Wilkesboro | |
|---|---|
 FormerWilkes County Courthouse, now the Wilkes Heritage Museum | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: Where the Mountains Begin | |
 Location of Wilkesboro, North Carolina | |
| Coordinates:36°08′33″N81°10′30″W / 36.14250°N 81.17500°W /36.14250; -81.17500[1] | |
| County | Wilkes |
| State | North Carolina |
| Country | United States |
| Named after | John Wilkes |
| Government | |
| • Type | municipal |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.42 sq mi (16.64 km2) |
| • Land | 6.42 sq mi (16.64 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 991 ft (302 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,687 |
| • Density | 573.7/sq mi (221.52/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 28697 |
| Area code | 336 |
| FIPS code | 37-74020[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406886[1] |
| Website | wilkesboronc |
Wilkesboro is a town in and thecounty seat ofWilkes County, North Carolina, United States.[4] The population was 3,687 at the2020 census.[5] The town is located along the south bank of theYadkin River, directly opposite the town ofNorth Wilkesboro.
Wilkesboro was founded in 1800 and quickly designated as the county seat.
The town is built atop a low, broad ridge which runs for over a mile along the south bank of the Yadkin River.
For many decades a popular historic spot in Wilkesboro was the "Tory Oak", a large oak tree from which ColonelBenjamin Cleveland, a well-known Wilkes County patriot during theAmerican Revolutionary War, hanged Loyalist militia leaders who supported the British king and opposed American independence from Britain. The oak was located behind the old Wilkes County courthouse.
During theCivil War, many of Wilkesboro's residents remained loyal to the Union and opposed theConfederacy. In March 1865, GeneralGeorge Stoneman, a Union cavalry leader, led a raid through the town.
Shortly after the war ended,Tom Dula (Dooley), a Confederate veteran, was tried and hanged for the murder of his fiancée, Laura Foster. Many people were convinced that one of Dula's jealous ex-girlfriends murdered Foster, and that Dula was innocent of the crime. Dula's story was turned into a top-sellingballad in 1958 byThe Kingston Trio, titled "Tom Dooley". The story was subsequently turned into a 1959 movie starringMichael Landon as Dula. Each summer, the Wilkes Playmakers present a popular play based on the story.
TheRobert Cleveland Log House,Downtown Wilkesboro Historic District,Federal Building,J. T. Ferguson Store,Thomas B. Finley Law Office,J. L. Hemphill House,Johnson-Hubbard House,Old Wilkes County Jail,St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Cemetery,Wilkes County Courthouse,Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church, andWilkesboro-Smithey Hotel are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[6]
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,725 | 73.91% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 327 | 8.87% |
| Native American | 6 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 122 | 3.31% |
| Other/mixed | 165 | 4.48% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 342 | 9.28% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 3,687 people, 1,386 households, and 808 families residing in the town.
As of the 2010 census, there were 3,413 people living in Wilkesboro. The population density was 622.5 inhabitants per square mile (240.3/km2). The racial makeup of Wilkesboro was 81.5%White, 8.9%African American, 3.0%Asian, 0.2%Native American, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 4.0% fromother races, and 2.3% from two or more races.[8]
The population of Wilkesboro was spread out, with 21.7% being under the age of 20, 6.1% from 20-24, 21.9% from 25-44, 25.6% from 45-64, and 24.5% being 65 and over. The median age was 45.2 years old, more specifically 40.8 for males and 49.5 for females.[8]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 200 | — | |
| 1890 | 336 | 68.0% | |
| 1900 | 634 | 88.7% | |
| 1910 | 799 | 26.0% | |
| 1920 | 814 | 1.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,042 | 28.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,309 | 25.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,370 | 4.7% | |
| 1960 | 1,568 | 14.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,038 | 30.0% | |
| 1980 | 2,335 | 14.6% | |
| 1990 | 2,573 | 10.2% | |
| 2000 | 3,159 | 22.8% | |
| 2010 | 3,413 | 8.0% | |
| 2020 | 3,687 | 8.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
Wilkesboro's largest industry is theTyson Foods poultry processing plant; it is one of the largest poultry plants east of the Mississippi River.[10]
Local communication companies Wilkes Communications and Carolina West Wireless are based in Wilkesboro.[11]
Wilkesboro is served by theWilkes County Schools system. Most of Wilkesboro's high school students attendWilkes Central High School; it is located in the adjacent community ofMoravian Falls. Wilkes Early College, based atWilkes Community College, and one charter school, Bridges Charter School inState Road, North Carolina, offer other high-school options to Wilkesboro's students.[12] Middle school students in Wilkesboro attend Central Wilkes Middle School, located in Moravian Falls, while the elementary schools that serve the town are Wilkesboro Elementary, Moravian Falls Elementary, and CC Wright Elementary.
Wilkesboro is the home ofWilkes Community College, a public, coed,two-year college within theNorth Carolina Community College System. The college's enrollment is typically around 3,500 students.
Wilkesboro is served by a few media sources based in nearby North Wilkesboro. TheRecord of Wilkes and theJournal-Patriot are published weekly.
Wilkes County's two largest radio stations are broadcast from North Wilkesboro:WKBC-FM (97.3 FM) broadcastsAdult Contemporary (hot AC) andWKBC (AM) (800 AM) broadcastscountry music.
WTA,Wilkes Transportation Authority, is a local shuttle service based in Wilkesboro that utilizes vans and buses to serve Wilkes County. Fares range from $2-$24, but are typically around $4.[13] A scheduled shuttle service runs roughly every hour, and an unscheduled service allows riders to request a van pick-up in any part of the county.
Daily bus service is available onGreyhound. Sunway buses are advertised as Greyhound Express buses. The bus stop is in front of the former Federal Building at 207 West Main Street. Bus service goes toBoone, NC andGreensboro, NC, known as the Mountaineer East/West line, with prices as low as $4. Passengers can connect to Greyhound services throughout the East Coast via theJ. Douglas Galyon Depot, where the line ends.[14]
Like most of Wilkes County, Wilkesboro has long been a bastion of theRepublican Party.
Wilkesboro's largest religious group is theSouthern Baptists, but the town does contain substantial numbers ofMethodists,Presbyterians,Lutherans, andEpiscopalians. The first two churches to be established in Wilkes County were built in Wilkesboro; they were missionary churches for theEpiscopal andPresbyterian denominations. The nearby town of North Wilkesboro contains Wilkes County's onlyRoman Catholic church: a parish church named for Saint John Baptist de la Salle, and part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.
Wilkesboro is a small town Main Street community[clarification needed] and has recently[when?] revitalized its historic downtown to include the Carolina West Wireless Community Commons, Wilkes Communications Pavilion, Heritage Square, and Splash Pad.
Cub Creek Park is adjacent to the downtown area and contains many amenities, including baseball; walking and mountain biking trails; trout fishing; dog park; basketball, tennis, andpickleball courts; and picnic shelters.
Wilkesboro is also the home of the annualMerleFest, Carolina in the Fall, and Brushy Mountain Peach & Heritage festivals.
Municipalities and communities ofWilkes County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
