Leicester, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Leicester is an unincorporated community in Buncombe County
Buncombe County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 206,330 people, 85,776 households, and 55,668 families residing in the county. The population density was 314 people per square mile . There were 93,973 housing units at an average density of 143 per square mile...

, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 (USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

); although incorporating was proposed in 2007, the proposal never passed. Leicester is part of the Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...

 Metropolitan Statistical Area
Asheville metropolitan area
The Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of four counties in western North Carolina...

. As of 2007, Leicester population is 12,514 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 16.26 percent.

History

Starting in April of 1829, a Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...

 began operating in the area, then called Turkey Creek. Frontiersman Leicester Chapman purchased a tract of land in the area from the city of Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...

, becoming the Postmaster in 1852. Seven years later, Chapman renamed the area Leicester for the Earl of Leicester, also his own namesake.

Education

Leicester's schools fall within the Buncombe County School District. There are no schools above the elementary level within the area of the township, although middle- and high-schools exist in neighboring communities that are capable of educating the youth of Leicester.

Geography

Leicester is located at 35°39′18"N 82°41′47"W, about 10 miles northwest of Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...

. The elevation of Leicester is roughly 2,100 ft.
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