Davidson, North Carolina | |
---|---|
Motto: "College Town. Lake Town. Your Town." | |
Coordinates: 35°30′02″N80°50′49″W / 35.50056°N 80.84694°W | |
Country | United States |
State | North Carolina |
Counties | Iredell, Mecklenburg |
Founded | 1837 |
Incorporated | 1879 |
Named for | Davidson College [1] |
Area | |
• Total | 6.59 sq mi (17.07 km2) |
• Land | 6.34 sq mi (16.41 km2) |
• Water | 0.25 sq mi (0.65 km2) |
Elevation | 833 ft (254 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 15,106 |
• Density | 2,383.78/sq mi (920.36/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP codes | 28035-28036 |
Area code | 704 980 |
FIPS code | 37-16400 [4] |
GNIS feature ID | 2406358 [3] |
Website | www |
Davidson is a suburban town located in Iredell and Mecklenburg counties, North Carolina, United States, on the banks of Lake Norman. It is a suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 10,944 at the 2010 census, [5] and in 2019 the estimated population was 13,054. [6] The town was founded in 1837 with the establishment of the Presbyterian Davidson College, named for Brigadier General William Lee Davidson, a local Revolutionary War hero. The land for Davidson College came from Davidson's estate, a large portion of which was donated by his son.
John Davidson, described as "a prosperous Ulster merchant", was a member of the Davidson family who migrated south from Pennsylvania. Davidson's Creek was the westernmost settlement in North Carolina at the time, and according to Robert Ramsey's Carolina Cradle, it "became the nucleus of the Centre Presbyterian Congregation." [7] John Davidson's son William went on to serve in the American Revolution, eventually becoming a major. [7] Maj. William Davidson was a cousin of Col. William Davidson, the first state senator from Buncombe County, North Carolina, who in turn was a cousin of Gen. William Lee Davidson, for whom Davidson College was named. [8] Gen. Davidson's son William Lee Davidson II sold 469 acres (1.90 km2) to the Concord Presbytery to start Davidson College. [9]
The history of the town of Davidson is inextricably linked to Davidson College, which predated the surrounding community and influenced its development. Although Davidson's growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries typified small railroad towns throughout the Piedmont, the presence of the college created a unique village. The tree-shaded campus filled with classically inspired architecture distinguished Davidson from other communities. The sway of the school also extended beyond the campus to the entire town, influencing commerce, culture, and the character of its architecture. The 1869 Branson's business directory recorded four dry goods merchants in the town as well as a cabinetmaker, a miller, and three physicians.
Soon after the arrival of the railroad, Davidson became a shipping point for cash crops, especially cotton, and a service center for farmers. In common with other railroad towns in the region, textile investors constructed cotton mills and mill villages along the rail corridor. The Linden Cotton Factory, erected in 1890 on Depot Street, was the first textile plant in Davidson, and in 1908, the Delburg Cotton Mills was constructed nearby. Two thousand bales of cotton were sold at Davidson annually in the early 1900s.
In 1891, the name of the town was changed from "Davidson College" to "Davidson", emblematic of the community's expanding roles for town and gown alike. Davidson's cotton mills spurred the growth of the town, and by 1910 the population of Davidson had reached 500 residents, climbing to 1,500 by the 1920s. Between 1900 and the Great Depression, the business district evolved from a commingling of stores and residences into contiguous rows of one- and two-story, brick commercial buildings. The heart of downtown – opposite the college – contained a full complement of small-town stores and services, including four general merchandise stores, a drug store, a laundry, tailor shop, two barber shops, a hardware store, a post office, a bank, and several restaurants. Physicians, building contractors, and milliners also had Main Street addresses. Behind Main Street along the railroad tracks stood the small 1897 Southern Railway Depot, a livery, flour mill, sawmill, cotton gins, a cottonseed oil company, a blacksmith shop, and a buggy manufacturer.
The demise of cotton farming and decline of other agricultural pursuits in the region effectively ended the town's role as a farming service center. Meanwhile, improved highways and the advent of I-77 encouraged residents to frequent larger department stores in the cities, especially Charlotte, 22 miles (35 km) to the south. In more recent years, the emergence of suburban shopping centers around Davidson accelerated the town's status to an all-purpose retail market.
Today, the tremendous development around Charlotte has stimulated Davidson's growth to its current population of more than 10,000 people. Local downtown businesses, now characterized by restaurants and specialty shops, cater to this new market. Prestigious, nationally known Davidson College has made the town an intellectual and cultural center, drawing into its orbit a sizable professional class.
Beginning with the General Plan in 1993, continuing through the Land Plan of 1995 and the Planning Ordinance of 2001, the town has advocated for and implemented smart growth principles, including pedestrian orientation (resulting in a ban on drive-thru's), mixed-use development, affordable housing, open space preservation, and connectivity. An emphasis on design has been a consistent theme in each resulting regulatory document. Additionally, the town of Davidson received National Register Historic District status in 2009 for the historic core of the town, which includes downtown.
Davidson is located in the Piedmont of North Carolina at 35°29′28″N80°49′58″W / 35.49111°N 80.83278°W , in northern Mecklenburg County, north of Charlotte. [10] A portion of the town extends north into Iredell County. The western edge of the town follows the shoreline of Lake Norman, a large reservoir on the Catawba River. On the northwestern edge, Davidson is bordered by Lake Davidson, [11] a runoff basin of Lake Norman. Davidson is bordered to the south by the town of Cornelius.
Interstate 77 passes through the western side of Davidson, with access from Exit 30. I-77 leads south 21 miles (34 km) to Charlotte and north the same distance to Statesville. North Carolina Highway 115 is Davidson's Main Street; it leads north 7 miles (11 km) to Mooresville and south 6 miles (10 km) to Huntersville.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.5 km2), of which 5.8 square miles (14.9 km2) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km2), or 4.12%, are water. [5]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 391 | — | |
1890 | 481 | 23.0% | |
1900 | 904 | 87.9% | |
1910 | 1,056 | 16.8% | |
1920 | 1,156 | 9.5% | |
1930 | 1,445 | 25.0% | |
1940 | 1,550 | 7.3% | |
1950 | 2,423 | 56.3% | |
1960 | 2,573 | 6.2% | |
1970 | 2,931 | 13.9% | |
1980 | 3,241 | 10.6% | |
1990 | 4,046 | 24.8% | |
2000 | 7,139 | 76.4% | |
2010 | 10,944 | 53.3% | |
2020 | 15,106 | 38.0% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [12] |
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 12,436 | 82.32% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 746 | 4.94% |
Native American | 25 | 0.17% |
Asian | 503 | 3.33% |
Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
Other/Mixed | 572 | 3.79% |
Hispanic or Latino | 823 | 5.45% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,106 people, 4,336 households, and 3,011 families residing in the town.
According to the 2010 census, [14] there were 10,944 people and 4,253 housing units in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 87.8% White, 6.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino and 1.7% from two or more races.
There were approximately 2,429 family households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.8% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 14.9% from 20 to 29, 21.9% from 35 to 49, 16.2% from 50 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.7 years. 47.5% of the population was male and 52.5% was female.
The median household income was $83,730, and the median income for a family was $124,045. Males who work full-time and year-round had a median income of $93,833 versus $56,178 for females. The per capita income for the town was $49,065. About 4.8% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
The residents of Davidson attend the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. [15] Davidson School is the zoned school for grades K-8. [16] High school students attend William A. Hough High School in Cornelius. [17]
Elementary schools include Davidson Elementary. Following the shutdown of Davidson IBMYP Middle School in 2011, students were re-assigned to J. M. Alexander Middle School. [18] There was no middle school located in Davidson for nearly 10 years. However, beginning around 2019, Davidson Elementary has been expanded to Davidson K-8, [19] although some students leave to attend magnet, charter, or private schools.[ citation needed ]
Davidson is home to Davidson College, a highly selective liberal arts college located in the heart of town on Main Street. Davidson College is ranked 15th in National Liberal Arts Colleges[ citation needed ], and the top school in the South,. [20] It is consistently ranked in the top ten best liberal arts colleges in the country, and has graduated 23 Rhodes scholars. Some notable attendees of the college are Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, George Osborne, former British Chancellor of the Exchequer, and current NBA player Stephen Curry.
Davidson is served by a branch of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. [21] The library is located on the Green in Davidson.
Davidson is home to many businesses small and large alike. Since Davidson is situated on an old railroad line it has attracted many industrial companies for corporate and commercial business. Two well-known companies have large offices in Davidson. Davidson has attracted these companies due to the influence of Davidson College and Charlotte Douglas International Airport being 25 miles away. All while being a short drive to the up and coming Uptown Charlotte.
Davidson is home to Ingersoll Rand US Corporate Headquarters. [22] In 2020, the Beaty Street Corporate headquarters also became home to Trane a recent subsidiary of Ingersoll Rand. The company has a five-building complex on one of Lake Davidson's [11] Peninsulas. Ingersoll Rand employs 1600 Davidsonians. [23] Ingersoll Rand, an industrials company has many well-known brands other than Trane such as Club Car and CompAir. [24]
MSC Industrial Direct, located on Harbor Place Drive can be viewed from I-77 when traveling south. This building houses MSC's Customer Support Center/Corporate Headquarters. [25] MSC Industrial Direct is Industrial Supplier, a Fortune 1000 [26] company, and is on the NYSE under the ticker MSM [27] company. MSC Industrial Direct employs 700 people in the Davidson Area. [23]
Davidson College has also created many opportunities for the community employing over 500 residents. [23] Davidson College also created the Hurt HUB. [28] The Hurt HUB at Davidson College is a place for business professionals in the Davidson Area to meet young college students and create new networking opportunities.
The corporate headquarters of Curtiss-Wright, an aerospace manufacturer, is located in Davidson.
North Carolina is a state in the 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 to the southwest, and Tennessee to the west. The state is the 28th-largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. Along with South Carolina, it makes up the Carolinas region of the East Coast. At the 2020 census, the state had a population of 10,439,388. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its most populous city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 2,805,115 in 2023, is the most populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 22nd-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City. The Research Triangle, with an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023, is the second-most populous combined metropolitan area in the state, 31st-most populous in the United States, and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park.
Charlotte is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 15th-most populous city in the United States, the seventh-most populous city in the South, and the second-most populous city in the Southeast behind Jacksonville, Florida. Charlotte is the cultural, economic, and transportation center of the Charlotte metropolitan area, whose estimated 2023 population of 2,805,115 ranked 22nd in the United States. The Charlotte metropolitan area is part of an 18-county market region and combined statistical area with an estimated population of 3,387,115 as of 2023.
Mecklenburg County is a county located in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,115,482, making it the second-most populous county in North Carolina, and the first county in the Carolinas to surpass one million in population. Its county seat is Charlotte, the state's largest municipality.
Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,930. Its county seat is Lexington, and its largest community is Thomasville.
Cabarrus County is a county located in the south-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 225,804, making it the 9th-most populous county in North Carolina. The county seat is Concord, which was incorporated in 1803. Cabarrus County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Pineville is a suburban town in the southernmost portion of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. Part of the Charlotte metropolitan area, it is situated in the Waxhaws district between Charlotte and Fort Mill.
Concord is the county seat and most populous city in Cabarrus County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 105,240. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second-most populous city in the Charlotte metropolitan area and is the 10th-most populous city in North Carolina and 287th-most populous city in the U.S.
Harrisburg is a town in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States. It is a northeastern suburb of Charlotte. In the 2020 census, the population was 18,967.
Belmont is a small suburban city in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States, located about 9 miles (14 km) east of Gastonia. The population was 10,076 at the 2010 census. Once known as Garibaldi Station, it was named for the New York banker August Belmont. Belmont is home to Belmont Abbey College.
Mount Holly is a small suburban city in northeastern Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. The city is situated just west of the Catawba River, north of Interstate 85, south of North Carolina State Highway 16. The population was 17,703 at the 2020 census, up from 13,656 in 2010.
Mooresville is a town located in the southwestern section of Iredell County, North Carolina, United States, and is a part of the fast-growing Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 50,193 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous municipality in Iredell County. It is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of Charlotte.
Cornelius is a suburban town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a major suburb of Charlotte and part of its metropolitan area. The population was 31,412 at the 2020 census.
Huntersville is a large suburban town in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. At the 2020 census, its population was 61,376, making Huntersville the 15th-most populous municipality in North Carolina. It is located in the Charlotte metropolitan area and 14 mi (23 km) north of Charlotte.
Matthews is a town in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of Charlotte. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 census.
Mint Hill is a suburban town in southeastern Mecklenburg and northwestern Union counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, it is a major suburb on the outskirts of Charlotte and near the Cabarrus County line. The population was 22,722 at the 2010 census.
Waxhaw is a town in Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 20,534 according to the 2020 Census. The population grew 108.28% from 2010. The name is derived from the indigenous people who lived in the area, who were known as the Waxhaw people.
Thomasville is a city in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 27,183 at the 2020 census. The city was once notable for its furniture industry, as were its neighbors High Point and Lexington. This Piedmont Triad community was established in 1852 and hosts the state's oldest festival, "Everybody's Day".
Central Piedmont Community College is a public community college in Charlotte, North Carolina. With an enrollment of more than 40,000 students annually, Central Piedmont is the second-largest community college in the North Carolina Community College System and the largest in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The college has six campuses and three centers and offers nearly 300 degree, diploma and certificate programs.
Uptown Charlotte, also called Center City, is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The area is split into four wards by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordered by Interstate 277 and Interstate 77. The area is managed and overseen by the Charlotte Central City Partners, which is one of the three Municipal Service Districts in Charlotte. Uptown Charlotte is the largest business district in Charlotte and the Carolinas.
NoDa is a popular arts district in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is located in the North Charlotte neighborhood on and around North Davidson Street and 36th Street, approximately one mile northeast of Uptown. Formerly an area of textile manufacturing and mill workers' residences, the area has also served as a center for the arts.
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