Ravensford, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ravensford
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 Ravensford, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Swain County |
| Elevation | 2,175 ft (663 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
28719
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| Area code(s) | 828 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1022172 |
Ravensford is a small place in Swain County, Western North Carolina. It is known as an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. This area is part of the traditional home of the Cherokee people.
Recently, experts found very old things in Ravensford. These items show that people lived here thousands of years ago. They also found things from more recent Cherokee history.
Contents
History of Ravensford
How Ravensford Started
Ravensford began as a "company town" between 1900 and 1910. A company built and owned everything there. It was located next to Raven Fork, a small river that flows into the Oconaluftee River.
The Ravensford Lumber Company owned the town. They provided homes, a school, and a church for their workers. Between 200 and 1000 people lived and worked there.
Becoming a National Park Area
In 1933, the Ravensford Lumber Company sold the entire town. They sold it to the National Park Service for over $33 per acre. The next year, in 1934, Ravensford became part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Land Exchange and New Roads
In 1938, an important agreement was made. The United States government, the state of North Carolina, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians worked together. They agreed to move some land in Ravensford to the Cherokee's Qualla Boundary. This was done in exchange for other land. That land was then used to build the Blue Ridge Parkway.
As part of this deal, North Carolina built a new highway. This road, US 19, goes through Soco Gap and the Qualla Boundary. Ravensford became the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This part of the park is called Oconaluftee.
Amazing Discoveries in Ravensford
Finding Ancient History
In the 21st century, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) planned to build a new high school. The school was going to be in Ravensford. Before building, they needed to check the land. This check is called an "environmental assessment." It included looking for old historical items.
This project became one of the biggest archaeological digs in North Carolina. Archeologists are people who study old human history. They found an incredible number of old items and historical sites.
What Was Found?
Archeologists found many amazing things at Ravensford. They discovered "114 structures, thousands of features, and about 500,000 artifacts." Artifacts are objects made by people long ago.
Some of the items found were pots from between 1450 and 1600 CE. Even more exciting, they found proof that people lived here as far back as 8000 BCE. This means that ancestors of the Cherokee and other Native American groups were living in this area for a very long time.
Ravensford Today
Today, Cherokee High School is located in the Ravensford area. It was built in 2010. A few homes are also located along Big Cove Road in the area.
