Mount Gilead, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mount Gilead, North Carolina
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Downtown, Mount Gilead
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| Motto(s):
"Surrounded by nature - forests, lakes, rivers...Embedded with culture, history..."
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Location of Mount Gilead, North Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Montgomery |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.49 sq mi (9.04 km2) |
| • Land | 3.49 sq mi (9.04 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 427 ft (130 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 1,181 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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1,142 |
| • Density | 327.22/sq mi (126.35/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
27306
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| Area code(s) | 910 |
| FIPS code | 37-44900 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1013735 |
| Website | www.mtgileadnc.com |
Mount Gilead is a town in Montgomery County, in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,181 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Mount Gilead is located at 35°12′57″N 80°0′19″W / 35.21583°N 80.00528°W (35.215793, -80.005252).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 395 | — | |
| 1910 | 723 | 83.0% | |
| 1920 | 975 | 34.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,011 | 3.7% | |
| 1940 | 915 | −9.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,201 | 31.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,229 | 2.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,286 | 4.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,423 | 10.7% | |
| 1990 | 1,336 | −6.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,389 | 4.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,181 | −15.0% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 1,142 | −3.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 570 | 48.68% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 506 | 43.21% |
| Native American | 13 | 1.11% |
| Asian | 25 | 2.13% |
| Other/Mixed | 40 | 3.42% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17 | 1.45% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,171 people, 476 households, and 273 families residing in the town.
History
The Mount Gilead Downtown Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The Town Creek Indian Mound was previously listed in 1966. The town was incorporated in 1899. Local resident Robert B. Jordan, III is a former Lt. Governor of N.C. Mayor Jimmy Haithcock was the longest serving mayor, having served 33 years and David Wilder served as a town commissioner for 40 years. Like many small southern towns, Mount Gilead suffered decline with the loss of textile jobs. However, the town is in the process of reinventing itself. Mount Gilead was recently selected to participate in the N.C. Small Town Main Street Program and received a S.T.E.P. (Small Town Economic Prosperity) grant of $220,000 to help revitalize the downtown area and create jobs, respectively. The Mount Gilead Museum is located in a restored Victorian house near the downtown area. The house belonged to the McAulay family who played an important role in Mount Gilead business, church, social, and civic life. The museum houses many documents, photographs, and historic artifacts that tell the story of Mount Gilead's past.
Mount Gilead is the birthplace of noted civil rights attorney Julius L. Chambers (b. 1936). A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (J.D., 1962), Chambers served as editor-in-chief of the school's Law Review and went on to earn his master of law degree from Columbia University in 1964. That summer he opened in Charlotte, NC, an office that would become the state's first integrated law practice. Chambers and his founding partners, James E. Ferguson, II and Adam Stein, working with lawyers of the Legal Defense Fund, successfully litigated civil rights cases and helped shape the contours of civil rights law by winning landmark United States Supreme Court rulings in such cases as Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, 402 U.S. 1 (1971), the famous school busing decision, and Griggs v. Duke Power Co. 401 U.S. 424, 91 S.Ct. 849, 28 L.Ed.2d 158 (1971) and Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody, 422 U.S. 405 (1975), two of the Supreme Court's most significant Title VII employment discrimination decisions.
Arts
The Piedmont Center of the Arts and The Ford Place Restaurant, Pub & Special Events Center were two projects which were successfully created as a result of funds from the North Carolina Rural Center. The arts facility houses a wood-turner who gives lessons, the office of the Mount Gilead Arts Guild, a retail co-op store and a clock repair shop. The restaurant is a converted Ford dealership. Customers see much of the town's history preserved on the walls and under glass on the tables.
Mount Gilead has a number of accomplished visual and performing artists who routinely show their work at the arts complex.
The Mount Gilead Community Concerts Association (MGCCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting a program of diverse performing arts to the local area. Incorporated in 2001, the organization presents an annual Concert Series featuring visiting musicians and, when possible, these artists present a program for local school students. MGCCA is governed by a volunteer board of directors and supported through the contributions of local individuals and companies.
The Mount Gilead Community Choir has produced annual concerts since its founding in 1995. This group of volunteer singers traditionally presents a Christmas concert on the first Sunday in December at 3:00 p.m. The choir is supported in part by the Mount Gilead Community Concerts Association (MGCCA), and more information can be found of the organization's website.
Community Radio WMTG (88.1 FM) is a non-commercial, low-power station that serves the town by airing announcements of local interest. The station programs a mix of oldies and adult contemporary music and broadcasts 24 hours a day. WMTG is a service of the Mount Gilead Community Concerts Association (MGCCA).
Notable people from Mount Gilead
The Haywood plantation house where Oscar Haywood lived is in Mount Gilead. He is buried in Sharon Cemetery in the town.
Mount Gilead is the birthplace of noted civil rights attorney Julius L. Chambers (b. 1936). A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (J.D., 1962), Chambers served as editor-in-chief of the school's Law Review. He next earned a master of law degree from New York's Columbia University in 1964.
He returned to North Carolina, where he opened a law practice that became the state's first integrated one. Chambers and his founding partners, James E. Ferguson, II and Adam Stein, worked with lawyers of the Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP, to successfully litigate civil rights cases. They helped shape the contours of civil rights law by winning landmark United States Supreme Court rulings in such cases as Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, 402 U.S. 1 (1971), which supported busing of students to achieve integration of schools. Griggs v. Duke Power Co. 401 U.S. 424, 91 S.Ct. 849, 28 L.Ed.2d 158 (1971) and Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody, 422 U.S. 405 (1975) were two of the Supreme Court's most significant Title VII employment discrimination decisions.
See also
In Spanish: Mount Gilead (Carolina del Norte) para niños
