Town of Huntersville: A Brief History From Local Commerce, Farming and the Mill Village to Booming Suburb: A Tale of Annexation, Infrastructure and growth of the Greater Charlotte Region.
Early Settlers Connected to Local Churches Most of Huntersville s early communities (farm land) developed around churches Ramah Presbyterian Church Caldwell Station (Mayes Rd.) Rail stop Gilead Community (ARP church) Hopewell Presbyterian (Beatties Ford Rd.) St Marks Episcopal (Mt Holly/Huntersville) Catawba Presbyterian the original site is under Lake Norman near where Southlake Academy is today (it now resides off McCoy Rd. and its cemetery remains off Brown Mill Road)
Huntersville from a Postal Perspective Huntersville covered everything East of the Catawba River into Cabarrus County It stretched South from Cornelius s 1900 s town limit to Harris Blvd/I-85 Town went south along Beatties Ford Rd. past Long Creek to Sunset Road. As far east to include Mallard Creek, including all of Eastfield Road.
Huntersville through the 1900s Town renamed to Huntersville from Craighead (local minister) for prominent Hunter family Town was 1 square mile (railroad at its center) Main Street stores, bank, laundromat Town limit was just west of Dallas St. (across from Huntersville Elementary School) Early housing (pre-1950) were custom built by local men (farmers, carpenters, bricklayers, etc.) Most paid cash or got loans from the Bank of Cornelius, which had a branch in downtown Huntersville
A Look Back at Downtown Huntersville Cross Chevrolet (Town Center) Bus stop (where Fire Station is today) Auten Ford (NC115/Mt Holly-Huntersville) General Store on Maxwell/Huntersville-Concord Rd. (burned to the ground) Banks 2 Grocery Stores
A Look Back at Downtown Huntersville Doctor Craven s Office and Pharmacy (Lupie s) Neil s Drug Store (where Lupie s is today) Lane Clothing Store (same block as Lupie s, lived where Cafe 100 is today) A 2 nd doctor located on Gilead (west of DPK)
The Early Economy After WWI, Duke Power and Bellsouth were the prominent employers. After WWII, nearly all families had at least one family member working in Charlotte Duke Power, Bellsouth, at one of the banks, in general office work, at the hosiery mills or teaching.
Area Jobs Former Anchor Mill site, east of railroad Most people who worked in the mill lived around the mill Other Huntersville families lived and worked on farms, in community commerce (retail/commercial) jobs or in Charlotte. Prison Camp and Highway Maintenance yard was located on Mt Holly-Huntersville Road behind where the Park is today and owned by NCDOT (helped get state and county roads cleaned regularly, though there weren t many at the time.)
The Early Economy Some families moved to Huntersville for their children to go to Grey s Academy (where HES is today)
1950s Development Town s first subdivision: Greenfield Lower Greenfield divided and sold to individuals Upper Greenfield Dallas and Hillcrest Streets, laid out like a subdivision Developed under Town s first planning / zoning ordinance to control type of development in area Town expanded to strip shopping center where Captains Galley is today voluntary annexation in late 50s. Town s first involuntary annexation came many years later land along Sam Furr Road (including Cambridge Grove and Greenfarm to NC73/Catawba Ave near the Breckenridge area
A Snapshot from the 1950 s Huntersville, 13 miles north of Charlotte on the Statesville highway, No. 21, is currently in the spotlight as perhaps the only municipality in the United States whose every foot of streets is paved. The Town has been referred to by speakers and in written notices as the municipality in North Carolina having the largest percentage of college trained citizens. Huntersville was also one of the first communities in rural Mecklenburg to obtain modern facilities, including electricity and water. The town has an excellent financial rating with a low indebtedness and ample revenue to handle its obligations. The current tax rate is $1.
Western Huntersville West side (of NC-115) developed first Primarily because of water from the lake Intake on Lake Norman 1 st water treatment plant was where Regency Village is today. Huntersville supplied water to developers along NC73 and Lake Norman for development outside Huntersville Town limits.
Water and Sewer Feeds Growth In 1979, hooked into McDowell Creek regional wastewater system Anything west of the railroad was gravity-fed Ramah Church to Huntersville-Concord (East Huntersville) had sewer to the Huntersville water treatment plant out Gibson Park Drive (Vermillion) to Clark Creek. CMU converted it from a treatment plant to a lift station and pumps it across the railroad out to the treatment plant off Neck Rd. (where it is today). 75% of cost paid by the Federal government and 12.5% each by the State and Mecklenburg County. Some areas developed with Septic such as Westminster Park (off MH-H at Town s southern edge)
Residential Development in the 1980s Shepherd s Vineyard Town s second subdivision (just north of the downtown area, off NC-115) Developed in the 1980s Breckenridge Proposed at the same time (off NC73 David Kenney Farm Rd./Birkdale Area)
Huntersville Business Park Sparks Growth Now known as The Park Huntersville Created in the 80 s by NCNB (now Bank of America) land off Gilead Road was not in town limits at the time. First tenant was an Ace Hardware distribution center large building on south area of Reese Blvd. Old rock quarry backs up to Park (off MH-H) Created need for housing for managers and executives
W/S Spurs Residential Growth Cedarfield, Wynfield Creek and Wynfield Forest were built in the late 80 s to mid 90 s. MacAulay was built in the early 2000 s. On NC73, Greenfarm was the first, followed by Cambridge Grove and the Hamptons as W/S expanded No sewer to the east of Vermillion and Centennial, limiting further development Ramah Creek important as it will provide water/sewer along the rail road for future economic development, which is why there s a creek overflow in Northstone
Residential Development in the 1990s Group of area business people saw need for housing Greenfarm had already been built at this point. Land was bought for Wynfield and Cedarfield in the late 80s / early 90s Power neighborhoods of the 1990s Annexed into town through the 90s, large part of exponential growth
Schools North Mecklenburg opened in 1951, first class graduated in 1953 Served Long Creek, Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville and Derita District went beyond North Tryon St. because Garinger hadn t been built yet. Torrence-Lytle School Known as the Huntersville Colored School until 1952-53) Built in 1937, closed in 1966 Students integrated into North Meck HS in 1965 Hopewell High School opened in 2001
Schools J.M. Alexander Junior High built in the 1960s Later Bradley Middle opened on the west side Huntersville Elementary School Former home of Huntersville High School and Huntersville Academy Ag buildings still standing at HES and Long Creek. Elementary Schools developed as population grew Blythe Elementary Torrence Creek and Barnette Elementary Schools opened in past 10 years Other options also opened as Lake Norman Charter (now grades 5-12) began in 1998-1999.
Highways / Interstate NC 115 used to be US 21, was moved in the late 1950s to where US21 is now. When ROW for 21 was purchased, landowners were told it was also for I-77 Two 150 year old homesteads were taken for 21/77 (poor historic preservation) 1975: I-77 completed from Charlotte to Elkin Rail line didn t transport residents from Huntersville/North Mecklenburg after WWII, though it continued carrying freight. 2 Exits fuel access and growth
Exit 25 1993 Aerial (Exit opened in 1994)
Exit 25 2007 Aerial
The Lake Duke Power finished the Cowans Ford Dam on the Catawba River, officially creating Lake Norman in 1963. The largest manmade body of fresh water in North Carolina 1963 520 miles of shoreline. Lake named for Duke Power president Norman Cocke. Big impact on growth of area, however through the 1980s, many people only had weekend/vacation homes on the lake. It wasn t until the 90s/2000s that development intensified. It also wasn t always socially acceptable for many of the execs that call LKN home today to live north of I-85.
Early Public Safety Police from 1 to nearly 80+ today Volunteer Fire Departments settled around communities (Huntersville, Gilead, Long Creek, etc.) Huntersville Fire Dept attribute a lot to Chief Allen Irvin and Assistant Chief Dwight Cross, Jr. the staff from Cross Chevrolet would answer calls during the day (Chief John Albert Rape, killed in the line of duty Jan. 1, 1938.)
Early Public Safety The North Mecklenburg Volunteer Rescue Squad was founded in 1959 in the town of Huntersville, North Carolina. The squad was established and staffed by members of the northern Mecklenburg County communities in order to provide ambulance and rescue services to northern Mecklenburg County including the communities of Cornelius, Davidson, Gilead, Long Creek, and Huntersville. (training exercise from 1960s)
Other Historical Sites of Note Historic Latta Plantation Rural Hill Hugh Torrance House and Store EnergyExplorium at McGuire Nuclear Station Hopewell Presbyterian Church Beatties Ford Road Corridor Torrence-Lytle School