Lenoir, North Carolina Explained

Official Name:Lenoir, North Carolina
Settlement Type:City
Nickname:Lenny
Motto:"Where the High Country Begins"
Named For:William Lenoir
Mapsize:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:North Carolina
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Caldwell
Government Type:Council-Manager
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Joseph L. Gibbons (Independent)[1]
Leader Title1:Mayor Pro Tem
Leader Name1:Crissy Thomas [2]
Leader Title2:Governing body
Leader Name2:Lenoir City Council
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[3]
Area Total Km2:53.95
Area Land Km2:53.94
Area Water Km2:0.02
Area Total Sq Mi:20.83
Area Land Sq Mi:20.82
Area Water Sq Mi:0.01
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:18352
Population Density Km2:340.25
Population Density Sq Mi:881.25
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Elevation Ft:1129
Coordinates:35.9094°N -81.5247°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP Codes
Postal Code:28633, 28645
Area Code:828
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:37-37760[4]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:2404911

Lenoir is a city in and the county seat of Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States.[5] The population was 18,263 at the 2020 census.[6] Lenoir is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. To the northeast are the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hibriten Mountain, located just east of the city limits, marks the western end of the Brushy Mountains range.

Lenoir is one of the principal cities in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Lenoir was established in 1841 and incorporated in 1851. The city was named for Revolutionary War general and early North Carolina statesman William Lenoir,[7] who settled north of present-day Lenoir. His restored home, Fort Defiance, is a tourist attraction.[8]

Early history

The original settlement of Lenoir was known as Tucker's Barn, after a Tucker family that settled on the north side of Lower Creek around 1765. The homestead eventually served as a voting precinct, a muster ground, a store, and a place for celebrations. When Caldwell County was formed in 1841, a commission was appointed to choose a location for the county seat. One member proposed the south side of Lower Creek (today, the Whitnel area) because of its view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. However, since most of the county's population was on the north side of Lower Creek, the Tucker's Barn site was chosen, where Lenoir is today.[9]

American Civil War

During Gen. Stonemans final raid in 1865 during the American Civil War, Lenoir was raided both on March 30 and April 15,[10] in which confederate soldiers and citizens of Lenoir were locked inside the old St. James Episcopal Church building located downtown.

Along with this; multiple Civil War companies were formed with men from Lenoir & Caldwell County, with the likely most renowned being Company F "Hibriten Guards" and Company I "Caldwell Guards" of the 26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, at the Battle of Gettysburg the Hibriten Guards suffered a one hundred percent loss rate with all eighty-seven of its men and officers being wounded.[11]

National Register of Historic Places locations

In addition to Fort Defiance, the Caldwell County Courthouse, Lenoir Downtown Historic District, Lenoir Grammar School, Lenoir High School, Mary's Grove, and Edgar Allan Poe House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[12]

Geography

Lenoir is southeast of the center of Caldwell County, and is bordered to the south by the towns of Hudson and Cajah's Mountain, and to the southwest by the town of Gamewell.

The city is at the intersection of U.S. Highways 64 and 321. US 64 leads east to Statesville and southwest to Morganton, while US 321 leads north to Boone and southeast to Hickory.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Lenoir has a total area of 50.9km2, all land.[13] The city is in the valley of Lower Creek, between the Brushy Mountains to the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Lower Creek flows southwest to the Catawba River valley.

Climate

Lenoir has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with cool to mild winters and warm, humid summers. Due to the city's proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains, temperatures tend to be slightly cooler than areas to the east.

Demographics

2020 census

Race!scope="col"
NumberPercentage
White (non-Hispanic)13,14771.64%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)2,10111.45%
Native American370.2%
Asian1750.95%
Pacific Islander70.04%
Other/Mixed8274.51%
Hispanic or Latino2,05811.21%
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 18,352 people, 7,340 households, and 4,539 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,793 people, 6,913 households, and 4,569 families residing in the city. The population density was 1013.7sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 7,461 housing units at an average density of 450.4sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 80.88% White, 14.71% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.27% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.25% of the population.

There were 6,913 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,369, and the median income for a family was $37,280. Males had a median income of $26,122 versus $21,895 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,697. About 10.4% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Broyhill Furniture company, one of the largest furniture companies in the United States and part of Heritage Home Group (KPS Capital Partners), recently closed its headquarters in Lenoir. Furniture in general has historically been one of the city's largest employers. The Bernhardt, Kincaid, and Fairfield furniture companies are based in or around Lenoir. In the 1990s, these companies began changing their business models to reflect consumer trends, and closed several of Lenoir's furniture factories. Recent consolidations of area furniture facilities (Thomasville, Taylorsville, North Wilkesboro, etc.) have netted modest gains in positions in the industry around Lenoir. The medical and education sectors are now the area's largest employers.

Google, Inc. has a server farm, or "data center", in Lenoir.[14] There was controversy over the nature, amount, and potential benefits of economic development incentives that the City of Lenoir, Caldwell County, and the State of North Carolina gave Google in 2007 to induce the company to build the server farm.[15] [16] The less celebrated benefits of the investment have been construction employment and spending, a small-time server farm investment just outside downtown, Dacentec, as well as local charitable and educational endeavors by Google.

Wholesale nurseries, shipping large balled and burlap plants to landscapers in metropolitan areas, have been a strong source of employment in Lenoir over the last 75 years. Local nurseries employ around two percent of the local population.

Parks and recreation

Teams

Recreation

Hiking

Education

High schools

Middle schools

K–8 schools

Elementary schools

Alternative schools

College

Media

Infrastructure

Highways

Notable people

Accolades

Lenoir was one of the recipients of the 2008 All-America City Award.[29]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Joseph L. Gibbons, Mayor | City of Lenoir, NC.
  2. Web site: Crissy Thomas, Mayor Pro Tem | City of Lenoir, NC.
  3. Web site: ArcGIS REST Services Directory. United States Census Bureau. September 20, 2022.
  4. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. 2008-01-31.
  5. Web site: Find a County . National Association of Counties . 2011-06-07.
  6. Web site: 2020 . City and Town Population Totals, North Carolina . US Census Bureau.
  7. Book: Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. 1905. U.S. Government Printing Office. 185.
  8. http://www.fortdefiancenc.org/index.htm Fort Defiance
  9. https://www.cityoflenoir.com/history History, Seal, & Flag - Lenoir, North Carolina
  10. Web site: Image 1 of The western Democrat (Charlotte, N.C.), April 11, 1865 . 2024-07-23 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
  11. Web site: CCW . 2019-01-26 . James Daniel Moore, Company F 26th NC : The First Day At Gettysburg . 2024-07-20 . NC History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation & Reconstruction . en-US.
  12. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Listings. Featured Property: Lenoir Downtown Historic District. National Park Service.
  13. Web site: Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lenoir city, North Carolina . dead . https://archive.today/20200212191618/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3737760 . February 12, 2020 . December 19, 2014 . U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder.
  14. Web site: Lenoir, North Carolina – Data Centers – Google. Google.com.
  15. http://www2.nccommerce.com/eclipsfiles/16582.pdf Hickory Daily Record, April 15, 2007, reprinted on NC Department of Commerce site
  16. Web site: The Economic Impact of A Data Center - Data Center Knowledge. 15 March 2007.
  17. Web site: Caldwell County Youth Football League . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313231532/http://www.caldwellcountyyouthfootball.org/ . 2012-03-13 . dead .
  18. Web site: Lenoir Aquatic and Fitness Center. Cityoflenoir.com. 20 January 2018.
  19. http://www.lenoirgolfclubinc.com/our-course Lenoir Golf Club Homepage
  20. Web site: News-Topic - Serving Caldwell County Since 1875. Newstopic.net. 20 January 2018.
  21. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=8126. The Baseball Cube. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  22. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=128915. The Baseball Cube. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  23. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=10272. The Baseball Cube Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  24. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=10592. The Baseball Cube. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  25. McCann, Gary. (Jan 25, 2015). Gibbons' High Court Opinions. Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  26. https://www.caldwellschools.com/Page/18426 Hall of Honor 2014 Inductees
  27. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=19317. The Baseball Cube. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  28. Yellow, Al. (July 20, 2013). Can You Find Verlon Walker's Voice?. bledcubbieblue.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  29. Web site: 2008 All-America City Award Winners Announced! - U.S. Politics Today - News Media Monitoring . uspolitics.einnews.com . 15 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090223231935/http://uspolitics.einnews.com/article.php?nid=487563 . 23 February 2009 . dead.