Salisbury ( ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in the

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

region of

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, United States; it has been the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

, the town has attracted a growing population. The 2020 census shows 35,580 residents. Salisbury is the oldest continually populated colonial town in the western region of North Carolina. It is noted for its historic preservation, with five Local Historic Districts and ten National Register Historic Districts. Soft drink producer Cheerwine and regional supermarket

Food Lion Food Lion is an American regional supermarket Chain store, chain headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina, that operates over 1,000 supermarkets in 10 states: Delaware, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsyl ...

are located in Salisbury and Rack Room Shoes was founded there.

History

Rowan County Courthouse Salisbury North Carolina

In 1753, an appointed Anglo-European trustee for Rowan County was directed to enter of land for a County Seat, and public buildings were erected. The deed is dated February 11, 1755, when

John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, 7th Seigneur of Sark (; 22 April 16902 January 1763), commonly known by his earlier title Lord Carteret, was a British statesman and Lord President of the Council from 1751 to 1763 and worked closely with the ...

conveyed for the "Salisbury Township". The settlement was built at the intersection of longtime Native American trading routes. It became an economic hub along what was improved as the

Great Wagon Road The Great Wagon Road, also known as the Philadelphia Wagon Road, is a historic trail in the eastern United States that was first traveled by indigenous tribes, and later explorers, settlers, soldiers, and travelers. It extended from British Penn ...

in North Carolina. It became the principal city of the Salisbury judicial and militia districts in the years leading up to the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. On June 12, 1792, Salisbury was granted a US Post Office. Its first postmaster was George Lauman. This post office has been in continuous operation ever since. During the United States

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, Salisbury was home to the first and only

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Prison in North Carolina, used to house captured Union prisoners-of-war (POWs), dissident Southerners, and Confederate defectors. On July 9, 1861, six weeks after North Carolina declared secession from the Union, the Confederate government asked Governor Henry T. Clark if the state could provide a place to hold prisoners of war (POWs). The 20-year-old Maxwell Chambers textile mill in Salisbury, then vacant, was retrofitted for that purpose. The prison was only designed to hold up to 2,500 prisoners, but by 1864, more than 10,000 prisoners had arrived due to the fall of Atlanta and the ongoing siege of Richmond, Virginia. By February 1865, prisoners were transferred out of the Salisbury prison, and in April 1865, Union Major George Stoneman destroyed the prison and other Confederate installations collectively known as the Salisbury Arsenal. The next month, Federal troops occupied the town, and in early September 1865 the Union commander turned over civil control of Salisbury to local town officials. The Salisbury National Cemetery was established on a portion of the former prison site, starting because of thousands of Union soldiers who died while imprisoned. In the antebellum period and after the American Civil War, Salisbury was the trading city of an upland area devoted to cultivation of cotton as a commodity crop. It was also the business and law center of the county. Numerous houses and other structures were built by wealthy planters and merchants in this period. In the late 19th century, the city was served by railroads, becoming a railroad hub as people and freight were transported along the eastern corridor. After three black men were

lynched Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged or convicted transgressor or to intimidate others. It can also be an extreme form of in ...

in Salisbury in 1906, one of the lynchers was prosecuted. This resulted in the first conviction for lynching in North Carolina, and one of the first in the United States. In the 20th century, Salisbury's economy grew into an industrial-based economy. Entrepreneurs developed the textile industry for processing cotton, first, and numerous textile mills operated in the city. The industry owners moved their jobs and mills offshore in the late 20th century, to areas with cheaper labor costs. This change cost the city and area many jobs, and unemployment rose for a period. Since 2000, the city's population has grown rapidly, with people attracted to the city's resources and amenities.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, as of 2010, the city has a total area of , all land. Salisbury is located in the Central Piedmont of North Carolina in the

Charlotte metropolitan area The Charlotte metropolitan area is a metropolitan area of the U.S. states of North and South Carolina, containing the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. The metropolitan area also includes the cities of Gastonia, Concord, Huntersville, and ...

. The city is 21 miles north of Concord, 38 miles south of

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and the 91st-most populous city in the Uni ...

, and 25 miles northeast of Charlotte.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 35,540 people, 12,524 households, and 7,325 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 33,663 people, 10,276 households, and 6,186 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 11,288 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 57.30%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 37.56%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.28% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.92% from other races, and 1.48% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 4.30% of the population. There were 10,276 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.92. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,923, and the median income for a family was $41,108. Males had a median income of $31,149 versus $25,019 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,864. About 12.2% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over. 2010 Census data will be available in January 2011.

Economy

Shopping

Salisbury is home to a downtown area that encompasses several blocks near the intersection of Innes Street and Main Street. Because of the decline in the textile industry and the rise of suburban malls, the downtown area still has vacant buildings. The retail features more unique, locally owned businesses and merchants. Downtown Salisbury provides an array of shops, antique stores, and cultural attractions. Downtown Nights Out, held from time to time throughout the year, provide opportunities for late night shopping, musical entertainment, and fine dining. Shopping centers include West End Plaza, and formerly the Rowan Mall.

Broadband networks

In 2015 Salisbury's Fibrant system (later called Hotwire) became capable of 10 gigabit capacity town-wide; it is thought to be the only town-owned system in the world with such capacity.

Major employers

Major employers in Salisbury include the headquarters of

, a regional grocery chain that is one of the US subsidiaries of

Ahold Delhaize Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (in Dutch language, Dutch literally "Royal Ahold Delhaize"), commonly known as Ahold Delhaize, is a Dutch-Belgian multinational retail and wholesale holding company. Its name comes from the 2016 merger of two comp ...

; the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center, the City of Salisbury, and the County of Rowan. Novant Health Rowan Medical Center and the Rowan Salisbury School System, are also major employers. Smaller employers include textile mills and other manufacturing businesses. In 2019, the pet food retailer Chewy announced it would build a 700,000 square foot facility employing 1,200.

Arts and culture

Historic preservation

Salisbury has developed a strong record of historic preservation since the late 20th century. It is the site of a noted

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

camp during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and has ten National Register historic districts. The city has many historic homes and commercial buildings dating from the 19th century and early 20th century, several of which are individually listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Since 1975, Salisbury City Council has designated five Local Historic Districts, encompassing hundreds of historically and architecturally significant buildings. Owners of properties within locally designated historic districts are required to obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Salisbury Historic Preservation Commission before making exterior changes to residential or commercial buildings. The City of Salisbury offers a variety of incentive grants to historic homeowners and downtown business owners to defray the cost of repairs and rehabilitation projects.

Walking tour

A walking tour begins at the Rowan County Convention and Visitor's Bureau and winds through the history of Salisbury and the state's Piedmont Region. Structures from the 19th century, as well as artifacts, such as the desk that President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

used when he studied law in Salisbury, are viewable. The Rowan Museum has exhibits that incorporate the use of three buildings: Salisbury's 1854 County Courthouse, the circa 1815 Utzman–Chambers House Museum, and the 1820 Josephus Hall House. These provide information regarding Historic Salisbury. The City of Salisbury currently has 10 National Register Historic Districts with more than 1,200 contributing properties. The Salisbury History and Art Trail is made up of a series of markers throughout the city that incorporate both history and art for self-guided tours. They mark events and stories from Salisbury's past. The markers are organized info five broad historic eras. This trail was jointly developed by Downtown Salisbury, Inc. and the Salisbury Community Appearance Commission.

Cultural arts community

The Salisbury community has numerous cultural resources and strong citizen support and stewardship for arts and cultural development. It works to protect existing resources while linking arts and cultural resources to key economic, neighborhood development, educational, and social goals of the broader community.Salisbury Cultural Action Plan Executive Summary, Mary Berryman Agard, & Associates
, 2008 July. Retrieved 2010-08-05 Salisbury has a strong commitment to historic preservation, high levels of arts and cultural activity, a citizen base that places high value on arts education, and a strong local tradition of civic volunteerism. The city has a growing population of professional and amateur artists drawn from many disciplines, with support from local patrons and foundations. It has a high rate of participation in and support for the arts, coupled with an emerging downtown public art program. The Salisbury Sculpture Show is an example of an existing public art program. The local Rowan Arts Council offers a Rowan Art Crawl on the second Saturday of each month: this provides access to more than 25 professional artists, studios, and galleries. The Rail Walk Arts District, located near the restored Salisbury railroad depot, features an array of artists and galleries. The Waterworks Visual Arts Center provides diverse opportunities in the arts through exhibitions, education, and outreach programs. The Salisbury Symphony Orchestra performs in the city. Performances of live theatre take place at the Piedmont Players Theatre (Meroney Theatre & Norvell Children's Theatre), Lee Street Theatre, and Looking Glass Collective Black Box Theater, with other opportunities for community engagement. Bell Tower Green is a park which takes up most of the block bounded by Innes, Church, Fisher and Jackson Streets and named for the

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

that was part of the former building of First Presbyterian Church. It officially opened October 1, 2021 after more than two years of construction, funded primarily with more than $13 million in donations. It is expected to help with economic development in the downtown area and it adds a location for concerts.

Libraries

The headquarters of the Rowan County Public Library is located at 201 W Fisher Street in Salisbury. This library contains the Edith M. Clark History Room, with concentration of works on western North Carolina history and genealogy.

Government

Salisbury is governed by a

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

, which was chaired by the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

, Karen Alexander. The other city council members include: mayor

pro tempore ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to 'for the time being' in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a '' locum tenens'' ('placeholder'). The phrase is ...

Tamara Sheffield, David Post, Anthony Smith, Harry Mclaughlin. Members of the council are elected from single-member districts. The city council appoints a

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...

to run the day-to-day operations. W. Lane Bailey was appointed as City Manager February 18, 2015. Since 2011, the City of Salisbury's financial foundation has been strengthened due to management's actions, which resulted in two credit rating increases to bring the city to a AA rating. On the state level, Salisbury is represented in the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, who holds powers si ...

as a part of the 77th district, which includes the city and northern and western parts of Rowan County. The current representative is Republican Harry J. Warren. Salisbury is represented in the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate ...

, as part of the 34th district, by Republican Andrew Brock as a part of the 34th district. Senator Brock also represents Davie County. On the national level, Salisbury is a part of

North Carolina's 8th congressional district North Carolina's 8th congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, congressional district that comprises a large portion of the southern Piedmont (United States), Piedmont area of North Carolina The district includes ...

. It is represented by Republican Dan Bishop. The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Republican

Thom Tillis Thomas Roland Tillis ( ; born August 30, 1960) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from North Carolina, a seat he has held since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Tillis served in the North Carolina House ...

, who was elected to the Senate in 2014. The junior Senator is Republican

Ted Budd Theodore Paul Budd (born October 21, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator for North Carolina since 2023. A member of the Republica ...

, who was elected in 2022. The law enforcement authority is the Salisbury Police Department.

Education

Salisbury has a number of educational institutions, both public and private.

Rowan–Salisbury School System

The Rowan–Salisbury School System was formed in 1989 after the merger of the Rowan County Schools and the Salisbury City Schools. Most notable is Salisbury High School. There are two charter school in Rowan County, Essie Mae Kiser Foxx Charter School, in East Spencer and Faith Academy Charter School in Faith North Carolina.

Private schools

Many private schools, both inside and outside the city of Salisbury, serve its citizens. Some schools were founded as segregation academies when the public school system was integrated. * North Hills Christian School (PK-12) * Rockwell Christian School (PK-12) * RCHSA,

Homeschool Homeschooling or home schooling (American English), also known as home education or elective home education (EHE) (British English), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted ...

group (any age) * Sacred Heart Catholic School (K-8) * Salisbury Academy (3K-12) * Salisbury Adventist School (K-7) * Salisbury Christian School (K-12) * St. John's Kindergarten (PK-K)

Colleges and universities

* Catawba College * Livingstone College * Rowan–Cabarrus Community College * Hood Theological Seminary

Media

The ''

Salisbury Post The ''Salisbury Post'' is an American, English-language daily newspaper, founded in 1905, in Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury ( ) is a city in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the ...

'', founded in 1905, is the local daily newspaper. WSAT, "Memories 1280", is an AM radio station whose programming consists largely of older pop music. It also broadcasts games of the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

, Catawba College, and local high schools. WSTP is an AM station associated with Catawba College and training students for broadcasting careers. Co-owned with WSAT, the station went dark on August 30, 2016, citing signal issues.

iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...

-owned alternative rock radio station WEND (New Rock 106.5 The End) is licensed to Salisbury; its transmitter is located in China Grove. Salisbury has no broadcast television stations licensed in the city, but is served by network affiliates and independent stations broadcasting from nearby Charlotte. WSRG-TV is a government-access channel located on Hotwire (the city's former

fiber optic An optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other. Such fibers find wide usage in fiber-optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at ...

telephone, Internet and

MVPD Multichannel television in the United States has been available since at least 1948. The United States is served by multichannel television through cable television systems, direct-broadcast satellite providers, and various other wireline video pr ...

service) on channel 394 and

Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...

Salisbury (channel 16) but not available by satellite. It serves Rowan County, including Salisbury, Granite Quarry, Rockwell, Faith, China Grove and Cleveland.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

Crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hindu iconography, Hind ...

, Carolinian, and

trains connect Salisbury with the cities of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Washington,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

, Charlotte,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

and

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. The Amtrak station is situated at Depot and Liberty streets. Salisbury is also served by Interstate 85, US Highways 601, 29, 52, and 70, and the Mid-Carolina Regional Airport (formerly Rowan County Airport). Salisbury is just south of the halfway point between Charlotte and

Greensboro Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...

. Exits 74 (Julian Road), 75 (US Highway 601/Jake Alexander Boulevard), and 76 (Innes Street/US Highway 52) are designated as Salisbury exits from I85. The City of Salisbury's Transit System (STS) provides public transportation and offers three routes. Each route arrives and departs from the " Transfer Site", which is located on Depot Street. Any member of the general public may ride the Salisbury Transit bus. Salisbury Transit does not operate on Sundays and some holidays.

Health care

Novant Health Rowan Medical Center and affiliated doctors' offices provide a majority of the city residents' healthcare. The W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center is a veterans' hospital in Salisbury and is operated by the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

Notable people

* Bill Baker (1911–2006), MLB player * Rachel Oestreicher Bernheim (born 1943), human rights activist *

Sidney Blackmer Sidney Alderman Blackmer (July 13, 1895 – October 6, 1973) was an American Broadway theatre, Broadway and film actor active between 1914 and 1971, usually in major supporting roles. Biography Blackmer was born and raised in Salisbury, ...

(18951973), actor, born and raised in Salisbury *

George Bradshaw George Bradshaw (29 July 1800 – 6 September 1853) was an English cartographer, printer and publisher. He developed Bradshaw's Guide, a widely sold series of combined railway guides and timetables. Biography Bradshaw was born at Windsor B ...

(1924–1994),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

catcher for 1952 Washington Senators *

Rufus Early Clement Rufus Early Clement (June 26, 1900 – November 7, 1967) was an American academic administrator and university president. He served as the sixth and longest-serving president of the historically black Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta Universi ...

(1900–1967), African American educator * Elizabeth Hanford Dole (born 1936),

U.S. senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

2003–2009, US Secretary of Labor, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, president of

American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...

* Mary Peacock Douglas (1903–1970), librarian and author *

Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy-five people have held the office since the first state governor, Richard Caswell, took office in 1777. The governor serves a ...

John W. Ellis (18201861), born in what was then eastern Rowan County and practiced law in Salisbury. * Mike Evans (1949–2006), actor and co-creator of TV series ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...

'' * Lacy Gibson (1936–2011), Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter * James Goodnight (born 1943), CEO of

SAS Institute SAS Institute (or SAS, pronounced "sass") is an American multinational developer of analytics and artificial intelligence software based in Cary, North Carolina. SAS develops and markets a suite of analytics software ( also called SAS), which ...

* Javon Hargrave (born 1993), lineman for NFL's

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

* Josephine D. Heard (1861–1924), African American teacher, poet *

Archibald Henderson Archibald Henderson (January 21, 1783 – January 6, 1859) was the longest-serving Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Commandant of the Marine Corps, serving from 1820 to 1859. His name is learned by all recruits at United States Mari ...

(1877–1963), professor of mathematics who wrote on many subjects * Tripp Isenhour (born 1968), professional golfer *

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

(1767–1845), practiced law in Salisbury. * Bobby Jackson (born 1973),

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

player * Bob Jones (1930–1989), state leader of the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

in the 1960s * Roland Jones (1813–1869), represented Louisiana in

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from 1853 to 1855 * Baxter Byerly "Buck" Jordan (19071973), baseball first baseman * E. J. Junior (born 1959),

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

linebacker 1981–1993 *

Ralph Ketner Ralph Wright Ketner (September 20, 1920 – May 29, 2016) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of Food Lion (which was founded as Food Town) in 1957. Early life Ketner was born in Rimertown, North Carolina, on Sep ...

(1920–2016), businessman and philanthropist; co-founder of

* Clyde Kluttz (1917–1979), MLB player, executive and scout * Susan W. Kluttz, Secretary of

North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is a cabinet-level department within the state government of North Carolina dedicated to overseeing projects in the arts, culture, and history within the borders of the state. The cur ...

, formerly Salisbury's longest-serving mayor *

Elizabeth Duncan Koontz Elizabeth Duncan Koontz (June 3, 1919 – January 6, 1989) was an American figure in education, civil rights and the women's movement. She was the first African-American president of the National Education Association and director of the United ...

(1919–1989), African-American educator and politician *

Francis Locke Sr. Francis Locke Sr. (1722–1796) was a plantation owner, businessman, politician, and a participant in the American War of Independence, where he led the American Patriot (American Revolution), Patriots to the decisive victory at Battle of Ramseur' ...

(1722–1796), planter, Colonel in the Rowan County Regiment, victor at Battle of Ramseur's Mill * James T. Loeblein, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (2015–2016) * Ben Martin (1930–2017), photographer and photojournalist for

TIME Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

magazine * Daniel Newnan (1780–1851), politician and physician *

Britt Nicole Brittany Nicole Waddell (born August 2, 1984), better known by her stage name Britt Nicole, is an American singer and songwriter. She has mainly charted as a Christian pop artist, but in 2012 found her debut mainstream single, "Gold" and in 201 ...

(born 1985),

Contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christianity, Chri ...

artist * Lee Slater Overman (18541930), U.S. senator from North Carolina * Karen L. Parker (born 1944) journalist and first Black female to graduate from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

* Bobby Parnell (born 1984), MLB pitcher for

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

* Lucius E. Polk (1833–1892), Brigadier general in

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

Christian Reid Frances Tiernan (, Fisher; pen name, Christian Reid; July 5, 1846 – March 24, 1920) was an American author who wrote more than 50 novels, most notably ''Land of the Sky, The Land of the Sky''. Reared as a Roman Catholic, she grew up in the Sout ...

(real name Frances Fisher Tiernan, 1846–1920), author of novels including '' The Land of the Sky'' * Jay Ritchie (1936–2016), MLB pitcher *

Julian Robertson Julian Hart Robertson Jr. (June 25, 1932 – August 23, 2022) was an American hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. Robertson founded Tiger Management, one of the first hedge funds, in 1980. From its inception in 1980 to its 1998 asset pe ...

(born 1932), financier and philanthropist * Florence Wells Slater (1864–1941), entomologist and educator * Edgar Maddison Welch (born 1988), Pizzagate conspiracy theorist who fired an assault rifle inside Washington D.C.'s Comet Ping Pong pizza restaurant in 2016 * Zion Williamson (born 2000), NBA, All-American at Duke University * Stunna 4 Vegas (born 1996) rapper, signed to Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment

Sister city

Salisbury has one

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

, as designated by

Sister Cities International Sister Cities International (SCI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the goal of facilitating partnerships between communities within the United States and other countries by establishing sister cities. Sister cities are agreements of ...

:Coates, Jessica. (Jun 10, 2018)
A deeper look at Salisbury's sister city relationship
''Salisbury Post''. Retrieved Jul 21, 2020. * Salisbury, Wiltshire, England

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in North Carolina Cities in Rowan County, North Carolina County seats in North Carolina