North Carolina Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina

Population: 4,562

Located in Wake County

Welcome to a town where elected officials are not shy in letting it be known they want to maintain the dignity of a hometown atmosphere by blending economic development and community preservation. Fuquay-Varina — a town people sometimes have problems pronouncing — is making a name for itself.

Nestled in the southwest corner of Wake County, Fuquay-Varina is one of the state's most ideally located small towns, centrally located between the Piedmont and Coastal Plains regions of North Carolina and just 15 miles from the state's capital city of Raleigh and a 35-minute drive to Raleigh-Durham Airport and Research Triangle Park. The town serves a region encompassing over 45,000 people.

An air of genuine friendliness is openly evident between residents and those who work in and visit the community. Although the town has experienced substantial growth, Fuquay-Varina remains the kind of town where new families feel at home. The allure of the small town with wide open spaces in a rural surrounding has attracted many newcomers.

Whether enjoying an elegant lunch at the local tea room, listening to the award-winning high school band, treasure hunting in local antique shops or cheering for their favorite athletic teams, Fuquay-Varina citizens are enormously proud of their community.

The hyphenated name, Fuquay-Varina, reflects the dual heritage of two communities and the story of a couple's romance that led to their marriage and the communities coming together.

Fuquay Springs
Stephen Fuquay was the proprietor of a large plantation and one day while plowing his fields he discovered a spring. He began using it for drinking water, and soon became convinced that the mineral water had valuable healing properties. Word spread after he told his friends and neighbors and the springs developed a reputation. Summer tourists began coming to the area, using several small hotels that had been built. But it wasn't until the early 1900s that the popularity of the spring reached its peak.

Meanwhile, one of the buildings built near the springs was a two-room private schoolhouse overlooking the springs at which a J.D. Ballentine was the first schoolmaster. He enlisted in the Confederate Army during Civil War and the romantic interest which led to the name Fuquay-Varina was about to develop. To promote the morale of southern troops, many young women wrote to the soldiers and Ballentine — Virginia Avery — and later they met, fell in love, and married after the war.

The springs ceased to be a resort area in the 1920s. Located on the southwest corner of the intersection of West Spring Street and South Main Street, the site is to be developed as a historical park. Though they still flow today, the waters are not being used commercially.

Today high-tech industries and innovative businesses balance the town's economy, blending economic development and community preservation. A planned revitalized downtown offers specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants, professional offices, and second-story residences, along with ample parking and pedestrian friendly streets.

Fuquay-Varina's viable location makes this city a great place to do business. Located on two river basins — the Neuse and Cape Fear — gives it abundant water resources. That central location within the state makes it an excellent site for a distribution center, as well as a beneficial recruiting environment for businesses locating in the area. Approximately 50 per cent of the entire United States population is within 600 miles of the town.

Guilford Fibers is the largest draw warping operation in the United States, while Bob Barker Company is the nation's largest supplier of institutional products. John Deere's Turf Care Division manufacturers golf and commercial mowing products, while Freight Handlers Inc., is fast emerging as a major freight loading and unloading company.

The Fuquay-Varina School System has become known for unique programs and recognitions. Examples include a parent education program that offers regular workshops, parent library, leveled books to read with children at home and training of classroom tutors. Parent-student honor roll breakfasts and academic focus cookouts. Technology connections' classrooms. Remedial and tutorial programs available during and after school. All State band winners and athletic teams.

Variety is the key to relaxation and recreation in the Town of Fuquay-Varina. From an 18-hole walk through a round of golf or a fast-paced game of tennis to a leisurely hike through the woods or a challenging game of bridge, you can find all sorts of ways to relax, get fit or just have a good time. The newest park in town is the Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park -- 28 acres of rolling, picturesque land with 70 feet of elevation change. The land gently slopes along several minor ridges and drainage ways to Kenneth Branch, a permanent stream flowing across the park from west to east.

With so much to offer, it is easy to see why Fuquay-Varina has become such a great place to live and do business. With wonderful schools, an emphasis on nature and excellent business prospects, come and join this growing community.