Spruce Pine, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spruce Pine, North Carolina
Town
Locust (Lower) Street
Seal
Location in North Carolina
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Mitchell
Incorporated	1907
Named for	The spruce pine
Area
• Total	4.68 sq mi (12.13 km2)
• Land	4.68 sq mi (12.13 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	2,612 ft (796 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,194
• Density	468.60/sq mi (180.93/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	28777
Area code(s)	828
FIPS code	37-64260
GNIS feature ID	2407391

Spruce Pine is the largest town in Mitchell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,175 at the 2010 census.

History

Spruce Pine was founded in 1907 when the Clinchfield Railroad made its way up the North Toe River from Erwin, Tennessee. The town was originally centered around a tavern operated by Isaac English, located on an old roadway that ran from Cranberry, North Carolina down to Marion, NC. The Old English Inn still stands at its original location near the center of town.

The railroad, combined with a rapidly expanding mining industry (the town is the namesake of the famous Spruce Pine Mining District) made Spruce Pine the largest town in the Toe River Valley, as it became the hub of commerce and culture for the area. Spruce Pine was the home of The Feldspar Company and Spruce Pine Mica, and other major mining interests had operations in and around the town.

Railroad tracks and train station in Spruce Pine.

With the decline in use of railroads to ship goods, along with increasing automation in the mining industry, the town has recently seen its fortunes dwindle and has undertaken a major effort to reinvent itself. Tourism has become a major economic force in the region, and the town's proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway, combined with its location near the edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment has helped make Spruce Pine a travel destination for many. The town also boasts the moniker of "The Mineral City of the World"

In 1998, the medium-security men's state prison Mountain View Correctional Institution opened in Spruce Pine.

On August 4, 2007, the downtown area of Spruce Pine was threatened when an arsonist set fire to several buildings downtown. The fires, which brought firemen from 4 counties around Spruce Pine, severely damaged the building housing Cheapskates Music on Lower Street, and caused some tense moments when it seemed that the fires might spread out of control and consume the downtown area. Federal arson officials are still investigating the fires, and an arrest has been made in connection with the incident.

The Downtown Spruce Pine Historic District and Gunter Building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Abandoned Bon Ami mine is open for tours

Spruce Pine is located at 35°54′49″N 82°04′12″W / 35.913743°N 82.069999°W / 35.913743; -82.069999.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), all of it land. The town limits are approximately 3 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway and located 50 miles northeast of Asheville, NC and 40 miles southwest of Boone, NC.

Climate

Demographics

Community park in Spruce Pine.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,194 people, 936 households, and 535 families residing in the town.

Landmarks and facilities

In 1955, Blue Ridge Community Hospital opened in Spruce Pine. It eventually was renamed Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, and was absorbed by Mission Health System. It serves Mitchell and Yancey Counties, and upper McDowell and lower Avery Counties.

East Carolina University Dental School announced a facility would open in 2014 on the Blue Ridge Regional Hospital campus to serve Western North Carolina residents in the Mayland area (Mitchell, Avery and Yancey Counties). This facility is one of 5 facilities proposed throughout the state of North Carolina.

Spruce Pine is home to five schools: Greenlee Primary (K-2), Deyton Elementary (3-5), Harris Middle (6-8), Tri- County Christian School and the Spruce Pine Montessori School (18 months - 6th grade). Secondary education for Spruce Pine students is at Mitchell High School, located in the Ledger community of Mitchell County.

Mayland Community College also calls Spruce Pine home, just outside the city limits to the east on the Avery County line. Founded by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1971, Mayland hosts some 35 curriculum programs and provides vocational and technical training, along with college transfer opportunities to residents of the region.

In 1998, the medium-security men's state prisons Mountain View Correctional Institution and Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution opened at the Avery-Mitchell County line.

Media

Entrance to Historic Downtown Spruce Pine.

Spruce Pine is home to The Mitchell News-Journal, a weekly newspaper printed by Community Newspapers, Inc. and WTOE radio, at 1470 kHz on the AM dial and 101.1 FM. The radio station operates 24 hours a day and is an ABC Radio affiliate. It is owned by Mountain Valley Media, based in Burnsville, NC.

Transport

Beginning in 2014, The North Carolina Department of Transportation began widening U.S. Route 19E, which is the major corridor linking the towns of Spruce Pine and Burnsville to Interstate 26. The widened highway has transformed a two-lane highway to a divided four-lane featuring grassy medians and turn lanes. The widening project was completed in 2020.

Notable people

• Gaylord Perry – Professional Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, was a resident of Spruce Pine
• Bill Szymczyk – American music producer & technical engineer. Bill has produced such acts as B.B. King, Eagles, Joe Walsh, James Gang & Elvin Bishop just to name a few. He now lives in Little Switzerland, NC.
• Roy Williams – UNC basketball coach, raised a little in Spruce Pine but grew up mainly in Asheville
• Gerri Willis – native of Spruce Pine, Fox Business Network Anchor and Reporter
• Indigo De Souza – raised in Spruce Pine, indie-rock musician

See also

In Spanish: Spruce Pine para niños