If you've ever wondered about the city's population and steeps, this article will answer all your questions. This article will also provide a detailed breakdown of the city's African-American neighborhood. The neighborhood contains late nineteenth and early twentieth century houses that illustrate the movement of tenant farmers from the surrounding countryside into the city. On the south end of the city, you'll find the two-story frame Robert Blount House and a row of simple shotgun houses and bungalows.
The town of Ayden was founded by William Henry Harris, who convinced the Atlantic Coast Railroad Company to use his forty-acre parcel for the railroad depot. This railroad brought jobs to the area, and the railroad industry served as the economic engine until the 1950s. Other industries in the area complemented the railroad's arrival, including the tobacco industry and a modest manufacturing base. In 1891, the town incorporated, making it the second largest municipality in Pitt County, second only to Greenville. Many residents of Ayden lived in tree-lined neighborhoods, with traditional vernacular house forms mixed with more modern national popular styles.
In 1900, the town had a population of 557, and the commercial area was determined by the lots platted by the East Carolina Land and Improvement Company. The railroad station, now demolished, shaped the area's downtown commercial development. Along East and West avenues, many commercial buildings were built. Ayden also had several other streets that curved along the rail lines. The two-block Blount Street, for example, is the city's first street.