The
Communities of
Burke County, North Carolina
The communities in Burke County range from tourist and visitor-oriented to historic and industrial. The following is a description of several of our unique towns and cities.
Morganton
Stop, look and enjoy downtown Morganton. Located in the middle of the
county, off interstate 40, Morganton is the county seat and the
business/industrial hub of Burke County. It is a town which offers a
prelude to the great Blue Ridge, committed to perpetuating itself as a great
place to live, work, shop, play and do business, and was voted as one of the top
places to live in the United States. It is the largest town in the county
and provides an ideal mix of city services and conveniences. Established
in 1777 and incorporated in 1784, the town was named for General Daniel Morgan
of Revolutionary War fame. Its first name was Morgansborough, which was
later changed to Morganton. For additional information call (828) 437-8863
or (828) 438-5252, send an email to: pubinfo@ci.morganton.nc.us,
or visit them on the web at: www.ci.morganton.nc.us
or www.Morgantondtwn@hci.net.
Click to see larger version of photo 
Valdese
Situated due east of
Morganton, Valdese is the second largest town in the county. It was
founded in 1893 by the Waldensian pioneers who escaped generations of religious
persecution in the Cottian Alps of Northern Italy to settle here. Valdese
(which is derived from the Italian word Valdesi meaning Waldensian) was
incorporated in 1920. The story of the Waldenses is unique in the history
of North Carolina. While other towns across the United States were founded
by religious immigrants, Valdese is the only one to keep its heritage and
traditions intact and alive. The outdoor drama "From This Day
Forward", Trail of Faith and the Waldensian Museum tell their
story. A European ambiance is still evident in the downtown. Alba
Waldensian Hosiery and Waldensian Bakeries rank as two of the largest industries
in the county. For additional information on this quaint community, call
(828) 879-2116, or
Drexel
Drexel was named for
Anthony J. Drexel of a prominent family in Philadelphia. He was the
director of the Southern Railway when the station was named. World
renowned Drexel furniture is produced here. For additional information on
this quaint community, call (828) 437-7421, or send an email to: drexel@hci.net.
Connelly Springs
Connelly Springs is
two miles east of Valdese. Originally called Happy Home, the town's
name was later changed in honor of the Connelly family which developed a resort
around some nearby mineral springs.
Rutherford College
Rutherford College
is located centrally between Morganton and Hickory, encompassed on the east by
Connelly Springs and the west by the town of Valdese. The town was first
called Excelsior, but was later renamed for John Rutherford who donated
land for the college. The college was owned by the Southern Methodist
Conference and was merged in the 1930's with Weaver College and Brevard
Institute to become Brevard College located in Brevard, North Carolina.
The site for the college was where Valdese General Hospital is currently
located. Rutherford College is considered a small residential community
with two large industries: Beiersdorf Jobst and O'Mara Textiles. A new
lake front sub-division is in the planning stages at this time and will
eventually be located along Lake Rhodhiss on the northern side of Rutherford
College. For
additional information, call (828) 874-0333, or send an email to: rctown@vistatech.net.
Glen Alpine
Glen Alpine was
first called Turkey Tail for an old tree stump which resembled a
gobbler's tail, then Sigmonsburg for a general store manager. When
the railway came, it was named Glen Alpine, which means "mountain
valley". It was built around now dormant knitting and hosiery
mills. Today, most residents work in Morganton.
For additional
information, call (828) 584-2622.
Hildebran
Founded in
1899, Hildebran was originally named The Switch because the railroad made
the switch from one track to another here. Today Hildebran is home to
textile and furniture industries, as well as a large industrial
site. For
additional information, call (828) 397-5801.
If anyone has any information or photos that you would like to share regarding any of these communities, we would love to hear from you via email.
