquay and Varina merged, with a shared community vision on agricultural and  ndustrial growth.

Today

The community of Fuquay-Springs has undergone continuous growth. Between 1970 and 2000 the population doubled, growing to 7,898 residents. According to state census statistics the community grew another 23% from 2000 to 2003, making it the 26th fastest growing community in North Carolina. While local development today includes both residential communities and commercial sites, original structures from the community’s past remain well-preserved. Many of the homes constructed  in the 19th and 20th centuries including Victorian, Craftsman and Colonial style homes are included in the Fuquay-Springs Historical District.