Leicester ( ) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Buncombe County Buncombe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is classified within Western North Carolina. The 2020 census reported the population was 269,452. Its county seat is Asheville. Buncombe County is part of the Ashevill ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

United States; although incorporating was proposed in 2007 and an incorporation bill was briefly filed in the North Carolina General Assembly, no measure has been adopted. Leicester is part of the

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous ci ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. As of 2007, Leicester's population is 12,514 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 16.26 percent.

History

Starting in April 1829, a

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

began operating in the area, then called Turkey Creek. Frontiersman Leicester Chapman purchased a tract of land in the area from the city of

, becoming the Postmaster in 1852. Seven years later, Chapman renamed the area Leicester for the Earl of Leicester, also his own namesake. Camp Academy was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1985.

Education

Leicester's schools fall within the Buncombe County School District. There are no schools above the elementary level within the area of the township, although middle- and high-schools exist in neighboring communities that are capable of educating the youth of Leicester. The only K-12 school currently in Leicester is Leicester Elementary.

Geography

Leicester is located at , about 10 miles northwest of

. The elevation of Leicester is roughly 2,100 ft. The ZIP Code for Leicester is 28748.

References

* Powell, William. ''The North Carolina Gazetteer'', University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1968 Unincorporated communities in Buncombe County, North Carolina Asheville metropolitan area Unincorporated communities in North Carolina Populated places established in 1829 {{BuncombeCountyNC-geo-stub