Alleghany County, North Carolina

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Alleghany County (Template:IPAc-en Script error: No such module "Respell".)[1] is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 10,888 at the 2020 census.[2] Its county seat is Sparta.[3]

History

File:Former Dr. Grabow pipe factory in Sparta, North Carolina 02.jpg
Original D&P Pipe Works/Dr. Grabow pipe factory in Sparta

The earliest inhabitants of the area eventually comprising Alleghany County were Cherokee and Shawnee Native Americans. By the late 1700s these people had been displaced by English, German, and Scotch-Irish settlers. The county was formed in 1859 from the eastern part of Ashe County.[4] A group of commissioners selected a site near the center of the county to build a courthouse and established the county seat of Sparta.Template:Sfn The county was expanded through annexations at the expense of its neighbors from 1869 and 1903.Template:Sfn A portion was moved to Wilkes County in 1909.Template:Sfn

In 1894, textile executive Hugh Chatham pushed for the founding of a resort in Roaring Gap. It was reorganized in 1925.[5]

The construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the 1930s led to increased tourism and growth in Alleghany County.[4] In 1936, the regional Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation was founded with the support of the Rural Electrification Act, leading to the eventual expansion of electric utility service in Alleghany.[6] In 1944, the county's first major manufacturer—D&P Pipe Works—opened after relocating from Chicago to Sparta to be closer to supplies of local mountain laurel roots which were used during World War II in the production of wooden tobacco pipes.[7][8] Due to unreliable electricity, the company relied on its own generator for power,[8] but utility service improved after the war.[6]

Alleghany County's economy grew in the 30 years following World War II with the expansion of manufacturing, aided by the improved electricity service and outside companies' desire to locate their facilities in areas with lower land costs, fewer regulations, and less competitive wages.[6] Tourism also grew with the construction of new summer vacation homes.[9] Service-oriented businesses cropped up along U.S. Route 21 to accommodate travelers driving north out of the state. Use of the highway decreased after Interstate 77 was completed in 1975.[6] D&P Pipe Works, later renamed Dr. Grabow, peaked with about 350 employees[8] before health concerns regarding tobacco smoking led to a decline in demand for pipes in the late 20th century.[10] Between 2000 and 2005, the county lost 60 percent of its manufacturing jobs.[11]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert". (0.60%) is water.[12] It is the fifth-smallest county in North Carolina by total area. Alleghany County is located in northwestern North Carolina.[4] It borders the North Carolina counties of Surry, Wilkes, and Ashe, and the Virginia county of Grayson.[13]

The county is located entirely within the Appalachian Mountains region of western North Carolina. Most of the county is located atop a rolling plateau that ranges from Script error: No such module "convert". above sea level. The southern border of the county drops abruptly nearly Script error: No such module "convert". to the Foothills region of North Carolina. The plateau is crossed by numerous hills and mountains. The highest point in the county is Peach Bottom Mountain - Catherine Knob at Script error: No such module "convert". above sea level.[14] The major rivers of Alleghany County are the New River,[15] and the Little River; the latter flows through the town of Sparta, the county seat.

Isolated by mountainous terrain from the remainder of North Carolina to the east, Alleghany County was described in the 19th and early 20th centuries as one of the Lost Provinces of North Carolina.[16]

Due to its elevation, Alleghany County enjoys slightly cooler summers than the lowland areas to the east and south, with temperatures seldom rising over Script error: No such module "convert".. In the winter, however, temperatures can frequently be colder than would be expected in a southern state. Daytime highs can fall into the teens or lower, and snowfall can be extremely heavy at times. According to USClimateData.com, the average temperature is Script error: No such module "convert"..

National protected areas

State and local protected areas

Major water bodies

Major highways

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Template:Sronly%±
18603,590—
18703,691Script error: No such module "String".%
18805,486Script error: No such module "String".%
18906,523Script error: No such module "String".%
19007,759Script error: No such module "String".%
19107,745Script error: No such module "String".%
19207,403Script error: No such module "String".%
19307,186Script error: No such module "String".%
19408,341Script error: No such module "String".%
19508,155Script error: No such module "String".%
19607,734Script error: No such module "String".%
19708,134Script error: No such module "String".%
19809,587Script error: No such module "String".%
19909,590Script error: No such module "String".%
200010,677Script error: No such module "String".%
201011,155Script error: No such module "String".%
202010,888Script error: No such module "String".%
2024 (est.)11,379[18]Script error: No such module "String".%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]
1790–1960[20] 1900–1990[21]
1990–2000[22] 2010[23] 2020[2]

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2020 census

Alleghany County racial composition[24]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 9,186 84.37%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 103 0.95%
Native American 35 0.32%
Asian 15 0.14%
Pacific Islander 6 0.06%
Other/Mixed 255 2.34%
Hispanic or Latino 1,288 11.83%

As of the 2020 census, there were 10,888 people and 4,844 households in the county, and the census recorded 3,390 families residing there.[25][2]

The median age was 50.7 years. 17.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 28.1% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.2 males age 18 and over.[25]

The racial makeup of the county was 87.7% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.5% from some other race, and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.8% of the population.[26]

Less than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[27]

Of the 4,844 households in the county, 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 50.5% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[25]

There were 7,666 housing units, of which 36.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.0% were owner-occupied and 24.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%.[25]

2000 census

At the 2000 census,[28] there were 10,677 people, 4,593 households, and 3,169 families residing in the county. The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. There were 6,412 housing units at an average density of Script error: No such module "convert".. The racial makeup of the county was 95.69% White, 1.23% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.75% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 4.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,593 households, out of which 24.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.30% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.75.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.40% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 27.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,244, and the median income for a family was $38,473. Males had a median income of $25,462 versus $18,851 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,691. About 11.30% of families and 17.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.80% of those under age 18 and 25.00% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Government

Alleghany County is led by a five-member board of commissioners elected county-wide in partisan contests to serve staggered four-year terms. The commissioners elect their own chairman, who serves a one-year term. The commission is responsible for overseeing county government, passing ordinances, levying taxes, and creating the county budget. It also appoints the county attorney and the county manager.[29] The county manager serves as the head administrator of the county government.[30]

The county is a member of the regional High Country Council of Governments.[31] The county also has its own Soil and Water Conservation District led by two appointed and three elected board members.[32] It is located entirely in the North Carolina Senate's 47th district, the North Carolina House of Representatives' 93rd district,[33] and North Carolina's 5th congressional district.[34]

Judicial system

Alleghany County lies within the bounds of North Carolina's 34th Prosecutorial District, the 23rd Superior Court District, and the 23rd District Court District.[35]

Politics

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In the first decades of the 21st century, elections in Alleghany County trended increasingly Republican.[36] In the 2022 elections, Republicans won all but one county-wide office.[37]

Economy

File:Christmas tree farm in Alleghany County, North Carolina.jpg
Christmas tree farm in Alleghany County

Alleghany County is one of several North Carolina counties which produces a significant amount of Christmas trees, with an estimated 1.2 million such trees from the county being sold in 2022.[38] Alleghany also produces the most pumpkins among the counties in the state.[39] For 2023, the North Carolina Department of Commerce rated Alleghany as a Tier 2 county, between the state's most prosperous and economically distressed.[40]

Education

Wilkes Community College maintains an academic center in Sparta.[41] According to the 2021 American Community Survey, an estimated 20.4 percent of county residents have attained a bachelor's degree or higher level of education.[13]

Healthcare

Alleghany County is served by a single hospital, Alleghany Memorial Hospital, based in Sparta.[42]

Culture

File:Music on Main in Sparta, 2021.jpg
Music on Main in Sparta, 2021

An arts community is centered in Sparta. The town hosts a "Music on Main" series of monthly public concerts for local musicians from June through September every year.[15]

Communities

File:Map of Alleghany County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels.PNG
Map of Alleghany County with municipal and township labels

Town

  • Sparta (county seat and largest community)

Townships

Alleghany County townships are:Template:Sfn

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

See also

References

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  1. ↑ Talk Like A Tarheel Template:Webarchive, from the North Carolina Collection website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
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  25. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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Works cited

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External links

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