<P> When it was incorporated, the new Fuquay Springs town limits included the core of the neighboring town of Varina, consisting of its business district and the rail junction of the Cape Fear and Northern Railway and the Norfolk Southern Railway . But Varina reestablished itself the following year when the Varina Union Station was erected and a new post office was created, spurred by the lobbying of Ballentine . Four years later, the Bank of Varina was established, competing directly with the Bank of Fuquay (now Fidelity Bank). Several warehouses for the growing tobacco business were built in town over the next few years, capitalizing on the railroad connections . Another supply store and a knitting factory followed . As Varina came into its own as a hub for area agriculture, the Fuquay Springs Corporation was formed and began bottling and selling mineral water from the springs commercially . Area businesses continued to develop and, in 1927, U.S. Route 401 was paved through town, shortening travel times to Raleigh and nearby communities . </P> <P> By this time, Fuquay Springs and Varina had become major trading hubs for southern Wake County as well as neighboring Harnett and Johnston counties . Yet improvements to automobiles and area roads caused a decline in tourism at the springs . Rather than visiting the springs, residents in the region chose to visit the coast as travel times decreased . During this time, however, the tobacco industry continued to drive the area economy, with five warehouses, a cotton buyer, and fifteen stores established by the end of the 1920s . The shared emphasis on agricultural and industrial growth brought the towns to a shared vision, and as their residents worked, played, and attended church together, the towns merged into Fuquay - Varina in 1963 . </P> <P> While development in the area today includes numerous residential communities and commercial sites along the major roadways into town, many of the older structures from its past remain within the town limits . The Victorian, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival homes constructed in the late 19th century and early 20th century are contributing structures to the Fuquay Springs Historic District, while the downtown shops and businesses are part of the Varina Commercial Historic District . Area landmarks located in these districts include the Ben - Wiley Hotel, the Ballentine - Spence House, and the Dr. Wiley S. Cozart House, built across the street from the springs by the original owner and proprietor of the Ben Wiley . The springs are now contained in a small park developed on the site in 1945 which was handed over to the town in 1998 to maintain as a historic park . Mr. Lexie McLean owned and operated McLean's Grocery on Academy Street for many years . Mr McLean was a community leader and considered a major factor in the growth and development of the Fuquay - Varina area . Mr. Edward N. Farnell was the principal of the Fuquay Spring High School from 1952 through 1967 . Mr. Farnell was an important community leader and educator; many of his students went on to become community and state leaders . </P> <P> From 1970 to 2000, the population more than doubled, growing from 3,576 residents to 7,898 . The population more than doubled again between 2000 and 2010, growing to 17,937 at the 2010 census . According to the NC State Data Center, Fuquay - Varina grew 23% from 2000 to 2003, making it the 26th fastest growing community in the state and the 11th fastest for those with populations over 5,000 . </P>

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