Town History
Originally a community in central Greene County, the town of Snow Hill was chartered in 1828. Snow Hill has a rich past from its settling families that have been here for generations to the rumor of the town almost becoming the capital of North Carolina. One thing that is true is that Snow Hill was originally a major trading depot on Contentnea Creek. At the time, Contentnea Creek was a main Wilson to New Bern trading artery. Contentnea Creek connects with the Neuse River in New Bern, the largest river in our state.
Some have asked about the makeup of the Town Seal. Each character has a meaning. The three human images represent Native Americans - one showing the reddish complexion and two silhouettes looking in opposite directions. The building represents the courthouse as Snow Hill is the county seat of Greene County. The several small darker blue lines represent Contentnea Creek on whose banks Native Americans camped and called them “snowy white” which was translated into “snowy hills”; hence the popular name of Snow Hill.
It was thought the seal should depict our heritage and history. The use of the Native Americans, the creek, and the courthouse seemed to be most appropriate in doing so.
PRESENT
Today, Snow Hill serves as the seat of government for Greene County. A town that has a modest population of approximately 1500 individuals. Snow Hill is a rural town with modern conveniences in the middle of four large mid-sized cities. Kinston is to the southeast of Snow Hill which serves as a major industrial area with the Global Transpark. Wilson to the northwest with Barton College, the Tobs, and BB&T processing headquarters serves as a diverse job market for eastern North Carolina. Goldsboro and Greenville are two demographic metropolitan areas with attractions and identities that set them far apart. Seymour Johnson AFB, home of the F-15E fighter squadron, has been based in Goldsboro for over 50 years. East Carolina University in Greenville is home to the Pirates athletics program and serves as a major medical hub in eastern North Carolina. All four cities are within 15-25 minutes of Snow Hill, with major highways connecting each. Snow Hill is small rural town that sits in the middle of it all. Shopping, dining, employment, education and all within minutes. Come to Snow Hill for the history, but stay for the atmosphere.
(NOTE: Information is composed by citynetLIVE! with informational assistance from former Snow Hill Mayor, Ben Rayford and the town of Snow Hill.)