Fayetteville

Fayetteville is an inland city in southern North Carolina situated on the Cape Fear River. The city bears the name of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French military general who aided the American cause during the Revolutionary War. It was the first municipality named in honor of the general during his lifetime.

European settlement began in the 1730s at the adjacent trading posts of Campbellton and Cross Creek. The North Carolina General Assembly combined both river settlements under the name Fayetteville in 1783. The state ratified the United States Constitution here in 1789. A rebuilding campaign restored the commercial center after a severe fire destroyed wooden downtown structures in the 1830s. The federal government established Camp Bragg northwest of the city in the 1910s.

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company manufactures all-season radial tires and specialty light-truck tires for civilian and military transport vehicles. Mann+Hummel fabricates oil, air, and fluid filtration systems under the Purolator brand name for original equipment vehicle manufacturers and automotive supply retailers. Chemours produces specialty fluoropolymer resins, polymer coatings, and fluorochemical compounds used in renewable energy systems, semiconductors, and industrial seals.

The Airborne and Special Operations Museum exhibits transport aircraft, military uniforms, and combat artifacts from parachute and glider operations. Market House was constructed in the 1830s as a civic hall and covered market space following the central fire. Cape Fear Botanical Garden maintains native hardwood forest, walking paths, and ornamental camellia collections along the riverbluff. Fayetteville State University originated in the 1860s as the Howard School to train African American teachers.