Editing Waynesville, North Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
<!-- Infobox begins -->
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Waynesville, North Carolina
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
| motto                    = "Progress with Vision"
| image_skyline            = Waynesville, NC.jpg
| imagesize                = 250px
| image_caption            = Waynesville skyline
| image_flag               = Waynesville, NC Town Flag.jpg
| image_seal               = Waynesville, NC Town Seal.png
| image_map                = NCMap-doton-Waynesville.PNG
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location in [[North Carolina]]
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = 
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in North Carolina|County]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_name1        = [[North Carolina]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Haywood County, North Carolina|Haywood]]
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name              = Gary Caldwell
| established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date         = 1810
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 23.14
| area_total_sq_mi         = 8.94
| area_land_km2            = 23.14
| area_land_sq_mi          = 8.94
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
| area_water_percent       = 0
| area_urban_km2           = 
| area_urban_sq_mi         = 
| area_metro_km2           = 
| area_metro_sq_mi         = 
| coordinates              = {{coord|35|29|0|N|82|59|40|W|region:US-NC|display=it}}
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_note          = 
| population_total         = 10140
| population_metro         = 
| population_urban         = 
| population_density_km2   = 438.11
| population_density_sq_mi = 1134.74
| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset               = &minus;5
| timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST           = &minus;4
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 2697
| website                  = {{URL|www.townofwaynesville.org}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code              = 28738, 28785, 28786
| area_code                = [[Area code 828|828]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 37-71500<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2406845<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406845}}</ref>
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 
| 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>
| population_footnotes     = 
}}
<!-- Infobox ends -->

'''Waynesville''' is the [[county seat]] of [[Haywood County, North Carolina]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=2011-06-07|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> It is the largest town in [[North Carolina]] west of [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]]. Waynesville is located about {{convert|30|mi|-1}} southwest of Asheville between the [[Great Smoky Mountains|Great Smoky]] and [[Blue Ridge Mountains]].

As of the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]], Waynesville had a [[population]] of 10,140.<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US3771500| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Waynesville town, North Carolina| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=December 14, 2017| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213111832/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US3771500| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> The town is located just outside the [[Pisgah National Forest]] and is close to the [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]] and the [[Blue Ridge Parkway]]. Waynesville and Haywood County are part of the four-county Asheville [[Asheville metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]], currently the fifth largest metropolitan area in [[North Carolina]]. It is the third largest town in the MSA behind the cities of Asheville and [[Hendersonville, North Carolina|Hendersonville]].

==History==
The town of Waynesville was founded in 1810 by Colonel [[Robert Love (soldier)|Robert Love]], a [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] soldier. He donated land for the courthouse, jail, and public square, and named the town after his former commander in the war, General [["Mad" Anthony Wayne]].

The [[Boone-Withers House]], [[Citizens Bank and Trust Company Building, Former]], [[Francis Grist Mill]], [[Frog Level Historic District]], [[Haywood County Courthouse (Waynesville, North Carolina)|Haywood County Courthouse]], [[Alden and Thomasene Howell House]], [[Gateway Club (Waynesville, North Carolina)|Masonic Hall]], [[Charles and Annie Quinlan House]], [[Clyde H. Ray Sr. House]], [[Frank Smathers House]], [[Spread Out Historic District]], [[US Post Office Building, Former (Waynesville, North Carolina)|Waynesville Municipal Building]], [[Dr. J. Howell Way House]], and [[Waynesville Main Street Historic District (Waynesville, North Carolina)|Waynesville Main Street Historic District]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/listings/20110107.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=2011-01-07|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 12/27/10 through 12/30/10|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref><ref name="nps1">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/13000227.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=2013-02-27|work=NRHP Featured Property|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

Waynesville was incorporated as a town in 1871. In July 1995, the towns of [[Hazelwood, North Carolina|Hazelwood]] and Waynesville merged into one community and continued to grow with a population today of over 10,000.

===The "Battle" of Waynesville===
Waynesville was the scene of the last and perhaps most unusual skirmish in the eastern theater of the [[American Civil War]]. On May 6, 1865, Union Colonel William C. Bartlett's 2nd North Carolina (Federal) [[Mounted Infantry]] were attacked at White Sulphur Springs (east of Waynesville) by a detachment of rebels from [[Thomas' Legion|Thomas' Legion of Highlanders]], who had been summoned by locals.

[[Eastern United States|East of the Mississippi]], Thomas' Legion fired "The Last Shot" of the Civil War in [[White Sulphur Springs, North Carolina]]. The Legion consisted of [[Cherokee]] and White soldiers. Some of these soldiers had served under [[Jubal A. Early]] during the Shenandoah [[Valley Campaigns of 1864]], but had been sent back to their native North Carolina mountains to engage in guerrilla warfare against the remaining Union forces.

The disoriented Union soldiers retreated into Waynesville, and on the evening of May 6 remaining elements of Thomas' Legion surrounded the town. The soldiers lit numerous bonfires on the ridges above the town and engaged in war chants in an effort to intimidate the Federals. The following day the Confederate commanders Gen. James Green Martin and Col. [[William Holland Thomas]] (for whom the Legion was named) negotiated a surrender. These commanders had been made aware that Generals [[Robert E. Lee]] and [[Joseph E. Johnston]] had already surrendered and that continued hostilities would prove pointless.

==={{anchor|Frog Level}}Frog Level===
[[Image:WaynesvilleDepot.jpg|thumb|Waynesville Train Depot in Frog Level, c. 1890s]]

Waynesville began to see development after arrival of the [[Murphy Branch|railroad]] in 1884. The agricultural, lumber and tourism industries in Waynesville and Haywood County began to thrive as access to the west was opened up.

The area of Waynesville located along Richland Creek, northwest and downhill from Main Street, was where the railroad tracks were laid. Until this time the area had been essentially a swampland, with a few scattered buildings but no major development. Once the depot was built and the train arrived this section was developed. It was given the name of "Frog Level" by the local community because of its low-lying location along Richland Creek, the "frog level" when the area flooded.

Downtown and the nearby Frog Level commercial centers of Waynesville continued to be the central focus for social life, transportation, and wholesale and retail businesses through the 1940s. Businesses in the Frog Level area in the 1930s and 1940s included hardware stores, farm supplies, coal sales, auto dealers and garages, furniture stores, wholesale groceries, and warehouses and lumber companies, all of which were businesses dependent on the railroad.

As the automobile became the primary mode of transportation for most residents, the railroad declined in importance. This in turn led to a shift of business away from Frog Level. The last passenger train arrived in Waynesville in 1949, and freight trains pass through Frog Level twice daily, with most trains continuing on to [[Sylva, North Carolina|Sylva]].

By the 1980s, the railroad in Waynesville had been integrated into the Southern Railway Company system. The first depot burned in 1900, but it was soon replaced with another depot that remained standing until 1987.

==Geography==
Waynesville is located southwest of the center of Haywood County in the valley of Richland Creek, a tributary of the [[Pigeon River (Tennessee–North Carolina)|Pigeon River]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|23.1|km2|order=flip}}, all  land.<ref name="Census 2020" />

===Climate===
Due to its elevation, Waynesville has an [[subtropical highland climate]] under the [[Köppen climate classification]] (Köppen ''Cfb'').
{{Weather box
|location = Waynesville, North Carolina, {{convert|2658|ft|abbr=on}} amsl (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1894−present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 78
|Feb record high F = 79
|Mar record high F = 89
|Apr record high F = 89
|May record high F = 92
|Jun record high F = 98
|Jul record high F = 98
|Aug record high F = 96
|Sep record high F = 92
|Oct record high F = 90
|Nov record high F = 83
|Dec record high F = 78
|year record high F = 98
|Jan high F = 46.6
|Feb high F = 50.2
|Mar high F = 56.7
|Apr high F = 65.6
|May high F = 72.8
|Jun high F = 78.5
|Jul high F = 81.5
|Aug high F = 80.5
|Sep high F = 75.6
|Oct high F = 67.1
|Nov high F = 57.5
|Dec high F = 49.9
|year high F = 65.2
|Jan mean F = 35.0
|Feb mean F = 38.2
|Mar mean F = 44.2
|Apr mean F = 52.6
|May mean F = 60.5
|Jun mean F = 67.5
|Jul mean F = 70.8
|Aug mean F = 69.8
|Sep mean F = 64.3
|Oct mean F = 53.9
|Nov mean F = 44.1
|Dec mean F = 37.9
|year mean F = 53.2
|Jan low F = 23.5
|Feb low F = 26.2
|Mar low F = 31.8
|Apr low F = 39.6
|May low F = 48.2
|Jun low F = 56.5
|Jul low F = 60.2
|Aug low F = 59.1
|Sep low F = 52.9
|Oct low F = 40.7
|Nov low F = 30.6
|Dec low F = 26.0
|year low F = 41.3
|Jan record low F = −22
|Feb record low F = −16
|Mar record low F = −8
|Apr record low F = 15
|May record low F = 24
|Jun record low F = 31
|Jul record low F = 40
|Aug record low F = 38
|Sep record low F = 27
|Oct record low F = 12
|Nov record low F = 0
|Dec record low F = −8
|year record low F = -22
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.62
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.31
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.45
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.54
|May precipitation inch = 4.18
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.18
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.12
|Aug precipitation inch = 4.25
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.25
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.00
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.62
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.71
|year precipitation inch = 50.23
|Jan snow inch = 2.6
|Feb snow inch = 1.6
|Mar snow inch = 3.0
|Apr snow inch = 0.4
|May snow inch = 0.3
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.5
|Dec snow inch = 2.5
|year snow inch = 10.9
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 11.2
|Feb precipitation days = 11.0
|Mar precipitation days = 12.7
|Apr precipitation days = 11.3
|May precipitation days = 12.4
|Jun precipitation days = 14.1
|Jul precipitation days = 14.5
|Aug precipitation days = 13.1
|Sep precipitation days = 10.3
|Oct precipitation days = 8.4
|Nov precipitation days = 9.1
|Dec precipitation days = 11.4
|year precipitation days = 139.5
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 1.8
|Feb snow days = 1.7
|Mar snow days = 1.1
|Apr snow days = 0.1
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.4
|Dec snow days = 1.4
|year snow days = 6.5
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name = NCDC >{{cite web |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=gsp |title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date = May 12, 2021 |quote=Select "WAYNESVILLE 1 E, NC"}}</ref><ref name="NCDC txt">{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00319147&format=pdf |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Station: Waynesville 1 E, NC |work=U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) |access-date=May 12, 2021}}</ref>
}}

===Waynesville watershed===
Waynesville's water supply is located south of the town, with a [[drainage basin|watershed]] that covers an area of {{convert|8400|acre|km2}} of town-owned land on the headwaters of Allens Creek. Tributary streams within the watershed flow into the Waynesville Reservoir, a {{convert|50|acre|m2|adj=on}} lake created by a dam on Allens Creek. The reservoir and surrounding watershed are classified by the state of North Carolina as WS-1. This classification is the state's most stringent and forbids development within the watershed boundary.

===Neighborhoods===
[[Image:Downtown Waynesville, NC IMG 5166.JPG|thumb|Downtown Waynesville]]

* '''Downtown''' - Once the primary retail business center of the town, downtown Waynesville is now home to art galleries, cafes, restaurants, shops, banks, doctors offices, and town and county government administration buildings.
* '''Frog Level''' - The historic district whose name came about because of frequent flooding of Richland Creek. As transportation shifted from railway to cars in the 1940s, business shifted up the hill to higher ground. By the '70s and '80s, Frog Level became known as a seedy part of downtown, mainly due to a now-closed bar called The Tap Room. In recent years, the revitalization of Main Street has spread down into this area. In 2003, the [[Frog Level Historic District]] was placed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].  The local merchants association presents The Whole Bloomin' Thing Spring Festival every year just before the last frost date, marking the start of planting season for the locals. The festival draws approximately 8,000 attendees to the area and features nature-related themes. The historic Murphy Branch of the old Western North Carolina Railroad runs through Frog Level and still carries freight rail traffic twice daily from the Blue Ridge Southern Railway, which now owns the line.
* '''[[Hazelwood, North Carolina|Hazelwood]]''' - Due to financial troubles, this once independent town ceased to exist and was annexed by Waynesville in 1995. Its ZIP code is 28738.
* '''Laurel Ridge''' - The Laurel Ridge neighborhood is connected to a country club of the same name and features a golf course, pool, tennis courts, and upscale mountain homes.
* '''West Waynesville''' - Once the industrial part of town, West Waynesville is now home to Waynesville Commons, a large retail shopping center which sits on the site of an old Dayco rubber hose factory.
* '''Russ Avenue''' - A newer business district featuring restaurants, retail stores, auto dealerships, banks, and grocery stores. Russ Avenue is the most traveled surface street in Haywood County and is slated for a major makeover by the [[NCDOT]] in the 2020s.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 225
|1890= 455
|1900= 1307
|1910= 2008
|1920= 1942
|1930= 2414
|1940= 2940
|1950= 5295
|1960= 6159
|1970= 6488
|1980= 6765
|1990= 6758
|2000= 9232
|2010= 9869
|2020= 10140
|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|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Waynesville racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3771500&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-19|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 8,683
| 85.63%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 183
| 1.8%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 67
| 0.66%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 102
| 1.01%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 425
| 4.19%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 680
| 6.71%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 10,140 people, 4,680 households, and 2,724 families residing in the town.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 9,232 people, 4,106 households, and 2,545 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,191.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 4,761 housing units at an average density of {{convert|614.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 94.42% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.31% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.54% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.16% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.08% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.76% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.73% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.01% of the population.

There were 4,106 households, out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.71.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.7% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 44 years.  For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,296, and the median income for a family was $36,404. Males had a median income of $26,374 versus $21,159 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $17,821.  15.5% of the population and 12.6% of families were below the [[poverty line]].  Out of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 10.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

==Government==
The Town of Waynesville Mayor and the Town Council are elected to serve four year concurrent terms. The board determines policy and budget direction, and the town manager, appointed by the board, oversees and directs the day-to-day operations of the Town and all of its departments.<ref>Waynesville web site.</ref>

==Education==
* [[Tuscola High School]]
* Waynesville Middle School
* Central Elementary School (formerly)
* Junaluska Elementary
* Hazelwood Elementary
* Jonathan Valley Elementary 
* Shining Rock Classical Academy

==Infrastructure==
[[Image:Gateway to Smokies Sign.jpg|thumb|Waynesville calls itself the "Gateway to the Smokies"]]

===Public safety===
The Waynesville Police Department has three divisions: Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Special Operations.

Waynesville Fire Department is combination department and has both career and volunteer members.

===Transportation===

The [[Great Smoky Mountains Expressway]] passes through Waynesville.

U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 23 in North Carolina|23]] and [[U.S. Route 74 in North Carolina|74]] (the [[Great Smoky Mountains Expressway]]) form a bypass along the northwestern side of the town.  [[U.S. Route 276]] passes through the center of Waynesville. US-276 leads north {{convert|5|mi|0}} to [[Dellwood, North Carolina|Dellwood]].

In 2014, [[Watco]] purchased all of the railroad track running through Waynesville from [[Norfolk Southern]] for its [[Blue Ridge Southern Railroad]] short line. The line connects Waynesville by railroad to Sylva to the west, as well as to the interchange with Norfolk Southern at Asheville to the east.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blue Ridge Southern|url=https://www.watcocompanies.com/services/rail/blue-ridge-southern-railroad-blu/|website=Watco Companies|access-date=2016-10-23}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{Commons category|Waynesville, North Carolina}}
{{Wikivoyage|Waynesville (North Carolina)}}
* [http://www.townofwaynesville.org/ Town of Waynesville official website]
* [http://www.downtownwaynesville.com/ Downtown Waynesville Association]

{{Haywood County, North Carolina}}
{{North Carolina}}
{{North Carolina county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Waynesville, North Carolina| ]]
[[Category:1809 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1809]]