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Transylvania County, North Carolina

Coordinates: 35°12′N 82°48′W / 35.20°N 82.80°W / 35.20; -82.80
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Transylvania County
County
Transylvania County Courthouse
Transylvania County Courthouse
Official seal of Transylvania County
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting Transylvania County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°12′N 82°48′W / 35.2°N 82.8°W / 35.2; -82.8
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1861
Named forThe Transylvania Company
SeatBrevard
Largest cityBrevard
Area
 • Total
381 sq mi (990 km2)
 • Land379 sq mi (980 km2)
 • Water2.0 sq mi (5 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total
33,090
 • Density87/sq mi (34/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district11th
Websitewww.transylvaniacounty.org
The Biltmore School of Forestry, founded in 1898, was the nation's first forestry school.

Transylvania County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 33,090.[1] Its county seat is Brevard.[2]

Transylvania County comprises the Brevard, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Asheville-Brevard, NC CSA combined statistical area.

History

Founded in 1861, the county's name is derived from the colonial Transylvania Company[citation needed] and has Latin origins: trans ("across") and silva ("woods").[3]

Prior to the early twentieth century, an overwhelming majority of Transylvania County’s residents subsisted through agriculture, often growing basic staples such as potatoes and cabbage.[3]

Beginning in the early twentieth century with Joseph Silverstein’s tannery, a manufacturing economy began to emerge in the county relying on timber and related products harvested from the Pisgah National Forest. In the 1930s, Harry Straus opened a paper mill in the Pisgah Forest area, and by the mid-20th century Straus' Ecusta Paper manufacturing site provided jobs to over 3,000 local residents. During the peak industrial years of the 1950s, DuPont located one of its factories in the county, employing nearly 1,000 more residents.[3]

In the following decades, Brevard College and its namesake town each grew at an unprecedented rate, and Brevard Music Center and its summer Brevard Music Festival began to attract musicians and enthusiasts from around the country to Transylvania County.[3]

Since the later part of the twentieth century, Transylvania County has experienced a change in its economic base as many of the manufacturing operations that once operated there, including Ecusta and DuPont, either went defunct or left the United States for more favorable business conditions abroad. Since that time, the county has worked to reshape its economy around the growing Appalachian summer and winter tourism industry.[3]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 381 square miles (990 km2), of which 379 square miles (980 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.5%) is water.[4]

There are over 250 waterfalls in the county. Receiving over 90 inches of rain annually, Transylvania County is the wettest county in the state. This is contrasted with Buncombe County, which is thirty miles northeast of Transylvania County receiving the lowest precipitation. The Blue Ridge Parkway traverses through parts of the county, affording spectacular views of the Appalachian Mountains, which reach over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) elevation in the county. The highest point, Chestnut Knob, 6,025 feet (1,836 m), lies northwest of the county seat Brevard.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18703,536—
18805,34051.0%
18905,88110.1%
19006,62012.6%
19107,1918.6%
19209,30329.4%
19309,5893.1%
194012,24127.7%
195015,19424.1%
196016,3727.8%
197019,71320.4%
198023,41718.8%
199025,5209.0%
200029,33414.9%
201033,09012.8%
2015 (est.)33,211[5]0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1]

As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 33,090 people, 14,394 households, and 8,660 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile (30/km²). There were 15,553 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.4% White, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 1.12% from two or more races. 2.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,320 households out of which 25.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.40% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 23.10% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 21.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,587, and the median income for a family was $45,579. Males had a median income of $31,743 versus $21,191 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,767. About 6.60% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.80% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over.

Hospital

Transylvania Regional Hospital (TRH), was formed in 1933 with the mission to serve the health care needs of this community. A 94-bed facility, fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), Transylvania Regional Hospital offers comprehensive services through more than 120 active, consulting and courtesy physicians representing a full spectrum of specialties.

Law and government

Transylvania County vote
by party in presidential elections
Year Republican Democratic
2012 57.5% 9,634 40.7% 6,826
2008 55.6% 9,401 43.0% 7,275
2004 60.2% 9,386 39.1% 6,097
2000 63.4% 9,011 35.5% 5,044
1996 52.3% 6,734 37.6% 4,842
1992 45.6% 5,984 39.0% 5,120
1988 61.9% 7,009 37.8% 4,280
1984 64.9% 6,956 37.3% 3,733
1980 52.6% 4,826 43.7% 4,008
1976 46.5% 4,089 52.7% 4,636
1972 69.7% 5,860 27.6% 2,321
1968 46.9% 4,033 25.7% 2,210
1964 44.2% 3,547 55.8% 4,483
1960 55.5% 4,221 44.5% 3,388

Transylvania County has a council-manager form of government, with a five-member Board of Commissioners elected at large. The Commissioners hire and supervise a separate County Manager. The current County Manager is Jaime Laughter. The current members of the Board of Commissioners are Mike Hawkins (chairman), Larry Chapman (vice-chairman), Jason Chappell, Page Lemel, and Kelvin Phillips.

Transylvania County is a member of the Land-of-Sky Regional Council of governments.

The current mayor of Brevard is Jimmy Harris. The current mayor of Rosman is Brian Shelton.


Points of interest

Looking Glass Falls


Communities

Map of Transylvania County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

City

Town

Townships

  • Boyd
  • Brevard
  • Cathey's Creek
  • Dunn's Rock
  • Eastatoe
  • Gloucester
  • Hogback
  • Little River

Unincorporated communities

  • Balsam Grove
  • Cathey's Creek
  • Cedar Mountain
  • Connestee Falls
  • Dunn's Rock
  • Eastatoe
  • Gloucester
  • Lake Toxaway
  • Little River
  • Penrose
  • Pisgah Forest
  • Quebec
  • Sapphire

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Transylvania County Sesquicentennial Video". YouTube. 2011.
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  5. ^ "County Totals Dataset: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  8. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  10. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  11. ^ a b c http://www.transylvaniacounty.org/about-our-county
  12. ^ http://brevardnc.com/play/
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