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Statesville, North Carolina
Statesville City Hall Building, built c. 1890-92
Statesville City Hall Building, built c. 1890-92
Location of Statesville, North Carolina
Location of Statesville, North Carolina
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Iredell
Area
 • Total 24.85 sq mi (64.37 km2)
 • Land 24.74 sq mi (64.08 km2)
 • Water 0.11 sq mi (0.28 km2)
Elevation
919 ft (280 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 24,532
 • Estimate 
(2019)
27,528
 • Density 1,112.60/sq mi (429.57/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
28625, 28677, 28687
Area code(s) 704 980
FIPS code 37-64740
GNIS feature ID 0995438

Statesville is a city in and the county seat of Iredell County, North Carolina, United States, and it is part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. Statesville was established in 1789 by an act of the North Carolina Legislature. The population was recorded as 95 in the 1800 Census. The population was 24,532 at the time of the 2010 census, and was estimated at 27,528 in 2019.

History

Statesville Commercial Historic District, Madison Building, Between 125 & 145 East Broad Street, Statesville (Iredell County, North Carolina)
Madison building in Statesville Commercial Historic District (1982).

In 1753, Scots-Irish Presbyterians and German Lutherans, who originally settled in Pennsylvania, began arriving in Statesville to plant crops in the fertile soil where game and water were also plentiful. The settlement, known as Fourth Creek Congregation, was named for the fresh water stream, which was the fourth creek west of the neighboring settlement of Salisbury. The center of the settlement was a log cabin where the Presbyterians worshiped and where the First Presbyterian Church is located today.

In 1755, the colonial governor Arthur Dobbs authorized the construction of the colony’s frontier fort, which was located approximately three miles due north of the Fourth Creek settlement. Built and garrisoned by North Carolina provincial soldiers, Fort Dobbs defended the British North America’s western frontier in the colony of North Carolina during the French and Indian War and Anglo-Cherokee War. Fort Dobbs combined the functions of a military barracks, fortification, refuge for settlers, provisioning depot and center for negotiations with Native Americans.

The state legislature divided Rowan County in 1788, and the new county was named Iredell for James Iredell, associate justice of the first Supreme Court during the presidency of George Washington.

One year later, the legislature selected a spot for the county seat. The Fourth Creek Congregation was chosen, and the settlement became known as Statesville.

As early as 1833, Statesville's leaders began laying track for railroads to connect the Piedmont area of North Carolina with the rest of the country.

By 1858, Statesville was growing rapidly and soon afterward began leading the state in the production of tobacco and tobacco products, the manufacture and blending of whiskey, and became a large distribution center for roots and herbs.

Points of interest

  • Congregation Emanuel is one of fewer than a hundred nineteenth-century synagogue buildings still standing in the United States.
  • Fort Dobbs State Historic site. The only North Carolina Historic Site associated with the French and Indian War.
  • Mitchell Community College. Founded as a Presbyterian women's college in 1852, Mitchell is now a public community college. In the 2008-2009 year, Mitchell became the first community college in the United States to be accepted into NASA's University Student Launch Initiative competition.
  • Statesville was home to a minor league baseball team, Statesville Owls, from 1939 until 1963. They played in several leagues over the years including the Tar Heel League (1939–1940), North Carolina State League (1942, 1947–1952), Western Carolina League (1960–1962), and Western Carolinas League (1963). They were league champions in their respective league in 1940, 1948, and 1962. The field was located at Statesville Senior High School and thus named Senior High Stadium. The field is still used (all though altered over the years) by the high school's baseball team. The team which has since returned as a Summer league Collegiate Baseball team still plays at Statesville Senior High. The team's inaugural season was 2010, in which the team went 21-18 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The team plays in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.
  • Wayside Elementary School was an elementary school located off Salisbury Road in Eastern Statesville. The current school building opened in 1941 and closed in 2002 when Wayside School and Alan D. Rutherford School merged to form Third Creek Elementary. The former Wayside building is currently home to the UAW 3520 headquarters while the former Alan D. Rutherford site is home to the Iredell-Statesville Schools Administrative Annex now known as the Alan D. Rutherford Education Building.
  • Statesville Christian School is s a non-denominational K4–12 private school serving the greater Statesville area.
  • The Academy Hill Historic District, Allison Woods, Center Street A.M.E. Zion Church, East Broad Street-Davie Avenue Historic District, Henry Eccles House, Falls-Hobbs House, Feimster House, Fort Dobbs, Hargrave House, Iredell County Courthouse, Key Memorial Chapel, King-Flowers-Keaton House, Main Building, Mitchell College, McClelland-Davis House, McElwee Houses, Mitchell College Historic District, Morrison-Mott House, Col. Silas Alexander Sharpe House, South Race Street Historic District, Statesville Commercial Historic District, Henry Turner House and Caldwell-Turner Mill Site, United States Post Office and County Courthouse, and Waddle-Click Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1800 95
1850 215
1860 320 48.8%
1870 683 113.4%
1880 1,062 55.5%
1890 2,318 118.3%
1900 3,141 35.5%
1910 4,599 46.4%
1920 7,895 71.7%
1930 10,490 32.9%
1940 11,440 9.1%
1950 16,901 47.7%
1960 19,844 17.4%
1970 20,007 0.8%
1980 18,622 −6.9%
1990 17,567 −5.7%
2000 23,320 32.7%
2010 24,532 5.2%
2019 (est.) 27,528 12.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Statesville racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 14,154 49.8%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 9,054 31.86%
Native American 56 0.2%
Asian 545 1.92%
Other/Mixed 1,301 4.58%
Hispanic or Latino 3,309 11.64%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 28,419 people, 10,628 households, and 6,536 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 24,633 people, 9,338 households, and 5,957 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,195.8 people per square mile (438.6/km2). There were 10,041 housing units at an average density of 489.1 per square mile (188.8/km2). The racial composition of the city was: 59.94% White, 31.87% Black or African American, 7.11% Hispanic or Latino American, 2.71% Asian American, 0.18% Native American, 0.02% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 3.84% some other races, and 1.42% two or more races.

There were 9,338 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,925, and the median income for a family was $41,694. Males had a median income of $31,255 versus $22,490 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,328. About 12.7% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

  • Gair Allie (1931–2016), former Major League Baseball player
  • Julianne Baird (born 1952), soprano singer
  • Breon Borders (born 1995), NFL defensive back
  • Hayne D. Boyden (1897-1978), Naval aviator and Brigadier general, USMC
  • Johnny Chapman (born 1967), stock car racing driver
  • Louis Clarke (1901–1977), Olympic gold medal winner in 4x100 m relay
  • Chris Cole (born 1982), professional skateboarder
  • Blake Crouch (born 1978), author and producer
  • Jake Crum (born 1991), driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
  • Mark Davidson (born 1961), former outfielder for the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros
  • Jerome Henderson (born 1969), NFL cornerback
  • Columbus Vance Henkel, Jr. (1908–1971), five-term North Carolina Senator; editor of "The Blowing Rocket"
  • Rockie Lynne (born 1964), country music artist
  • Danny Malboeuf (born 1960), visual artist combining surrealism with other genres
  • Thomas Marshburn (born 1960), NASA astronaut
  • Barry Moore (born 1943), former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Justin Moose (born 1983), professional soccer player
  • Ryan Newman (born 1977), NASCAR driver
  • William Stevens Powell (1919–2015), historian, author, teacher, and librarian known for his extensive work on the history of North Carolina, lived in Statesville
  • Stephen C. Reber, Archbishop of the United Episcopal Church of North America
  • William Sharpe (1742–1818), lawyer, politician, American Revolution patriot, and a delegate to the Continental Congress
  • Mike Skinner (born 1957), NASCAR driver
  • Vinson Smith (born 1965), NFL linebacker
  • Herm Starrette (1936–2017), former Major League Baseball pitcher and coach
  • T.M. Stikeleather (1848–1934), populist representative in 1894 and 1900 for the 27th district, which included Iredell, Davie and Yadkin counties
  • Theodore Taylor (1921–2006), writer
  • Jared Watts (born 1992), Major League Soccer player

Sports

Statesville was home to a minor league baseball teams of various names, mainly the Statesville Owls, from 1939 until 1969. They played in several leagues over the years including the Tar Heel League (1939–1940), North Carolina State League (1942, 1947–1952), Western Carolina League (1960–1962), and Western Carolinas League (1963–1969). They were league champions in their respective league in 1940, 1948, and 1962. The field was located at Statesville Senior High School and thus named Senior High Stadium. The field is still used (although altered over the years) by the high school's baseball team. The team, which has since returned as a summer league collegiate baseball team, still plays at Statesville Senior High. The team's inaugural season was 2010, in which it went 21-18 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The team plays in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.

Education

The city is part of the Iredell–Statesville School District. Schools within the city limits include East Iredell Elementary, N.B. Mills Elementary, Northview School, Pressly Elementary, and Statesville Middle School, and Statesville High School. Schools serving Statesville residents but located outside the city limits include Cloverleaf Elementary School, East Iredell Middle School, and Third Creek Elementary School.

Wayside Elementary School was an elementary school located off Salisbury Road in eastern Statesville. The current school building opened in 1941 and closed in 2002 when Wayside School and Alan D. Rutherford School merged to form Third Creek Elementary. The former Wayside building is currently home to the UAW 3520 headquarters, while the former Alan D. Rutherford site is home to the Iredell-Statesville Schools Administrative Annex, now known as the Alan D. Rutherford Education Building.

Statesville Christian School is a non-denominational K4–12 private school serving the greater Statesville area.

Mitchell Community College, founded as a Presbyterian women's college in 1852, is now a public community college. In the 2008–2009 academic year, it became the first community college in the United States to be accepted into NASA's University Student Launch Initiative competition.

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See also

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