Old Fort, North Carolina
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Old Fort is a town in McDowell County,
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 So ...
, United States. The population was 811 people in the
2020 U.S. Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
.


History

Before the arrival of European settlers, the area that is now Old Forts was populated by the Catawba and Cherokee. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers came through the area. English and Scottish settler arrived in the area in the mid-1700s. During the Revolutionary War, a stockade or fort was constructed on land owned by brothers George and Samuel Davidson, "the westernmost outpost of Colonial civilization" It was called Davidson's Fort and was the post for military expeditions such as that of Gen.
Griffith Rutherford Griffith Rutherford (c. 1721 – August 10, 1805) was an American military officer in the Revolutionary War, a political leader in North Carolina, and an important figure in the early history of the Southwest Territory and the state of Ten ...
in 1776. The fort became a site for trading between settlers and Native Americans. The arrival of the Western North Carolina Railway (WNCR) in 1869 stimulated the development of a depot and hotel. In 1871, Sanborn Worthen bought the 2200-acre Old Fort Plantation from George Davidson's grandson and changed its name to Catawba Vale. Worth hoped the railroad would build its yard there but the WNCR chose another site. On January 25, 1872, the town of Catawba Vale was founded. The town name was changed to Old Fort on February 23, 1873, honoring its origins. The railroad came to Old Fort in 1879. In 1984 the town began free weekly mountain music concerts, held in the historic Rockett Building each Friday night downtown. They attracted large audiences and numerous musicians. In mid-2014, the organization that ran mountain music lost its arrangement with the building owner, and the weekly music shows ended after 27 years.


Geography

Old Fort is located at (35.629541, -82.179178). It is east of Asheville, North Carolina. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), 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 Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , all land. Mill Creek flows through the center of Old Fort. The town is surrounded by
Pisgah National Forest Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is complet ...
which includes bogs, cove forests, fens, and hemlock forests.


Climate

Old Fort has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa'') and average monthly temperatures range from in January to in July. Temperature variations between night and day can reach 21 degrees in the summer and 23 degrees in the winter. The annual average precipitation at Old Fort is . Rainfall is fairly uniformly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is March, with an average rainfall of . The area has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa'') and average monthly temperatures range from in January to 75.7° F in July.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the
2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 811 people, 463 households, and 290 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 79.04%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 13.32%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 4.19%
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
, 3.21
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.25%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
. The median age is 46.3. Educational attainment of the population is: 18.1% high school diploma and 15.4% with a bachelors degree.


Economy

In 2020, the median household income was $28,269. Males had a median income $36,607versus $20,625 for females. Of the 463 households in town, 59.2% of the residents own their home. 20.6% of the population lives below the poverty level and 10.4% of the population does not have health insurance.


Employers

Old Fort's largest industries are Health Care & Social Assistance (78 people), Manufacturing (50 people), and Transportation & Warehousing (46 people). Kitsbow Cycling Apparel, a manufacturer of premier sportswear and accessories, employed sixty full-time people in 2014.


Arts and culture


Arts and museums

Old Fort has several attractions, including Andrews Geyser, a gravity-fed fountain created in 1879 as a railroad attraction. Davidson's Fort Historic Park, a nonprofit organization, has reconstructed Davidson Fort, the Revolutionary War and host re-enactments and educational activities. The state operates the
Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center The Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center is a divisional museum of the North Carolina Museum of History that focuses on Southern Appalachian heritage, and the culture and history of western North Carolina. The museum is located in Old For ...
which depicts local traditions and lifestyles from the 18th century through the 20th century The Old Fort Train Depot features a railroad exhibit. The historic Carson House museum is located nine miles east of Old Fort in McDowell County.


Events and festivals

The Mountain Gateway Museum hosts Pioneer Day on the last Saturday in April. The North Carolina Gold Festival is held the first Friday/Saturday in June, also on the grounds of Mountain Gateway Museum. Old Fort's Chamber of Commerce sponsors Octoberfest the first weekend in October on the grounds of Mountain Gateway Museum.


Architecture

The
Welsford Parker Artz House Welsford Parker Artz House, also known as Catawba Hill and Artz House, is a historic home located near Old Fort, North Carolina, Old Fort, McDowell County, North Carolina. It was built between 1904 and 1906, and is -story, five-bay, frame dwelli ...
and Old Fort Commercial Historic District are 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 v ...
. The Arrowhead Monument was built in 1930 as a symbol of peace between the Iroquoian-speaking
Cherokee people The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...
and Siouan-speaking
Catawba people The Catawba, also known as Issa, Essa or Iswä but most commonly ''Iswa'' (Catawba: '' Ye Iswąˀ'' – "people of the river"), are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, known as the Catawba Indian Nation. Their current lands ar ...
. At the dedication ceremony, more than 6,000 attendees gathered at the town square to see the unveiling of the 14 ft. rose granite arrowhead on a natural stone base.


Sports

Old Fort is the starting point for the annual Assault on Mount Mitchell mountain bike challenge.


Parks and recreation

In 2010, the
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is a state government agency created by the North Carolina General Assembly, General Assembly in 1947 to Wildlife management, conserve and sustain North Carolina's fish and wildlife resources through ...
added Old Fort to their list of N.C. Mountain Heritage Trout Towns. In downtown Old Fort, the section of Mill Creek is a "delayed harvest stream." The
Catawba Falls Catawba Falls is a series of waterfalls on the headwaters of the Catawba River, in McDowell County, near Old Fort, North Carolina. Geology The Catawba River flows over 2 major waterfalls in a short distance. The first drop, called Upper Cata ...
, the largest waterfall in McDowell County and the headwaters of the Catawba River, is located just outside the town limits and accessed by hiking trails. In 2009, the N.C. Department of Transportation, local county and town governments, the
United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...
, and the local trails association collaborated to arrange for a portion of Old Highway 70, an old forest service road, o be reopened for bicycle and foot traffic. Point Lookout Trail is a popular paved greenway ascending almost 1,000 feet through the Swannanoa Gap in just under .


Government

Old Fort has seven elected officials: the mayor, the mayor Pro-tem, and five aldermen.


Infrastructure

The town, is traversed by U.S. Highway 70 and Interstate 40. The Town of Old Fort operates a water and sewage system.


References


External sources

{{authority control Towns in McDowell County, North Carolina Towns in North Carolina North Carolina populated places on the Catawba River