Tyrrell County
Established in 1729, Tyrrell County was named for one of the areas Lord
Proprietors. The county seat is the Town of Columbia. The county also
contains seven unincorporated communities, Bulls Bay, Soundside,
Scuppernong, Fort Landing, Alligator, Kilkenny and Gum Neck
Tyrrell County is situated south of the Albemarle Sound and west of the
Alligator River between the urbanized mainland and North Carolina’s Outer
Banks. The county is approximately 129 miles northeast of Seymour Johnson
AFB and about 20 miles west of DCR. Tyrrell County covers 594 square miles;
of which 35 percent, or 205 square miles, is water. It is the least populated
county within North Carolina.
Source: http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/620/entry
Tyrrell County is bordered to the west by Washington County, Dare County to
the east and Hyde County to the south. The landscape consists of swamps,
wetlands, forests, and farmlands. The county’s low population is due to the
wet environment, which has always hindered transportation and prevented
widespread residential construction. As of the 2010 Census, the population
was 4,407.
Early settlement in Tyrrell County occurred near the mouth of the Alligator
River in the 1700s. Development also spread along the Scuppernong River
and Kendrick Creek in the southeastern part of the county. The area was
characterized by small farms and river landings linked together by canals.
Although small‐scale agriculture marked the area in the colonial period, this
land also sustained a collection of large plantations.
Several cultural centers and a prominent wildlife refuge are located in Tyrrell
County. The Columbia Theater Cultural Resources Center, the Columbia
Historic District, and the Pocosin Arts Center assert the importance of Tyrrell
County’s heritage through its forestry, farming, and fishing economies. The
Pocosin Arts Center, one of the premier art galleries in North Carolina, is
located in Tyrrell County, which includes the Pocosin Arts Folk School, a non‐
profit educational center. Established in 1990 and headquartered in the
Columbia Township, the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of
110,000 acres, is one of the largest ecosystems for black bears along the
eastern seaboard.
Page 2‐6
Tyrrell County Courthouse
Background Report