Editing Burnsville, North Carolina (section)

== History ==
The town was founded on March 6, 1834, from land conveyed by John "Yellow Jacket" Bailey, and it was named after Captain [[Otway Burns]], a naval hero of the [[War of 1812]]. In 1909, a [[statue]] of Captain Burns was given to the town by his grandson, Walter Francis Burns Sr., and it was set on a granite pedestal in the center of the town square. It has an inscription that reads, in part, "He Guarded Well Our Seas, Let Our Mountains Honor Him." Due to damages, the original statue was replaced in the early 2000s.

On April 6, 2010, Burnsville, the only incorporated town within Yancey County, held a referendum providing for the legal sale of alcohol within the town limits. The referendum passed. After applying for and receiving the applicable permits, Burnsville now operates an ABC store; some retail establishments now sell beer and wine; and a few restaurants sell beer, wine, and mixed drinks. [[Graham County, North Carolina|Graham County]] is the last remaining fully dry county in the state of North Carolina.<ref name="alcoholreferendum">{{cite web|url=http://archive.citizen-times.com/article/20100407/NEWS/304070035/Burnsville-voters-approve-alcohol-sales|title=Burnsville voters approve alcohol sales|publisher=Asheville Citizen-Times.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140510074707/http://archive.citizen-times.com/article/20100407/NEWS/304070035/Burnsville-voters-approve-alcohol-sales|archive-date=May 10, 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=May 10, 2014}}</ref>

In September 2024, Burnsville and the surrounding area was heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene and subsequent storm-induced landslides, resulting in devastating property and infrastructure damage to Yancey, Mitchell, and Avery Counties. Officials reported the damages and repairs to the area to be over $50 billion.