Editing Andrews, North Carolina

{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Andrews, North Carolina
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Downtown Andrews, North Carolina, in Cherokee County 04.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Main Street
| image_seal         = Andrews, NC Town Seal.svg
| image_map          = NCMap-doton-Andrews.PNG
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = Location of Andrews, North Carolina
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[North Carolina]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Cherokee County, North Carolina|Cherokee]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = James Reid
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = 1890
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref>{{cite web |title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory |url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 20, 2022 }}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 4.46
| area_land_km2      = 4.46
| area_water_km2     = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi   = 1.72
| area_land_sq_mi    = 1.72
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.00

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 1667
| population_density_km2 = 373.93

<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="gnis" />
| elevation_ft       = 1805
| coordinates        = {{coord|35|11|58|N|83|49|33|W|region:US-NC|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 28901
| area_code          = [[Area code 828|828]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 37-01380<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2405151<ref name="gnis">{{GNIS|2405151}}</ref>
| website            = {{Official URL}}
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 968.62
| established_title1 = Incorporated
| established_date1  = 1905
| named_for          = Col. [[Alexander Boyd Andrews]]
}}
'''Andrews''' is a town in [[Cherokee County, North Carolina|Cherokee County]], [[North Carolina]], United States. The population was 1,667 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3701380 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212185253/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3701380 |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Andrews town, North Carolina |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder |access-date=December 30, 2014 }}</ref>

[[File:A-1. Main Street, Andrews, North Carolina (5755493605).jpg|thumb|Postcard of main street in 1950s]]

==History==
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Valley River was inhabited by [[Muscogee]] people. They constructed [[platform mounds]] in the centers of their towns. At least 14 existed within the limits. By the beginning of the 18th century, the [[Cherokee]] had pushed the Muscogee out and taken over their townsites. Many of the towns retained their original names.

Andrews was the site of two substantial Cherokee sister towns, Tomotla and Konohete. The meaning of Tomotla is lost. Konehete or Gu'nahitun'ya on the other hand, can be translated to mean "Long Place" or "Long Valley."<ref>{{cite web | last=Chesnut | first=Don | title=Eastern Cherokee Place Names | website=Don Chesnut's Homepage | url=http://donchesnut.com/genealogy/pages/cherokeeplace.htm }}</ref> The remains of the Andrews Mound<ref>{{cite journal | last=Steere | first=Benjamin A. | title=Revisiting Platform Mounds and Townhouses in the Cherokee Heartland: A Collaborative Approach | journal=Southeastern Archaeology | volume=34 | issue=3 | date=2015 | issn=0734-578X | doi=10.1179/2168472315Y.0000000001 | pages=196–219 | url = https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/ja/2015/ja_2015_steere_001.pdf}}</ref> survived until 1975, when the land owner bulldozed the structure after it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. All of the other mounds have been destroyed either through farming or malicious land owners.

The area was originally called Jamesville, and then the Whitaker Settlement, in honor of settler James Whittaker. The Old Tatham House at the base of Pisgah Road near Andrews was built in 1833. The two-story log cabin built by Thomas Tatham is the oldest surviving structure in the county.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=2024-09-18 |title=This week in local history |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=7A}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Skirmish at Hanging Dog Creek was one of Civil War's last |url=https://eracmh.blogspot.com/2009/08/skirmish-at-hanging-dog-creek-was-one.html |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=Tales From a Mountain Real Estate Office}}</ref> In 1852, Cherokee County’s first industry, a tannery northeast of what would become Andrews, was established by James Stewart. The town’s first school was a log structure built on Fairview Road in the early 1880s. In the late 1880s, Col. [[Alexander Boyd Andrews]], second vice president of the [[Richmond and Danville Railroad]], bought 50 acres in the area to build a commissary for the railway. Trains began visiting in 1891.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Sarah |date=December 1, 2023 |title=Andrews: the Comeback King |work=Celebrating Our Communities of Cherokee County |publisher=[[Cherokee Scout]] |volume=1}}</ref>

=== The town's establishment ===
[[File:FirstBaptistChurch(Andrews,NorthCarolina).jpg|thumb|Former First Baptist Church]]
In 1905, the town of Andrews was incorporated, with David Samuel Russell appointed as the first mayor. The [[Franklin Pierce Cover House]], [[First Baptist Church (Andrews, North Carolina)|First Baptist Church]], and [[Walker's Inn]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref> On October 27, 1906, the dedication of the Andrews Public School occurred, and its first classes began in August 1907 in the Masonic Lodge.<ref name=":1" /> The building was used until its demolition in the summer of 1961.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Heritage of Cherokee County North Carolina Volume I 1987 |publisher=Hunter Publishing Company |year=1987 |isbn=0-89459-247-5 |editor-last=White |editor-first=Alice Davis |location=Murphy, North Carolina |publication-date=1987 |pages=22–23}}</ref> The first known brick house in the county, the John Tatham House, was north of Andrews. It was destroyed in the early 1900s.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2007 |title=Town of Andrews Design Guidelines |url=https://regiona.org/wp-content/uploads/Town-of-Andrews-Design-Guidelines_9-27-2007.pdf |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=Regiona.org}}</ref>

After [[African-American]]s were forced out of [[Cumming, Georgia]], in 1912, some came to Andrews and started a community called Happytop.<ref>{{cite news |title=Visiting Our Past: Andrews Author Provides Insight into 'Affrilachia' May 2 |last=Neufeld |first=Rob |work=[[Asheville Citizen-Times]] |date=May 2, 2016 }}</ref> A [[Carnegie library]] was built in Andrews in 1914. It was demolished in 1979 to make room for the current Andrews Public Library building.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Scott |first=Ralph Lee |url=http://www.ncl.ecu.edu/index.php/NCL/article/view/3459/3045 |title=North Carolina Libraries |publisher=East Carolina University |year=1981 |pages=26 |chapter=The Carnegie Public Library Movement in North Carolina}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A Short History of the Andrews Carnegie Library |url=https://lib.digitalnc.org/record/107364?viewer=uv#?xywh=-231%2C-1%2C6186%2C3588&cv=6 |website=North Carolina Collections |publisher=DigitalNC.org}}</ref> The Andrews Public Library joined the [[Nantahala Regional Library]] system in 1940.<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>

Andrews was home to the Wilhide brothers, Robert M. and Wilfred W. Wilhide, born between 1920 and 1922. Both were born and raised in Andrews, attended flight school at Cherry Point, North Carolina, and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as pilots during World War II. In the space of several days, after inflicting  severe losses upon the Japanese fleet, both brothers were lost and killed during missions near Okinawa. The Wilhide brothers were given a memorial in the Valleytown cemetery, and a monument at Veterans Memorial Park in Andrews, not far from their childhood home and birthplace.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gobeo |first=Gary |title=Guest Columnist: Brothers Killed Days Apart at Okinawa Remembered |url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/opinion/contributors/2016/06/24/guest-columnist-brothers-killed-days-apart-okinawa-remembered/86333900/ |website=[[Asheville Citizen-Times]] |publisher=[[Gannett]] |date=June 24, 2016 |access-date=April 12, 2022 }}</ref>

In October 1920, the Peavine Railroad was completed between Andrews and [[Hayesville, North Carolina|Hayesville]]. It hauled mainly lumber and was dismantled in 1951. Passenger service between [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], [[Murphy, North Carolina|Murphy]], and Andrews ended in 1948.<ref name=":1" /> In the 1940s, Andrews' town hall was constructed on Main Street; the building was renovated in 1975 and 2015.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=2025-03-19 |title=This Week in Local History |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=5A}}</ref>

=== Late 20th century to present ===
[[File:District_Memorial_Hospital_(Circa_1979).jpg|thumb|District Memorial Hospital on Whitaker Lane was demolished in 2008. Photo c. 1979.]]
The town’s first hospital was located downtown on the corner of Locust and Main Streets, founded by Dr. Van Gorder.<ref name=":1" /> In 1956, a 30-bed non-profit regional hospital named the [[District Memorial Hospital|District Memorial Hospital of Southwestern North Carolina]] was constructed in Andrews at a cost of $375,000 (about $4.3 Million today).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83004710/1954-05-20/ed-1/seq-1/#words=District+Memorial |title=Andrews to Get $345,000 District Hospital Soon |work=The Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, North Carolina |date=May 20, 1954 |page=A1 |access-date=January 18, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date = January 29, 1961 | page = 77 | title = Asheville Citizen-Times at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/201809295/ |access-date=March 21, 2024 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> A complete renovation and expansion was done in 1970, making it a 64-bed facility. Citing uncollected payments, District Memorial declared bankruptcy in 2000, closed in June 2003, and was demolished in late 2008/early 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20000612/PREMIUM/6120308/hospital-briefs |title=Hospital Briefs |work=Modern Healthcare |publisher=Crain Communications |date=June 12, 2000 |access-date=January 18, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=McGoun |first=Bill |url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/opinion/2020/07/25/pondering-plight-rural-hospitals-wnc-one-their-beds-asheville-nc-mission/5502080002/#:~:text=District%20Memorial%20Hospital%20in%20Andrews,in%201997%20to%20form%20WestCare. |title=McGoun: Pondering the Plight of Rural Hospitals in WNC from One of Their Beds |work=Citizen-Times |location=Asheville, North Carolina |publisher=Gannett |date=July 25, 2020 |quote=District Memorial Hospital in Andrews is long gone and its buildings have been razed. |access-date=January 18, 2024 }}</ref> Today the town is served by [[Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital]] {{convert|12|mi|km}} southwest in [[Peachtree, North Carolina|Peachtree]]. In 1963, the [[Western North Carolina Wagon Train]] incorporated its headquarters in Andrews. The wagon train, one of the biggest rallies of horse-and-wagon enthusiasts in the Eastern U.S. and one of the longest-running wagon trains in the nation, runs through Andrews each summer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History and Mission |url=http://www.wncwagontrainnc.com/history-and-mission.html |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Western North Carolina Wagon Train}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=Linda |date=2019-06-25 |title=Western NC Wagon Train |url=https://www.houfy.com/lindagonzalez100/posts/western-nc-wagon-train-13214 |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Houfy}}</ref>
[[File:Baker_Furniture_Factory_(1979).jpg|thumb|The former Baker Furniture factory in 1979. Baker moved out in 2000.]]
[[File:Berkshire-HD Lee-IOI Building.jpg|thumb|The former Berkshire facility that closed in 1977. It was home to the HD Lee Company from 1979 to 2002. Since 2003, it has been home to Industrial Opportunities Inc.]]
Industrial Opportunities, Inc. (IOI) was founded in 1974 to serve Cherokee, [[Clay County, North Carolina|Clay]], and [[Graham County, North Carolina|Graham]] counties. The Andrews nonprofit hires mentally and physically disabled adults to manufacture military, medical, and commercial goods.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 30, 2020 |title=Work Rehab Centers Across WNC Band Together To Make PPE |url=https://www.bpr.org/news/2020-04-30/work-rehab-centers-across-wnc-band-together-to-make-ppe |access-date=March 20, 2024 |website=BPR |language=en}}</ref> IOI opened as a 1,200 square foot factory in Marble, North Carolina, and had operated in Marble until early 2003. IOI Road in Marble is the only piece left of IOI in Marble. The current factory was once home to the [[Lee (brand)|H.D. Lee]] company (now just Lee) that opened in 1979 and had been in Andrews for several years until its closure on January 11, 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apparel Plant Closing Rocks Southern Town |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=87423&page=1 |access-date=March 21, 2024 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> IOI opened its Andrews location on February 28, 2003. It was also home to [[Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates|Berkshire Corporation]] until its closure in 1977. Andrews had two more industries during the late 20th century: Baker Furniture and Owenby Manufacturing. Baker Furniture's Andrews plant opened in 1965 as Andrews Furniture Industries, Inc.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tipper |date=August 3, 2023 |title=Baker Furniture Andrews, NC |url=https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/baker-furniture-andrews-nc/ |access-date=March 21, 2024 |website=Blind Pig and The Acorn |language=en-US}}</ref> The plant also made Magnavox stereos and TV cabinets.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 9, 1965 |title=The Cherokee Scout and Clay County Progress. (Murphy, N.C.) 1961-1980, December 09, 1965, Section B, Image 14 |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn95072291/1965-12-09/ed-1/seq-14/ |issue=1965/12/09 |pages=2}}</ref> The plant closed on July 1, 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Joyner |first=Amy |date=July 12, 1999 |title=BAKER FURNITURE TO CLOSE ANDREWS PLANT |url=https://greensboro.com/baker-furniture-to-close-andrews-plant/article_f62a57aa-ba0f-5ece-97f2-d9b873418848.html |access-date=March 21, 2024 |website=Greensboro News and Record |language=en}}</ref> Owenby Manufacturing opened in 1955, and its closure date is unknown.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jan 29, 1961, page 77 - Asheville Citizen-Times at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/201809295/ |access-date=March 21, 2024 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 1976, the West End Plaza shopping center opened on the west side of town on Main Street.<ref name=":2">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08EyZbL8ohc |title=Welcome to Andrews 1979 |language=en |access-date=April 24, 2024 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> A second shopping center, named the Andrews Town Centre, opened in 1990. A four-lane highway was built between Andrews and Murphy around 1977.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ward |first=Trawick |url=https://www.rla.unc.edu/Publications/pdf/misc/Andrews.pdf |title=An Archaeological Survey of the New U.S. 19-129 Route Between Andrews and Murphy in Cherokee Co. |date=April 1977 |publisher=The Research Laboratories of Anthropology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill}}</ref> This new highway was opened in 1979, with its previous alignment through town becoming US 19 Business. A 10-mile, 12-inch water line was built to connect Andrews and Murphy's water systems in 1999. The interconnect agreement expired in 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |date=2024-10-30 |title=Andrews seeking water with Murphy |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |pages=1A, 8A}}</ref> Andrews did not charge churches for city water until 1999.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |title=This week in local history |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local/week-local-history-104 |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=2A}}</ref> Andrews' city limits expanded in June 2000.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=2024-12-04 |title=This Week in Local History |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=9A}}</ref> The town's annual Spring Fling celebration got its start in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Andrews Spring Fling |url=https://www.visitandrewsnc.com/spring-fling/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=Andrews Chamber of Commerce}}</ref> In 2018-2019, the town hosted the last [[The Possum Drop|Possum Drop]] in North Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elassar |first=Alaa |date=December 31, 2019 |title=North Carolina town ends New Year's Eve Possum Drop tradition |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/31/us/north-carolina-opossum-drop-ends-trnd/index.html |access-date=April 28, 2024 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Andrews' weekly farmers market began in 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wright |first=Nicole |date=2025-04-30 |title=Andrews Farmers Market starts 2nd season |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=9A}}</ref> In late 2024, Andrews' leaders unanimously repealed a law that banned weapons on town property, including the pool, library, and police department.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |date=2024-12-18 |title=Andrews OKs weapons in facilities |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=3A}}</ref> Town leaders in 2025 approved a "social district" allowing the open carry of alcoholic beverages in certain parts of the downtown area.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |date=2025-04-30 |title=Andrews board OKs social district |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=9A}}</ref>

===Mayoral history===
# David Samuel Russell (1905–c.1928)
# J.H. Christy (1929–)
# D.S. Russell (1931–)
# D.H. Tillitt (c.1939)
# R.T. Heaton (c.1943)
# Percy B. Ferebee (c.1961–1966)
# Ty Burnette (1971–1986)
# Mitch Rhinehardt (2001–2004)
#Johnny Brown (2005–2013)
# Nancy Curtis (2013–2017)
# James Reid (2017–present)<ref>{{cite news |last=Brown |first=David |title=This Week in Local History |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, North Carolina |publisher=Community Newspapers |date=November 8, 2023 }}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Andrews,_North_Carolina,_town_sign_in_Cherokee_County_02.jpg|thumb|Town sign on [[U.S. Route 129]]]]
Andrews is located in northeastern Cherokee County on the south side of the [[Valley River]], a southwestward-flowing tributary of the [[Hiwassee River]] and part of the [[Tennessee River]] watershed.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 19 in North Carolina|19]], [[U.S. Route 74 in North Carolina|74]], and [[U.S. Route 129]] form a four-lane bypass around the northern edge of the town; the highways lead northeast {{convert|8|mi|0}} to [[Topton, North Carolina|Topton]], where they diverge, and southwest {{convert|15|mi}} to [[Murphy, North Carolina|Murphy]], the [[county seat]]. [[Bryson City, North Carolina|Bryson City]] is {{convert|32|mi}} northeast via US 19/74, and [[Robbinsville, North Carolina|Robbinsville]] is {{convert|20|mi}} north via US 129.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Andrews has a total area of {{convert|4.2|km2|disp=flip}}, all  land.<ref name="Census 2010" />

Valleytown Township dominates the eastern part of Cherokee County. The area is bordered by [[Graham County, North Carolina|Graham County]] to the north, [[Clay County, North Carolina|Clay County]] to the south, and [[Macon County, North Carolina|Macon County]] to the east. Within the township are the towns of [[Marble, North Carolina|Marble]] in the west, Andrews at the center, and Topton in the far east at the Macon and Graham county lines.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

===Climate===
{{Weather box
| single line = Y
| location    = Andrews, North Carolina, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1909&ndash;2008

|Jan record high F = 78
|Feb record high F = 81
|Mar record high F = 86
|Apr record high F = 90
|May record high F = 96
|Jun record high F = 100
|Jul record high F = 100
|Aug record high F = 98
|Sep record high F = 98
|Oct record high F = 94
|Nov record high F = 88
|Dec record high F = 76

<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F  =50.0
| Feb high F  =54.4
| Mar high F  =61.9
| Apr high F  =69.7
| May high F  =77.3
| Jun high F  =83.7
| Jul high F  =86.2
| Aug high F  =86.0
| Sep high F  =81.6
| Oct high F  =72.4
| Nov high F  =61.2
| Dec high F  =53.4
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean F  =38.4
| Feb mean F  =41.5
| Mar mean F  =48.3
| Apr mean F  =55.6
| May mean F  =63.9
| Jun mean F  =71.1
| Jul mean F  =74.3
| Aug mean F  =73.4
| Sep mean F  =68.6
| Oct mean F  =57.9
| Nov mean F  =47.3
| Dec mean F  =41.3
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F  =26.7
| Feb low F  =28.6
| Mar low F  =34.8
| Apr low F  =41.6
| May low F  =50.6
| Jun low F  =58.5
| Jul low F  =62.4
| Aug low F  =60.8
| Sep low F  =55.7
| Oct low F  =43.4
| Nov low F  =33.5
| Dec low F  =29.1

|Jan record low F = -19
|Feb record low F = -11
|Mar record low F = -4
|Apr record low F = 15
|May record low F = 23
|Jun record low F = 33
|Jul record low F = 42
|Aug record low F = 41
|Sep record low F = 26
|Oct record low F = 16
|Nov record low F = 0
|Dec record low F = -4

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 5.79
|Feb precipitation inch = 5.87
|Mar precipitation inch = 5.42
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.67
|May precipitation inch = 5.51
|Jun precipitation inch = 5.57
|Jul precipitation inch = 5.02
|Aug precipitation inch = 5.46
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.85
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.47
|Nov precipitation inch = 5.40
|Dec precipitation inch = 6.08
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 9.9
|Feb precipitation days = 9.6
|Mar precipitation days = 11.2
|Apr precipitation days = 9.7
|May precipitation days = 10.9
|Jun precipitation days = 11.5
|Jul precipitation days = 11.9
|Aug precipitation days = 11.2
|Sep precipitation days = 8.3
|Oct precipitation days = 7.5
|Nov precipitation days = 9.9
|Dec precipitation days = 10.8

|source 1 = NOAA (precip/precip days 1981–2010)<ref>
{{cite web
|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00310184&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title=U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Andrews, NC (1991–2020)
|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date=May 11, 2023
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly&stations=USC00310184&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title=U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Andrews, NC (1981–2010)
|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date=May 11, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = XMACIS2<ref>{{cite web |url=https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/ |title=xmACIS2 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=May 11, 2023 }}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1910 = 936
| 1920 = 1634
| 1930 = 1748
| 1940 = 1520
| 1950 = 1397
| 1960 = 1404
| 1970 = 1384
| 1980 = 1621
| 1990 = 2551
| 2000 = 1602
| 2010 = 1781
| 2020 = 1667
| estyear = 2022
| estimate = 1690
| estref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-37.xlsx |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in North Carolina: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=April 19, 2024}}</ref>
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |website=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2015 }}</ref>
}}Andrews' homeless population was 12 as of 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |date=2025-02-26 |title=Homeless county shows a slight decline in last year |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=9A}}</ref>

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|+ Andrews racial composition<ref>{{cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3701380&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=December 19, 2021 |website=data.census.gov }}</ref>
|-
! scope="col"| Race
! scope="col"| Number
! scope="col"| Percentage
|-
| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,388
| 83.26%
|-
| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 21
| 1.26%
|-
| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 25
| 1.5%
|-
| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 94
| 5.64%
|-
| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 139
| 8.34%
|}

As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,667 people, 714 households, and 400 families residing in the town.

===2010 census===
In the 2010 census, the total population was 1,781 people residing in 780 households including 452 family units. The [[population density]] was 1,090 people per square mile.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US3701380 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 (DP-1): Andrews town, North Carolina |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder |access-date=December 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141230184227/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US3701380 |archive-date=December 30, 2014 }}</ref>

==Transportation==
The [[Western Carolina Regional Airport]] is a county-owned public-use [[airport]] located {{convert|2|mi|km}} west of the [[central business district]] of Andrews.<ref name="FAA">{{FAA-airport|ID=RHP|use=PU|own=PU|site=16506.*A}}. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective July 29, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cherokeecounty-nc.gov/departments/airport/ |title=Andrews-Murphy Airport |publisher=Cherokee County |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928011542/http://www.cherokeecounty-nc.gov/departments/airport/ |archive-date=September 28, 2007 }}</ref>

Andrews was served by railroad from 1891 until the 1980s when [[Norfolk Southern]] decided to close the [[Murphy Branch]] west of [[Sylva, North Carolina]], because of declining freight traffic. The [[Great Smoky Mountains Railroad]] operated passenger excursions from [[Dillsboro, North Carolina]] to Andrews from 1988 until 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gsmr.com/spexcurs.htm |title=Special Excursions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010126170100/http://gsmr.com/spexcurs.htm |publisher=Great Smoky Mountains Railroad |date=2001 |archive-date=January 26, 2001 |access-date=November 13, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gsmr.com/faq.asp |title=Frequently Asked Questions |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021216024018fw_/http://www.gsmr.com/faq.asp |publisher=Great Smoky Mountains Railroad |date=2002 |archive-date=December 16, 2002 |access-date=November 13, 2023 }}</ref>

==Law enforcement==
[[File:The_Andrews_Police_Department_in_Andrews,_North_Carolina_and_Cherokee_County.jpg|thumb|Andrews' police department was the town hall until 2023]]
The Andrews Police Department occupies a 1940s stone building that was also the town hall until the city administration moved to a building on West End Plaza in 2023.

In March 2014, four officers resigned in protest after an uncertified administrative police chief was hired.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=2024-05-08 |title=This Week in Local History |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local/week-local-history-112 |access-date=2024-05-09 |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=6A}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=April 10, 2024 |title=This Week in Local History |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local/week-local-history-108 |access-date=April 12, 2024 |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=8A}}</ref> The town's police department again faced turmoil in the early 2020s, according to the ''Cherokee Scout'' newspaper, as it went through eight police chiefs in six years and the town became known as a "chief killer."<ref>{{cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/officer-settling-hometown-police-chief |title=Officer settling in as hometown police chief |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, North Carolina |publisher=Community Newspapers |date=December 29, 2023 |page=A1 |access-date=January 3, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/andrews-hires-new-police-chief-0 |title=Andrews hires new police chief |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, North Carolina |publisher=Community Newspapers |date=October 17, 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=April 10, 2024 |title=Good times here in Andrews |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/opinion/good-times-here-andrews?check_logged_in=1 |access-date=April 12, 2024 |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC}}</ref> In 2020, the police chief resigned after the mayor ordered him to establish checkpoints and harass visitors to prevent [[COVID-19]] from entering Andrews.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ray |first=Penny |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-news/andrews-police-chief-resigns |title=Andrews police chief resigns |newspaper=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, North Carolina |publisher=Community Newspapers |date=July 16, 2020 |access-date=January 3, 2024 }}</ref> In 2021, an officer wrecked a patrol car at a high speed downtown. Afterwards, officers contemplated disabling their automatic vehicle locators so they couldn't be tracked.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ray |first=Penny |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-news-newsletter/entire-town-police-force-suspended?check_logged_in=1 |title=Entire town police force suspended |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, North Carolina |publisher=Community Newspapers |date=April 20, 2021 |access-date=January 3, 2024 }}</ref> That same year the city's entire police force was suspended after officers reportedly moved cameras facing locations like the station's evidence room.<ref>{{cite news |last=Knoepp |first=Lilly |url=https://www.bpr.org/news/2021-04-26/entire-andrews-police-force-suspended-placed-on-paid-leave |title=Entire Andrews Police Force Suspended, Placed On Paid Leave |work=Blue Ridge Public Radio |date=April 26, 2021 |access-date=January 3, 2024 }}</ref> In May 2023, the assistant chief was wounded after he was accidentally shot with an AR-15 style rifle.<ref>{{cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local/asst-chief-wounded-when-rifle-goes-outside-andrews-pd |title=Ass't. chief wounded when rifle goes off outside Andrews PD |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, North Carolina |publisher=Community Newspapers |date=May 26, 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2024 }}</ref> In June 2023, a female officer who allegedly stalked a 16-year-old Andrews High School student she dated was ordered to stay away from the girl.<ref>{{cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/police-officer-accused-stalking-teen |title=Police officer accused of stalking teen |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, North Carolina |publisher=Community Newspapers |date=June 27, 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2024 }}</ref> In September 2023, the police chief was suspended after he was charged with obtaining property under false pretenses and obstruction of justice. He died before arrest.<ref>{{cite news |last=Emert |first=Jennifer |url=https://wlos.com/news/local/new-police-chief-appointed-in-andrews-following-former-chiefs-death-and-legal-controversy |title=New police chief appointed in Andrews following former chief's death and legal controversy |work=WLOS |location=Asheville, North Carolina |publisher=ABC 13 News |date=October 11, 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2024 }}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Andrews_Elementary_School_in_Andrews,_North_Carolina,_and_Cherokee_County_04.jpg|thumb|Andrews Elementary School]]
The town of Andrews has three schools. Andrews Elementary, Andrews Middle, and [[Andrews High School (North Carolina)|Andrews High School]] are part of the [[Cherokee County Schools (North Carolina)|Cherokee County School System]].

Until the early 1960s, all Andrews schools were located next to each other on the property of the current elementary school. A 1935 topographic map of Andrews shows each school building, marked with a flag, located adjacent to each other on Walnut Street (now Jean Christy Avenue) and Fourth Street.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Aerials: Viewer |url=https://historicaerials.com/viewer |access-date=April 12, 2024 |website=historicaerials.com}}</ref> The current high school and current elementary school appears first in the 1975 map. Between 1935 and 1975, the school zone has dramatically changed.
[[File:Andrews_Elementary_School_(Circa_1979).jpg|thumb|Andrews Elementary School in 1979. At the time this photo was taken, AES operated as a Pre-K through Grade 6 school and had just had its first expansion 4 years earlier.]]
[[File:Gym Addition Plaque.jpg|thumb|Andrews Elementary had its second expansion in 2003.]]
Andrews Elementary (AES) is a Pre-K thru Grade 5 school. The current school building was constructed in 1951 as the Andrews Primary School.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1952-08-21 |title=Cherokee scout. (Murphy, N.C.) 188?-1961, August 21, 1952, Image 1 |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83004710/1952-08-21/ed-1/seq-1/ |issue=1952/08/21 |issn=0746-3987}}</ref> The building has had two expansions. In 1975, new classrooms, a cafeteria, a school library, and a separate building (for Pre-K) were added. This first expansion happened after the Andrews Grammar School, which was located just to the right of the small primary school building, was burned. After 1975, the school was Andrews Elementary. The school's second and most recent expansion occurred in 2003, with the addition of a gymnasium connected to the building on the west side of the building. The old rock gym built in 1934 east of the school closed in May 1999 due to safety concerns and was demolished that December.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=2024-12-18 |title=This Week in Local History |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=9A}}</ref> With this expansion, Jean Christy Avenue was cut off and is now only a loop in the front of the school, and a road leading up to a turn onto Fourth Street behind the school.

Andrews High School (AHS) is a 9 thru 12 school built in 1963, after a fire burned down the second campus built in 1914. It was incorporated by the [[North Carolina General Assembly]] in 1893. The school most likely opened in 1890, after the establishment of the town's name. From 1963 to 1999, Andrews High held students of Junior and Senior High.

In 1998, a new campus built between Wakefield Road and US-19 Business was constructed. The 25-acres of land that this campus was built on was donated by the [[Lee (brand)|H.D. Lee]] factory (now the Industrial Opportunities, Inc. factory) west of the site. This site was the home of the new, $4.89 million Andrews Middle School, established and opened on August 9, 1999.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=2024-08-14 |title=This Week in Local History |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=9A}}</ref> Junior High was turned to Middle School, and AES and AHS operated as a Pk–5 and a 9–12 school.

Andrews Elementary, Junior, and Senior High School were part of the Andrews City School District. Each city school district (Andrews and Murphy) had their own board of education and superintendent. Each district was in charge of many purchases for their schools, such as school transportation. Andrews was the first in Cherokee County to receive a school bus in 1926 and the first to receive an activity bus in 1951. The individual districts merged with Cherokee County Schools in 1969.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=March 27, 1969 |title=The Cherokee scout and Clay County progress. (Murphy, N.C.) 1961-1980, March 27, 1969, Image 1 |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn95072291/1969-03-27/ed-1/seq-1/ |issue=1969/03/27}}</ref>

=== Andrews City Schools Superintendents ===

# Isham Barney Hudson (1935–1951)
# Charles O. Frazier (c.1962–1969)

After the merger of Andrews and Murphy's districts in 1969, Cherokee County's superintendent was John Jordan.

==Media==
Andrews was served by the weekly ''[[Andrews Journal]]'' newspaper from 1959 until January 1, 2019, when it merged with the ''[[Cherokee Scout]]'' in Murphy. Andrews no longer has a newspaper of its own.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/sn95072286/ |title=The Andrews Journal (Andrews, N.C.) 1959-Current |work=Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries |publisher=Library of Congress }}</ref> After the town's newspaper closed, Mayor James Reid began offering a quarterly e-newsletter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.andrewsnc.org/join-the-andrews-memo/ |title=The Andrews Memo |last=Reid |first=James |work=AndrewsNC.org |publisher=Town of Andrews. Retrieved February 8, 2024. }}</ref>

==Notable people==
<!-- Only add people notable enough to have their own article per [[WP:N]]. Alphabetize by last name. -->
* Rick Blaylock – ''[[Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)]]'' songwriter<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=March 13, 2024 |title=This week in local history |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/week-local-history-0 |access-date=March 15, 2024 |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=8A}}</ref>
* [[Dave Bristol]] – Major League Baseball manager<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncshof.org/2012/03/09/dave-bristol/ |title=Dave Bristol at North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215125602/http://www.ncshof.org/2012/03/09/dave-bristol/ |archive-date=December 15, 2013 |access-date=June 23, 2021 }}</ref>
* [[Charles Frazier]] – National Book Award-winning author, grew up in Andrews<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ourstate.com/charles-frazier/ |title=Our State Magazine Charles Frazier Profile |website=OurState.com |date=August 31, 2012 |access-date=March 21, 2023 }}</ref>
* Dr. Dan Lunsford – [[Mars Hill University]] president from 2002 to 2018<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=2024-07-10 |title=This Week in Local History |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |page=6A}}</ref>
* Jeffrey Postell - Law Enforcement Officer and Politician known for arresting [[Eric Rudolph]]<ref>https://michaelbanks360.com/2020/04/28/meet-the-man-who-handcuffed-the-olympic-park-bomber/</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Andrews (North Carolina)|Andrews}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Cherokee County, North Carolina}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1837 establishments in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1837]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Valley River]]
[[Category:Towns in Cherokee County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Towns in North Carolina]]