Blowing Rock is a town in Watauga and Caldwell counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 1,376 at the 2020 census. followed eight years later by the Blowing Rock Hotel. Walter Alexander, a prominent local resident, touted the clean air and healthy environment of Blowing Rock; in 1922 he opened his own hotel, called Mayview Manor.

As the tourist economy became Blowing Rock's main industry in the late 19th century, the town was forced to adapt to meeting the needs of tourists. The need for cleaner and better streets (most streets then were simply dirt tracks) led to the paving of the town's streets and highways. Another issue involved the need to build fences to keep farm animals from wandering into town and disturbing visitors - at the time most farms in the area were not fenced. In 1896 the town passed an ordinance which required local farmers to fence in their livestock.

The introduction of the automobile and improved roads early in the 20th century further eased the journey to Blowing Rock, and visitors began to arrive from as far away as Florida. Today Blowing Rock remains a tourist destination for visitors from all over the United States. Due to the town's well-to-do, out-of-state summertime residents, Blowing Rock has restaurants, hotels, golf courses, and other attractions. A recent priority for Blowing Rock's residents has been to preserve and protect the town's historic structures and maintaining the small-town charm and scenery that has attracted so many people for the last 150 years.

In addition to the Green Park Inn, the Bollinger-Hartley House, East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Locomotive No. 12, Gragg House, Green Park Historic District, Randall Memorial Building, Former, Vardell Family Cottages Historic District, Westglow, and Moses Cone's Flat Top Manor are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church (Boone, NC), operates the Church of the Epiphany as a seasonal, mission church in Blowing Rock.

Geography

thumb|The rocky outcropping of [[Blowing Rock (land feature)|Blowing Rock]]

thumb|Looking southeast at sunset over the [[foothills of the Blue Ridge]]

Blowing Rock is located in southern Watauga County in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The southernmost portion of the town, including the actual Blowing Rock cliff, is located in Caldwell County.

The town is located on the crest of the Blue Ridge. Most of the town lies just north of the crest, with waters draining north to the Middle Fork of the New River and thence to the Ohio River valley, while to the south of the ridgecrest, waters flow via the Johns River to the Catawba River valley and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which of the area is land, and , or 1.49% of the total area, is water.

Climate

The climate in the area can be described as warm-summer humid continental (Dfb), or highland subtropical climate (Cfb) depending on the isotherm used; Köppen Climate Classification. This results in an unusual climate compared to the rest of North Carolina; the town's elevation of above sea level results in cooler summer temperatures than lowland areas to the east and south. Daytime temperatures in the summer infrequently rise above . Temperatures in the winter are much colder and harsher than what would be expected in a southern state, being more similar to southern coastal New England. Daytime highs can frequently fall into the 20s or lower. Snow, sleet, and freezing rain are all common in the winter months. Springtime and Autumn in Blowing Rock are both cool and generally pleasant.

Rainfall is moderate; thunderstorms are occasional and rarely severe.

The biggest 24-hour temperature change recorded in North Carolina was recorded at Blowing Rock on 1 January 1979, yielding a temperature range of 63 degrees, from −8 °F to 55 °F.

Demographics

2020 census

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"

|+Blowing Rock racial composition

!scope="col"| Race

!scope="col"| Number

!scope="col"| Percentage

|-

!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)

| 1,291

| 93.82%

|-

!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

| 3

| 0.22%

|-

!scope="row"| Native American

| 1

| 0.07%

|-

!scope="row"| Asian

| 10

| 0.73%

|-

!scope="row"| Other/Mixed

| 38

| 2.76%

|-

!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino

| 33

| 2.4%

|}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,376 people, 619 households, and 357 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census

  • Tyler Pennel, long-distance runner
  • Tom Robbins, author, recounted some early memories of Blowing Rock in Wild Ducks Flying Backward and in his 2014 "memoir" Tibetan Peach Pie
  • Christopher Seitz, Old Testament scholar and theologian
  • Cullie Tarleton, businessman and politician
  • Harry Foster Welch, radio and voice actor, best known for portraying the voice of Popeye in cartoons
  • Daniel Winkler, custom knife maker based in Blowing Rock
  • Greg Bovino, U.S. Border Patrol commander, grew up in Blowing Rock and attended Western Carolina University

See also

  • Blowing Rock (land feature)

References

  • Town website
  • Blowing Rock Civic Association
  • Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce
  • Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority
  • The Blowing Rocket newspaper