About calypso

The 500+ residents of the crossroads community of Calypso thank you for taking the time to visit our page. We may be small in number, but we are large in the compassion and care we extend to one another and to the visitors who stop our way along their journeys.

With its azalea, pear, and dogwood-lined streets, we harken back to the serenity of days gone by, but with Future I-795 being within our ETJ, we also can see a day where Calypso will be bustling with growth and new ventures.

Volunteerism is a big part of what makes Calypso so welcoming. We have volunteers for Meals on Wheels, men and women who give of their time to Calypso Volunteer Fire Department, parents and grandparents who assist in keeping Albritton Recreation Park in tip-top shape, many individuals who give of their time to the children who participate at Calypso Recreation Department, and all the people who make our many churches a welcoming and safe haven for their parishioners.

School spirit and the pride we have in our schools is well known in this area and beyond. The activities at North Duplin Elementary and North Duplin Jr./Sr. High School draw crowds from near and far. Many of the parents and teachers who attended these schools are now working at or cheering for these schools.

With our thoughts in the past, but our eyes and energy looking to the future, won’t you come and be a part of our growth?

History of Calypso

Legend has it that Calypso was settled in 1890, and was originally called Goshen Grove.

Then on March 5, 1913, the General Assembly of North Carolina passed an act to incorporate (charter) the Village of Calypso in Duplin County. The articles of incorporation stated that J. R. Maxwell was to be mayor and W. T. Patten, John Parker, William Summerlin, F. M. Sellers, and P. S. Newton were to be commissioners until an election could be held on the first Tuesday in May 1913, and every two years thereafter. Elections are still every two years, but they are now held in November instead of May to coincide with the general elections.

The Charter made no reference to the number of people living in Calypso at the time it was incorporated. The 1920 Census lists 405 people. Included were 88 families, about half of whom had at least one member working at Patten Package Company. Later censuses show 538 people in 1930, 678 in 1940, 688 in 1950, 663 in 1960, 462 in 1970 689 in 1980, 490 in 1990, 410 in 2000, 538 in 2010, and 556 in 2015.

The Charter defined the boundaries of the Town as a one-mile by one-mile square, covering 640 acres.