Editing Hayesville, North Carolina (section)

===Late 20th century to present===
Clay County is featuring Cherokee heritage sites as part of its community redevelopment to emphasize its unique character. In addition to the Spikebuck Town Mound, it supports other Cherokee resources in Hayesville: the Quanassee Path, which highlights five Cherokee features on a walking path around Hayesville; the Cherokee Homestead Exhibit, with reconstructions of traditional summer and winter houses and a corn crib; and the Cherokee Botanical Sanctuary. In addition the CCCRA sponsors an annual Cherokee Heritage Festival.<ref name="cccra">{{cite web|url=https://www.cccra-nc.org/projects|title=Cherokee Culture|publisher=Clay County Communities Revitalization Association|date=2019–2021|access-date=January 10, 2021}}</ref>

Clay County's public library started in a small room on the second floor of a building on Hayesville's town square.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Foster |first=E.H. |title=Clay County Heritage North Carolina Vol. II |publisher=The Clay County Heritage Book Committee |year=2017 |location=Hayesville, NC |pages=145}}</ref> At some point it moved to a small room in the county courthouse. In 1940 it became part of the [[Nantahala Regional Library]] system and hired its first librarian, Ellen Scroggs, in 1943.<ref name="Moorebook" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=History of the Nantahala Regional Library |url=http://proofing.youseemore.com/redesigns/nantahala/contentpages.asp?loc=54 |access-date=March 4, 2024 |website=Nantahala Regional Library |place=Murphy, NC}}</ref> A new $80,000 library building opened on Sanderson St. downtown on June 25, 1967.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 29, 1967 |title=Moss Library Dedicated Sunday |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn95072291/1967-06-29/ed-1/seq-4/#words=Clay+County+Library |work=The Cherokee Scout and Clay County Progress |page=4}}</ref> It was named in honor of local-born Dr. Fred A. Moss, who contributed $10,000 towards its construction and donated books.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=June 23, 1966 |title=Clay ready to start library construction; fund raising meeting set for Friday |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn95072291/1966-06-23/ed-1/seq-9/#words=Moss+Memorial+Library |work=The Cherokee Scout and Clay County Progress |page=9}}</ref> Today Moss Memorial Library is the only public library in Clay County.<ref name=":0" />

In the early 1940s [[Chatuge Dam]] was constructed near Hayesville by the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]], creating [[Chatuge Lake]]. It was the tallest earthen dam in the world until the [[Aswan Dam]] was built in [[Egypt]] in 1964.<ref name="Moorebook2">{{cite book |last=Moore |first1=Carl S. |title=Clay County, N.C.: Then and Now |publisher=Genealogy Publishing Service |year=2008 |isbn=978-1881851240 |location=Franklin, N.C.}}</ref> In 2017, the dam was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Register Database and Research - National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/database-research.htm |access-date=March 15, 2024 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:The Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville, North Carolina.jpg|thumb|The Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville]]
Hayesville's annual Festival on the Square began in 1980.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ross |first=Lorrie |date=2024-07-02 |title=Next weekend brings Festival on the Square |url=https://www.claycountyprogress.com/local/next-weekend-brings-festival-square |work=[[Clay County Progress]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Hayesville, NC |page=1A}}</ref> The town's annual Christmas parade began in 1987.<ref>{{cite news |last=Long |first=Becky |date=2023-12-07 |title=Santa's coming to town Saturday |work=Clay County Progress |publisher=Community Newspapers, Inc. |location=Hayesville, NC |page=A1}}</ref> Despite being a small town, in the 1980s Hayesville gained the only community theatre in far-west North Carolina. The Peacock Playhouse was constructed on Church Street by Lillith Lidseen. Born in [[Sweden]] in 1904, Lidseen moved with her parents to [[Chicago]] and studied fine arts at [[Wellesley College]]. After her brother Edwin established a pipe manufacturing business in [[Warne, North Carolina|Warne]], she moved nearby.<ref name=Moorebook /> Nonprofit volunteer organization the Licklog Players (named after the local Licklog Creek) began performing shows at [[Hayesville High School]]'s auditorium in 1978 and Lidseen was asked to direct ''[[Brigadoon]]''. Due to the community's enthusiastic response, she decided that the area needed a professional theatre venue and built a three-story, 250-seat playhouse near downtown. Plans were drawn up in March 1981 and construction began in 1983. The first show performed at the theatre was ''[[The Curious Savage]]'' by the Licklog Players on June 6, 1986. Lidseen died in January 1987 before she was able to see a production in her theatre.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/raleigh/article/Learn-More-About-the-Peacock-Performing-Arts-Center-in-Hayesville-20210620 |title=Learn More About the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville |last=Sposto |first=Caroline |work=Broadway World |publisher=Wisdom Digital Media |date=June 20, 2021 }} Retrieved February 10, 2024.</ref> The Lilith Lidseen Performing Arts Association was formed in 2007. It raised $800,000 to buy the building in 2009 and renovate it. After performing more than 100 plays at the venue, the Licklog Players moved to a strip mall and shut down after their 2014 season. Today the [[Peacock Performing Arts Center]] offers dozens of events per year, ranging from comedies to concerts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Melissa C. |url=https://wncmagazine.com/feature/little_theatre_could |title=The Little Theatre That Could |work=WNC Magazine |location=North Carolina |publisher=Gulfstream Communications |date=August 1, 2011 }}</ref>

In 2003 the [[US 64]] bypass through Hayesville was expanded into a four-lane highway.<ref name=Moorebook/> [[NC 69]] from Hayesville to Georgia was widened to four lanes in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last=Long |first=Becky |url=https://www.claycountyprogress.com/local/highway-69-completion-set-july-24 |title=Highway 69 completion set for July '24 |work=Clay County Progress |location=Hayesville, NC |publisher=Community Newspapers, Inc. |date=November 30, 2023 }} Retrieved February 20, 2024.</ref> The Clay County Recreation Center was built in 2007 in Hayesville and it was expanded in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.recreation.claync.us/about |access-date=April 19, 2024 |website=Clay County Recreation Center & Parks |language=en}}</ref> In 2017, ''[[Reader's Digest]]'' named Hayesville one of the top ten nicest places in America.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chávez |first=Karen |date=2017-06-22 |title=Hayesville a finalist in Reader's Digest 'Nicest Place' contest |url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/sports/outdoors/girls-gone-outdoors/2017/06/22/hayesville-finalist-readers-digest-nicest-place-contest/419585001/ |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=[[Asheville Citizen-Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chamberlin |first=Kaitlyn |date=2022-11-07 |title=Finalist for Nicest Place in America: Hayesville, North Carolina |url=https://www.rd.com/article/hayesville-north-carolina-finalist-nicest-place-in-america/ |archive-url= |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=[[Reader's Digest]]}}</ref>