Town of Plymouth
Economic need
The town of Plymouth has suffered one blow after another in recent years. Its major employer, the Plymouth Weyerhaeuser Plant, has reduced its workforce by almost half, from 1,300 to 750, with more possible. This has meant the loss of jobs and business for local merchants. Hurricane Isabel in 2003 inflicted damage, including a fish kill from which recreational and tournament fishing has yet to recover. Plans by the U.S. Navy to locate an Outlying Landing Field also have proved to be a drag on the economy, threatening the tax base, the agricultural economy, the potential for development and retail trade, as many residents in the area will be forced to move.
With a population of 4,107 (and falling), Plymouth has the sixth highest municipal poverty rate in the state, at 37.5 percent, and 46 percent of its residents are renters. It is located in tier 1 Washington County, which has an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent.
History
Since the 1990s, Plymouth has worked to counter the vulnerability of being a single-industry town by boosting eco- and heritage tourism. Its location and history lend themselves to this effort. It sits on the Roanoke River, just upstream from where the river empties into Bachelor's Bay and the Albemarle Sound, and was an important trading port from the early 1800s until the Civil War. Union forces blockaded the port and then occupied the town for much of the war. The second largest battle of the war fought in North Carolina took place there in April 1864.
To build on this heritage, Plymouth has constructed a replica of the 1876 Roanoke River Lighthouse and is constructing a new maritime museum. A replica of the CSS Ram Albemarle is housed at the Port O' Plymouth Roanoke River Museum, which focuses on the Civil War. The Plymouth Nature Trail, built on a former railroad bed, includes river overlooks, and the town is cooperating with several organizations to create a birding trail.
Vision/Goals/Expectations
Through STEP, Plymouth hopes to develop a comprehensive, long-range plan that includes infrastructure development, economic development strategies, family wealth-building, and quality-of-life improvements. It seeks to break the cycle of poverty that grips too many of its residents. It also seeks to integrate and unify development of the riverside downtown with the commercial corridor along U.S. 64 and N.C. 32; to refine the development and marketing of its tourism efforts; and to add new industrial and commercial businesses.
Contact
Brian A. Roth, Mayor
P.O. Box 806
Plymouth, NC 27962
Phone: 252-793-9101
Fax: 252-793-6738
E-mail: Plymouthmayor@coastalnet.com
