In North Carolina, Down East refers to two areas of Eastern North Carolina. The first is the historical group of coastal communities east of Beaufort in Carteret County. The second is anywhere east of I-95 in North Carolina in the coastal plain region.

Carteret County

Down East historically refers to the group of communities east of Beaufort in Carteret County in the coastal plain region of the state. These communities are Bettie, Otway, Straits, Harkers Island, Gloucester, Marshallberg, Tusk, Smyrna, Williston, Davis, Stacy, Masontown, Sea Level, Atlantic and Cedar Island. Many residents of these communities feature a High Tider ("Hoi Toider") accent, a dialect remnant of Elizabethan English that was once spoken in colonial Carolina. This dialect is indigenous to the lowland areas of North Carolina, in combination with the general southern accent common in the Southeast. The area is a major fishing area, including shrimping and blue crabs.[1]

Eastern North Carolina

The term Down East has broadened in usage over the years to refer to Eastern North Carolina in general or more specifically the central coastal plain of the state, roughly where the Pamlico Sound watershed is between the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse river basins.[2][3] Towns and cities in the watershed include but are not limited to Greenville, Goldsboro, Kinston, New Bern, Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Washington, and Wilson.

There are a number of organizations and events with Down East in the name. Organizations include the Down East Partnership for Children in Rocky Mount and the Class A-Advanced minor-league baseball team Down East Wood Ducks that plays in Kinston.[4][5] WRQM is a public radio station formerly known as Down East Radio and was hosted out of North Carolina Wesleyan College.[6] Events include the Down East Holiday Show in Greenville and the Down East Music Festival and Elizabeth City State University's Down East Viking Football Classic, both in Rocky Mount.[7][8][9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Down East Community News". Down East Community News. Down East Council. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  2. ↑ Bascom, Jonathan (2000). "Revisiting the Rural Revolution in East Carolina". Geographical Review. 90 (3) (3rd ed.). [American Geographical Society, Wiley]: 432–445. doi:10.2307/3250862. JSTOR 3250862. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ↑ "The Project-The UNC Smith Foundation Project (UNC-SFP)". UNC-Chapel Hill. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  4. ↑ "The Down East Partnership for Children - Grade-Level Reading by Third Grade". The Down East Partnership for Children. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Down East Wood Ducks - MiLB.com". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Raleigh-Durham FM Dial". Archived from the original on February 1, 2003. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Down East Holiday Show - Pitt Community College Foundation - NC". Pitt Community College Foundation. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  8. ↑ "The Heavy-Hitters of Soul present the DownEast Music Festival Weekend". DownEast Music Festival. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Down East Viking Football Classic". Elizabeth City State University. Retrieved April 21, 2019.

34°51′N 76°32′W / 34.85°N 76.53°W / 34.85; -76.53


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