Taylorsville, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taylorsville, North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|
Main Street in Taylorsville
|
||
|
||
Location in North Carolina
|
||
| Country | United States | |
| State | North Carolina | |
| County | Alexander | |
| Named for | Zachary Taylor | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.40 sq mi (6.21 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.40 sq mi (6.20 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) | |
| Elevation | 1,175 ft (358 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
|
||
| • Total | 2,320 | |
| • Density | 968.68/sq mi (373.94/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code |
28681
|
|
| Area code(s) | 828 | |
| FIPS code | 37-66960 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406720 | |
Taylorsville is a town in Alexander County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,098 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Alexander County.
Taylorsville is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The town of Taylorsville was formed in 1847 along with Alexander County. A commission of William Dula of Caldwell County, Dr. James Calloway of Wilkes County, Milton Campbell of Iredell County, and Robert Allen, Reuben Watts and Robert L. Steel of Alexander County were named to select a site as near the center of the county as possible for the seat of justice. The town was named Taylorsville in honor of General Zachary Taylor who at that time was in Mexico engaged in the Mexican–American War.
The land for the town was donated by J.M. Bogle who gave 22 acres (89,000 m2), William Matheson who gave 13 acres (53,000 m2) and James James who gave 113⁄4 acres for a total of 463⁄4 acres. Most of the land was woodland, and the road from Statesville to Morganton passed to the south of town.
A commission of Alexander C. McIntosh, R.L. Steel, Sion Harrington, J.H. Newland, and George Swain, treasurer, were appointed to lay out the town of Taylorsville and sell lots to raise money for the building of a courthouse and jail. An auction of lots was held August 11, 1847, and 47 lots were sold. The second sale was November 30, 1847, and 10 lots were sold. At a third auction on March 8, 1848, five lots were sold. The total amounted to $6,674.75.
The town of Taylorsville was incorporated in 1851. The first mayor was John Watts and was appointed by the commissioners. The boundaries of the incorporated town were square, with each side 160 poles or one-half mile long.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.1 km2), of which 0.0039 square miles (0.01 km2), or 0.17%, is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 169 | — | |
| 1880 | 180 | 6.5% | |
| 1900 | 413 | — | |
| 1910 | 662 | 60.3% | |
| 1920 | 1,122 | 69.5% | |
| 1930 | 926 | −17.5% | |
| 1940 | 1,122 | 21.2% | |
| 1950 | 1,310 | 16.8% | |
| 1960 | 1,470 | 12.2% | |
| 1970 | 1,231 | −16.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,103 | −10.4% | |
| 1990 | 1,566 | 42.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,799 | 14.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,098 | 16.6% | |
| 2020 | 2,320 | 10.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,776 | 76.55% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 238 | 10.26% |
| Native American | 4 | 0.17% |
| Asian | 17 | 0.73% |
| Other/Mixed | 110 | 4.74% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 175 | 7.54% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,320 people, 927 households, and 573 families residing in the town.
Education
The students of Taylorsville are served by the Alexander County Schools district. There are two high schools in the district, Alexander Central High School and Alexander Early College, both of which are located in the town. However, 9% of students at Challenger Early College High School (a public high school in Hickory, North Carolina operated by Catawba County Schools) reside in Alexander County.
Notable people
- Charles E. Allen – former Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the US Department of Homeland Security
- Henlee Hulix Barnette – American social activist and professor of Christian ethics
- Harry Deal and the Galaxies – longtime "beach music" band
- Harry Gant – former NASCAR Cup Series driver
- Romulus Z. Linney – U.S. congressman from 1895 to 1901
- Jim Poole – MLB first baseman
- Jerry Rushing – bootlegger and inspiration for The Dukes of Hazzard
- Guppy Troup – former professional ten-pin bowler
- Kyle Troup – professional ten-pin bowler
- Onur Tukel – filmmaker
- William Vanderbloemen – entrepreneur, pastor, speaker, and author
- Rex White – former NASCAR Grand National Division (now Cup Series) champion
See also
In Spanish: Taylorsville (Carolina del Norte) para niños
