Peachtree, North Carolina, from the air in September 2023

Peachtree is a community located in Cherokee County, North Carolina.[1] It is named after the numerous peach trees found in the area. The local schools are Peachtree Elementary School, Murphy and Andrews Middle School, and Murphy and Andrews High School.

Due to its central location near the border of Cherokee and Clay counties, Peachtree has also been home to major institutions serving the area. The Cherokee County Prison Camp opened in 1939 but was abandoned after 25 years following multiple escapes.[2] Its property became the main campus of Tri-County Community College, which opened in 1964 and serves Cherokee, Clay, and Graham counties.[3] Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, the only hospital in North Carolina west of Franklin and Bryson City, was founded in Peachtree in 1979.[4]

In 2003, Moog Inc. established a manufacturing facility in Peachtree employing more than 400 people to build motors and blowers for the aerospace industry.[5] Also, the $20 million, 66,000-square-foot Cherokee County School of Innovation & Technology campus opened in 2023.[6]

Additionally, the John C. Campbell Folk School is located two miles southeast in nearby Brasstown.

History

Before they were forcibly removed from the area via the Trail of Tears, Cherokee Native Americans had a courthouse building named the Hiwassee Townhouse located in Peachtree.[7] Peachtree had its own post office from 1839 to 1866 and again between 1878 and 1907.[8] The community was considered as a site for the Western Carolina Regional Airport, which was later constructed 8 miles (13 km) northeast in Marble.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Peachtree". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  2. ↑ Hilton, Mark (2018-09-18). "Prison Cell Door From the Cherokee County Prison Camp". The Historical Marker Database. HMDB.org.
  3. ↑ "Peachtree North Carolina". theblueridgehighlander.com.
  4. ↑ Fite, Elizabeth (2018-04-03). "Erlanger Murphy Medical Center opens doors". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Chattanooga Publishing Company.
  5. ↑ Bethea, Patrice (2020-04-27). "Aerospace Company to Invest $2.3 Million in Murphy". N.C. Department of Commerce.
  6. ↑ Brown, David (2023-05-14). "Touring the Schools of Innovation". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, N.C.
  7. ↑ Hyatt, Jr., Bass (2018). "Cherokee Indian Removal". In Avett, Wally (ed.). Brasstown Valley Myths & History. Blairsville, Georgia: Straub Publishing. p. 17-21. ISBN 9780991372669.
  8. ↑ Lewis, J.D. "Cherokee County, NC Post Offices - 1839 to 1971". Carolana.com.
  9. ↑ "Commission recommends Marble site for airport". The Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC. 1945-05-17. p. A1. Accessed January 12, 2024

35°05′38″N 83°56′34″W / 35.09389°N 83.94278°W / 35.09389; -83.94278


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.