HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Andrews is a town in Cherokee County,
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. The population was 1,667 at the 2020 census.


History

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Valley River was inhabited by
Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands Here they waged war again ...
people. They constructed
platform mounds A platform mound is any earthworks (archaeology), earthwork or mound intended to support a structure or activity. It typically refers to a flat-topped mound, whose sides may be pyramidal. In Eastern North America The Native Americans in the ...
in the centers of their towns. At least 14 existed within the limits. By the beginning of the 18th century, the
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
had pushed the Muscogee out and taken over their townsites. Many of the towns retained their original names. Andrews was the site of two substantial Cherokee sister towns, Tomotla and Konohete. The meaning of Tomotla is lost. Konehete or Gu'nahitun'ya on the other hand, can be translated to mean "Long Place" or "Long Valley." The remains of the Andrews Mound survived until 1975, when the land owner bulldozed the structure after it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. All of the other mounds have been destroyed either through farming or malicious land owners. The area was originally called Jamesville, and then the Whitaker Settlement, in honor of settler James Whittaker. The Old Tatham House at the base of Pisgah Road near Andrews was built in 1833. The two-story log cabin built by Thomas Tatham is the oldest surviving structure in the county. In 1852, Cherokee County’s first industry, a tannery northeast of what would become Andrews, was established by James Stewart. The town’s first school was a log structure built on Fairview Road in the early 1880s. In the late 1880s, Col. Alexander Boyd Andrews, second vice president of the
Richmond and Danville Railroad The Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) Company was a railroad that operated independently from 1847 until 1894, first in the U.S. state of Virginia, and later on of track in nine states. Chartered on March 9, 1847, the railroad completed its ...
, bought 50 acres in the area to build a commissary for the railway. Trains began visiting in 1891.


The town's establishment

In 1905, the town of Andrews was incorporated, with David Samuel Russell appointed as the first mayor. The Franklin Pierce Cover House, First Baptist Church, and
Walker's Inn Walker's Inn is a historic building in rural Cherokee County, North Carolina. The two-story five-bay frame house is located at the northeast corner of the junction of SR 1505 and SR 1393 near Andrews. History The house was apparently built in ...
are 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 ...
. On October 27, 1906, the dedication of the Andrews Public School occurred, and its first classes began in August 1907 in the Masonic Lodge. The building was used until its demolition in the summer of 1961. The first known brick house in the county, the John Tatham House, was north of Andrews. It was destroyed in the early 1900s. After
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
s were forced out of
Cumming, Georgia Cumming is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, Georgia, United States, and the sole incorporated area in the county. It is a suburban city, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In the 2020 census, the population is 7,318, up fro ...
, in 1912, some came to Andrews and started a community called Happytop. A Carnegie library was built in Andrews in 1914. It was demolished in 1979 to make room for the current Andrews Public Library building. The Andrews Public Library joined the
Nantahala Regional Library Nantahala Regional Library is the oldest regional library in North Carolina and one of the first regional libraries formed in the United States. Its headquarters is in Murphy, North Carolina. The library has branches in Cherokee, Clay, and Grah ...
system in 1940. Andrews was home to the Wilhide brothers, Robert M. and Wilfred W. Wilhide, born between 1920 and 1922. Both were born and raised in Andrews, attended flight school at Cherry Point, North Carolina, and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as pilots during World War II. In the space of several days, after inflicting severe losses upon the Japanese fleet, both brothers were lost and killed during missions near Okinawa. The Wilhide brothers were given a memorial in the Valleytown cemetery, and a monument at Veterans Memorial Park in Andrews, not far from their childhood home and birthplace. In October 1920, the Peavine Railroad was completed between Andrews and Hayesville. It hauled mainly lumber and was dismantled in 1951. Passenger service between
Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populous city in Western North Carolina a ...
,
Murphy Murphy is an Irish surname meaning "Sea Warrior". Origins and variants The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh"), and "Mac Murchaidh"/" Mac Murchadh" (son of "Murchadh") derived ...
, and Andrews ended in 1948. In the 1940s, Andrews' town hall was constructed on Main Street; the building was renovated in 1975 and 2015.


Late 20th century to present

The town’s first hospital was located downtown on the corner of Locust and Main Streets, founded by Dr. Van Gorder. In 1956, a 30-bed non-profit regional hospital named the District Memorial Hospital of Southwestern North Carolina was constructed in Andrews at a cost of $375,000 (about $4.3 Million today). A complete renovation and expansion was done in 1970, making it a 64-bed facility. Citing uncollected payments, District Memorial declared bankruptcy in 2000, closed in June 2003, and was demolished in late 2008/early 2009. Today the town is served by Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital southwest in Peachtree. In 1963, the Western North Carolina Wagon Train incorporated its headquarters in Andrews. The wagon train, one of the biggest rallies of horse-and-wagon enthusiasts in the Eastern U.S. and one of the longest-running wagon trains in the nation, runs through Andrews each summer. Industrial Opportunities, Inc. (IOI) was founded in 1974 to serve Cherokee,
Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
, and
Graham Graham or Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan ...
counties. The Andrews nonprofit hires mentally and physically disabled adults to manufacture military, medical, and commercial goods. IOI opened as a 1,200 square foot factory in Marble, North Carolina, and had operated in Marble until early 2003. IOI Road in Marble is the only piece left of IOI in Marble. The current factory was once home to the H.D. Lee company (now just Lee) that opened in 1979 and had been in Andrews for several years until its closure on January 11, 2002. IOI opened its Andrews location on February 28, 2003. It was also home to Berkshire Corporation until its closure in 1977. Andrews had two more industries during the late 20th century: Baker Furniture and Owenby Manufacturing. Baker Furniture's Andrews plant opened in 1965 as Andrews Furniture Industries, Inc. The plant also made Magnavox stereos and TV cabinets. The plant closed on July 1, 2000. Owenby Manufacturing opened in 1955, and its closure date is unknown. In 1976, the West End Plaza shopping center opened on the west side of town on Main Street. A second shopping center, named the Andrews Town Centre, opened in 1990. A four-lane highway was built between Andrews and Murphy around 1977. This new highway was opened in 1979, with its previous alignment through town becoming US 19 Business. Andrews' chamber of commerce was established in May 1985. A 10-mile, 12-inch water line was built to connect Andrews and Murphy's water systems in 1999. The interconnect agreement expired in 2022. Andrews did not charge churches for city water until 1999. Andrews' city limits expanded in June 2000. The town's annual Spring Fling celebration got its start in 2009. In 2018-2019, the town hosted the last Possum Drop in North Carolina. The Cherokee County Fair has been held annually at Andrews Recreation Park since 2022. Andrews' weekly farmers market began in 2024. In late 2024, Andrews' leaders unanimously repealed a law that banned weapons on town property, including the pool, library, and police department. Town leaders in 2025 approved a "social district" allowing the open carry of alcoholic beverages in certain parts of the downtown area. As of 2025, Andrews operates the only rest area and public swimming pool in Cherokee County.


Mayoral history

# David Samuel Russell (1905–c.1928) # J.H. Christy (1929–) # D.S. Russell (1931–) # D.H. Tillitt (c.1939) # R.T. Heaton (c.1943) # Percy B. Ferebee (c.1961–1966) # Ty Burnette (1971–1986) # Mitch Rhinehardt (2001–2004) #Johnny Brown (2005–2013) # Nancy Curtis (2013–2017) # James Reid (2017–present)


Geography

Andrews is located in northeastern Cherokee County on the south side of the
Valley River The Valley River is a tributary of the Hiwassee River. It arises as a pair of springs in the Snowbird Mountains of Cherokee County, North Carolina and descends in elevation in approximately to enter the Hiwassee embayment at present-day Mu ...
, a southwestward-flowing tributary of the
Hiwassee River The Hiwassee River is a river in the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It originates from a spring on the north slope of Rocky Mountain (Georgia), Rocky Mountain in Towns County, Georgia, Towns County in n ...
and part of the
Tennessee River The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...
watershed. U.S. Routes 19, 74, and
U.S. Route 129 U.S. Route 129 (US 129) is an Auxiliary U.S. Route, auxiliary route of U.S. Route 29, US 29, which it Intersection (road), intersects in Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for from an intersection with U.S. Route 19 in Florid ...
form a four-lane bypass around the northern edge of the town; the highways lead northeast to Topton, where they diverge, and southwest to
Murphy Murphy is an Irish surname meaning "Sea Warrior". Origins and variants The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh"), and "Mac Murchaidh"/" Mac Murchadh" (son of "Murchadh") derived ...
, 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 ...
.
Bryson City Bryson City is a town in Swain County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. The population was 1,558 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located in what was historically the land of the Cherokee, Bryson City was found ...
is northeast via US 19/74, and Robbinsville is north via US 129. 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 ...
, Andrews has a total area of , all land. Valleytown Township dominates the eastern part of Cherokee County. The area is bordered by Graham County to the north,
Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Fl ...
to the south, and Macon County to the east. Within the township are the towns of
Marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
in the west, Andrews at the center, and Topton in the far east at the Macon and Graham county lines.


Climate


Demographics

Andrews' homeless population was 12 as of 2025.


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,667 people, 714 households, and 400 families residing in the town.


2010 census

In the 2010 census, the total population was 1,781 people residing in 780 households including 452 family units. 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 1,090 people per square mile.


Transportation

The Western Carolina Regional Airport is a county-owned public-use
airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...
located west of the
central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
of Andrews.. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective July 29, 2010. Andrews was served by railroad from 1891 until the 1980s when
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
decided to close the
Murphy Branch The Murphy Branch is a branch line operated by the Western North Carolina Railroad, later the Richmond and Danville, Southern Railway (US), Southern Railway, the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) and today the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad. The branc ...
west of
Sylva, North Carolina Sylva is an incorporation (municipal government), incorporated town located in central Jackson County, North Carolina, Jackson County, in the Plott Balsams, Plott Balsam Mountains of Western North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 United St ...
, because of declining freight traffic. The
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is a heritage railway, heritage and rail freight transport, freight railroad based in Bryson City, North Carolina, United States. Originally formed in 1988, it is currently owned and operated by ''American He ...
operated passenger excursions from
Dillsboro, North Carolina Dillsboro is a town in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 213 at the 2020 census down from 232 at the 2010 census. History Dillsboro was founded when the Murphy Branch Railroad came to the area in the 1880s. In 18 ...
to Andrews from 1988 until 2010.


Law enforcement

The Andrews Police Department occupies a 1940s stone building that was also the town hall until the city administration moved to a building on West End Plaza in 2023. In March 2014, four officers resigned in protest after an uncertified administrative police chief was hired. The town's police department again faced turmoil in the early 2020s, according to the ''Cherokee Scout'' newspaper, as it went through eight police chiefs in six years and the town became known as a "chief killer." In 2020, the police chief resigned after the mayor ordered him to establish checkpoints and harass visitors to prevent
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
from entering Andrews. In 2021, an officer wrecked a patrol car at a high speed downtown. Afterwards, officers contemplated disabling their automatic vehicle locators so they couldn't be tracked. That same year the city's entire police force was suspended after officers reportedly moved cameras facing locations like the station's evidence room. In May 2023, the assistant chief was wounded after he was accidentally shot with an AR-15 style rifle. In June 2023, a female officer who allegedly stalked a 16-year-old Andrews High School student she dated was ordered to stay away from the girl. In September 2023, the police chief was suspended after he was charged with obtaining property under false pretenses and obstruction of justice. He died before arrest.


Education

The town of Andrews has three schools. Andrews Elementary, Andrews Middle, and Andrews High School are part of the Cherokee County School System. Until the early 1960s, all Andrews schools were located next to each other on the property of the current elementary school. A 1935 topographic map of Andrews shows each school building, marked with a flag, located adjacent to each other on Walnut Street (now Jean Christy Avenue) and Fourth Street. The current high school and current elementary school appears first in the 1975 map. Between 1935 and 1975, the school zone has dramatically changed. Andrews Elementary (AES) is a Pre-K thru Grade 5 school. The current school building was constructed in 1951 as the Andrews Primary School. The building has had two expansions. In 1975, new classrooms, a cafeteria, a school library, and a separate building (for Pre-K) were added. This first expansion happened after the Andrews Grammar School, which was located just to the right of the small primary school building, was burned. After 1975, the school was Andrews Elementary. The school's second and most recent expansion occurred in 2003, with the addition of a gymnasium connected to the building on the west side of the building. The old rock gym built in 1934 east of the school closed in May 1999 due to safety concerns and was demolished that December. With this expansion, Jean Christy Avenue was cut off and is now only a loop in the front of the school, and a road leading up to a turn onto Fourth Street behind the school. Andrews High School (AHS) is a 9 thru 12 school built in 1963, after a fire burned down the second campus built in 1914. It was incorporated by the
North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, state government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...
in 1893. The school most likely opened in 1890, after the establishment of the town's name. From 1963 to 1999, Andrews High held students of Junior and Senior High. In 1998, a new campus built between Wakefield Road and US-19 Business was constructed. The 25-acres of land that this campus was built on was donated by the H.D. Lee factory (now the Industrial Opportunities, Inc. factory) west of the site. This site was the home of the new, $4.89 million Andrews Middle School, established and opened on August 9, 1999. Junior High was turned to Middle School, and AES and AHS operated as a Pk–5 and a 9–12 school. Andrews Elementary, Junior, and Senior High School were part of the Andrews City School District. Each city school district (Andrews and Murphy) had their own board of education and superintendent. Each district was in charge of many purchases for their schools, such as school transportation. Andrews was the first in Cherokee County to receive a school bus in 1926 and the first to receive an activity bus in 1951. The individual districts merged with Cherokee County Schools in 1969.


Andrews City Schools Superintendents

# Isham Barney Hudson (1935–1951) # Charles O. Frazier (c.1962–1969) After the merger of Andrews and Murphy's districts in 1969, Cherokee County's superintendent was John Jordan.


Media

Andrews was served by the weekly '' Andrews Journal'' newspaper from 1959 until January 1, 2019, when it merged with the ''
Cherokee Scout The ''Cherokee Scout'' is a weekly newspaper in Murphy, North Carolina, and Cherokee County. It is one of the largest newspapers in far-west North Carolina. The print edition is published on Wednesdays and had a paid circulation of 5,748 in 202 ...
'' in Murphy. Andrews no longer has a newspaper of its own. After the town's newspaper closed, Mayor James Reid began offering a quarterly e-newsletter.


Notable people

* Rick Blaylock – ''
Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die) "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)" is a song written by Kerry Kurt Phillips, Howard Perdew and Rick Blaylock, and recorded by American country music singer Joe Diffie. It was released in July 1993 as the second single from his CD ''Honky ...
'' songwriter *
Dave Bristol James David Bristol (born June 23, 1933) is an American former professional baseball manager and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). Success in the minors, and with the Reds Bristol attended high school at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Te ...
– Major League Baseball manager *
Charles Frazier Charles Frazier (born November 4, 1950) is an American novelist. He won the 1997 National Book Award for Fiction for '' Cold Mountain''. Biography Early life Frazier was born in Asheville, North Carolina, grew up in Andrews and Franklin, No ...
– National Book Award-winning author, grew up in Andrews * Dr. Dan Lunsford –
Mars Hill University Mars Hill University is a private Christian liberal arts university in Mars Hill, North Carolina, United States. The university offers 35 undergraduate majors and includes a school of nursing and graduate schools in education, criminal justice ...
president from 2002 to 2018 * Jeffrey Postell - Law Enforcement Officer and Politician known for arresting
Eric Rudolph Eric Robert Rudolph (born September 19, 1966), also known as the Olympic Park Bomber, is an American domestic terrorist convicted of a series of bombings across the Southern United States between 1996 and 1998, which killed two people and injur ...
https://michaelbanks360.com/2020/04/28/meet-the-man-who-handcuffed-the-olympic-park-bomber/


References


External links

* * {{Authority control 1837 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1837 Populated places on the Valley River Towns in Cherokee County, North Carolina Towns in North Carolina