Burnsville is a town that serves as the county seat of Yancey County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, it sits in the shadow of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the Eastern Continental United States. The population was 1,612 at the 2020 census.
History
The town was founded on March 6, 1834, from land conveyed by John "Yellow Jacket" Bailey, and it was named after Captain Otway Burns, a naval hero of the War of 1812. In 1909, a statue of Captain Burns was given to the town by his grandson, Walter Francis Burns Sr., and it was set on a granite pedestal in the center of the town square. It has an inscription that reads, in part, "He Guarded Well Our Seas, Let Our Mountains Honor Him." Due to damages, the original statue was replaced in the early 2000s.
On April 6, 2010, Burnsville, the only incorporated town within Yancey County, held a referendum providing for the legal sale of alcohol within the town limits. The referendum passed. After applying for and receiving the applicable permits, Burnsville now operates an ABC store; some retail establishments now sell beer and wine; and a few restaurants sell beer, wine, and mixed drinks. Graham County is the last remaining fully dry county in the state of North Carolina.
In September 2024, Burnsville and the surrounding area was heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene and subsequent storm-induced landslides, resulting in devastating property and infrastructure damage to Yancey, Mitchell, and Avery Counties. Officials reported the damages and repairs to the area to be over $50 billion.
Historic structures
One of the oldest buildings is the Nu-Wray Inn. It was built in 1833 and now, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[https://web.archive.org/web/20080315174008/http://www.hpo.dcr.state.nc.us/nrlist.htm]
The Parkway Playhouse, the oldest continually operating summer stock theater company in North Carolina, is located in Burnsville. It was founded in 1947 by W. R. Taylor, a professor of drama from the Woman's College of North Carolina-now the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and a group of dedicated community leaders. Several other structures in Burnsvile are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They include the Bald Creek Historic District, Chase-Coletta House, Citizens Bank Building, John Wesley McElroy House, Yancey Collegiate Institute Historic District, and Yancey County Courthouse.
Annual fair
thumb|alt=View of the 2014 Crafts Fair from Town Hall|2014 Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair
The Mt. Mitchell Craft Fair is held in Burnsville. This annual event, founded in 1956, attracts thousands of tourists and more than 200 vendors and performers. The fair is known for the local and visiting artisans who exhibit their handmade arts and crafts.
Established in 1956, The Mount Mitchell Arts & Crafts Fair is coordinated and sponsored by the Burnsville-Yancey Chamber of Commerce. It is the first Friday and Saturday in August in historic downtown Burnsville and features more than 200 vendors and performers. The event includes bluegrass and acoustic music, food vendors, and a unique selection of handmade arts and crafts from artisans across the country.
The Mt. Mitchell Arts & Crafts Fair brings together mountain heritage, traditional crafting, and contemporary art creating an event not to be missed.
Geography
Burnsville is located in the mountains of western North Carolina, at 2,749 feet above sea level. It is on a tributary of the Cane River, just north of the Black Mountains, and 30 miles northeast of Asheville. U.S. Highway 19E runs through the town, leading to Interstate 26 and Mars Hill to the west and, to the east, to Spruce Pine.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Burnsville had a population of 1,614. The median age was 49.6 years. 16.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 30.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.4 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 737 households in Burnsville, of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. There were 520 families residing in the town. Of all households, 37.7% were married-couple households, 19.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 41.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)
| 1,374
| 85.13%
|-
!scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
| 26
| 1.61%
|-
!scope="row"| Native American
| 10
| 0.62%
|-
!scope="row"| Asian
| 11
| 0.68%
|-
!scope="row"| Pacific Islander
| 1
| 0.06%
|-
!scope="row"| Other/Mixed
| 51
| 3.16%
|-
!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino
| 141
| 8.74%
|}
2000 census
As of the census
Formerly, Burnsville had two textile mills, with Avondale Mills and Glen Raven, Inc. each operating a mill in the town. The closures of the Avondale Mills facility and Taylor Togs' Micaville blue jeans factory occurred in 2004.
Mountain Gardens is a botanical garden on Shuford Creek Road, bordered by National Forest under the Black Mountains. Paradise is a 2025 documentary film about Joe Hollis and Mountain Gardens, by Garret Martin.
Points of interest
- The Nu-Wray Inn has been used as a hotel since its construction in 1833.
- The Parkway Playhouse, founded in 1947, as a summer stock theatre, is one of the oldest continually operating theatre companies in North Carolina.
- John Wesley McElroy House, built circa 1830s, now is used as a museum.
- Mt. Mitchell, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River is located nearby in southern Yancey County.
- Mayland Earth to Sky Park offers views of the certified dark skies with its observatory and planetarium shows.
Development
In 2006, the North Carolina Department of Transportation began widening U.S. 19 and U.S. 19E from a two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway. The construction began at the junction of Interstate 26 in Madison County and continued to where U.S. 19E intersects with Jacks Creek Road. Construction on this section was completed and was dedicated on November 2, 2012. Work on widening the next section to the Micaville intersection was completed and opened to a four-lane traffic pattern over the weekend of October 29–30, 2016.