Statesville is a city in Iredell County, North Carolina, United States, and its

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 ...

. The population was 28,419 at the time of the 2020 census. Statesville was established in 1789 by an act of the

North Carolina Legislature The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the state government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Vested with the state's legislative power by the ...

. It is part of the Charlotte metropolitan area.

History

In 1753, Scots-Irish

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

and German Lutherans, who had originally settled in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, began arriving in what would become Statesville in 1789Keever, Homer M.; ''Iredell Piedmont County'', with illustrations by Louise Gilbert and maps by Mild red Jenkins Miller, published for the Iredell County Bicentennial Commission by Brady Printing Company from type set by the Statesville Record and Landmark, copyright, November 1976 to plant crops in the fertile soil where game and water were also plentiful. The settlement, known as Fourth Creek Congregation, was named for the freshwater stream running to the north of the present-day city center, the fourth creek west of the neighboring settlement of

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

. The center of the settlement was a log cabin where the

worshiped and where the First Presbyterian Church is located today. Statesville Old U

In 1755, colonial governor Arthur Dobbs authorized the construction of the colony's frontier fort, which was located approximately due north of the Fourth Creek settlement. Built and garrisoned by North Carolina provincial soldiers, Fort Dobbs defended British North America's western frontier in the colony of North Carolina during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

and Anglo-Cherokee War. Fort Dobbs combined the functions of a military

barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...

, fortification, refuge for settlers, provisioning depot and center for negotiations with Native Americans. The state legislature divided Rowan County in 1788, and the new county was named "Iredell" for

James Iredell James Iredell (October 5, 1751 – October 20, 1799) was one of the first justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was appointed by President George Washington and served from 1790 until his death in 1799. His son, James Iredel ...

, associate justice of the first Supreme Court during the presidency of

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

. One year later, the legislature selected a spot for the county seat. The Fourth Creek Congregation was chosen, and the settlement became known as "Statesville". The 1800 US Census lists the town as "States Ville", which was later combined as "Statesville". In 1800, there were 95 inhabitants in "States Ville", including 68 free white persons and 27 slaves."United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHR8-5KZ : accessed 19 December 2018), States Ville, Iredell, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 675, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 29; FHL microfilm 337,905. As early as 1833, Statesville's leaders began laying track for railroads to connect 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 ...

area of North Carolina with the rest of the country. By 1858, Statesville was growing rapidly and soon afterward began leading the state in the production of

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and tobacco products, the manufacture and blending of

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...

, and became a large distribution center for roots and herbs. On August 27, 1891, a passenger train derailed on the Bostian Bridge, a bridge, and seven cars fell down. About 30 people died in the accident.

Geography

Statesville is in central Iredell County, in the western part of the

region of North Carolina. According to the

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

, Statesville has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.48%, are water. The north side of Statesville is drained by Fourth Creek, while the south side is drained by Third Creek. Both creeks flow east, joining just before reaching the South Yadkin River near Cooleemee.

Climate

Statesville has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

( Cfa) like most of the state of North Carolina, although its higher elevation leads to cooler temperatures than much of the Piedmont. Summers are generally hot and humid, with mild nights, while winters are usually cool with chilly nights and sporadic snowfall. Severe thunderstorms can be an issue during summer, with wind speeds of 60 mph and even gusts of 95 mph being recorded during these storms.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 28,419 people, 10,628 households, and 6,536 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 24,633 people, 9,338 households, and 5,957 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 10,041 housing units at an average density of . The racial composition of the city was: 59.94%

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 ...

, 31.87%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 7.11%

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 American, 2.71%

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans with ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants). Although this term had historically been used fo ...

, 0.18% Native American, 0.02%

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

or Other Pacific Islander, 3.84% some other races, and 1.42% two or more races. There were 9,338 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,925, and the median income for a family was $41,694. Males had a median income of $31,255 versus $22,490 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 $19,328. About 12.7% of families and 16.1% 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 23.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Historic sites

* Academy Hill Historic District * Center Street A.M.E. Zion Church, built in 1903 * Congregation Emanuel is one of fewer than a hundred nineteenth-century synagogue buildings still standing in the United States. * East Broad Street–Davie Avenue Historic District * Fourth Creek Burial Ground, burials from 1759 * Iredell County Courthouse, built in 1899 * Key Memorial Chapel, also known as St. Philips Roman Catholic Church, built in 1898 * Main Building, Mitchell College, built in 1854-1856 * McElwee Houses, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s * Mitchell College Historic District, buildings dating from 1857 to 1930 * Morrison-Mott House, built about 1904 to 1905 * Col. Silas Alexander Sharpe House, built about 1860 or 1865 * South Race Street Historic District, 85 buildings built in the late 1800s and early 1900s * Statesville Commercial Historic District, 54 buildings built between 1875 and 1925 * Henry Turner House and Caldwell–Turner Mill Site, built about 1860 * United States Post Office and County Courthouse, built in 1891

Museums

The Governor Zebulon Vance House and Museum is operated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy; Vance lived in the house at the end of the U.S. Civil War. Other museums include Iredell Museums, Heritage Museum, and The Children's Museum.

Sports

Statesville was home to a

minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

teams of various names, mainly the Statesville Owls, from 1939 until 1969. They played in several leagues over the years including the Tar Heel League (1939–1940), North Carolina State League (1942, 1947–1952), Western Carolina League (1960–1962), and Western Carolinas League (1963–1969). They were league champions in their respective league in 1940, 1948, and 1962. The field was located at Statesville Senior High School and thus named Senior High Stadium.

Education

The city is part of the Iredell–Statesville School District. Schools within the city limits include East Iredell Elementary, N.B. Mills Elementary, Oakwood Middle School, Pressly Elementary, and Statesville High School. Schools serving Statesville residents but located outside the city limits include Cloverleaf Elementary School, East Iredell Middle School, and Third Creek Elementary School. Wayside Elementary School was an elementary school located off Salisbury Road in eastern Statesville. The current school building opened in 1941 and closed in 2002 when Wayside School and Alan D. Rutherford School merged to form Third Creek Elementary. The former Wayside building is currently home to the UAW 3520 headquarters, while the former Alan D. Rutherford site is home to the Iredell-Statesville Schools Administrative Annex, now known as the Alan D. Rutherford Education Building. Statesville Christian School is a non-denominational K4–12 private school serving the greater Statesville area. Mitchell Community College, founded as a Presbyterian women's college in 1852, is now a public

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

. In the 2008–2009 academic year, it became the first community college in the United States to be accepted into

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

's University Student Launch Initiative competition.

Media

Print

* The '' Statesville Record & Landmark'' is Statesville's daily newspaper, primarily serving Iredell County. It is published seven days a week.

Radio

* WAME, "Real Country 550 & 92.9" is an AM/FM station at 550 kHz and 92.9 mHz that plays classic country music. * WSIC, 1400 AM & 100.7 FM, has a news-talk format. In addition, the signals of many stations from the Charlotte area and

Piedmont Triad The Piedmont Triad (or simply the Triad) is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina anchored by three cities: Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, and ...

region reach Statesville.

Infrastructure

Highways

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...

and Interstate 77 intersect in the northeastern part of the city, and US 21, US 64, and US 70 run through the center of Statesville.

Notable people

* Gair Allie (1931–2016), former

MLB 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 ...

player * Julianne Baird (born 1952), soprano singer * Breon Borders (born 1995), NFL defensive back * Hayne D. Boyden (1897–1978), Naval aviator and Brigadier general, USMC * Johnny Chapman (born 1967), stock car racing driver * Mildred Stafford Cherry (1894–1971), First Lady of North Carolina * Louis "Pinky" Clarke (1901–1977), Olympic gold medal winner in 4x100 m relay at

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...

* Chris Cole (born 1982), professional

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United Stat ...

* Blake Crouch (born 1978), author and producer * Jake Crum (born 1991), driver in the

NASCAR Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock car racing, s ...

* Mark Davidson (born 1961), former outfielder for the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

and

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

* Jerome Henderson (born 1969), NFL cornerback * Columbus Vance Henkel, Jr. (1908–1971), five-term North Carolina Senator; editor of " The Blowing Rocket" * Rockie Lynne (born 1964), country music artist * Danny Malboeuf (born 1960), visual artist combining

surrealism Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

with other genres * Thomas Marshburn (born 1960),

astronaut * Barry Moore (born 1943), former MLB pitcher * Justin Moose (born 1983), professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player * William Stevens Powell (1919–2015), historian, author, teacher, and librarian known for his extensive work on the history of North Carolina, lived in Statesville, updated 2015 by Government & Heritage Library staff * Stephen C. Reber,

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of the United Episcopal Church of North America * William Sharpe (1742–1818), lawyer, politician, American Revolution patriot, and a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

* Mike Skinner (born 1957), NASCAR driver * Vinson Smith (born 1965), NFL linebacker * Herm Starrette (1936–2017), former Major League Baseball pitcher and coach * T.M. Stikeleather (1848–1934), populist representative in 1894 and 1900 for the 27th district, which included Iredell, Davie and Yadkin counties * Theodore Taylor (1921–2006), writer * Jared Watts (born 1992),

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

player

References

{{Authority control Cities in North Carolina German-American culture in North Carolina Scotch-Irish American culture in North Carolina Cities in Iredell County, North Carolina County seats in North Carolina Populated places established in 1753 1753 establishments in North Carolina