Greenville Area
Welcome to Greenville -- the Gateway to Eastern North Carolina, located in the north central coastal region. Approximately 85 miles from Raleigh, Greenville has emerged as the commercial, cultural, educational, and medical hub of the Inner Banks region. The city has been listed as the tenth largest city in North Carolina with a population estimated at 75,482 residents, while the Metro Area includes 172,473 people. In January 2008, Greenville was named one of the nation's "100 Best Communities for Young People" by the America's Promise Alliance. In March 2008, it was ranked in the top ten of the nation's "Best Places For Business And Careers" by Forbes Magazine. In 2004, it was named Sportstown USA for the state of North Carolina by Sports Illustrated and the National Parks & Recreation Association. It is the home of East Carolina University and Pitt County Memorial Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in North Carolina.
Greenville was founded in 1771 as "Martinsborough", after the Royal Governor Josiah Martin. In 1786, the name was changed to Greenesville in honor of General Nathanael Greene, the Revolutionary War hero, and later shortened to Greenville.
During Greenville's early years, cotton was the leading agricultural crop, and Greenville became a major cotton export center. Before the turn of the century, however, tobacco surpassed cotton and became the leading money crop. Greenville became one of the state's leading tobacco marketing and warehouse centers. By the mid 1960's, a new era of educational opportunities had emerged. Greenville's small college, East Carolina Teachers College, had become the third largest state-supported college. In 1967, it became East Carolina University. The ECU Medical School admitted its first four-year class in 1977 and current enrollment is now around 26,000 students.
