Transylvania County, North Carolina

County in North Carolina, United States

County in North Carolina

Transylvania County

County

Transylvania County Courthouse in Brevard

Seal

Logo

Nickname:

Land of Waterfalls

Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina

North Carolina's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 35°13′N 82°49′W﻿ / ﻿35.21°N 82.82°W﻿ / 35.21; -82.82
Country|  United States
State|  North Carolina
Founded| 1861
Named for| Latin word meaning "Across the Woods"[1]
Seat| Brevard
Largest community| Brevard
Area

• Total| 380.33 sq mi (985.1 km2)
• Land| 378.36 sq mi (979.9 km2)
• Water| 1.97 sq mi (5.1 km2)  0.52%
Population

(2020)

• Total| 32,986
• Estimate

(2023)

| 33,549
• Density| 87.18/sq mi (33.66/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 11th
Website| www.transylvaniacounty.org

Transylvania County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census the population is 32,986.[2] Its county seat is Brevard.[3]

Transylvania County comprises the Brevard, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Asheville-Waynesville-Brevard, NC Combined Statistical Area.

## History

[edit]

The North Carolina General Assembly apportioned Transylvania County on February 15, 1861, from lands previously attributed to neighboring Jackson and Henderson counties; it was named by representative Joseph P. Jordan.[4] Until the early 20th century, the vast majority of Transylvania County residents subsisted through agriculture, growing staples such as potatoes and cabbage.[5]

Beginning in the early 20th century, with Joseph Silverstein's tannery in what was renamed as Rosman in 1905, a manufacturing economy began to develop in the county. It relied 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; by the mid-20th century, Straus's Ecusta Paper manufacturing site provided jobs to over 3,000 local residents. During the peak industrial years of the 1950s, DuPont had a factory in the county, employing nearly 1,000 more residents.[5]

In the following decades, Brevard College and its namesake town each grew at dramatic rates. The Brevard Music Center and its summer Brevard Music Festival began to attract musicians and enthusiasts from around the country to Transylvania County.[5]

Since the late 20th century, Transylvania County's economy has changed. Many of the manufacturing operations went defunct or moved offshore for cheap labor, including Ecusta and DuPont. Since then, the county has worked to reshape its economy around the growing summer and winter tourism industry in Appalachia.[5]

## Geography

[edit]

Interactive map of Transylvania County

The Biltmore School of Forestry, founded in 1898, was the nation's first forestry school.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 380.33 square miles (985.1 km2), of which 378.36 square miles (979.9 km2) is land and 1.97 square miles (5.1 km2) (0.52%) water.[6]

Transylvania County contains the primary headwaters of the French Broad River, locally called North Fork, West Fork, East Fork, and Middle Fork. Since the county's northern and western boundaries follow mountain ridges, all these tributaries originate from sources in the county. The French Broad flows primarily east and northward through the county into Henderson County.[7]

The county's northern border follows the ridge line proximate to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the southern border mostly follows the Eastern Continental Divide, from the border of Henderson County and South Carolina, westward to near US 178 and Jackson County.[8] The headwaters of Lake Toxaway lie south of the Eastern Continental Divide, becoming the Toxaway River, descending rapidly through Gorges State Park and into Lake Jocassee on the county's southern edge. This area, known as the Cane Brake, is difficult to access from North Carolina due to the steep slope of the trails in Gorges State Park, but can be reached more easily via the Foothills Trail from South Carolina.[9]

Transylvania County is known as the "Land of Waterfalls", due to it having over 250 waterfalls. This is due to a combination of its high precipitation and location on the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Notable waterfalls in the county include Looking Glass Falls, Moore Cove Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Whitewater Falls, the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi. It receives over 90 inches (2,300 mm) of rain annually due to orographic lift, making it the state's wettest county. (Buncombe County, 30 miles (48 km) northeast, is the driest, as it sits in Transylvania County's rain shadow.) The Blue Ridge Parkway traverses parts of the county, and has views of the Appalachian Mountains, which reach over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) elevation in the county.

### National protected areas

[edit]

* Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
* Nantahala National Forest (part)
* Pisgah National Forest (part)

### State and local protected areas

[edit]

See also: Category:Protected areas of Transylvania County, North Carolina

* Biltmore Forest School
* Bracken Preserve
* Davidson River Recreational Area
* Dupont State Forest Game Land (part)[10]
* DuPont State Recreational Forest (part)
* Gorges State Park
* Headwaters State Forest
* Headwaters State Forest Game Land[10]
* Pisgah National Forest Game Land (part)[10]
* Southern Highlands Reserve (part)
* Sycamore Flats Recreational Area
* Toxaway Game Land[10]

### Major water bodies

[edit]

* Atagahi Lake
* Camp Creek Falls
* Cascade Lake
* Dupont Lake
* French Broad River
* Horsepasture River
* Kings Creek
* Lake Jocassee
* Lake Julia
* Lake Toxaway
* Lake Wanteska
* Little River
* North Fork French Broad River
* Shoal Creek
* South Fork Flat Creek
* Thunder Lake
* Thompson River
* Ticoa Lake
* Toxaway Creek

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Henderson County – east
* Greenville County, South Carolina – southeast
* Pickens County, South Carolina – south
* Oconee County, South Carolina – southwest
* Jackson County – west
* Haywood County – northwest
* Buncombe County – northeast

### Major highways

[edit]

* US 64

US 64 Bus.
* US 178
* US 276
* NC 215
* NC 280
* NC 281

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1870| 3,536| | —
1880| 5,340| | 51.0%
1890| 5,881| | 10.1%
1900| 6,620| | 12.6%
1910| 7,191| | 8.6%
1920| 9,303| | 29.4%
1930| 9,589| | 3.1%
1940| 12,241| | 27.7%
1950| 15,194| | 24.1%
1960| 16,372| | 7.8%
1970| 19,713| | 20.4%
1980| 23,417| | 18.8%
1990| 25,520| | 9.0%
2000| 29,334| | 14.9%
2010| 33,090| | 12.8%
2020| 32,986| | −0.3%
2023 (est.)| 33,549| [2]| 1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13]
1990–2000[14] 2010[15] 2020[2]

### 2020 census

[edit]

Transylvania County racial composition[16] Race  | Number  | Percentage

|
|

White (non-Hispanic)  | 28,542  | 86.53%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)  | 1,027  | 3.11%
Native American | 102  | 0.31%
Asian | 173  | 0.52%
Pacific Islander | 22  | 0.07%
Other/Mixed | 1,422  | 4.31%
Hispanic or Latino | 1,698  | 5.15%

As of the 2020 census, there were 32,986 people, 14,567 households, and 9,978 families residing in the county.

### 2010 census

[edit]

At the 2010 census,[17] 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 (32 people/km2). There were 15,553 housing units at an average density of 41 units per square mile (16 units/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.

## Government and politics

[edit]

At present Transylvania is a solidly Republican county, although much less so than the vast majority of Appalachia. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried Transylvania County since Jimmy Carter did so in 1976.

United States presidential election results for Transylvania County, North Carolina[18] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 11,636  | 57.03% | 8,444  | 41.38%  | 324  | 1.59%
2016 | 10,520  | 58.87% | 6,558  | 36.70%  | 791  | 4.43%
2012 | 9,634  | 57.47% | 6,826  | 40.72%  | 303  | 1.81%
2008 | 9,401  | 55.60% | 7,275  | 43.02%  | 233  | 1.38%
2004 | 9,386  | 60.21% | 6,097  | 39.11%  | 105  | 0.67%
2000 | 9,011  | 63.35% | 5,044  | 35.46%  | 170  | 1.20%
1996 | 6,734  | 52.29% | 4,842  | 37.60%  | 1,301  | 10.10%
1992 | 5,984  | 45.55% | 5,120  | 38.97%  | 2,033  | 15.48%
1988 | 7,009  | 61.86% | 4,280  | 37.78%  | 41  | 0.36%
1984 | 6,956  | 64.91% | 3,733  | 34.83%  | 28  | 0.26%
1980 | 4,826  | 52.60% | 4,008  | 43.68%  | 341  | 3.72%
1976 | 4,089  | 46.51%  | 4,636  | 52.74% | 66  | 0.75%
1972 | 5,860  | 69.73% | 2,321  | 27.62%  | 223  | 2.65%
1968 | 4,033  | 46.85% | 2,210  | 25.67%  | 2,365  | 27.47%
1964 | 3,547  | 44.17%  | 4,483  | 55.83% | 0  | 0.00%
1960 | 4,221  | 55.47% | 3,388  | 44.53%  | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 3,901  | 53.18% | 3,435  | 46.82%  | 0  | 0.00%
1952 | 4,047  | 52.64% | 3,641  | 47.36%  | 0  | 0.00%
1948 | 2,861  | 46.42%  | 2,975  | 48.27% | 327  | 5.31%
1944 | 2,251  | 42.71%  | 3,019  | 57.29% | 0  | 0.00%
1940 | 2,019  | 37.87%  | 3,312  | 62.13% | 0  | 0.00%
1936 | 2,001  | 41.29%  | 2,845  | 58.71% | 0  | 0.00%
1932 | 1,671  | 39.63%  | 2,523  | 59.84% | 22  | 0.52%
1928 | 2,165  | 55.70% | 1,722  | 44.30%  | 0  | 0.00%
1924 | 1,814  | 50.22% | 1,776  | 49.17%  | 22  | 0.61%
1920 | 1,680  | 52.14% | 1,542  | 47.86%  | 0  | 0.00%
1916 | 841  | 50.60% | 821  | 49.40%  | 0  | 0.00%
1912 | 107  | 8.39%  | 631  | 49.45% | 538  | 42.16%

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 Jason Chappell (chairman), Jake Dalton (vice-chairman), Teresa McCall, Larry Chapman, and Emmett Casciato.

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

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

The current mayor of Brevard is Maureen Copelof.[19] The current mayor of Rosman is Brian Shelton.[20]

## Points of interest

[edit]

Looking Glass Falls

* Biltmore Forest School, first school of forestry in North America
* Blue Ridge Community College, Transylvania campus
* Blue Ridge Parkway
* Brevard College
* Brevard Little Theater[21]
* Brevard Music Center
* DuPont State Forest
* Gorges State Park
* Lake Toxaway
* Looking Glass Falls
* Nantahala National Forest[22]
* Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute
* Pisgah National Forest
* Sliding Rock[21]
* Transylvania Arts Council[21]
* Transylvania County Schools[23]
* Whitewater Falls, highest waterfall in North Carolina

## Communities

[edit]

Map of Transylvania County with municipal and township labels

### City

[edit]

* Brevard (county seat and largest community)

### Town

[edit]

* Rosman

### Townships

[edit]

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

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

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

## See also

[edit]

* List of counties in North Carolina
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Transylvania County, North Carolina

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Lewis, J.D. "Transylvania County, North Carolina". www.carolana.com. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
2. ^ a b c "QuickFacts: Transylvania County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ Threlkel, du Toit; Brian, Susan. "1861-1911 Timeline". Transylvania Heritage Museum. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
5. ^ a b c d Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: mktconnections (2011). "Transylvania County Sesquicentennial Video". YouTube.
6. ^ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
7. ^ "Feature Detail Report for: French Broad River". US Geological Survey. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
8. ^ Watson, Melissa (2011). Hiking Waterfalls in North Carolina: A Guide to the State's Best Waterfall Hikes. FalconGuides. pp. 80–84. ISBN 978-0762771509.
9. ^ Thomas, Bill (1998). The North Carolina Sierra Club's guide to the Jocassee Gorges: Horsepasture, Bearwallow, & Toxaway Region. pp. 5–8.
10. ^ a b c d "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
13. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
15. ^ "Decennial Census: P2: Hispanic or Latino, and not Hispanic or Latino by Race". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
16. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
17. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
18. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
19. ^ "Mayor & City Council". www.cityofbrevard.com. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
20. ^ "About". Town of Rosman. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
21. ^ a b c "About Our County | Transylvania County". www.transylvaniacounty.org. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
22. ^ "» Outdoor adventure and recreation in Brevard WNC, Transylvania County the Land of waterfalls Visit Brevard NC". brevardnc.com. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
23. ^ "Transylvania County Schools / Homepage". www.tcsnc.org. Retrieved March 17, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Transylvania County, North Carolina.

* Geographic data related to Transylvania County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
* Official website
* Transylvania County Library
* Waterfalls in Transylvania County
* NCGenWeb Transylvania County, genealogy resources for the county

Places adjacent to Transylvania County, North Carolina

| Haywood County | Lincoln County | Buncombe County

|
|

|  |
Jackson County |

Transylvania County, North Carolina

| Henderson County
|  |
Oconee County, South Carolina | Pickens County, South Carolina | Greenville County, South Carolina

* v
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Municipalities and communities of Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States

County seat: Brevard

City|

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Unincorporated
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* Balsam Grove
* Cedar Mountain
* Lake Toxaway
* Penrose
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