Moravian Falls, North Carolina

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This article is about the census-designated place. For the waterfall, see Moravian Falls.
Moravian Falls, North Carolina
CDP
The waterfall and pumphouse at Moravian Falls
The waterfall and pumphouse at Moravian Falls
Location of Moravian Falls, North Carolina
Location of Moravian Falls, North Carolina
Coordinates: 36°6′22″N 81°10′34″W / 36.10611°N 81.17611°W / 36.10611; -81.17611Coordinates: 36°6′22″N 81°10′34″W / 36.10611°N 81.17611°W / 36.10611; -81.17611
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyWilkes
Area
 • Total5.1 sq mi (13.2 km2)
 • Land5.1 sq mi (13.2 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
1,194 ft (364 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total1,440
 • Density283.0/sq mi (109.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28654
Area code(s)336
FIPS code37-44280[1]
GNIS feature ID0990215[2]

Moravian Falls (formerly, Petersburg and Forks of the Road)[3] is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,440 as of the 2000 census.

Geography[]

Moravian Falls is located at

 WikiMiniAtlas
36°6′22″N 81°10′34″W / 36.10611°N 81.17611°W / 36.10611; -81.17611 (36.106113, -81.176105)[4] at an elevation of 1,118 feet above mean sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13 km2), of which, 5.1 square miles (13 km2) of it is land and 0.20% is water. Moravian Falls is located in the foothills of the Brushy Mountains, which rise to the south of the community. Pores Knob, the highest point in the Brushy Mountains, is located in Moravian Falls.

Background[]

Moravian Falls takes its name from a waterfall in the foothills of the Brushy Mountains. The area was originally settled by the Owen family in about 1750. In 1754, the Moravian Church purchased approximately 9000 acres of land which now lies under the nearby W. Kerr Scott Reservoir. However, there is no record that the Moravians ever attempted to establish a settlement in the area during the 18th century. Today the waterfall is a local tourist attraction.

Beginning in the late 1800s and for several decades thereafter, Moravian Falls was an oddly significant publishing hub, with several local newspapers published there being distributed nationally and claiming circulations in the hundreds of thousands. The Yellow Jacket, the Fool-Killer, and the Lash were the leading papers, but more than a dozen were published in the tiny town. At its peak, the Yellow Jacket claimed a circulation of 1 million copies, though rivals estimated a number more like 250,000 — which was still more than twice the Sunday circulation of any other newspaper in the South.[5]

Wilkes Central High School, and Central Wilkes Middle School, are located in Moravian Falls. The two schools are the largest and most ethnically diverse high school and middle school respectively in the Wilkes County public school system.

The Benjamin Hubbard House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.[6]

Demographics[]

2020 census[]

Moravian Falls racial composition[7]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 1,192 69.63%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 79 4.61%
Native American 3 0.18%
Asian 12 0.7%
Other/Mixed 38 2.22%
Hispanic or Latino 388 22.66%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,712 people, 874 households, and 521 families residing in the CDP.

2000 census[]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,440 people, 600 households, and 415 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 283.0 people per square mile (109.2/km2). There were 656 housing units at an average density of 128.9 per square mile (49.8/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.58% White, 5.49% African American, 0.14% Asian, 3.47% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.15% of the population.

There were 600 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% 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 2.86.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 22.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,607, and the median income for a family was $48,906. Males had a median income of $21,911 versus $24,013 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,405. About 5.7% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.


Notable People[]

James Lucius Lowe the former co-owner of Lowe's Home Improvement and the founder of Lowes Food. While his dad Lucius Smith Lowe was the founder of Lowe's Home Improvement

References[]

  1. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ *U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Moravian Falls, North Carolina
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ^ Alex Leidholdt. "A Bitter Row on a Backwater Newspaper Row: The Curious Case of the Moravian Falls, North Carolina, Press Phenomenon". The North Carolina Historical Review. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-21.

External links[]

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