Robbinsville is a town in

Graham County, North Carolina Graham County (locally ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 8,030, making it the List of counties in North Carolina, third-least ...

, United States. The population was 597 at the 2020 census. It is 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 Graham County, county population 8,030.

History

A trading post was established near present-day Robbinsville in the early 1840s and the town’s post office opened in 1843. The post office originally served Cheoah Valley, then Fort Montgomery in 1849. Robbinsville was incorporated on June 9, 1874. The town is believed to be named for N.C. state senator James L. Robinson. The town water system was installed in 1925. The Graham County Courthouse was constructed in Robbinsville in 1874 but its floor collapsed two decades later while the building was packed during a murder trial. A replacement built in 1895 was the last wooden courthouse built in North Carolina. The third and current building was completed in 1942. Graham County's first public library opened in Robbinsville in 1939. The library joined the Nantahala Regional Library system in 1940. The building was demolished in 1952 and replaced with a newer facility which opened April 6, 1953. Bemis Lumber Company and American Uniform previously had facilities in Robbinsville. James Lees Carpet Company operated in Robbinsville between 1957 and August 1971, employing about 400 people. The facility later became a

Stanley Furniture Stanley Furniture is an American furniture manufacturer based in High Point, North Carolina, United States. History Stanley Furniture was founded in April 1924 by Thomas Bahnson Stanley, who later became Governor of Virginia. Stanley learned th ...

plant and the town's largest industry and employer. That plant closed in mid-2014, laying off 400 workers.

Mayoral history

# N.M.E. Slaughter (1893–) # R.B. Slaughter (c.1930–1943) # J.D. Stratton (c.1963) # Stephen Hooper (c.2019) # Shaun Adams (2021–present)

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 town has a total area of , all of it land.

Climate

Robbinsville is categorized as being within the 7a

USDA hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

, meaning temperatures can get as low as 0 to 5 °F. The climate is

humid subtropical 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 la ...

(''Cfa''). Summers are mild by southern standards, and winters are cool to cold. The largest snowfall in Robbinsville was the

1993 Storm of the Century The 1993 Storm of the Century (also known as the 93 Superstorm, The No Name Storm, or the Great Blizzard of '93/1993) was a devastating cyclonic storm, or nor'easter, that formed over the Gulf of Mexico on March 12, 1993. The cold weather, heav ...

where 15 to 20 inches fell. Rainfall is abundant year round with only a slight drop off in the autumn.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 597 people, 317 households, and 156 families residing in the town.

2010 census

As of the 2010 Census, there were 411 people, 283 households and 157 families. The population density was 135 people per square mile.

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 747 people, 346 households, and 207 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 393 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.38%

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 ...

, 4.42% Native American, 0.54% from other races, and 0.67% 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 0.67% of the population. There were 346 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% 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, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% 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 2.85. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males. The

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...

for a household in the town was $14,688, and the median income for a family was $21,705. Males had a median income of $16,912 versus $14,886 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 town was $10,275. About 26.5% of families and 34.5% 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 46.6% of those under the age of 18 and 37.8% of those 65 and older.

Media

The '' Graham Star'' newspaper has been published weekly in Robbinsville since 1955. It faced competition from the ''Graham Sentinel'' until the ''Sentinel'' closed in 2012.

Cultural references

*The silent film, ''

Stark Love ''Stark Love'' (1927) is a feature film directed by Karl Brown and released by Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, now known as Paramount Pictures. The film is a maverick production in both design and concept, is a beautifully photographed ...

'' (2001), was filmed in and around Robbinsville and surrounding Graham County. Many of those who played in the movie were local residents. *Author Peter Jenkins wrote about events in 1974 in Robbinsville in his book '' A Walk Across America''. He left town after being threatened with

lynching 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 i ...

by local law enforcement because he was thought to be a

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...

Notable people

Junaluska Junaluska (Cherokee: ''Tsunu’lahun’ski'') (c.1775 – November 20, 1858), was a leader of Cherokee who resided in towns in western North Carolina in the early 19th century. He fought alongside Andrew Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend d ...

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 ...

Indian leaderhttps://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/897/. ''Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina''. Retrieved 29 November 2018. * Wade Crane, professional

pool Pool may refer to: Bodies of water * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a roc ...

player, 8-Ball and 9-Ball champion *Ethan Goodpaster, of indie

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band

Rainbow Kitten Surprise Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an American alternative rock indie band, featuring lead vocalist Ela Melo, Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, backup vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (electric guitar), and Jess Haney (drums). The band formed in Boone, North C ...

*Jess Haney, of indie alternative rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise *

Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap (born Ronald Lee Millsaps; January 16, 1943) is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country music's most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s. Nearly completely blind from birth, h ...

, country music singer and pianist *

Rodney Orr Rodney Bryan Orr (November 6, 1962 – February 14, 1994) was an American stock car racing driver. The 1993 NASCAR Goody's Dash Series champion, he was killed in an accident during practice for the 1994 Daytona 500. Career Orr was born in Robbins ...

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

driver * Tina Wesson, winner of Survivor: The Australian Outback

References

External links

Robbinsville North Carolina Profile with photos
{{Authority control Towns in Graham County, North Carolina County seats in North Carolina