Bat Cave, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bat Cave, North Carolina
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A fire engine of the Bat Cave fire department
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 Bat Cave, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
Bat Cave, North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Henderson |
| Named for | A bat cave located on Bluerock Mountain |
| Elevation | 1,480 ft (451 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
28710
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| Area code(s) | 828 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1018981 |
Bat Cave is a small, special community in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the larger Asheville area. The community gets its name from a huge bat cave located on Bluerock Mountain. This mountain is also known as Bat Cave Mountain.
The cave is the biggest of its kind in North America. It is a protected area, meaning it is not open to the public. This helps keep the bats and their home safe. Bat Cave is also famous for its unique name. Because of its name, street signs were often stolen, especially in the early 1990s when the movie Batman Returns was popular.
The community sits along the Broad River in a beautiful area called Hickory Nut Gorge. You can find several shops, inns, and a post office here. It's also a place where three main highways meet: U.S. Route 64, U.S. Route 74A, and North Carolina Highway 9. These roads then become Lake Lure Highway, leading to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.
Contents
History of Bat Cave
The Bat Cave area was first connected by a special path called a Drovers' road. This road was a natural way for people called drovers to move their animals. They would guide livestock like turkeys, geese, hogs, and cattle through the Blue Ridge Mountains to markets. This road, established in 1798, connected the area with Asheville. Today, parts of it follow what is now US 74A.
The Post Office and Floods
In 1879, the Bat Cave Post Office officially opened. Before this, it was known as the Chimney Rock Post Office, which first opened in 1843. It had closed and reopened a few times before moving and changing its name to Bat Cave.
In 1916, a big flood hit the area. The post office and much of the community were destroyed. But the people of Bat Cave worked hard to rebuild everything.
Tourism and Protection
In the 1920s, the Bat Cave community became a popular place for tourists to visit. People were very interested in the famous cave. To protect the cave and its important residents, the Bat Cave Preserve was created. This preserve covers about 186-acre (75 ha) of land. It helps protect endangered Indiana bats and many other types of bats that live in the cave.
Community Development
In 1948, a Navy Captain named George Bond started the Valley Clinic and Hospital in Bat Cave. Just five years later, he was honored as "Doctor of the Year" for his great work. In the 1970s, the Bat Cave Volunteer Fire Department was formed. This group of volunteers helps keep the community safe from fires.
People from Bat Cave
Some interesting people have connections to Bat Cave:
- George F. Bond – He was a United States Navy physician who studied medicine for diving and high-pressure environments.
- Michael Sherrill – He is an artist who works with clay (a Ceramist) and also creates sculptures.
- Melodie Sisk – She is a producer and actress who works on independent films.
See also
In Spanish: Bat Cave (Carolina del Norte) para niños
