Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Flat Rock, North Carolina
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Village
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Location of Flat Rock, North Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Henderson |
| Incorporated | 1996 |
| Named for | Rock formation |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.23 sq mi (21.31 km2) |
| • Land | 8.10 sq mi (20.98 km2) |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.33 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,543 ft (775 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,486 |
| • Density | 430.32/sq mi (166.14/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
28731
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| Area code(s) | 828 |
| FIPS code | 37-23600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2407454 |
Flat Rock is a village in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,114 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Charles Baring and Susan Heyward Baring built Mountain Lodge in 1827 as the community became known as the "Little Charleston of the Mountains" due to an influx of wealthy summer residents from the South Carolina Low Country. Historic Flat Rock Inc. bought the abandoned house and sold it in 2014 to Julien Smythe, a descendant of an owner of Connemara who along with wife Lori renovated the house.
A post office called Flat Rock has been in operation since 1829. The village was named for granite rock formations which dotted the landscape.
Historic Flat Rock Inc. began in 1968 after the loss of Ravenswood and began buying historic properties.
A number of buildings in the village are included in the Flat Rock Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also on the Register are Brookland and Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site.
Geography
Flat Rock is located in south-central Henderson County. It is bordered to the north by Hendersonville, the county seat, and to the east by unincorporated East Flat Rock. North Carolina Highway 225 (Greenville Highway) is the main road through the village, leading north 4 miles (6 km) to the center of Hendersonville and south 3 miles (5 km) to Zirconia. Asheville is 25 miles (40 km) to the north, and the South Carolina border is 8 miles (13 km) to the south.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21.3 km2), of which 8.1 square miles (21.0 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 1.56%, are water. The town is drained by King Creek and Meminger Creek, tributaries of the French Broad River and part of the Tennessee River watershed.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 1,808 | — | |
| 1970 | 1,688 | −6.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,922 | 13.9% | |
| 1990 | 1,812 | −5.7% | |
| 2000 | 2,565 | 41.6% | |
| 2010 | 3,114 | 21.4% | |
| 2020 | 3,486 | 11.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 3,259 | 93.49% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 23 | 0.66% |
| Native American | 8 | 0.23% |
| Asian | 16 | 0.46% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.11% |
| Other/Mixed | 80 | 2.29% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 96 | 2.75% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,486 people, 1,590 households, and 1,071 families residing in the village.
Arts and culture
Flat Rock is home to the Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina. The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church retreat Bonclarken is located in Flat Rock. It also is home to the main campus of Blue Ridge Community College.
The Historic Flat Rock Cultural Center and Museum opened in the former post office June 3, 2017.
Notable people
- Mitchell Campbell King (1815–1901), 19th-century planter and physician.
- Christopher Memminger, the first Secretary of the Treasury for the Confederacy, had his summer home here, which he called "Rock Hill," later called "Connemara". He is interred in Flat Rock.
- Carl Sandburg lived in the village from 1945 until his death in 1967. His home, once owned by Memminger, is part of the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site and a major tourist attraction in the village.
- Buffalo Bob Smith (1917–1998), TV host of long-running children's program "Howdy Doody," retired to the Kenmure section of Flat Rock, yet sometimes used a Hendersonville address.
- George A. Trenholm, a summer resident, was the second Secretary of the Treasury for the Confederacy, from July 18, 1864, to April 27, 1865.
See also
In Spanish: Flat Rock (condado de Henderson) para niños
