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 ...
Fayetteville is the largest city in Lincoln County. The city was established in 1809 by an Act of the
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Tennessee Senate, Senate and a Tennessee House of Representa ...
. The act became effective on January 1, 1810.
The lands that include Lincoln County and Fayetteville were originally part of
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 ...
and
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, United States. Their traditional territory was in northern Mississippi, northwestern and northern Alabama, western Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. Their language is ...
land. They were ceded to the United States in 1806.
The city was named for
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city.
Fayetteville has received the All-Ameri ...
, where some of its earliest residents had lived before moving to Tennessee. The earlier town was named for
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...
, a French general who fought for the United States during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
Benjamin Lincoln
Benjamin Lincoln (January 24, 1733 ( O.S. January 13, 1733) – May 9, 1810) was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Lincoln was involved in three major surrender ...
, second in command of the U.S. Army at the end of the Revolutionary War.
The earliest white settler was Ezekiel Norris, who gave the one hundred acres upon which the city was built. In addition to Ezekiel Norris, other founding fathers of Fayetteville include: Alexander and Andrew Greer, William Edmonson, and Matthew Buchanan.
In 1995, the ''International Gospel Hour'' radio broadcast, founded in
Texarkana
The Texarkana metropolitan statistical area (MSA), as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, is a two-county region anchored by the Twin cities (geographical proximity), twin cities of Texarkana, Texas (population 37,33 ...
,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, by the clergyman V. E. Howard was transferred to the West Fayetteville
Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to:
Church groups
* Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ
* Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...
in Fayetteville under the minister Winford Claiborne.
Tornadoes
Several devastating tornadoes of struck the city during its history. On February 29, 1952, the town was hit by a catastrophic and violent F4 tornado that damaged or obliterated numerous homes, businesses, trees, power lines, vehicles, and other buildings. Two people were killed and 150 others were injured. The city was also devastated by tornadoes on March 14, 1851; March 27, 1890; and April 29, 1909 An EF2 tornado on March 24, 2023 also followed a path similar to the 1952 tornado.
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 ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
The climate of Fayetteville is characterized by relatively warm temperatures and heavy rainfall throughout the year. The
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
subtype for this climate is " ''Cfa''" (Humid Subtropical Climate). Fayetteville's
Trewartha climate classification
The Trewartha climate classification (TCC), or the Köppen–Trewartha climate classification (KTC), is a climate classification system first published by American geographer Glenn Thomas Trewartha in 1966. It is a modified version of the Köp ...
is also subtropical (''Cf'').
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,068 people, 3,092 households, and 1,548 families residing in the city.
2000 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 2000, there were 6,994 people, 3,054 households, and 1,804 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,370 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 71.39%
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 ...
, 26.22%
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 ...
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 ...
, 0.27% from other races, and 1.43% 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 0.81% of the population.
There were 3,054 households, out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% 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, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 25.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,830, and the median income for a family was $32,477. Males had a median income of $26,957 versus $22,382 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 $18,391. About 15.1% of families and 20.8% 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 27.8% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.
Landmarks
Old Stone Bridge
One of the most famous landmarks of Fayetteville is the remains of the Stone Bridge, commonly known by the locals of Fayetteville as the “Old Stone Bridge”. It was in 1860 that John Markum and Patrick Flannery, the architects and contractors, began the building of the bridge. Consisting of six arches, the bridge was completed in January 1862 with a final cost of $40,000. In 1863, during the Civil War, the bridge was ordered burned by General
William T. Sherman
William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...
, but this order was disobeyed because the river was easily forded at the bridge's base. The bridge stood until 1969, when it collapsed due to flooding.
Lincoln County Courthouse
The first courthouse for Lincoln County, which was made of logs, was completed in 1815. It was used as local headquarters by Union troops during the
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 ...
. The building was replaced by an
Italianate
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...
structure in 1874. This second courthouse was demolished and replaced by the current Colonial Revival-style building in 1970.Jack Towry and June Towry, Lincoln County " ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''. Retrieved: May 5, 2015.
Camp Blount Monument
The Camp Blount marker, erected in 1998, stands along Huntsville Highway (US-431) near the WalMart shopping center. The camp was located along the Elk River and was a meeting point for the Tennessee soldiers who were serving under General Andrew Jackson in the Creek War of 1813–1814. Camp Blount also was a meeting point for soldiers during the
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were a series of three military conflicts between the United States and the Seminoles that took place in Florida between about 1816 and 1858. The Seminoles are a Native American nation which co ...
in 1818 and 1836, and for both Confederate and Federal troops during the
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 ...
.
Attractions
Lincoln County Fair
The Lincoln County Fair grounds are located in Fayetteville Tennessee. The Lincoln County Fair Association was issued its charter in 1906 and is a nonprofit organization with all profits going back into maintaining the fair grounds. In 1980, the fair became a district fair, serving five counties and paying over $10,000 in agriculture premiums.
As far back as 1889, there are records for the
harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia ...
that takes place still today at the fairgrounds. The racetrack was made of red clay until 1978 when it was converted to an all weather track by grading it and covering it in limestone dust. Other elements of the fair include a demolition derby, rides, food vendors, a cattle showing, pageants, art competition, and concerts.
Economy
Bavarian-based Grammer AG operates a site in Fayetteville. It manufactures components for the automotive industry.