PINETOWN — A new historic roadside marker has been unveiled in Pinetown, honoring its founder.

On Nov. 2, the Pinetown Heritage Society, formed in July, and around 120 residents met for a ceremony dedicating the new marker to the founder of Pinetown, Surry Parker, said John Boyd, president of the Society. The ceremony was held at the marker site, the intersection of Main St. and Long Ridge Rd., and featured words from two of Parker’s grandsons, one of which being Dr. Surry Parker Roberts, who spoke about his grandfather and unveiled the marker, Boyd said. A reception at the Ruritan Club in Pinetown followed the ceremony.

According to Boyd, Parker came to northeast Beaufort County in 1892 and built a company town — Pinetown. At the time, he was working for the Roanoke Railroad Company and was instrumental in not only having the railroad put there, but also having the railroad built into Washington, as well as the connecting paths to other towns in eastern North Carolina. Parker was also centered around many progressive techniques and methods in logging and chartered the first Ruritan Club in North Carolina, which was also in Pinetown, as well as many other accomplishments and contributions, Boyd said.

“He was an interesting character and had some progressive ideas about the town,” Boyd said. “He was quite an entrepreneur and an iconic figure when I was growing up and everybody was still talking about him and the things he did. There’s just a lot of interest in that period and in him and in Pinetown.”

Boyd said a core of 10 residents formed the Society after interest in honoring Parker arose and after a suggestion to do so in the form of a marker by local resident Morgan Harris. The group originally contacted the North Carolina Department of Archives and History to see about getting a marker put up, but because the site was not on a numbered highway, the state would not, Boyd said. So that’s when the group took matters into their own hands.

Boyd said the Society started garnering support for the project and in a matter of days, the group had received enough donations to have the marker done and then some.

“It amazed me how quick the money rolled in,” Boyd said. “When even had enough money to start working on the next phase of our projects.”

The group was aided by Michael Hill with the NC Dept. of Archives and History in having the marker made, Boyd said. Hill directed the group to the company that makes the markers for the state, facilitating the group’s order for the marker honoring Parker.

Boyd said the Society has grown to about 50 people from doing the marker project for Parker. It is made up, mostly, of those who grew up in the Pinetown area and are interested in highlighting more of the town’s history. A member of the Society owns one of several old stores in the area, and the group hopes to transform the property into a museum to showcase the history of Pinetown, Boyd said.

“We’re just getting started,” Boyd said.