Verona, North Carolina

Verona, North Carolina
FIPS code		37-62680[1]
GNIS feature ID	0995050[2]

Verona is a small town in rural

, seven miles (11 km) to the south of Jacksonville, and ten miles (16 km) to the north of Holly Ridge. Verona is bordered by Highway 17 to the east, Verona Rd. to the north, and High Hill Rd. to the South. High Hill and Verona Rds. intersect to form the western boundary. The population of Verona in the 2000 census was approximately 178 people. The demographic breakdown was: Caucasian: 86%, Hispanic: 9%, African-American: < 5%, Other: < 2%.^[1]

Industry

Most of Verona's population consists of middle class workers in the cities of Jacksonville, or Holly Ridge. The largest business is the Verona Quik Mart, a convenience store and gas station. The second largest business in Verona is the Jones LP gas and equipment service. The oldest business still operating in Verona today is Louie Foy's Homemade Honey retail. Mr. Foy has his own hives and has been canning his own honey to sell for decades.

Historical Importance

There have been settlers in the Verona area since the early 18th century.^[3] Founding families of Verona, many of which are still there today include the Foy, Padgett, Rochelle, Ottoway, Brown, Davis, Fisher, and Parker families.^[4]

The Railroad

In 1897, The Wilmington, New Bern and Norfolk Railroad Company laid a

of Wilmington to be deployed. The train station was torn down and the warehouse was used as Verona's Fire Department in 1961. From around 1900 to the 1960s, there was a post office in Verona, and Verona was given its address: Verona, NC. In the 1960s the county townships were reorganized, and Verona became part of rural Jacksonville, causing the address of Verona's citizens to change to Jacksonville, NC. Verona lost its post office and was put on the city postal route.[5]

United States Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

In the year 1941, the United States Government began building Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, the largest amphibious base in the country. To gain the property for the base, Eminent Domain was enforced condemning the lands of many Verona residents, some of which lost land that had been in their families for over a century.^[6]

References