Sylva, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Sylva is an incorporated town
located in central Jackson County
, in the Great Smoky Mountains
of Western North Carolina
, United States of America. As of the 2010 census
, the town had a total population
of 2,588. It is the county seat
, having taken over from nearby Webster
in 1913.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,435 people, 1,137 households, and 608 families residing in the town. The population density
was 759.7 people per square mile (292.9/km2). There were 1,283 housing units at an average density of 400.3 per square mile (154.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 89.16% White, 4.68% African American, 1.60% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.82% from other races
, and 2.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.51% of the population.
There were 1,137 households out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.74.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,432, and the median income for a family was $36,711. Males had a median income of $25,526 versus $22,401 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,348. About 13.9% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 18.6% of those age 65 or over.
The town became the county seat in 1913 after the county voted to move from Webster to Sylva. Subsequently, Webster declined, because the railroad didn't come to that town and all the business left. The Jackson County Courthouse sits dramatically on a hill at the end of Main Street in Sylva. It is slated to become part of the new Jackson County Library, which will be housed in a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) addition at the back of the building. The town has within its limits the main county high school, Smoky Mountain High School
, the county library, county hospital, Justice Center, and two K-8 elementary schools in the vicinity of the town, Scotts Creek east of town, and Fairview located behind the high school.
Sylva was once the only town in the United States with a waterfall within its incorporated limits, Dills Falls, but the waterfall was destroyed to make way for the 4-lane Sylva Bypass (US 74/23) in 1973. The town had the first municipally owned swimming pool west of Asheville, built by the WPA
of stone and concrete in 1938, but demolished in 1969 to make way for the current pool. Franklin D. Roosevelt
and Thomas Edison
both traveled through Sylva, Edison in 1911 and FDR in 1936, respectively.
Poteet Park has a large playground, sand volleyball court, basketball court, and picnic pavilion, and is located in close proximity to Roscoe Poteet Pool, which serves as a community pool and also as a 6-lane competition pool for the county swim team. Bridge Park has a small stage pavilion for outdoor concerts, as well as a bridge spanning Scotts Creek and connecting to Poteet Park. Mark Watson Park has a picnic shelter, playground, two baseball fields, two basketball courts, and four tennis courts. It also has two old abandoned buildings, a large stone two-story structure built in 1938 as an agricultural/vocational shops building for Sylva High School, and a metal garage building that once housed Jackson County Rescue Squad. Bryson Park has a picnic shelter, basketball court, and a playground.
Downtown: The historical center of Sylva was at one time home to many businesses, homes, people, the central High School, depot, some industry, and many churches. Today it is a historic and picturesque area defined by Main Street and Mill Street, which run as BUS 23 through the middle of the downtown area, as well as by Cowan Street, on the lower part of Kings Mountain, and Municipal Drive, at the base of College Hill, both of which define the southern and northern borders of the central downtown area. The intersection of Chipper Curve Road, BUS 23/East Main Street, and Municipal Drive as well as Keener Street define the eastern and western boundaries of the central business district. Mark Watson Park and US 23 Business/West Main Street west of downtown are also considered part of downtown, as the high school and many industries were once located in the area. The area is also defined by several buildings and parks, notably the Sylva First Baptist Church (1965), the C.J. Harris Building (1902), First Citizens Bank (1928), Sylva Fire Department (1980), all on Main Street, Roscoe Poteet Public Pool (1969) on Municipal Drive, the Hooper House (1906), the last remaining historic home on Main Street, and the Sylva First United Methodist Church (1917) on Jackson Street.
Court House Hill: Named for the 1913 Jackson County Courthouse
which sits at the end of Main Street, Court House Hill was once home to many working and middle class families, and was within walking distance to the old Central High and elementary schools at what is now Mark Watson Park. It extends up onto Kings Mountain from Savannah Drive, and back to Savannah Drive from the courthouse and Main Street. It is defined by the historic Jackson County Courthouse (1913), the new Jackson County Public Library (opening in May 2011, on the back of the historic court house), Sylva's Bicentennial Park (1976), and the old C.J. Harris Hospital (1920). Many older homes survive alongside newer ones, and there are many inexpensive rental units in the neighborhood, including the infamous Court House Hill Inn Apartments, in the old hospital.
Sunrise Park: Located across Cope Creek from the US 23 Business/NC 107 intersection, Sunrise Park is a large neighborhood that is barely visible until entered. It was historically a working class neighborhood, but has had many middle class homes added over the past 50 years. The neighborhood is defined by Cherry Street and Sunrise Park Road, which both allow access to the neighborhood, as well as Wilkesboro Baptist Church, which is the most prominent and easily viewed building in the neighborhood from the outside.
Dills Cove: Once the location of Dills Falls, the neighborhood and falls were cut in half by the construction of the Sylva Bypass, which is also known as the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway
and US 74/23, in 1973. It occupies a hollow that extends a little over a mile from Dillsboro Road and also includes the sub-neighborhoods of Grindstaff Cove, Dillsboro Road, and the Sylvan Heights Subdivision. St. Mary's Catholic Church (1953), the Jackson County
Justice Center (1994), and Jackson Plaza (1978) all define the neighborhood. It is also the location of the Sylva Post Office and the main entrance to downtown from US 74/23.
College Hill: Named for the former Sylva Collegiate Institute, a private Baptist
boarding school, which once occupied a campus on the very top of the hill in the middle of the neighborhood from 1910 until 1932. All traces of the former institution have all but vanished but for a few photographs, records, stories, and a plaque that commemorates the location of the sign. There are many older homes located within the neighborhood, along with a few newer ones on the former campus of the institute. Many old working-class and middle-class homes sit empty or neglected, and many apartment complexes and a sea of kudzu
are now located on the hill. It is home to a large, 50 feet (15.2 m) water tower with a lighted star on top, a landmark for those entering Sylva on NC 107/US 23 Business from the south.
Lovedale/Love's Field/Fairview: Located near Webster
, the neighborhood is centered around parts of NC 116, Fairview Road, and NC 107. Smoky Mountain High School
and Fairview Elementary are located here, and it is one of the most southerly located neighborhoods to downtown. It has several big box stores and supermarkets, notably Walmart, Lowe's
, and an Ingles
supermarket.
Hall Heights: Located along US 23 Business and NC 107, the neighborhood has two separate residential areas and lots of businesses located along the highways. The neighborhood's residential areas are an area on a hill known as Hall Heights, and a trailer park near Scotts Creek known as the Bridge Street Trailer Park. Prominent buildings include Ensley's Store, Bogarts, and the Sylva KFC.
Cope Creek: Located along Cope Creek Road and between NC 107 and US 74/23, Cope Creek neighborhood is mostly residential, with a few commercial areas near the highways, including several gas stations, strip malls, fast food restaurants, and banks. Major landmarks include Cody's Hot Spot Gas Station (1998) on the corner of NC 107 and Cope Creek Road (a gas station under the name of Cody's has been located there since the 1950s), the Old Field Church and Cemetery (1830, the church later became Scotts Creek Baptist Church in Beta), and an historic Victorian house that serves as a bed & breakfast. It also appears that more development is about to happen on two hills on the NC 107 end of Cope Creek, due to the fact that a network of roadways have been built on the sides of them and the trees on the hills have largely been cut down.
Dillardtown: Located along Dillardtown Road and extending to US 23 Business, Dillardtown was the original homestead of the Dillard family, who later started a construction company and built the neighborhood between 1948 and 1970. The East Sylva Baptist Church is the dominant building of the neighborhood, with a tall spire and three floors, built in the mid-1950s and replacing an earlier stone church nearby. Dillardtown is home to working and middle-class families and has a large stock of brick and wood-frame ranch houses from the 1950s and 1960s.
Tannery Flats: Located east of downtown Sylva, Tannery Flats is named for the Harris-Rees Tannery, which operated on the location until 1953. The Mead Corporation opened a factory next to the tannery in 1928 and later bought the old tannery. In 1955, Mead expanded and relocated NC 107 and Scotts Creek about 100 feet. This called for the demolition of several buildings, and an A&P supermarket was built on the "reclaimed" land. Mead closed in the mid-1980s, and Jackson Paper opened a few years later. The neighborhood extends along Chipper Curve Road and Skyland Drive (both old US 19/23), and is where Bryson Park is located as well.
Beta : Located above Tannery Flats, Beta at one time boasted several stores, a church, two-story wood frame graded school, and several industries. The area has been partially annexed by Sylva over the years, and hasn't seen much commercial development outside of a restaurant, strip malls, and thrift stores. Several industries were once located in Beta, and several homes are located in the area, along with Scotts Creek Elementary School (1951), in an area that lies within both Beta and neighboring Addie. Beta is home to Scotts Creek Church and is full of both lower class, working class, and middle class homes, with a few upper class homes located in the area as well. It is one of the most rural areas in what is considered Sylva. US 74/23 runs around the edge of Beta, and forms the boundary between it and Cope Creek.
Locust Creek: Located the farthest south in Sylva, Locust Creek is right below Fairview and is accessed via Old Cullowhee Road and Locust Creek Road. Locust Creek has semi-dense development in the lowest areas and gets more rural father up. Locust Creek could also be considered to be located in Webster
or Cullowhee
. Locust Creek is one of the roads that may be accessible from the future Southern Loop/NC 107 Connector, and is part of the study corridor, but the more direct route to Cullowhee of Cane Creek Road is being considered more seriously. The neighborhood is mostly full of middle class families, and most of it in the lower area was built in the 1960s and 1970s.
East Sylva: Located east of downtown Sylva, East Sylva encompasses an area along US 23 Business and the beginning of Skyland Drive (Old US 19-23). It is home to many shopping centers, strip malls, two supermarkets, the town's movie theater, known as Quinn Theaters (1980), gas stations, and fast food restaurants, playing off its close proximity to the US 23 Business exit off US 74/23 in Sylva. The county's C.J. Harris Regional Hospital (1959) is also located here. A few homes are in the area, but East Sylva is largely commercial development.
(6 miles (9.7 km) away), one of the seventeen schools of the University of North Carolina
system. The town has the only real shopping in the county besides Dillsboro and Cashiers, and it has been that way for a long time, so the college students really haven't ever had a choice. This may change if Cullowhee were to incorporate and build its own downtown, but that likely won't be for at least a decade or two.
(at Harris Regional Hospital, a scene where the town is seen from Sylvan Heights right after the train wreck, and along Scotts Creek where it crosses West Main St.) and the 1972 movie Deliverance
(along Mill Street). The train wreck scene in The Fugitive was filmed 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Sylva in the town of Dillsboro
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
located in central Jackson County
Jackson County, North Carolina
Jackson County is a county located in the southwest of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 40,271. Since 1913 its county seat has been Sylva, replacing Webster.-History:...
, in the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
of Western 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...
, United States of America. As of the 2010 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, the town had a total population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 2,588. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
, having taken over from nearby Webster
Webster, North Carolina
Webster is a town in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 363.Webster was the first county seat of Jackson county, until Sylva took over in 1913.-Geography:Webster is located at ....
in 1913.
Geography
Sylva is located at 35.374199°N 83.217686°W. The town's altitude above sea level is 2051 feet (625.1 m).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,435 people, 1,137 households, and 608 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 759.7 people per square mile (292.9/km2). There were 1,283 housing units at an average density of 400.3 per square mile (154.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 89.16% White, 4.68% African American, 1.60% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.82% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.51% of the population.
There were 1,137 households out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.74.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,432, and the median income for a family was $36,711. Males had a median income of $25,526 versus $22,401 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $17,348. About 13.9% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 18.6% of those age 65 or over.
History
Sylva is named for William D. Sylva, a Danish handyman who spent a month in the home of General E. R. Hampton, who owned much of the land where downtown Sylva now sits. When the town applied for a post office, Hampton asked his young daughter Mae what the town's name should be. She liked the handyman so much she said, "Sylva." This is disputed, as its investigation has turned up that William D. Sylva wasn't Danish, and likely didn't have the last name of Sylva. His last name was "Selvey," the letter that he wrote to the town was likely Spanish, not Danish, and he was probably from the Little Canada Community. To support this, his daughter's maiden last name was Selvey according to genealogical archives, and her daughter who recently came to the town also said the real last name of "William D. Sylva" was "Selvey" instead.The town became the county seat in 1913 after the county voted to move from Webster to Sylva. Subsequently, Webster declined, because the railroad didn't come to that town and all the business left. The Jackson County Courthouse sits dramatically on a hill at the end of Main Street in Sylva. It is slated to become part of the new Jackson County Library, which will be housed in a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) addition at the back of the building. The town has within its limits the main county high school, Smoky Mountain High School
Smoky Mountain High School
Smoky Mountain High School is a public high school located in Sylva, North Carolina. The school formed as a result of the consolidation of the former Sylva-Webster High School and Cullowhee High School in 1988, at the Sylva-Webster Campus, which dates to 1960....
, the county library, county hospital, Justice Center, and two K-8 elementary schools in the vicinity of the town, Scotts Creek east of town, and Fairview located behind the high school.
Sylva was once the only town in the United States with a waterfall within its incorporated limits, Dills Falls, but the waterfall was destroyed to make way for the 4-lane Sylva Bypass (US 74/23) in 1973. The town had the first municipally owned swimming pool west of Asheville, built by the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
of stone and concrete in 1938, but demolished in 1969 to make way for the current pool. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
both traveled through Sylva, Edison in 1911 and FDR in 1936, respectively.
Parks
The town has four parks. Poteet and Bridge Park are both along Scotts Creek and connected by a bridge over the creek. Mark Watson Park is located in a depression behind the historic courthouse that once was the campus for Sylva High School and Sylva Elementary School and before that, fairgrounds. Bryson Park is on Chipper Curve Road across from the Jackson Paper Recycling Plant.Poteet Park has a large playground, sand volleyball court, basketball court, and picnic pavilion, and is located in close proximity to Roscoe Poteet Pool, which serves as a community pool and also as a 6-lane competition pool for the county swim team. Bridge Park has a small stage pavilion for outdoor concerts, as well as a bridge spanning Scotts Creek and connecting to Poteet Park. Mark Watson Park has a picnic shelter, playground, two baseball fields, two basketball courts, and four tennis courts. It also has two old abandoned buildings, a large stone two-story structure built in 1938 as an agricultural/vocational shops building for Sylva High School, and a metal garage building that once housed Jackson County Rescue Squad. Bryson Park has a picnic shelter, basketball court, and a playground.
Neighborhoods
The Sylva area has many defined and named neighborhoods. They are:Court House Hill: Named for the 1913 Jackson County Courthouse
Jackson County Courthouse (Sylva, North Carolina)
Jackson County Courthouse is an historic courthouse in Sylva, North Carolina that was built in 1913 when Sylva took over the County Seat designation from Webster.-About the Building:...
which sits at the end of Main Street, Court House Hill was once home to many working and middle class families, and was within walking distance to the old Central High and elementary schools at what is now Mark Watson Park. It extends up onto Kings Mountain from Savannah Drive, and back to Savannah Drive from the courthouse and Main Street. It is defined by the historic Jackson County Courthouse (1913), the new Jackson County Public Library (opening in May 2011, on the back of the historic court house), Sylva's Bicentennial Park (1976), and the old C.J. Harris Hospital (1920). Many older homes survive alongside newer ones, and there are many inexpensive rental units in the neighborhood, including the infamous Court House Hill Inn Apartments, in the old hospital.
Sunrise Park: Located across Cope Creek from the US 23 Business/NC 107 intersection, Sunrise Park is a large neighborhood that is barely visible until entered. It was historically a working class neighborhood, but has had many middle class homes added over the past 50 years. The neighborhood is defined by Cherry Street and Sunrise Park Road, which both allow access to the neighborhood, as well as Wilkesboro Baptist Church, which is the most prominent and easily viewed building in the neighborhood from the outside.
Dills Cove: Once the location of Dills Falls, the neighborhood and falls were cut in half by the construction of the Sylva Bypass, which is also known as the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway
Great Smoky Mountains Expressway
The Great Smoky Mountains Expressway is a four-lane divided highway in southwestern North Carolina, which runs between Interstate 40 near Canton in the east to the Nantahala National Forest near Needmore in the west. It traverses western Haywood, northern Jackson, and eastern Swain counties,...
and US 74/23, in 1973. It occupies a hollow that extends a little over a mile from Dillsboro Road and also includes the sub-neighborhoods of Grindstaff Cove, Dillsboro Road, and the Sylvan Heights Subdivision. St. Mary's Catholic Church (1953), the Jackson County
Jackson County, North Carolina
Jackson County is a county located in the southwest of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 40,271. Since 1913 its county seat has been Sylva, replacing Webster.-History:...
Justice Center (1994), and Jackson Plaza (1978) all define the neighborhood. It is also the location of the Sylva Post Office and the main entrance to downtown from US 74/23.
College Hill: Named for the former Sylva Collegiate Institute, a private Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
boarding school, which once occupied a campus on the very top of the hill in the middle of the neighborhood from 1910 until 1932. All traces of the former institution have all but vanished but for a few photographs, records, stories, and a plaque that commemorates the location of the sign. There are many older homes located within the neighborhood, along with a few newer ones on the former campus of the institute. Many old working-class and middle-class homes sit empty or neglected, and many apartment complexes and a sea of kudzu
Kudzu
Kudzu is a plant in the genus Pueraria in the pea family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. It is a climbing, coiling, and trailing vine native to southern Japan and southeast China. Its name comes from the Japanese name for the plant, . It is a weed that climbs over trees or shrubs and grows so...
are now located on the hill. It is home to a large, 50 feet (15.2 m) water tower with a lighted star on top, a landmark for those entering Sylva on NC 107/US 23 Business from the south.
Lovedale/Love's Field/Fairview: Located near Webster
Webster, North Carolina
Webster is a town in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 363.Webster was the first county seat of Jackson county, until Sylva took over in 1913.-Geography:Webster is located at ....
, the neighborhood is centered around parts of NC 116, Fairview Road, and NC 107. Smoky Mountain High School
Smoky Mountain High School
Smoky Mountain High School is a public high school located in Sylva, North Carolina. The school formed as a result of the consolidation of the former Sylva-Webster High School and Cullowhee High School in 1988, at the Sylva-Webster Campus, which dates to 1960....
and Fairview Elementary are located here, and it is one of the most southerly located neighborhoods to downtown. It has several big box stores and supermarkets, notably Walmart, Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
, and an Ingles
Ingles
Ingles Markets is an American regional supermarket chain based in Asheville, North Carolina. As of January 2011, The company operates 201 supermarkets in the Southeastern United States...
supermarket.
Hall Heights: Located along US 23 Business and NC 107, the neighborhood has two separate residential areas and lots of businesses located along the highways. The neighborhood's residential areas are an area on a hill known as Hall Heights, and a trailer park near Scotts Creek known as the Bridge Street Trailer Park. Prominent buildings include Ensley's Store, Bogarts, and the Sylva KFC.
Cope Creek: Located along Cope Creek Road and between NC 107 and US 74/23, Cope Creek neighborhood is mostly residential, with a few commercial areas near the highways, including several gas stations, strip malls, fast food restaurants, and banks. Major landmarks include Cody's Hot Spot Gas Station (1998) on the corner of NC 107 and Cope Creek Road (a gas station under the name of Cody's has been located there since the 1950s), the Old Field Church and Cemetery (1830, the church later became Scotts Creek Baptist Church in Beta), and an historic Victorian house that serves as a bed & breakfast. It also appears that more development is about to happen on two hills on the NC 107 end of Cope Creek, due to the fact that a network of roadways have been built on the sides of them and the trees on the hills have largely been cut down.
Dillardtown: Located along Dillardtown Road and extending to US 23 Business, Dillardtown was the original homestead of the Dillard family, who later started a construction company and built the neighborhood between 1948 and 1970. The East Sylva Baptist Church is the dominant building of the neighborhood, with a tall spire and three floors, built in the mid-1950s and replacing an earlier stone church nearby. Dillardtown is home to working and middle-class families and has a large stock of brick and wood-frame ranch houses from the 1950s and 1960s.
Tannery Flats: Located east of downtown Sylva, Tannery Flats is named for the Harris-Rees Tannery, which operated on the location until 1953. The Mead Corporation opened a factory next to the tannery in 1928 and later bought the old tannery. In 1955, Mead expanded and relocated NC 107 and Scotts Creek about 100 feet. This called for the demolition of several buildings, and an A&P supermarket was built on the "reclaimed" land. Mead closed in the mid-1980s, and Jackson Paper opened a few years later. The neighborhood extends along Chipper Curve Road and Skyland Drive (both old US 19/23), and is where Bryson Park is located as well.
Beta : Located above Tannery Flats, Beta at one time boasted several stores, a church, two-story wood frame graded school, and several industries. The area has been partially annexed by Sylva over the years, and hasn't seen much commercial development outside of a restaurant, strip malls, and thrift stores. Several industries were once located in Beta, and several homes are located in the area, along with Scotts Creek Elementary School (1951), in an area that lies within both Beta and neighboring Addie. Beta is home to Scotts Creek Church and is full of both lower class, working class, and middle class homes, with a few upper class homes located in the area as well. It is one of the most rural areas in what is considered Sylva. US 74/23 runs around the edge of Beta, and forms the boundary between it and Cope Creek.
Locust Creek: Located the farthest south in Sylva, Locust Creek is right below Fairview and is accessed via Old Cullowhee Road and Locust Creek Road. Locust Creek has semi-dense development in the lowest areas and gets more rural father up. Locust Creek could also be considered to be located in Webster
Webster, North Carolina
Webster is a town in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 363.Webster was the first county seat of Jackson county, until Sylva took over in 1913.-Geography:Webster is located at ....
or Cullowhee
Cullowhee, North Carolina
Cullowhee is a census-designated place in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. Cullowhee is best known for being the home of Western Carolina University . The population was 9,428 as of the 2010 census. The area known as Cullowhee has Western Carolina University, part of the UNC...
. Locust Creek is one of the roads that may be accessible from the future Southern Loop/NC 107 Connector, and is part of the study corridor, but the more direct route to Cullowhee of Cane Creek Road is being considered more seriously. The neighborhood is mostly full of middle class families, and most of it in the lower area was built in the 1960s and 1970s.
East Sylva: Located east of downtown Sylva, East Sylva encompasses an area along US 23 Business and the beginning of Skyland Drive (Old US 19-23). It is home to many shopping centers, strip malls, two supermarkets, the town's movie theater, known as Quinn Theaters (1980), gas stations, and fast food restaurants, playing off its close proximity to the US 23 Business exit off US 74/23 in Sylva. The county's C.J. Harris Regional Hospital (1959) is also located here. A few homes are in the area, but East Sylva is largely commercial development.
Colleges
Sylva is home to Southwestern Community College) and is the closest town of size to nearby Western Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
(6 miles (9.7 km) away), one of the seventeen schools of the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
system. The town has the only real shopping in the county besides Dillsboro and Cashiers, and it has been that way for a long time, so the college students really haven't ever had a choice. This may change if Cullowhee were to incorporate and build its own downtown, but that likely won't be for at least a decade or two.
Popular culture
Several movies have been filmed in Sylva, including the 1993 blockbuster The FugitiveThe Fugitive (1993 film)
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
(at Harris Regional Hospital, a scene where the town is seen from Sylvan Heights right after the train wreck, and along Scotts Creek where it crosses West Main St.) and the 1972 movie Deliverance
Deliverance
Deliverance is a 1972 American thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman. Principal cast members include Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty in his film debut. The film is based on a 1970 novel of the same name by American author James Dickey, who has a small role in the...
(along Mill Street). The train wreck scene in The Fugitive was filmed 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Sylva in the town of Dillsboro
Dillsboro, North Carolina
Dillsboro is a town in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. The town is a popular tourist location, at which visitors tend to stop on their way into the Great Smoky Mountains. The town of Sylva is located just one mile east of Dillsboro and is the county seat...
.
Famous residents
- Johnny OatesJohnny OatesJohnny Lane Oates was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1981...
, baseball player and manager - Nick SearcyNick SearcyNick Searcy is an American actor who currently portrays Chief DeputyUnited States Marshal Art Mullen on FX's Justified. He also had a major role in the Tom Hanks produced miniseries From the Earth to the Moon as Deke Slayton....
, actor in Cast AwayCast AwayCast Away is a 2000 drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks as a FedEx employee stranded on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes in the South Pacific. The film depicts his successful attempts to survive on the island using remnants of his plane's cargo, as well as his... - Matt StillwellMatt StillwellMatt Stillwell is an American country music artist. In late 2008, he released his debut single, "Shine", which debuted at #59 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The single served as the title track to his third album released on September 30, 2008.-Studio albums:-Extended...
, country music singer - Joe Torres, actor on NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
's Hey DudeHey DudeHey Dude is an American Western comedy series that aired from 1989 to 1991. The show was broadcast on the Nickelodeon network, and currently airs reruns on Teen Nick...
See also
- Smoky Mountain High SchoolSmoky Mountain High SchoolSmoky Mountain High School is a public high school located in Sylva, North Carolina. The school formed as a result of the consolidation of the former Sylva-Webster High School and Cullowhee High School in 1988, at the Sylva-Webster Campus, which dates to 1960....
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Jackson County, North Carolina
- Jackson County, North CarolinaJackson County, North CarolinaJackson County is a county located in the southwest of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 40,271. Since 1913 its county seat has been Sylva, replacing Webster.-History:...
- Jackson County Courthouse (Sylva, North Carolina)Jackson County Courthouse (Sylva, North Carolina)Jackson County Courthouse is an historic courthouse in Sylva, North Carolina that was built in 1913 when Sylva took over the County Seat designation from Webster.-About the Building:...
External links
- Town of Sylva official website
- Downtown Sylva Webcam - courtesy of The Sylva Herald
- The Sylva Herald - Newspaper of Sylva, NC
- Sylva Live
- Tuckasegee Reader- Community, Culture, and Outdoors
- Sylva City Data
- Downtown Sylva Association
- Jackson County Rescue Squad
- Western Carolina University in nearby Cullowhee, North CarolinaCullowhee, North CarolinaCullowhee is a census-designated place in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. Cullowhee is best known for being the home of Western Carolina University . The population was 9,428 as of the 2010 census. The area known as Cullowhee has Western Carolina University, part of the UNC...
- Southwestern Community College