Morganton

History

An influx of European settlers over the Blue Ridge Mountains led Morganton to become the first chartered town in western North Carolina in 1784.

On April 17, 1865, there was a small skirmish fought in Morganton, as part of Stoneman's 1865 raid through North Carolina.

Public welfare facilities, such as the North Carolina School for the Deaf: Main Building and Western North Carolina Insane Asylum, were first authorized by the state legislature in the late 19th century.

In the early 20th century, textile mills were developed in the Piedmont as industry left union-dominated areas of the Northeast United States. During the century, however, these industrial jobs gradually moved offshore.

In the late 20th century, Morganton and Burke County, was still largely rural and with big poultry farms, which became locations for industrial-scale poultry processing plants. These jobs attracted many new immigrants to the state from Central America, leading to an increase in the Latino population in the area.

In 2006, an explosion at Synthron, a paint additive chemical manufacturer in Morganton, left 13 injured and one dead.

A 9-foot (2.7 m)-tall bronze statue of a Confederate soldier—erected in 1918—is located atop a stone pedestal in the Old Burke County Courthouse square.

Geography

Morganton is located in central Burke County in the Catawba River valley in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is part of Appalachia. According to the United States Census Bureau, Morganton has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.6 km2), all land.

Climate

Morganton has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and is located in hardiness zone 7b.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Morganton had a population of 17,474. The median age was 39.5 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.5 males age 18 and over.

96.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.1% lived in rural areas.

There were 6,862 households in Morganton, including 3,907 families, and 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.3% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 7,559 housing units, of which 9.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%.

Income and poverty

The median household income is $47,715 with an owner-occupied housing rate of 51.6%.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 16,918 people, 7,618 households, and 4,117 families residing in the city. The population density was 953.0 inhabitants per square mile (368.0/km2). There were 7,313 housing units at an average density of 402.6 per square mile (155.4/km2). The racial composition of the city was: 75.67% White, 12.76% Black or African American, 11.16% Hispanic or Latino American, 1.99% Asian American, 0.55% Native American, 0.81% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 6.64% some other race, and 1.58% two or more races.

There were 7,618 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,836, and the median income for a family was $42,687. Males had a median income of $29,118 versus $24,723 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,906. About 9.7% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

State-operated facilities in Morganton include Broughton Hospital (a psychiatric hospital), the North Carolina School for the Deaf, J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center, and the second campus of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Other employers include furniture manufacturing facilities and tourists traveling on Interstate 40 to attractions in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Founded in 2015, the Industrial Commons is an incubator in Morganton for regional co-ops and service programs working to revive the textile and furniture industries in the area.

Arts and culture

Events and venues

Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church hosts an annual Parish Food Festival in the first week of November.

The Morganton Festival takes place the weekend after Labor Day, featuring local vendors and live music.

The City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium is a public auditorium that hosts performances and events.

Morganton hosts summer concerts on the Burke County Courthouse Square, featuring local and regional performers.

Parks and recreation

Catawba Meadows Park is very close to downtown Morganton and has several baseball diamonds, beach volleyball courts, and other facilities.

Martha's Park in downtown Morganton features a splash pad, playground, and picnic area.

Freedom Park, adjacent to Freedom High School in Morganton, is a 30-acre park with multiple sports practice facilities (sand volleyball, football, soccer, baseball/softball), lighted tennis court, picnic shelters with grills, and a one-mile lighted track.

Golf courses

Silver Creek Golf Club

Mimosa Hills Golf and Country Club

Education

Colleges and universities

Western Piedmont Community College

Foothills Higher Education Center, occupied by Western Piedmont Community College's Division of Continuing Education and serves as a satellite campus for certain courses of study offered by Appalachian State University, Lees-McRae College, Montreat College and Western Carolina University.

Public schools

Burke County Public Schools:

Freedom High School

Robert L. Patton High School

Table Rock Middle School

Liberty Middle School

Walter R. Johnson Middle School

Glen Alpine Elementary School

Mull Elementary School

Hillcrest Elementary School

W. A. Young Elementary School

Burke Alternative School

College Street Academy

Salem Elementary School

Forest Hill Elementary School

Oak Hill Elementary School

Burke Middle College

Mountain View Elementary School

East Burke High School

Draughn High School

Private schools

Morganton Day School

Silver Creek Adventist School

Charter schools

New Dimensions Charter School

Specialized STEM schools

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

Special education

North Carolina School for the Deaf

North Liberty Middle School

Other institutions

J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center

Broughton Hospital (Psychiatric Hospital Established 1883)

Media

Radio

WCIS (AM) / 760 AM / Religious

WMNC (AM) / 1430 AM / Country

WMNC-FM / 92.1 FM / Country

WHGW / 100.3 FM / Religious

Print

The Morganton News Herald is a daily newspaper (circulation 12,000).

The Paper is a community-owned weekly newspaper dedicated exclusively to covering Burke County news, founded in 2023.

Infrastructure

Highways

Interstate 40

U.S. Route 70

U.S. Route 64

Notable people

W. Ted Alexander, member of the North Carolina Senate

Alphonso Calhoun Avery, jurist, military officer, and politician

Isaac E. Avery, most remembered for the blood-stained note he wrote to his father before dying at Gettysburg during the American Civil War

William Waightstill Avery, North Carolina politician and lawyer; brother of Isaac E. Avery

Etta Baker, guitarist and singer of the Piedmont Blues

Johnny Bristol, musician and Motown producer

Donald Brown, former CFL defensive back

Taylor Brown, attorney, LGBTQ rights advocate, and New York City government official

Tod Robinson Caldwell, governor of North Carolina from 1871 to 1874

Joe Cheves, professional golfer and member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

Warren Daniel, North Carolina State Senator

Kony Ealy, NFL defensive end

Robert C. Ervin, North Carolina Superior Court judge

Sam Ervin, U.S. senator from 1954 to 1974, notable during the Joseph McCarthy hearings and Watergate hearings

Kerri Gardin, WNBA player

Alfreda Gerald, vocalist and recording artist