Crossnore, North Carolina

Crossnore is a town in Avery County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 192 at the 2010 census.

Crossnore, North Carolina
Town
Post office
Location of Crossnore, North Carolina
Coordinates: 36°1′14″N 81°55′45″W
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Avery
Named for	George Crossnore[1]
Government
• Type	Mayor-alderman
• Mayor	Tudor Vance
Area [2]
• Total	0.45 sq mi (1.16 km^2)
• Land	0.45 sq mi (1.16 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation	3,369 ft (1,027 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	192
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	239
• Density	533.48/sq mi (206.11/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	28616
Area code(s)	828
FIPS code	37-15580[4]
GNIS feature ID	1019869[5]

Geography

Crossnore is located at 36°1′14″N 81°55′45″W (36.020432, -81.929157).[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all land.

History

One of the earliest known settlers was George Crossnore who built a small cabin close to Clark's Creek in the early 19th century. Hattie Parks Wright lobbied for the establishment of a post office in the village in 1883 and suggested naming the town after its original settler.

He did indeed live in what is now Crossnore, N.C. but it was in the late 18th century. You will find information about him in your archives showing him there around 1783 and other years, but he and his family moved to Tennessee in the early 19th century. He is listed as living in middle Tennessee in Stewart County in 1802.

One of his sons was Jacob Crossnore. When he left the home of his father, George Crossnore, Jacob moved from Stewart County, Tennessee, to what is now Benton County, Tennessee. George Crossnore's son, George Crossnoe [II], moved to Wilson County, Tennessee. Son Thomas left for Wayne County, Tennessee, and son Henry moved to Perry County, Tennessee. George's two daughters and a handicapped son named Adam moved to Henry County, Tennessee. A few years later, the only remaining son in Crossnore, N.C., John, also moved his family to Tennessee.

George Crossnore [I] lived in the home of his son Henry in Perry County, Tennessee, in his later years.

In the early 19th century the family's name underwent a change, as many names do over the years. The "r" was dropped from the name Crossnore now making it Crossnoe. Then over the years some family members dropped the "e", others dropping an "s", but all are descendants of George Crossnore. These names became Crossnoe, Crosnoe, Crossno, Crosno, and Crosskno.

The Crossnore Presbyterian Church, Crossnore School Historic District, Weaving Room of Crossnore School, and Milligan Shuford Wise and Theron Colbert Dellinger Houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[7]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	181		—
1940	266		47.0%
1950	240		−9.8%
1960	277		15.4%
1970	264		−4.7%
1980	297		12.5%
1990	271		−8.8%
2000	242		−10.7%
2010	192		−20.7%
2019 (est.)	239	[3]	24.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 242 people, 96 households, and 62 families residing in the town. The population density was 548.8 people per square mile (212.4/km²). There were 119 housing units at an average density of 269.9 per square mile (104.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.80% White, 0.41% African American, 4.13% Native American, and 1.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.55% of the population.

There were 96 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $24,688, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $23,125 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,960. About 12.5% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 14.6% of those 65 or over.

Education

A group home named The Crossnore School, Inc., was established in 1913 and now houses approximately 100 students. Crossnore School has been praised for providing high-quality care at a lower cost than typical for most orphanages.[9]

Notable people

• Tommy Burleson, former NBA player, played on 1974 N.C. State National Champion team, and 1972 USA Olympic team
• Virginia Foxx, member of the United States House of Representatives for North Carolina's 5th congressional district (since 2005)

References

1. Hardy, Michael (May 17, 2017). "A few Avery County place names". The Avery Journal Times. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. McKenzie, Richard B. (14 January 2010). "The Best Thing About Orphanages". The Wall Street Journal.