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[[File:Great Dismal Swamp Canal.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Dismal Swamp Canal]]]]
In 1793, businessmen supported construction of the Dismal Swamp Canal; it was integral to the success of Elizabeth City's commerce. The [[North Carolina General Assembly|North Carolina Assembly]] incorporated the town as "Redding", renaming it in 1794 as "Elizabethtown". Due to resulting confusion with [[Elizabethtown, North Carolina|another town]] of the same name, in 1801, the city was renamed as "Elizabeth City".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historicelizabethcity.org/text/1.2.1.html|title=historicelizabethcity.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120803130620/http://www.historicelizabethcity.org/text/1.2.1.html|archive-date=August 3, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The name "Elizabeth" has been attributed to Elizabeth "Betsy" Tooley, a local tavern proprietress who donated much of the land for the new town.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carolina-north.com/elizabeth_city.html|title=Elizabeth City, One of America's Best Small Towns.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091203163008/http://www.carolina-north.com/elizabeth_city.html|archive-date=December 3, 2009|df=mdy-all|access-date=March 10, 2010}}</ref>
With improvements to the Dismal Swamp Canal, commerce flourished and Elizabeth City became a financial center of trade and commercially successful in the early 19th century. In 1826, the federal government purchased 600 stocks in the canal and, in 1829, additional funds for improvements were raised by the [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]] lottery. With these funds, the Dismal Swamp Canal was widened and deepened, allowing for larger boats to ship their goods to and from the city.
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[[File:North Carolina - Durham through MacArthur Lake - NARA - 68146432 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Elizabeth City in September 1925]]
Meanwhile, overland travel slowly improved, enabling greater trade between neighboring counties. The ferry continued to provide transport between Elizabeth City and Camden County. But the completion of competing canals and railroads around Elizabeth City meant that neighboring cities began to draw off some of the traffic. The [[Portsmouth and Weldon Railroad]], completed in the 1830s, allowed for goods to be transported from the [[Roanoke River]] directly to [[Weldon, North Carolina|Weldon]]. The Albemarle–Chesapeake Canal, completed in 1859, created a deeper channel for merchants shipping goods from the eastern [[Albemarle Sound]] to Norfolk.
Such new opportunities established Elizabeth City as a thriving deep-water port and powerful regional economic center. It was based on such industries as [[lumbering]], [[shipbuilding]], grain export, and fish and oyster processing; it rivaled other ports such as [[Norfolk, Virginia]], and [[Baltimore, Maryland]]. But the establishment in 1881 of the Elizabeth City and Norfolk Railroad, later renamed the [[Norfolk Southern Railway (1942–82)|Norfolk Southern Railway]], encouraged a shift of industries from waterfront in Elizabeth City to the growing cities of North Carolina's Upper Coastal Plain and [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]].<ref name="historicelizabethcity.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.historicelizabethcity.org/text/1.6.3.html|title=historicelizabethcity.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130112204037/http://www.historicelizabethcity.org/text/1.6.3.html|archive-date=January 12, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
[[File:SC-1280-Elizabeth City Shipyard.jpg|thumb|left|SC-1280 was one of thirty subchasers built at the Elizabeth City Shipyard, the highest number of any shipyard in the nation.]]
The declaration of [[World War II]] reinvigorated Elizabeth City's industries, particularly in shipbuilding, textiles, and aeronautics. [[Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City]] was established in 1940 and [[Weeksville Dirigible Hangar|Navy Air Station Weeksville]] in 1941 to provide valuable surveillance by [[seaplane]] and [[dirigible]] of German [[U-boat]]s that were targeting American merchant shipping in [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] waters.
Additionally from 1942 to 1944, the Elizabeth City Shipyard supported the war effort with much of its production: thirty 111-foot SC-class [[submarine chaser]]s,<ref name="shipbuildinghistory.com">{{cite web |url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergencysmall/elizabeth.htm |title=Elizabeth City Shipyard |access-date=2013-06-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019214431/http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergencysmall/elizabeth.htm |archive-date=October 19, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="splinterfleet.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.splinterfleet.org/sfspec.php|title=Splinter Fleet - Subchaser Facts and Specifications|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041108065003/http://www.splinterfleet.org/sfspec.php|archive-date=November 8, 2004|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/01idx.htm|title=Submarine Chaser Photo Index|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112110819/http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/01idx.htm|archive-date=January 12, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> four YT-class yard [[Tugboat|tugboats]], and six 104-foot QS-class quick supply boats.<ref name="shipbuildinghistory.com"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/smallships/armyqsboats.htm |title=US Army Quick-Supply Boats QS |access-date=2013-06-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020025459/http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/smallships/armyqsboats.htm |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The Elizabeth City Shipyard built the most subchasers for the war effort (30 out of 438 total nationally), and set the record construction time for the SC-class, with SC-740 laid down in only thirty days.<ref name="splinterfleet.org"/> As of June 2013, the Elizabeth City Shipyard is still in operation.
For two years, 1950 and 1951, Elizabeth City was home to a professional minor league baseball team. The [[Elizabeth City Albemarles]] played in the [[Class D (baseball)|Class D]] level [[Virginia League (1948–51)|Virginia League]]. Previously, the town had fielded a team for several seasons in the semipro Albemarle League.<ref>Holaday, Chris (1998). Professional Baseball in North Carolina: An Illustrated City-by-city History, 1901-1996. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. {{ISBN|978-0786425532}}.</ref>
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==Government==
[[File:Elizabeth City Court.jpg|thumb|right|Elizabeth City District Court]]
Elizabeth City serves as the [[county seat]] of Pasquotank County. The city has a [[council–manager government|council–manager]] style of government. The city council is composed of eight council members and the city manager, elected by the council members. The city manager serves a largely executive function, overseeing the city's administrative departments, appointing department heads and city employees, and informing the rest of the council of relevant municipal conditions. Currently, the city manager is Rich Olsen.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cityofec.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B28B2A46B-BABB-4694-B9FF-CE3F092AD426%7D |title=Elizabeth City website |access-date=June 9, 2010 |archive-date=June 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604025330/http://www.cityofec.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B28B2A46B-BABB-4694-B9FF-CE3F092AD426%7D |url-status=dead }}</ref> The eight council members, on the other hand, act in a legislative regard, adopting city policies, holding the city manager responsible, and choosing a [[Mayor pro tempore|mayor pro-tempore]] from its council members. This council is elected every two years by each of the four wards composing the city electing two members.<ref name="cityofec.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.cityofec.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B9F89997F-1F28-4877-AD0C-87869AE09C04%7D |title=Elizabeth City website |access-date=June 9, 2010 |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927040335/http://www.cityofec.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B9F89997F-1F28-4877-AD0C-87869AE09C04%7D |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The mayor, elected by the whole voter body every two years, also serves an executive function, serving as the head of a council meeting and casting a tie-breaking vote for the council. As of 2016, the mayor is Betty Parker. Previous mayors include Joseph Peel, Charles L. Foster, who served from 2005 to 2007, and John Bell, who served from 1971 to 1981 and again from 2001 to 2005.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/ECDB/lib01133,10E6B67DEC2BE068.html |title=Departing EC mayor proud of city's growth|author= Bob Montgomery |date=December 10, 2005 |work=[[Elizabeth City Daily Advance|Daily Advance]] |access-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref>
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The council holds its meetings every second and fourth Monday of the month; the meetings are rebroadcast on a public service channel.<ref name="cityofec.com"/>
Elizabeth City has an office for the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina]], headed by [[Terrence Boyle|Terrence W. Boyle]] as the resident judge. This court presides over cases in the northern region of this district.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nced.uscourts.gov/html/divoffElizabethCity.htm |title=Welcome to the Eastern District of North Carolina |access-date=2010-06-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531055431/http://www.nced.uscourts.gov/html/divOffElizabethCity.htm |archive-date=May 31, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
Elizabeth City also occupies [[North Carolina's 3rd congressional district]], served by U.S. Representative [[Greg Murphy (politician)|Greg Murphy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://butterfield.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=73 |title=Congressman G.K. Butterfield : Town and City Websites |access-date=2010-06-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100320082606/http://butterfield.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=73 |archive-date=March 20, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
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The USCG Air Station and the Aviation Technical Training Center (ATTC) in Elizabeth City were featured in numerous scenes of the 2006 Disney movie [[The Guardian (2006 film)|''The Guardian'']], standing in for [[Kodiak, Alaska]].
Elizabeth City is also home to one of the United States' few [[airship]] factories.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcomlp.com/facilities.html|title=TCOM - Leader in Affordable Persistent Surveillance Solutions - Design, Manufacture of Tethered Aerostat Systems - For over 40 years, TCOM innovations have defined the industry, and our pioneering achievements continue to revolutionize the design, manufacture and deployment of LTA systems. With corporate headquarters in Columbia, MD and manufacturing and testing facilities in Elizabeth City, NC, TCOM is the world's only company solely devoted to the design, fabrication, installation and operation of persistent surveillance aerostat systems.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050306192816/http://www.tcomlp.com/facilities.html|archive-date=March 6, 2005|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Many of the nation's commercial blimps are made and serviced here. The current airship facilities evolved from what had previously been [[Naval Air Station Weeksville]], operational from 1941 to 1957. NAS Weeksville's LTA craft played a vital role in German [[U-boat]] spotting during World War II, helping to minimize losses to East Coast [[Freight transport|shipping]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elizcity.com/weeksnas/ |title=U. S. Naval Air Station (LTA) Weeksville, North Carolina...............................................................................................................................................ICW-NET Elizabeth City NC |access-date=2010-02-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323080732/http://www.elizcity.com/weeksnas/ |archive-date=March 23, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> NAS Weeksville was home to two hangars, one still existing as corrugated steel, and a slightly larger one constructed out of [[Southern Yellow Pine]], to conserve metal for the WWII war effort. This latter hangar was the largest wooden structure in the world until its demise by fire in 1995.
A joint public-private [[airpark]] adjacent to the Coast Guard base is in the planning stages. Intended to make Elizabeth City a premier hub of the [[aviation industry]], the airpark hopes to attract major tenants as well as the Aviation Science programs of [[Elizabeth City State University]] and related programs by the [[College of the Albemarle]].
==Arts and culture==
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[[File:elizabethcity mainstreetCBD.JPG|thumb|Main Street business district, looking westward and away from Pasquotank River waterfront]]
Among these are the most striking architectural feature of the greater Albemarle region, the Virginia Dare Hotel, and Arcade, which has dominated the skyline of Elizabeth City since its completion in 1927. Designed by [[William Lee Stoddart]] of [[New York City]], one of the nation's leading hotel architects, the nine-story building was billed as the Albemarle's first “skyscraper” when it opened in 1927. It remains the tallest building in the region.
The hotel contained 100 rooms and a heated garage (now the rear parking lot) with an interior filling station and lubricating stand. It remained the premier hotel and center of Elizabeth City's social activities for over 40 years. Architecturally, its restrained Colonial Revival finish follows the typical division of such tall buildings into the three parts of a classical pillar: a sturdy two-story base; a simply detailed six-story shaft; and a one-story capital, which displays an abundance of decoration. Today it serves as an elderly apartment complex.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.echna.org/documents/MSCommWeb.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-12-29 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721221004/http://www.echna.org/documents/MSCommWeb.pdf |archive-date=July 21, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
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Elizabeth City is home to one private and two public institutions of higher education.
[[Elizabeth City State University]], the smallest constituent member of the 16-campus [[University of North Carolina]] System, is a [[historically black colleges and universities|historically African-American]] institution, enrolling 2,930 students as of fall 2011<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecsu.edu/administration/ia/urm/quickfacts.cfm |title=ECSU :: University Relations & Marketing |access-date=2013-02-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427122829/http://www.ecsu.edu/administration/ia/urm/quickfacts.cfm |archive-date=April 27, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> on a compact {{convert|200|acre|km2|adj=on}} campus along the city's southern edge. Founded as a [[normal school]] in 1891, it now serves the higher educational needs of northeastern North Carolina's sixteen counties, offering 28 [[Undergraduate education|undergraduate]] and four [[Master's degree|master's degrees]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecsu.edu/academics/index.cfm |title=Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City NC |access-date=2013-02-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127012353/http://www.ecsu.edu/academics/index.cfm |archive-date=January 27, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
ECSU offers Aviation Science programs at their training facility at [[Elizabeth City Regional Airport]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecsu.edu/fs/docs/VSA07Final.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-03-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527224326/http://www.ecsu.edu/fs/docs/VSA07Final.pdf |archive-date=May 27, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> as well as a [[Doctor of Pharmacy|Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)]] program in collaboration with the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] (UNC-CH), flagship school of the [[UNC system]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecsu.edu/academics/mathsciencetechnology/pharmhealthpro/index.cfm |title=ECSU :: Department of Pharmacy & Health Professions |access-date=2010-07-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818033514/http://www.ecsu.edu/academics/mathsciencetechnology/pharmhealthpro/index.cfm |archive-date=August 18, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
[[File:Ecsusign.jpg|right|upright=1.25|thumb|One of the entrances to the ECSU campus]]
Also located here is the main campus of the [[College of the Albemarle]] (COA), positioned on the city's northern edge adjacent to [[Albemarle Hospital]]. It is known as the first community college to be established under the (North Carolina) Community College Act of 1960. COA has [[Satellite campus|satellite campuses]] in [[Barco, North Carolina|Barco]], [[Edenton, North Carolina|Edenton]] and [[Manteo, North Carolina|Manteo]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.albemarle.edu/welcome.php?cat=486 |title=College of the Albemarle - Welcome to COA > Campus History > 1960?s |access-date=2010-03-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527153413/http://www.albemarle.edu/welcome.php?cat=486 |archive-date=May 27, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
[[Mid-Atlantic Christian University]], a private Christian institution founded in 1948, is located along the [[Pasquotank River]] north of downtown Elizabeth City.
All three schools have agreements allowing students to [[Dual enrollment|dual-enroll]] in one of the other two institutions.
==Healthcare==
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Most unusual are the four branches of [[U.S. Route 17 in North Carolina|U.S. Route 17]] that pass through the city - rarely are there more than two or three variants of the same route in any given community.
Mainline {{Jct|state=NC|US|17}} crosses the [[Little River (
The route encounters major intersections with the commercial corridor of [[North Carolina Highway 344|NC 344]] (Halstead Boulevard), Church Street, Main Street and midway by Elizabeth Street, where it is joined by [[U.S. Route 158|US 158]] and Truck Business US 17. This tri-route combination continues northeastward to Business 17 and Truck Business 17's northern termini at the intersection with North Road Street. From here, mainline US 17 and 158 make a curve to the northwest, departing Elizabeth City as a continuance of North Road Street.
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