In 1783, two early settlements, Campbellton and Cross Creek, converged and were named Fayetteville. Dozens of U.S. cities and counties have been named after the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette, but Fayetteville was the first and, it is told, the only one he actually visited. The Frenchman arrived in Fayetteville by horse-drawn carriage in 1825 and was welcomed by the residents. The original settlers of the Fayetteville area were from the Highlands of Scotland. They arrived in 1739 via the Cape Fear River. The area grew as a center of government and commerce because of its location as an inland port and the hub of the early "Plank Roads" system, key to overland travel from the 1840's to 1850's.

The area played a key role in developing history. The Liberty Point Resolve of 1775 pledged local support for the Revolutionary War cause of independence from England while Scottish heroine Flora MacDonald rallied for the loyalist cause. After the Revolution, with no permanent state capital, the state's legislature periodically met here. In Fayetteville in 1789, North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution and chartered the University of North Carolina, America's oldest state university.

Fayetteville citizens rebuilt the city after two separate calamities. The Great Fire of 1831 destroyed over 600 buildings, but the ensuing reconstruction resulted in many of the landmark structures we appreciate today. During the Civil War, the city found itself in the path of General Sherman's Union troops who wreaked destruction and burned the N.C. Arsenal which had been a munitions centerfor the Confederacy. Once again, citizens were challenged to repair the damages to their city and spirit.

Known throughout its history for its cultural diversity and military presence, today the Fayetteville area stands testament to its proud past. Many structures have been painstakingly preserved to reflect this history in four designated historic districts: Downtown Historic District, Haymount Historic District, Liberty Point National Register District and Market House Square National Register District.