Statesville, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Statesville is a city
located in Iredell County
, North Carolina
, United States
and was named an All-America City in 1997 and 2009. The population was 24,633 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Iredell County
and is located at the intersection of I-40 and I-77.
In 1755, the colonial governor Arthur Dobbs
authorized the construction of the colony’s frontier fort, which was located approximately three miles due north of the Fourth Creek settlement. Built and garrisoned by North Carolina provincial soldiers, Fort Dobbs defended the British North America’s western frontier in the colony of North Carolina during the French and Indian War
. Fort Dobbs combined the functions of a military barracks, fortification, refuge for settlers, provisioning depot and center for negotiations with native Americans.
The state legislature divided Rowan County in 1788, and the new county was named Iredell for James Iredell
, associate justice of the first Supreme Court during the presidency of George Washington.
One year later, the legislature selected a spot for the county seat. The Fourth Creek Congregation was chosen, and the settlement became known as Statesville.
As early as 1833, Statesville's leaders began laying track for railroads to connect the Piedmont area of North Carolina with the rest of the country.
By 1858, Statesville was growing rapidly and soon afterward began leading the state in the production of tobacco and tobacco products, the manufacture and blending of whiskey, and became a large distribution center for roots and herbs.
of 2010, there were 24,633 people, 9,338 households, and 5,957 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,195.8 people per square mile (438.6/km²). There were 10,041 housing units at an average density of 489.1 per square mile (188.8/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 59.94% White, 31.87% Black or African American
, 7.11% Hispanic or Latino American
, 2.71% Asian American
, 0.18% Native American
, 0.02% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
, 3.84% some other races
, and 1.42% two or more races
.
There were 9,338 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples
living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,925, and the median income for a family was $41,694. Males had a median income of $31,255 versus $22,490 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,328. About 12.7% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
is Statesville's daily newspaper, primarily serving Iredell County. It is published seven days a week.
WAME
, "Country Legends 550" is an AM station at 550 kHz that plays Classic Country
music.
WSIC, 1400 kHz, is AM station with a news-talk format.
In addition, the signals of many stations from the Charlotte area and Piedmont Triad region reach Statesville.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
located in Iredell County
Iredell County, North Carolina
Iredell County, along with Moore County in the eastern Piedmont, are among a very few counties in the United States sharing borders with nine adjacent counties.-Demographics:...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was named an All-America City in 1997 and 2009. The population was 24,633 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Iredell County
Iredell County, North Carolina
Iredell County, along with Moore County in the eastern Piedmont, are among a very few counties in the United States sharing borders with nine adjacent counties.-Demographics:...
and is located at the intersection of I-40 and I-77.
History
In 1753, Scots-Irish Presbyterians and German Lutherans, who originally settled in Pennsylvania, began arriving in Statesville to plant crops in the fertile soil where game and water were also plentiful. The settlement, known as Fourth Creek Congregation, was named for the fresh water stream, which was the fourth creek west of the neighboring settlement of Salisbury. The center of the settlement was a log cabin where the Presbyterians worshiped and where the First Presbyterian Church is located today.In 1755, the colonial governor Arthur Dobbs
Arthur Dobbs
Arthur Dobbs was a wealthy landowner in North Carolina and served as colonial governor from 1754 to 1765.-Early life and career:...
authorized the construction of the colony’s frontier fort, which was located approximately three miles due north of the Fourth Creek settlement. Built and garrisoned by North Carolina provincial soldiers, Fort Dobbs defended the British North America’s western frontier in the colony of North Carolina during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. Fort Dobbs combined the functions of a military barracks, fortification, refuge for settlers, provisioning depot and center for negotiations with native Americans.
The state legislature divided Rowan County in 1788, and the new county was named Iredell for James Iredell
James Iredell
James Iredell was one of the first Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was appointed by President George Washington and served from 1790 until his death in 1799...
, associate justice of the first Supreme Court during the presidency of George Washington.
One year later, the legislature selected a spot for the county seat. The Fourth Creek Congregation was chosen, and the settlement became known as Statesville.
As early as 1833, Statesville's leaders began laying track for railroads to connect the Piedmont area of North Carolina with the rest of the country.
By 1858, Statesville was growing rapidly and soon afterward began leading the state in the production of tobacco and tobacco products, the manufacture and blending of whiskey, and became a large distribution center for roots and herbs.
Points of interest
- Congregation EmanuelCongregation Emanuel (Statesville, North Carolina)Congregation Emanuel is a Conservative synagogue in Statesville, North Carolina. Built in 1891, it is the oldest house of worship in Statesville and the third oldest synagogue building in the state....
is one of fewer than a hundred nineteenth-century synagogue buildings still standing in the United States. - Fort Dobbs State Historic site. The only North Carolina Historic Site associated with the French and Indian War.
- Mitchell Community CollegeMitchell Community CollegeMitchell Community College is a 2 year community college based in Historic Downtown Statesville, North Carolina.Its main campus is located in downtown Statesville, with many facilities located throughout the town. Mitchell also has a second campus located in Mooresville, North Carolina...
. Founded as a Presbyterian women's college in 1852, Mitchell is now a public community college. In the 2008-2009 year, Mitchell became the first community college in the United States to be accepted into NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's University Student Launch Initiative competition, and the Mitchell rocket team placed 8th out of 28 teams. In 2009-2010, Mitchell was accepted again. The 2009-2010 team's project was "The Effects of Air Ionization on the Shock-wave within a Converging-Diverging Nozzle." This team earned 4th place in the overall competition. - Statesville was home to a minor league baseball team, Statesville Owls, from 1939 until 1963. They played in several leagues over the years including the Tar Heel League (1939–1940), North Carolina State League (1942, 1947–1952), Western Carolina League (1960–1962), and Western Carolinas League (1963). They were league champions in their respective league in 1940, 1948, and 1962. The field was located at Statesville Senior High School and thus named Senior High Stadium. The field is still used (all though altered over the years) by the high school's baseball team. The team which has since returned as a Summer league Collegiate Baseball team still plays at Statesville Senior High. The team's inaugural season was 2010, in which the team went 21-18 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The team plays in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.
- Wayside Elementary School was an elementary school located off Salisbury Road in Eastern Statesville. The current school building opened in 1941 and closed in 2002 when Wayside School and Alan D. Rutherford School merged to form Third Creek Elementary. The former Wayside building is currently home to the UAW 3520 headquarters while the former Alan D. Rutherford site is home to the Iredell-Statesville Schools Administrative Annex now known as the Alan D. Rutherford Education Building.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 24,633 people, 9,338 households, and 5,957 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,195.8 people per square mile (438.6/km²). There were 10,041 housing units at an average density of 489.1 per square mile (188.8/km²). The racial composition of the city was: 59.94% White, 31.87% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 7.11% Hispanic or Latino American
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
, 2.71% Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.18% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.02% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 3.84% some other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.42% two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
.
There were 9,338 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,925, and the median income for a family was $41,694. Males had a median income of $31,255 versus $22,490 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,328. About 12.7% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
- Jake CrumJake CrumChristopher Jake Crum is a driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He drives the #21 Chevrolet Silverado for SS-Green Light Racing under crew chief Butch Miller...
- NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver; 2009 Bailey's 300 Champion - Ryan NewmanRyan NewmanRyan Joseph Newman is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He drives the #39 United States Army/Tornados/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for Stewart Haas Racing under crew chief Tony Gibson. Newman graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a B.S. in vehicle structure engineering...
- NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver - Rockie LynneRockie LynneRockie Lynn Rash is an American country music artist, known professionally as Rockie Lynne. He was signed to Universal South Records in late 2005, releasing his self-titled debut album in early 2006. This album produced three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the...
- country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist. - Chris ColeChris Cole (skateboarder)James Chris Cole is a professional skateboarder. He grew up in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, but now lives in San Marcos, California with his wife and children. His stance is regular....
- Professional Skateboarder - He currently lives in Langhorne, PennsylvaniaLanghorne, PennsylvaniaLanghorne is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,622 at the 2010 census.The name "Langhorne" is used broadly to describe the majority of surrounding Middletown Township, which for the most part uses Langhorne's zip code of 19047...
. - Stephen C. ReberStephen C. ReberStephen C. Reber, Sr. of Statesville, North Carolina is a former Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church of North America . Before being elected as Presiding Bishop of the UECNA, Reber had been a presbyter in the Anglican Orthodox Church and rector of St. Peter's Anglican Orthodox Church in...
- ArchbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of the United Episcopal Church of North AmericaUnited Episcopal Church of North AmericaThe United Episcopal Church of North America is a traditional Anglican Christian church that is part of the Continuing Anglican movement... - Vinson SmithVinson SmithVinson Robert Smith , is a former American football linebacker, who spent 12 years in the National Football League after graduating from East Carolina University. Smith won one Super Bowl as a member of the Dallas Cowboys...
- National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
linebacker - Herm StarretteHerm StarretteHerman Paul Starrette is a retired relief pitcher, pitching and bullpen coach, and farm system official in Major League Baseball. Starrette attended Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina...
- Major league baseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher and coach - Newman Ivey WhiteNewman Ivey WhiteNewman Ivey White was a professor of English at Duke University. He was born February 3, 1892 in Statesville, North Carolina, the town in which Tom Dooley was tried, convicted, and executed...
- Percy Bysshe ShelleyPercy Bysshe ShelleyPercy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
expert and American folklorist - Mark Flake - Postmodern artist
- Danny MalboeufDanny MalboeufDanny Malboeuf is a visual artist and musician from Statesville, North Carolina. As kolaboy he is a member of the collective and a Senior Member of deviantART, where four of his paintings have received the site’s top award. His musical project is Cowgirl in the Snow.- Art :Danny Malboeuf is a...
- visual artist combining surrealismSurrealismSurrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
with other genres - Theodore TaylorTheodore Taylor (author)Theodore Taylor was an American author of more than 50 fiction and non-fiction books for young adult readers, including The Cay, The Weirdo , Ice Drift, Timothy of the Cay, The Bomb, Sniper, and Rogue...
- writer (died 2006, California) - Thomas MarshburnThomas MarshburnThomas Henry "Tom" Marshburn is an American physician and a NASA astronaut. Marshburn was born in Statesville, North Carolina. He served as a Mission Specialist on STS-127.-Education:...
- NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut - Mike Skinner - NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Camping World Truck Driver - Ian Rushton - UEFA Soccer League Goalkeeper
Notable incidents
In 27 of August 1891 passenger train derailed on a 300 feet (91.4 m) bridge, and seven cars fell down. About 30 people died in the accident.Media
The Statesville Record & LandmarkStatesville Record & Landmark
Statesville Record & Landmark is a daily newspaper based in Statesville, North Carolina. The newspaper is owned by Media General.The paper generally serves Iredell County, North Carolina. It is published seven days a week....
is Statesville's daily newspaper, primarily serving Iredell County. It is published seven days a week.
WAME
WAME
WAME is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format. Licensed to Statesville, North Carolina, USA. The station is owned by Statesville Family Radio Corporation...
, "Country Legends 550" is an AM station at 550 kHz that plays Classic Country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
music.
WSIC, 1400 kHz, is AM station with a news-talk format.
In addition, the signals of many stations from the Charlotte area and Piedmont Triad region reach Statesville.