Spruce Pine, North Carolina

Last updated • 6 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Spruce Pine, North Carolina
Downtown Spruce Pine NC.jpg
Locust (Lower) Street (2007)
Spruce Pine, NC Town Seal.png
NCMap-doton-SprucePine.PNG
Location in North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°54′38″N82°04′23″W / 35.91056°N 82.07306°W / 35.91056; -82.07306
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Mitchell
Incorporated1907 [1]
Named for The spruce pine [1]
Government
   Mayor Phillip Hise
Area
[2]
  Total4.68 sq mi (12.13 km2)
  Land4.68 sq mi (12.13 km2)
  Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[3]
2,612 ft (796 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total2,194
  Density468.60/sq mi (180.93/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
  Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
28777
Area code 828
FIPS code 37-64260 [4]
GNIS feature ID2407391 [3]
Website sprucepine-nc.gov

Spruce Pine is the largest town in Mitchell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,175 at the 2010 census. It is one of the only places in the world where high-purity quartz can be found.

Contents

History

Spruce Pine was founded in 1907, when the Clinchfield Railroad made its way up the North Toe River from Erwin, Tennessee. The town was originally centered around a tavern operated by Isaac English, which was located on an old roadway that ran from Cranberry, North Carolina, down to Marion, NC. The Old English Inn still stands at its original location near the center of town. In 1923, after an African-American escaped convict allegedly raped a local white resident, a large armed white mob rounded up scores of black men who were laboring on a road construction project and forced them to leave town on boxcars. North Carolina Governor Cameron Morrison deployed National Guard troops to Spruce Pine so that the workers could return and complete the road. [5]

The railroad, combined with a rapidly expanding mining industry (the town is the namesake of the famous Spruce Pine Mining District) made Spruce Pine the largest town in the Toe River Valley, as it became the hub of commerce and culture for the area. Spruce Pine was the home of The Feldspar Company and Spruce Pine Mica, and other major mining interests had operations in and around the town.

Railroad tracks and train station in Spruce Pine (2008) Spruce Pine-27527-2.jpg
Railroad tracks and train station in Spruce Pine (2008)

With the decline in use of railroads to ship goods, along with increasing automation in the mining industry, the town recently has seen its fortunes dwindle and has undertaken a major effort to reinvent itself. Tourism has become a major economic force in the region, and the town's proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway, combined with its location near the edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, has helped make Spruce Pine a travel destination for many. The town also boasts the moniker of "The Mineral City of the World".

On August 4, 2007, the downtown area of Spruce Pine was threatened when an arsonist set fire to several buildings downtown. The fires, which brought firemen from four counties around Spruce Pine, severely damaged the building that housed Cheapskates Music on Lower Street and caused some tense moments when it seemed that the fires might spread out of control and consume the downtown area.

The Downtown Spruce Pine Historic District and Gunter Building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [6] Spruce Pine is the exclusive supplier of sand to Augusta National Golf Club.

The town suffered flooding and devastation as a result of Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Spruce Pine has high-purity quartz, a mineral required in a variety of important products, such as semiconductors. [7] [8] [9] View the Spruce Pine Mining District article for further information.

Geography

Abandoned Bon Ami mine (2012) Bon Ami mine.jpg
Abandoned Bon Ami mine (2012)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10 km2), all land. The town limits are approximately three miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, 50 miles northeast of Asheville and 40 miles southwest of Boone.

Climate

Climate data for SPRUCE PINE 2 NE, NC, 1991-2020 normals
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)44.6
(7.0)
47.5
(8.6)
55.0
(12.8)
64.0
(17.8)
71.4
(21.9)
77.5
(25.3)
81.2
(27.3)
79.6
(26.4)
73.8
(23.2)
65.1
(18.4)
55.8
(13.2)
48.4
(9.1)
63.7
(17.6)
Daily mean °F (°C)34.0
(1.1)
36.6
(2.6)
43.4
(6.3)
51.6
(10.9)
59.9
(15.5)
67.1
(19.5)
70.6
(21.4)
69.3
(20.7)
63.3
(17.4)
53.4
(11.9)
43.7
(6.5)
37.7
(3.2)
52.5
(11.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)23.5
(−4.7)
25.6
(−3.6)
31.8
(−0.1)
39.2
(4.0)
48.3
(9.1)
56.7
(13.7)
60.0
(15.6)
59.1
(15.1)
52.9
(11.6)
41.7
(5.4)
31.5
(−0.3)
26.9
(−2.8)
41.4
(5.2)
Average precipitation inches (mm)4.54
(115)
3.54
(90)
5.23
(133)
5.48
(139)
5.12
(130)
5.03
(128)
5.45
(138)
5.48
(139)
5.08
(129)
3.79
(96)
3.85
(98)
4.63
(118)
57.22
(1,453)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)0.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0
Source: NOAA [10] [11]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1920 717
1930 1,546115.6%
1940 1,96827.3%
1950 2,28015.9%
1960 2,5049.8%
1970 2,333−6.8%
1980 2,282−2.2%
1990 2,010−11.9%
2000 2,0301.0%
2010 2,1757.1%
2020 2,1940.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [12]
Community park in Spruce Pine. Spruce Pine-27527-1.jpg
Community park in Spruce Pine.

2020 census

Spruce Pine racial composition [13]
RaceNumberPercentage
White (non-Hispanic)1,83383.55%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)160.73%
Native American 90.41%
Asian 100.46%
Other/Mixed 884.01%
Hispanic or Latino 23810.85%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,194 people, 936 households, and 535 families residing in the town.

2000 census

According to the census [4] of 2000, there were 2,030 people, 888 households, and 575 families residing in the town. The population density was 522.0 people per square mile (201.5 people/km2). There were 968 housing units at an average density of 248.9 per square mile (96.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.35% White, 0.39% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 2.27% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.79% of the population.

There were 888 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,766, and the median income for a family was $33,902. Males had a median income of $22,324 versus $22,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,440. About 12.4% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.5% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Town hall Town Hall of Spruce Pine, North Carolina - panoramio.jpg
Town hall

In 1998, the medium-security men's state prisons Mountain View Correctional Institution and Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution opened at the Avery-Mitchell County line. [14] [15]

Education

Spruce Pine is home to five schools: Greenlee Primary (K-2), Deyton Elementary (3-5), Harris Middle (6-8), Tri- County Christian School and the Spruce Pine Montessori School (18 months - 6th grade). Secondary education for Spruce Pine students is at Mitchell High School, located in the Ledger community of Mitchell County.

Mayland Community College also calls Spruce Pine home, just outside the city limits to the east on the Avery County line. Founded by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1971, Mayland hosts some 35 curriculum programs and provides vocational and technical training, along with college transfer opportunities to residents of the region.

East Carolina University Dental School announced a facility would open in 2014 on the Blue Ridge Regional Hospital campus to serve Western North Carolina residents in the Mayland area (Mitchell, Avery and Yancey Counties). This facility is one of five facilities proposed throughout the state of North Carolina.

Infrastructure

Transport

Beginning in 2014, The North Carolina Department of Transportation began widening U.S. Route 19E, which is the major corridor linking the towns of Spruce Pine and Burnsville to Interstate 26. The widened highway has transformed a two-lane highway to a divided four-lane featuring grassy medians and turn lanes. The widening project was completed in 2020.

Hospital

In 1955, Blue Ridge Community Hospital opened in Spruce Pine. It eventually was renamed Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, and was absorbed by Mission Health System. It serves Mitchell and Yancey Counties and upper McDowell and lower Avery Counties. [16]

Media

Entrance to Historic Downtown Spruce Pine. Spruce Pine-27527-3.jpg
Entrance to Historic Downtown Spruce Pine.

Spruce Pine is home to The Mitchell News-Journal, a weekly newspaper printed by Community Newspapers, Inc. and WTOE radio, at 1470 kHz on the AM dial and 101.1 FM. The radio station operates 24 hours a day and is an ABC Radio affiliate. It is owned by Mountain Valley Media, based in Burnsville, NC.

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yancey County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Yancey County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,470. Its county seat is Burnsville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watauga County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Watauga County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 54,086. Its county seat and largest community is Boone. The county is in an exceptionally mountainous region, known as the High Country. It is the home of Appalachian State University, which has approximately 21,570 students as of Fall 2024. Watauga County comprises the Boone, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surry County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Surry County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,359. Its county seat is Dobson, and its largest community is Mount Airy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitchell County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Mitchell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,903. Its county seat is Bakersville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Jackson County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,109. Since 1913, its county seat has been Sylva, which replaced Webster. Cullowhee is the site of Western Carolina University (WCU). In the early 21st century, the university has more than 12,000 students, nearly twice the number of permanent residents of Cullowhee. The university has a strong influence in the region and county. More than 10 percent of the county residents identify as Native American, mostly Cherokee. The federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is based at Qualla Boundary, land that consists of territory in both Jackson and neighboring Swain County. This is the only federally recognized tribe in North Carolina, and one among three federally recognized Cherokee tribes nationally. The other two are based in what is now the state of Oklahoma, a former Indian Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caldwell County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Caldwell County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As of the 2020 census, the population was 80,652. Its county seat is Lenoir. Caldwell County is part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avery County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Avery County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,806. The county seat is Newland. The county seat was initially established in Elk Park when the county was first formed, but was moved to Newland upon completion of the courthouse in 1912. Founded in 1911, it is the youngest of North Carolina's 100 counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Harris, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Young Harris is a city in Towns County, Georgia, United States. The population was 899 at the 2010 census. Young Harris is home to Young Harris College, after which it was named.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Mountain, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina

Black Mountain is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,426 at the 2020 United States census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is named for the old train stop at the Black Mountain Depot and is located at the southern end of the Black Mountain range of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Southern Appalachians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weaverville, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Weaverville is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,567 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Asheville metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morganton, North Carolina</span> City in North Carolina, United States

Morganton is a city in and county seat of Burke County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 17,474 at the 2020 census. Morganton is approximately 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Charlotte and 57 miles (92 km) east of Asheville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snow Hill, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Snow Hill is a town in Greene County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,595 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Greene County and is part of the Greenville Metropolitan Area. Snow Hill hosts numerous tennis tournaments during the year. Snow Hill is home to the Green Ridge Racquet Club. Many junior players and adults travel to Snow Hill in order to play in the USTA Sanctioned tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Clayton is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States, and is considered a satellite town of Raleigh. As of 2020, Clayton's population was 26,307, up from 16,116 at the 2010 census. By 2024 the town's estimated population was 30,621. Much of that growth can be attributed to the town's proximity to the Research Triangle area and access to major highways such as I-40 and US 70.

Chimney Rock is a village in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 140 at the 2020 census. The village took its name from a large gneiss outcrop located on a summit above the village itself in Chimney Rock State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnsville, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Burnsville is a town that serves as the county seat of Yancey County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, sits in the shadow of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the Eastern Continental United States. The population was 1,612 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travelers Rest, South Carolina</span> City in South Carolina, United States

Travelers Rest is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina. The population was 7,788 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. Travelers Rest, the northernmost city in Greenville County, is located 10 miles north of Greenville and around 20 miles south of the North Carolina border. Furman University, a private liberal-arts university, was annexed into the city limits of Traveler's Rest in April 2018 and North Greenville University, a private Christian institution, is located in nearby Tigerville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western North Carolina</span> Geographic region of the U.S. state of North Carolina

Western North Carolina is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains; it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It contains the highest mountains in the Eastern United States, with 125 peaks rising to over 5,000 feet in elevation. Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet, is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and mainland eastern North America. The population of the 23 most commonly associated counties for the region, as measured by the 2020 U.S. Census, is 1,149,405. The region accounts for approximately 11% of North Carolina's total population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woody's Knob</span>

Woody's Knob, at an elevation of 4,170 feet, is a summit or "knob" in the Blue Ridge Mountains and one of the highest points in the unincorporated village of Little Switzerland and in Mitchell County, North Carolina.

Three Mile is an unincorporated community in Avery County, North Carolina, United States. The community is located along NC 194 ; the name is derived from the air miles-straight-line distance of three miles between US 19-E to US 221.

Mayland Community College is a public community college in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. The college also operates learning centers in Newland and Burnsville. The name of the college is derived from the three counties it primarily serves: Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey. It is part of the North Carolina Community College System.

References

  1. 1 2 "North Carolina Gazetteer" . Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Spruce Pine, North Carolina
  4. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. Elliot Jaspin, Buried in the Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America (New York: Basic Books, 2008), pp. 201-218.
  6. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. Alexandria Sands, Megan Morrone (October 1, 2024). "Helene: Destruction hits major source of semiconductor mineral". Axios. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  8. "Impact of Hurricane Helene on The Quartz Corp in Spruce Pine". The Quartz Corp. October 1, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  9. Zehnder, Katherine (October 4, 2024). "Sibelco: Spruce Pine quartz mine operations "shown resilience"". Carolina Journal -. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  10. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  11. "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  12. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  13. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  14. Prisons opening
  15. "NC DPS: Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution".
  16. "Mountain Xpress". Mountain Xpress. June 27, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  17. Gaylord Perry (1938 - ) - North Carolina History Project Retrieved July 23, 2018.