Andrews, North Carolina
Town
First Baptist Church in Andrews
First Baptist Church in Andrews
Official seal of Andrews, North Carolina
Seal
Location of Andrews, North Carolina
Location of Andrews, North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°11′58″N 83°49′33″W / 35.19944°N 83.82583°W / 35.19944; -83.82583
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyCherokee
Established1890
Incorporated1905
Named forCol. A.B. Andrews
Government
 • MayorJames Reid
Area
[1]
 • Total1.72 sq mi (4.46 km2)
 • Land1.72 sq mi (4.46 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[2]
1,805 ft (550 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,667
 • Density968.62/sq mi (373.93/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28901
Area code828
FIPS code37-01380[3]
GNIS feature ID2405151[2]
Websitewww.andrewsnc.org

Andrews is a town in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,667 at the 2020 census.[4]

Postcard of main street in Andrews (1950s)

History

White settlement and history

In 1905, the town was incorporated, with David Samuel Russell appointed as the first mayor of the new town. The Franklin Pierce Cover House, First Baptist Church, and Walker's Inn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

After African-Americans were forced out of Cumming, Georgia in 1912, some came to Andrews and started a community called Happytop.[6]

Andrews was home to the Wilhide brothers, Robert M. and Wilfred W. Wilhide, born between 1920 and 1922. Both were born and raised in Andrews, attended flight school at Cherry Point, North Carolina, and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as pilots during World War II. In the space of several days, after inflicting severe losses upon the Japanese fleet, both brothers were lost and killed during missions near Okinawa. The Wilhide brothers were given a memorial in the Valleytown cemetery, and a monument at Veterans Memorial Park in Andrews, not far from their childhood home and birthplace.[7]

In the mid-1950s a 30-bed non-profit regional hospital named District Memorial was constructed in Andrews.[8] Citing uncollected payments, District Memorial declared bankruptcy in 2000, closed soon afterward, and was demolished.[9][10] Today the town is served by Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital 12 miles (19 km) southwest in Peachtree.

Mayoral history

  1. David Samuel Russell (1905–c.1928)
  2. J.H. Chrsity (1929–)
  3. D.S. Russell (1931–)
  4. D.H. Tillitt (c.1939)
  5. R.T. Heaton (c.1943)
  6. Percy B. Ferebee (c.1961–1966)
  7. Ty Burnette (c.1971)
  8. Nancy Curtis (2013–)
  9. James Reid (2017–present)[11]

Geography

Andrews is located in northeastern Cherokee County on the south side of the Valley River, a southwestward-flowing tributary of the Hiwassee River and part of the Tennessee River watershed.

U.S. Routes 19, 74, and U.S. Route 129 form a four-lane bypass around the northern edge of the town; the highways lead northeast 8 miles (13 km) to Topton, where they diverge, and southwest 15 miles (24 km) to Murphy, the county seat. Bryson City is 32 miles (51 km) northeast via US 19/74, and Robbinsville is 20 miles (32 km) north via US 129.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Andrews has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.2 km2), all land.[4]

Valleytown Township dominates the eastern part of Cherokee County. The area is bordered by Graham County to the north, Clay County to the south, and Macon County to the east. Within the township are the towns of Marble in the west, Andrews at the center, and Topton in the far east at the Macon and Graham county lines.

Climate

Climate data for Andrews, North Carolina, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1909–2008
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 78
(26)		 81
(27)		 86
(30)		 90
(32)		 96
(36)		 100
(38)		 100
(38)		 98
(37)		 98
(37)		 94
(34)		 88
(31)		 76
(24)		 100
(38)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 50.0
(10.0)		 54.4
(12.4)		 61.9
(16.6)		 69.7
(20.9)		 77.3
(25.2)		 83.7
(28.7)		 86.2
(30.1)		 86.0
(30.0)		 81.6
(27.6)		 72.4
(22.4)		 61.2
(16.2)		 53.4
(11.9)		 69.8
(21.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 38.4
(3.6)		 41.5
(5.3)		 48.3
(9.1)		 55.6
(13.1)		 63.9
(17.7)		 71.1
(21.7)		 74.3
(23.5)		 73.4
(23.0)		 68.6
(20.3)		 57.9
(14.4)		 47.3
(8.5)		 41.3
(5.2)		 56.8
(13.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 26.7
(−2.9)		 28.6
(−1.9)		 34.8
(1.6)		 41.6
(5.3)		 50.6
(10.3)		 58.5
(14.7)		 62.4
(16.9)		 60.8
(16.0)		 55.7
(13.2)		 43.4
(6.3)		 33.5
(0.8)		 29.1
(−1.6)		 43.8
(6.6)
Record low °F (°C) −19
(−28)		 −11
(−24)		 −4
(−20)		 15
(−9)		 23
(−5)		 33
(1)		 42
(6)		 41
(5)		 26
(−3)		 16
(−9)		 0
(−18)		 −4
(−20)		 −19
(−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.79
(147)		 5.87
(149)		 5.42
(138)		 4.67
(119)		 5.51
(140)		 5.57
(141)		 5.02
(128)		 5.46
(139)		 4.85
(123)		 3.47
(88)		 5.40
(137)		 6.08
(154)		 63.11
(1,603)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.9 9.6 11.2 9.7 10.9 11.5 11.9 11.2 8.3 7.5 9.9 10.8 122.4
Source 1: NOAA (precip/precip days 1981–2010)[12][13]
Source 2: XMACIS2[14]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1910936—
19201,63474.6%
19301,7487.0%
19401,520−13.0%
19501,397−8.1%
19601,4040.5%
19701,384−1.4%
19801,62117.1%
19902,55157.4%
20001,602−37.2%
20101,78111.2%
20201,667−6.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]

2020 census

Andrews racial composition[16]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 1,388 83.26%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 21 1.26%
Native American 25 1.5%
Other/Mixed 94 5.64%
Hispanic or Latino 139 8.34%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,667 people, 714 households, and 400 families residing in the town.

2010 census

In the 2010 census, the total population was 1,781 people residing in 780 households including 452 family units. The population density was 1,090 people per square mile.[17]

Transportation

The Western Carolina Regional Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the central business district of Andrews.[18][19]

Andrews was served by railroad from 1891 until the 1980s when Norfolk Southern decided to close the Murphy Branch west of Sylva, North Carolina, because of declining freight traffic. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad operated passenger excursions from Dillsboro, North Carolina to Andrews from 1988 until 2010.[20][21]

Law enforcement

The Andrews Police Department occupies the former town hall, a 1940s stone building that city administration moved out of in 2023. The town's police department faced turmoil in the early 2020s, according to the Cherokee Scout newspaper, as it went through eight police chiefs in six years.[22][23] In 2020 the police chief resigned after the mayor ordered him to establish checkpoints and harass visitors to prevent COVID-19 from entering Andrews.[24] In 2021 an officer wrecked a patrol car at a high speed downtown. Afterwards, officers contemplated disabling their automatic vehicle locators so they couldn't be tracked.[25] That same year the city's entire police force was suspended after officers reportedly moved cameras facing locations like the station's evidence room.[26] In May 2023 the assistant chief was wounded after he was accidentally shot with an AR-15 style rifle.[27] In June 2023 a female officer who allegedly stalked a 16-year-old Andrews High School student she dated was ordered to stay away from the girl.[28] In September 2023 the police chief was suspended after he was charged with obtaining property under false pretenses and obstruction of justice. He died before arrest.[29]

Media

Andrews was served by the weekly Andrews Journal newspaper from 1959 until January 1, 2019, when it merged with the Cherokee Scout in Murphy. Andrews no longer has a newspaper of its own.[30]

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Andrews, North Carolina
  3. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Andrews town, North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  5. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  6. ↑ Neufeld, Rob (May 2, 2016). "Visiting Our Past: Andrews Author Provides Insight into 'Affrilachia' May 2". Asheville Citizen-Times.
  7. ↑ Gobeo, Gary (June 24, 2016). "Guest Columnist: Brothers Killed Days Apart at Okinawa Remembered". Asheville Citizen-Times. Gannett. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Andrews to get $345,000 district hospital soon". The Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC. May 20, 1954. p. A1. Accessed January 18, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Hospital Briefs". Modern Healthcare. Crain Communications. June 12, 2000. Accessed January 18, 2024.
  10. ↑ McGoun, Bill (July 25, 2020). "McGoun: Pondering the plight of rural hospitals in WNC from one of their beds". Citizen-Times. Asheville, NC: Gannett. District Memorial Hospital in Andrews is long gone and its buildings have been razed. Accessed January 18, 2024.
  11. ↑ Brown, David (November 8, 2023). "This week in local history". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, North Carolina: Community Newspapers.
  12. ↑ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Andrews, NC (1991–20200". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  13. ↑ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Andrews, NC (1981–2010)". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  14. ↑ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 (DP-1): Andrews town, North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  18. ↑ FAA Airport Form 5010 for RHP PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective July 29, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Andrews-Murphy Airport". Cherokee County. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
  20. ↑ "Special Excursions". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. 2001. Archived from the original on January 26, 2001. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. 2002. Archived from the original on December 16, 2002. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  22. ↑ Foster, Randy (December 29, 2023). "Officer settling in as hometown police chief". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, North Carolina: Community Newspapers. p. A1. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  23. ↑ Foster, Randy (October 17, 2023). "Andrews hires new police chief". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, North Carolina: Community Newspapers. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  24. ↑ Ray, Penny (July 16, 2020). "Andrews police chief resigns". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, North Carolina: Community Newspapers. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  25. ↑ Ray, Penny (April 20, 2021). "Entire town police force suspended". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, North Carolina: Community Newspapers. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  26. ↑ Knoepp, Lilly (April 26, 2021). "Entire Andrews Police Force Suspended, Placed On Paid Leave". Blue Ridge Public Radio. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  27. ↑ Foster, Randy (May 26, 2023). "Ass't. chief wounded when rifle goes off outside Andrews PD". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, North Carolina: Community Newspapers. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  28. ↑ Foster, Randy (June 27, 2023). "Police officer accused of stalking teen". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, North Carolina: Community Newspapers. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  29. ↑ Emert, Jennifer (October 11, 2023). "New police chief appointed in Andrews following former chief's death and legal controversy". WLOS. Asheville, North Carolina: ABC 13 News. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  30. ↑ "The Andrews Journal (Andrews, N.C.) 1959-Current". Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries. Library of Congress.
  31. ↑ "Dave Bristol at North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Our State Magazine Charles Frazier Profile". OurState.com. August 31, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
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