Old Fort is a town in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 811 in the 2020 U.S. census, down from 908 in 2010.
History
Before the arrival of European settlers, the area that is now Old Fort was populated by the Catawba and Cherokee. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers came through the area. It was called Davidson's Fort and was the post for military expeditions such as that of Gen. Griffith Rutherford in 1776.
On January 25, 1872, the town of Catawba Vale was founded. The town name was changed to Old Fort on February 23, 1873, honoring its origins.
In the 1950s the Supreme Court of North Carolina dismissed a case brought by students attempting to attend the all-white school in Old Fort. They were told to attend Hudgins High School, a school for blacks, away in Marion.
In 1984, the town began free weekly Mountain Music concerts, held in the historic Rockett Building each Friday night downtown. They attracted large audiences and numerous musicians. In mid-2014, the organization that ran Mountain Music lost its arrangement with the building owner, and the weekly music shows ended after 27 years.
Geography
Old Fort is east of Asheville and west of Morganton. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. The town is surrounded by Pisgah National Forest which includes bogs, cove forests, fens, and hemlock forests. Temperature variations between night and day can reach 21 degrees in the summer and 23 degrees in the winter.
The annual average precipitation at Old Fort is . Rainfall is fairly uniformly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is March, with an average rainfall of .
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 811 people, 463 households, and 290 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 79.04% White, 13.32% African American, 4.19% Hispanic or Latino, 3.21 other races, and 0.25% Asian. The median age is 46.3. Educational attainment of the population is: 18.1% high school diploma and 15.4% with a bachelor's degree.
! scope="col" | Race
! scope="col" | Number
! scope="col" | Percentage
|-
! scope="row" | White (non-Hispanic)
| 641
| 79.04%
|-
! scope="row" | Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
| 108
| 13.32%
|-
! scope="row" | Asian
| 2
| 0.25%
|-
! scope="row" | Other/Mixed
| 26
| 3.21%
|-
! scope="row" | Hispanic or Latino
| 34
| 4.19%
|}
Economy
In 2020, the median household income was $28,269. Of the 463 households in town, 59.2% of the residents own their home.
Arts and culture
thumb|right|[[Andrews Geyser]]
Arts and museums
Old Fort has several attractions, including Andrews Geyser, a gravity-fed fountain created in 1879 as a railroad attraction. Davidson's Fort Historic Park, a nonprofit organization, has reconstructed Davidson Fort, the Revolutionary War and host re-enactments and educational activities. The state operates the Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center which depicts local traditions and lifestyles from the 18th century through the 20th century The North Carolina Gold Festival is held the first Friday/Saturday in June, also on the grounds of Mountain Gateway Museum. Old Fort's Chamber of Commerce sponsors Octoberfest the first weekend in October on the grounds of Mountain Gateway Museum. The Arrowhead Monument was built in 1930 as a symbol of peace between the Iroquoian-speaking Cherokee people and Siouan-speaking Catawba people.
Infrastructure
U.S. Highway 70 passes through the town as Main Street, and Interstate 40 crosses the southern extent of the town, with access from Exits 72 (US 70) and 73 (Catawba Avenue).