Spencer Mountain, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spencer Mountain, North Carolina
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Location of Spencer Mountain, North Carolina
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| County | Gaston |
| Incorporated | 1963 |
| Incorporation suspended | 2016 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.54 sq mi (1.40 km2) |
| • Land | 0.49 sq mi (1.26 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 630 ft (190 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 0 |
| • Density | 0.00/sq mi (0.00/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
28054
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| Area code(s) | 704 |
| FIPS code | 37-63780 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2407382 |
Spencer Mountain is a very small town in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. In 2010, only 37 people lived there. By 2020, the official population was recorded as zero.
Contents
Geography of Spencer Mountain
The town of Spencer Mountain is found at the bottom of a mountain also called Spencer Mountain. This mountain is about 1,250 feet (381 meters) tall. The town is located along the South Fork Catawba River. Its elevation is around 679 feet (207 meters) above sea level.
The United States Census Bureau says the town covers a total area of about 0.54 square miles (1.4 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 0.49 square miles (1.3 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.05 square miles (0.1 square kilometers), is water.
History of Spencer Mountain
Early Settlement and Mills
Spencer Mountain was first settled in 1772 by Zachariah Spencer. He was a Loyalist, meaning he supported the British during the American Revolution.
Later, in 1874, J. Harvey Wilson II built a special factory called a textile mill. This mill used water power to make cloth. It was named Wilson & Moore Cotton Mill. In 1895, two people named W. Thomas Love and John C. Rankin bought the mill. They changed its name to Spencer Mountain Mills.
Changes to the Mill and Town
In 1926, a company that later became Duke Power bought the mill. They also bought the power plant that made electricity for the mill. The mill was sold again in 1957 to Pharr Yarns. It finally closed down in 1999.
Spencer Mountain was officially made a town (incorporated) for a short time between 1895 and 1909. It became a town again in 1963.
Television and Radio History
On July 15, 1949, something very important happened in Spencer Mountain. WBTV, a TV station for the Charlotte area, sent out the first commercial television signal in North and South Carolina. This signal came from its transmitter tower on Spencer Mountain.
WBTV's transmitter stayed on Spencer Mountain until 1984. Then, a new tower was built in Dallas, North Carolina. The old tower on Spencer Mountain is still used today by groups like NOAA and local amateur radio clubs.
Recent Changes
In August 2018, an old gas station and a large house called the Spencer Mountain Mansion were taken down.
Population Changes in Spencer Mountain
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 300 | — | |
| 1980 | 169 | −43.7% | |
| 1990 | 135 | −20.1% | |
| 2000 | 51 | −62.2% | |
| 2010 | 37 | −27.5% | |
| 2020 | 0 | −100.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Spencer Mountain has always been a very small town. In 1970, there were 300 people living there. The number of people slowly went down over the years. By the year 2000, only 51 people lived in the town. In 2010, the population was 37.
Town Status and Suspension
By 2016, only two people were living in Spencer Mountain: Chase and Alice White. They were the mayor and a councilwoman of the town. In May 2016, they learned that the state government was planning to pause the town's official status.
The North Carolina General Assembly passed a law that stopped the town's charter (its official permission to be a town) on July 1, 2016. This pause was set to end on June 30, 2019. However, this suspension has been extended several times. It is now set to last until June 30, 2026. This means the town's official operations are on hold until more people move there.
See also
In Spanish: Spencer Mountain (Carolina del Norte) para niños
