Blowing Rock, North Carolina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Blowing Rock is a town in North Carolina, situated in both Caldwell and Watauga counties. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. However there are about 8,000 summer residents, who mainly come from Florida to escape the heat.

1 Attractions
2 Geography
- 2.1 Climate
3 Demographics
4 History
5 Miscellaneous
6 External links

[edit] Attractions

There are many locations and events that help make Blowing Rock such a special place to visit such as The Blowing Rock itself which is where the town got its name. One of the more popular attractions is the Tweetsie Railroad theme park which is the home to the only remaining fully functional steam engine train in North Carolina. Besides Tweetsie there is also the Blowing Rock Stage Company, the 4th of July Parade on Main Street, the local Green Park Inn Country Club , Art In The Park which is a monthly summertime event in downtown Blowing Rock where artists of all kinds can set up booths and sell their work to the always art hungry tourists, and of course the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show which has been a tradition for 84 years. It is the longest continuously run horse show in the United States and dates are typically in late July and early August. Featured are the best riders of the Hunter-Jumper circuit, and a week of exciting gaited Saddlebred action! As one of the most prestigious shows in the southeast, it's not to be missed!

Don't forget the Moses Cone Memorial Park, which is famous for it's grand Moses Cone Manor and Estate. [1]

Adjacent to the park is the Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve, where you can rent a horse and take a guided trail ride to the Moses Cone estate. Also offered at the preserve is overnight camping and stabling for your horse so that you can take advantage of all 25 miles of riding and carriage trails in the Cone Park. [2]

[edit] Geography

Location of Blocking Rock, North Carolina

Blowing Rock is located at 36°7′47″N, 81°40′21″W (36.129663, -81.672566),^GR1 in the Blue Ridge mountain range.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has

a total area of 7.8 km² (3.0 mi²).
7.7 km² (3.0 mi²) of it is land and
0.1 km² (0.04 mi²), or 1.00% of total area, is water.

[edit] Climate

The town's elevation of 3500-3600 feet above sea level results in a substantially cooler summer temperatures compared to nearby locations below it (typically in the 70s with cool nights), and chilly winters with frequent snowfalls from December through April. Ice storms are possible in the cooler months. Springtime is cool and generally pleasant.

Rainfall is moderate; thunderstorms are occasional, and rarely severe.

The best weather forecast for the local area is: http://booneweather.com/blowingrock/forecast.php

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 1,418 people, 663 households, and 387 families residing in the town. The population density was 184.3/km² (477.9/mi²). There were 1,524 housing units at an average density of 198.1/km² (513.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.95% White, 0.35% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There are 663 households, of which

16.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them,
52.3% were married couples living together,
4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and
41.5% were non-families.

35.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 persons and the average family size was 2.59.

The population consists of

15.0% under the age of 18,
4.9% from 18 to 24,
20.0% from 25 to 44,
34.1% from 45 to 64, and
26.0% 65 years or older.

The median age is 51 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,271, and the median income for a family was $66,979. Males had a median income of $45,417 compared to $27,361 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,294. About 2.9% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

Before 1752, when Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg visited the Blowing Rock area, the windy cliffs of the area were home to the Cherokee and the Catawba Indian tribes, hostile to each other, and the basis for the story of “The Blowing Rock”. Two star-crossed lovers, one from each tribe, were walking near The Rock when the reddening sky signaled to the brave that he must return to his tribal duty, and the maiden urged him to stay with her. His desperation in choosing between duty and love caused him to leap from the edge of the gorge toward the rocks below, while the maiden beseeched the Great Spirit to bring him back to her. The famous winds of the John’s River Gorge blew her lover back into her arms, and this legend about The Blowing Rock is still told today.

After the mid-eighteenth century, when the Scotch-Irish began to settle close to this area, the passes from southern Virginia into Kentucky attracted many colonists, farmers, hunters, and trappers who continued south to the mountains of North Carolina. The first family to settle in Blowing Rock were the Greenes who were established by the mid-1800’s on a site that would become the Green Park Hotel property. Other early settlers in Blowing Rock included the Hayes, Coffey, Bolick, Estes and Storie families. About this time, summer residents began to come up from Lenoir to enjoy the cool fresh air, magnificent mountain views and the wonders of nature.

As word traveled to other parts of the South about the merits of Blowing Rock, more visitors began to arrive, first camping out, and later taking rooms at boarding houses like the Hayes and Martin Houses on Main Street. When the space to accommodate guests proved too little, many homes turned into hotels, and the Watauga Hotel, built in 1884, added cottages in 1888; the Green Park Hotel opened in 1891 and was followed eight years later by the Blowing Rock Hotel. Walter Alexander touted the clean air and healthy environment of Blowing Rock, as he developed the Mayview area, opening the grand hotel, Mayview Manor in 1922. Times had been tough during the Civil War, when many early settlers sought refuge from the great war between the North and South. Husbands sent their wives and children to the safest place they knew at the time, the mountains, while they left to fight for their beliefs. After the war many men joined the families who sheltered here, and made their permanent homes in the village. Shortly thereafter, on March 11, 1889, Blowing Rock was chartered and incorporated. “Uncle Joe Clarke” became the first mayor of this fledgling little mountain town with a permanent population just over 300 people.

High on the list of issues at a time when financial conditions were at a low ebb, was the tourist economy and meeting visitors’ needs for cleaner, better streets (dirt roads were the norm of the day) and the issue of farmers’ rights and the expense of fencing and feeding animals who had wandered the open range where food was readily available. Debated from 1893 until an ordinance for fencing in livestock was passed in 1896, this issue was reaffirmed in a township vote in 1900 and again in 1901. Blowing Rock’s economy would now be tourist-oriented and hotels, inns, and boarding houses could prosper. Activities and amenities for visitors reached the epitome of the finest offerings in lodging, food and entertainment for guests, and were enjoyed by many summer residents as well. Blowing Rock was becoming a destination community for those who fled from the heat down the mountain and as far away as Florida.

The introduction of the automobile and improved roads shortly after the turn of century further enhanced the journey to the “Crown of the Blue Ridge.” Blowing Rock’s growth encompasses 1500 full time residents and approximately 8000 summer residents. The village offers the best of small town living: cool climate, magnificent views, year-round outdoor activities, a safe environment, beautiful churches, an award winning school and the finest accommodations with superb restaurants and shopping. A major preservation effort has been in place for the past decade to protect the proud historic heritage of the village and maintain the community character that so enhances this little town.

[edit] Miscellaneous

The town has a vibrant economy based in part on tourism. A small, quaint downtown area is characterized by numerous shops of varying types, a pleasant public park, and diverse restaurants. The mountainous terrain provides scenic views with long-range vistas from several locations around town, including the Blowing Rock itself.

Most essential services are available in Blowing Rock, in Boone, North Carolina, approximately eight miles away, or elsewhere in the county.

The town is served by U.S. Highways 221 and 321 as well as the Blue Ridge Parkway. For other transportation facilities, consult Boone, North Carolina and Watauga County, North Carolina.

Author Tom Robbins was born in Blowing Rock in 1936 before moving to Burnsville, NC in 1943. He recounts some early memories of Blowing Rock in Wild Ducks Flying Backwards.