Editing Jonesville, North Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Jonesville, North Carolina
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Jonesville NC townhall.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Jonesville townhall
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = NCMap-doton-Jonesville.PNG
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location of Jonesville, 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        = [[Yadkin County, North Carolina|Yadkin]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref  = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{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|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 7.51
|area_land_km2            = 7.47
|area_water_km2           = 0.04
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.90
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.88
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 2308
|population_density_km2   = 308.91
|population_density_sq_mi = 800.00

<!-- 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             = 899
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|14|01|N|80|50|07|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 28642
|area_code                = [[Area code 336|336]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 37-34840<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2405923<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405923}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 2025
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 2338
}}
'''Jonesville''', originally called Allen's Settlement, founded in 1811 under the name of Martinsborough, is the oldest town in [[Yadkin County, North Carolina|Yadkin County]], [[North Carolina]], United States. The population was 2,308 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. The town grew by nearly 800 residents in 2001 when it merged with neighboring [[Arlington, North Carolina|Arlington]]. Recognized as the Heart of the Yadkin Valley, Jonesville is a gateway to the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]], the Yadkin Valley Heritage/Cultural Corridor and to local wineries in the [[Swan Creek AVA]] and the larger [[Yadkin Valley AVA]], as well as offering access to the [[Yadkin River]].

==Overview==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2023}}
The town, situated on the south bank of the Yadkin River, lies beneath Daniel Boone's hunting trails through the Brushy Mountains, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Visitors are served by a state-of-the-art Welcome Center. With retail and specialty shops/services in the immediate area, Jonesville offers an expanding antique mall at exit 83. Within five miles are regional sky diving facilities, an international motorcycle manufacturing plant, a restoration center for vintage cars, a popular herb farm, a History Center and historic park, a medieval reenactment center and a horse ranch specializing in riding lessons and mustang rehabilitation.

Seven local hotels, multiple fast food and conventional restaurants and gas stations are located near I-77 exits (83 and 79). Jonesville offers convenient access to athletic, college, cultural and recreational resources in larger Piedmont cities such as Winston-Salem, Statesville and Charlotte.

A military out-post during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, Jonesville is not a typical "Interstate town." Currently working to preserve its history, it is home to an historic Bicentennial Park (Mineral Springs Park) featuring a Tri-County Veterans' Memorial with 3,000+ names of those who have served our nation since pre-Revolutionary War conflicts. The Mineral Springs Park, located along the Yadkin River, was once a respite where multiple wilderness trails converged, approximating highways 67 and 21 through Yadkin County. A recreational park (Swaim Park) with playgrounds, ball fields, tennis courts, walking trails, picnic areas and bandstand adjoin a Senior Center and a Medical Center.

A GreenWay along the Yadkin River is under development. Future plans include reconstructing a functional ferry that operated during the Civil War and establishing a walking trail along the historic woodland routes that converged in historic Mineral Springs Park.

The [[Yadkin River]] divides Jonesville and [[Elkin, North Carolina|Elkin]]. The area is referred to as the Tri-County (Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin) Region and is located in the [[Yadkin Valley AVA]], an [[American Viticultural Area]]. [[Wine]]s made from [[grape]]s grown in the Yadkin Valley AVA may use the [[appellation]] Yadkin Valley on their labels. At least a dozen [[winery|wineries]] are located within {{convert|15|mi|km}} of the town.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|1.9|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2}} (1.05%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 220
|1910= 621
|1920= 787
|1930= 1306
|1940= 1733
|1950= 1768
|1960= 1895
|1970= 1659
|1980= 1752
|1990= 1549
|2000= 1464
|2010= 2285
|2020= 2308
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Jonesville racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3734840&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-20|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 1,688
| 73.14%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 199
| 8.62%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 5
| 0.22%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 22
| 0.95%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 146
| 6.33%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 248
| 10.75%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 2,308 people, 1,068 households, and 676 families residing in the town.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,464 people, 668 households, and 416 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|780.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 752 housing units at an average density of {{convert|401.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 80.60% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 16.26% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.07% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.20% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.57% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.30% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 4.51% of the population.

There were 668 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,543, and the median income for a family was $31,400. Males had a median income of $26,200 versus $20,242 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $16,528. About 14.7% of families and 17.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 22.8% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over. These numbers were as of 2000, and are not current day.

The town grew by about 800 residents after it merged with neighboring town [[Arlington, North Carolina|Arlington]] in 2001. The new town has a population of about 2,308.

==Transportation==

===Highways===
[[Interstate 77 in North Carolina|Interstate 77]] runs through the east of town. The town is accessible via two interstate exits:  [[North Carolina Highway 67]]/Winston Road and Business [[U.S. Route 21 in North Carolina|U.S. Route 21]] in the Arlington area. N.C. 67 is a heavily used artery, linking Jonesville with [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina|Winston-Salem]].

Until recently, two [[bridge]]s linked the commercial districts of Jonesville and Elkin, the [[Hugh G. Chatham]] Bridge and the newer [[Gwen McNeill]] Bridge, less than a mile upstream on Business U.S. 21. The Chatham Bridge, built in 1931 and regarded by many in the area as a community symbol with its tall steel beams, was closed in November 2005 after it failed a state inspection.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128768986728 |title=Winston-Salem Journal &#124; Worn and torn: 'The long bridge' built in 1931 |website=www.journalnow.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930180902/http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128768986728 |archive-date=30 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[North Carolina Department of Transportation]] does not plan to reopen or replace the bridge. Neither city would take the risk of insuring the bridge so it could be saved as a historic landmark.

===Airports===
Swan Creek Airport, which is privately owned, is southwest of town and is the home of the Carolina Sky Diving School. [[Elkin Municipal Airport]] is located in nearby Elkin. 
Commercial flights are available through [[Piedmont Triad International Airport]] in [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]] and [[Charlotte/Douglas International Airport|Charlotte Douglas International Airport]].

==History==

===Early history===
Jonesville is Yadkin County's oldest town and was at one time the largest town west of Raleigh, according to ''An Illustrated History of Yadkin County 1950-1980,'' by [[William E. Rutledge Jr.]] Initially called Allen's Settlement, after the owner of an early iron ore forge, the settlement was established behind a towering, protective bluff above the south bank of the Yadkin River. It soon became a commercial hub for the region, featuring a trading post, a tannery, medical personnel, a school, grist and lumber mills, a cotton mill and a garrison overlooking the Yadkin Valley that served as an outpost for local militia during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Although a contemporary designation aligns the overmountain trail-head in an adjoining Surry County community, Allen's Settlement—formerly located in Surry County—is now recognized as part of the OverMountain Trail. Based on family journals and oral history, Allen's Settlement and historic Mineral Springs Park are identified as a mustering site for patriots who marched to defeat the British at Kings Mountain.

Allen's Settlement was incorporated as Martinsborough in 1811, but the name was later changed to Jonesville in honor of Hardy Jones (1747–1819). Jones fought in the [[American Revolution]] and was instrumental in bringing the Jonesville Male and Female Academy to Jonesville. A marker to Hardy Jones is on the lawn of Jonesville [[United Methodist Church]].

In addition to the timber and iron ore markets, the town also grew around the Jonesville Male and Female Academy, according to Rutledge. The Academy was affiliated with the North Carolina Conference of the [[Methodist Church]]. The Rev. William L. Van Eaton, who was born in [[Davie County, North Carolina|Davie County]], was principal of the school at its peak in 1859. In its history, the Academy attracted numerous scholars of the era, including Bishop Francis Asbury and Brantley York, subsequent founder of Trinity-Union Institute, which was later named [[Duke University]].

On April 1, 1865, troops commanded by Union Brigadier General George Stoneman and Colonel Alvan C. Gillem devastated the town and the Academy in their search for Confederate soldiers and supplies. In the Academy, they broke chandeliers and destroyed school equipment.<ref>''The Civil War and Yadkin County, North Carolina'', by Frances H. Casstevens, Page 98</ref> This marked the end of the school.

Gillem's troops, known as "home Yankees," also ransacked businesses and chased away teachers and military-aged men. Union troops had been told the town was a haven for Confederate spies and military supplies. They failed to find evidence of an [[Underground Railroad]] for escaping slaves and deserting soldiers, assumed to be located in private homes and the iron ore caves in Jonesville. The town never fully recovered.<ref>''We are Allen's Settlement! A collection of journals and diaries'', by Judith W. Wolfe, http://jonesvillenc.org</ref>

One of the last pieces of early town history, a house once occupied by Van Eaton that dated back to the 1830s, was torn down in 1996.<ref>"Jonesville's oldest house becomes bonfire fuel," by Jay R. Davis, [[The Tribune (Elkin, North Carolina)|The Tribune]], July 15, 1996</ref> At the time, it was believed to be the oldest house in town.

On December 21, 1912, two elderly women and a young girl were killed and nearly 100 people were injured after the floor of the Jonesville High School [[auditorium]] collapsed during a [[Christmas]] concert.<ref>[[Winston-Salem Journal]] article, December 24, 1912.</ref> As the floor of the second-floor auditorium gave way in the center, the audience of at least 300 people dropped to the first floor. Killed were: Nancy Swaim, Mrs. William Smith and Lexie Luffman, a 12-year-old girl. Sam Ray extinguished a fire in a stove in the auditorium as the floor began to collapse, saving many lives (Winston-Salem Journal).

===Recent history===
The town experienced unprecedented growth after [[Interstate 77]] opened in 1974. The intersection of [[Interstate 77]] and N.C. 67 (Winston Road) on the east side of town is a popular stop for travelers. It is one of the most developed along the interstate between [[Statesville, North Carolina|Statesville]] and [[Mount Airy, North Carolina|Mount Airy]].

In 1980, Jonesville was named a "Governor's Community of Excellence" by [[Jim Hunt|Governor Jim Hunt]] for its economic development work.<ref>Yadkin County Heritage, Page 32</ref>

Jonesville Police Sgt. Gregory Keith Martin<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=28498 |title=America's Most Wanted with John Walsh |publisher=AMW |accessdate=2012-10-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205141327/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=28498 |archivedate=2012-02-05 }}</ref> was shot to death on October 5, 1996, on I-77. The case, which has been solved, received national attention on TV's ''[[America's Most Wanted]]'' in May 2005, January 2006 and June 2006. Martin was the town's first police officer to be shot in the line of duty.<ref>[http://www.jonesvillencpolicedept.bravepages.com/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017190520/http://www.jonesvillencpolicedept.bravepages.com/|date=October 17, 2006}}</ref> On October 3, 2012, 36-year-old Scott Vincent Sica was arrested in [[Cape Coral, Florida]], and charged with first-degree murder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/charlotte/press-releases/2012/arrest-in-jonesville-officers-1996-murder |title=FBI — Arrest in Jonesville Officer's 1996 Murder |publisher=Fbi.gov |date=1996-10-05 |accessdate=2012-10-06}}</ref> In 2009 The town put up a memorial to Sgt. Martin in front of the new town Hall. Every year there is a memorial ride through Jonesville to honor Sgt. Martin.

In 2009, the town built a multimillion-dollar town hall.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jonesvillenc.gov/index.html |title=Town of Jonesville, North Carolina |publisher=Jonesvillenc.gov |accessdate=2012-10-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831183401/http://www.jonesvillenc.gov/index.html |archivedate=2012-08-31 }}</ref>

==Local media==

===Print===
Two community newspapers, [[The Tribune (Elkin, North Carolina)|The Tribune]] in Elkin and its sister paper [[The Yadkin Ripple]], provide coverage of Jonesville. The [[Winston-Salem Journal]], a larger daily newspaper, also covers the town.

===Broadcast===
Jonesville is part of the [[Piedmont Triad]] radio and television market, but many broadcasts from the [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] and [[Winston-Salem]] markets can be received as well.
The cable provider is [[Time Warner]].

==Notable people==
* [[Dickie Hemric]] – former [[NBA]] player for the [[Boston Celtics]] (1955–1957), played collegiately at [[Wake Forest University|Wake Forest]] (1951–1955). Hemric was the all-time leading scorer in Atlantic Coast Conference history, until [[JJ Redick]] broke his record in 2006. Named to the [[ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team]] in 2003.<ref>[http://www.thetimesnews.com/sports/win_22429___article.html/past_chapel.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210050505/http://www.thetimesnews.com/sports/win_22429___article.html/past_chapel.html|date=February 10, 2009}}</ref>
* [[Carlos King]] – former running back for [[North Carolina State University|N.C. State]], drafted as a fourth-round pick by the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] in 1998. King holds the career rushing record for Starmount High School at 5,321 yards.
* [[Adam Leroy Lane]] – convicted murderer

==References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.jonesvillenc.org/ Jonesville Historical Association]

{{Yadkin County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Jonesville, North Carolina| ]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1811]]