Elizabeth City in Pasquotank County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

1960 Sit-Ins

NC Civil Rights Trail

Photographed by Mark Parker, June 21, 2023

1. 1960 Sit-Ins Marker

Inscription.
On Feb. 11, students from nearby Elizabeth City State began sit-ins at W. T. Grant lunch counter, here. Chain integrated counters July 11.

Erected 2022 by NC African American Heritage Commission, William G. Pomeroy Foundation. (Marker Number 8.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the NC Civil Rights Trail, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is February 11, 1960.

Location. 36° 17.998′ N, 76° 13.314′ W. Marker is in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in Pasquotank County. It is on East Main Street west of South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 E Main St, Elizabeth City NC 27909, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Elizabeth City Confederate Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); A Town Divided (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); World Wars I and II Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Historic Events in Pasquotank (within

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shouting distance of this marker); Pasquotank County Courthouse 1882 (within shouting distance of this marker); Corporal S.E. Perry (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named A Town Divided (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elizabeth City.

Also see . . . Elizabeth City Sit-Ins (February 11, 1960). (Submitted on July 13, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 11, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 243 times since then and 38 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on February 11, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.