The History of Statesville
In 1753, Scots-Irish Presbyterians and German Lutherans, who originally settled in Pennsylvania, began arriving in Statesville to plant crops in the fertile soil where game and water were also plentiful. The settlement, known as Fourth Creek Congregation, was named for the fresh water stream, which was the fourth creek west of the neighboring settlement of Salisbury. The center of the settlement was a log cabin where the Presbyterians worshiped and where the First Presbyterian Church is located today.
In 1755, the colonial governor Arthur Dobbs authorized the construction of the colony's frontier fort, which was located approximately three miles due north of the Fourth Creek settlement. Built and garrisoned by North Carolina provincial soldiers, Fort Dobbs defended the British North America's western frontier in the colony of North Carolina during the French and Indian War. Fort Dobbs combined thefunctions of a military barracks, fortification, refuge for settlers, provisioning depot and center for negotiations with native Americans.
The state legislature divided Rowan County in 1788, and the new county was named Iredell for James Iredell, associate justice of the first Supreme Court during the presidency of George Washington. One year later the legislature selected a spot for the county seat. In January, 1789, by an act of the General Assembly just after North Carolina joined the United States the Fourth Creek Congregation was chosen, and the settlement became known as Statesville. The Fourth Creek Settlement, named after Fourth Creek and was established as a "site for the courthouse and stocks." The history of Statesville'sname is vague, but it is believed to originally be named "the states vil." By 1790, the first courthouse, a log structure, was being built on a lot purchased from Fergus Sloan next to the Fourth Creek Presbyterian Meeting House. That courthouse site, at the intersection of Broad and Center Streets, is now called "The Square". The lots around the courthouse were soon sold at a public auction for other businesses, thus, beginning downtown Statesville. The site picked for Statesville was in the midst of a settlement of Scotch Irish Presbyterians who had moved to the area, originally part of Rowan County, 30 to 40 years earlier. Statesville was incorporated as a city in 1847. The first of many fires ravaged Statesville in 1855 destroying the majority of the downtown's buildings. The majority ofthe existing buildings in the downtown date from 1860 to about 1930.
As early as 1833, Statesville's leaders began laying track for railroads to connect the Piedmont area of North Carolina with the rest of the country. By 1858, Statesville was growing rapidly and soon afterward began leading the state in the production of tobacco and tobacco products, the manufacture and blending of whiskey, and became a large distribution center for roots and herbs. The first railroad reached Statesville in 1858, linking Salisbury to Asheville, and was known as the Western North Carolina Railroad. The Atlantic, Tennessee & Ohio Railroad (ATO) began serving the Statesville to Charlotte line shortly after the Western service began. There were originally two Depots for the two separate lines serving Statesville. Both were apparently burned down during the Civil War and later rebuilt as a joint facility. The construction of the new depot began in the winter months amid much controversy over its heating system. The local delegation of officials felt the structure and Statesville deserved a better system than pot bellied stoves. However, when it opened the next spring that is exactly what it had - three chimneys allowing for three stoves. The Depot, as we know it, also had a companion freight structure which was removed in the 1970's. On the morning of August 27, 1891, Statesville learned that a disaster had occurred when the Bostian Bridge on Buffalo Shoals Road became the site of a terrible train derailment. It was one of the worst tragedies to ever hit Statesville. There was great loss of lives in the wreck.
The railroad brought Statesville's greatest growth period from the 1860's to the 1930's. The railroad brought in finished and raw goods and exported products to be sold in other cities. People were nowmore connected to the rest of the country, and the trains brought visitors to town, and they would stay in one of our six hotels in downtown (McElwee Hotel, Carolina Hotel, Gray Cafe & Hotel, Historic Vance Hotel, St. Charles Hotel, & the Bristol Hotel). At the turn of the century, industries were based around three primary products: herbs, tobacco and liquor. Herbs were shipped from the Wallace Herbarium on Meeting Street to all parts of the world. Liquor and tobacco money built many of the downtown buildings. In fact, the Key Memorial Chapel - now the office of The Iredell Citizen, was builtby Mrs. Key in honor of her late husband, Philip Barton Key. Another local church refused the money because it was made in the liquor industry. Statesville has a rich architectural heritage. There is currently five National Register of Historic Place Districts including four residential districts: Broad Street/Davie Avenue, Mitchell College, Academy Hill, Race Street and the Downtown Statesville Commercial District.
The Depot Hill area was also the site of one of the most famous hangings in the history of the region, Tom Dula! The Kingston Trio's song "Ballad of Tom Dooley" made the hanging famous. It was the storyof a love triangle and a trial for murder which resulted in Tom Dula's (real name) death. He was hanged just south of the former Depot location and is buried in Wilkes County.