Brevard, North Carolina
—  City  —
Ross Hall, Brevard College
Location of Brevard, North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°14′30″N 82°43′43″W / 35.24167°N 82.72861°W / 35.24167; -82.72861Coordinates: 35°14′30″N 82°43′43″W / 35.24167°N 82.72861°W / 35.24167; -82.72861
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Transylvania
Area
• Total	4.8 sq mi (12.5 km2)
• Land	4.8 sq mi (12.4 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	2,231 ft (680 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	7,609
• Density	1,412.6/sq mi (545.4/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	28712
Area code(s)	828
FIPS code	37-07720[1]
GNIS feature ID	1009587[2]
Website	www.cityofbrevard.com

Transylvania County Courthouse, Brevard

Brevard is a town in Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 7,609 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Transylvania County.^[3]

Brevard is located near the entrance to Pisgah National Forest and has become a noted tourism, retirement and cultural center in western North Carolina. A moderate climate, environmental beauty and cultural activities attract relocators to the area.

Geography [edit]

Brevard is located at 35°14′30″N 82°43′43″W / 35.24167°N 82.72861°W / 35.24167; -82.72861 (35.241625, -82.728701)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.12 square miles.^[5] Of that 0.21% is water.

The area's many waterfalls have earned it the nickname,"The Land of Waterfalls." Some notable examples include Looking Glass Falls, Connestee Falls, and Sliding Rock.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics [edit]

As of the census^[1] of 2010, there were 7,609 people, 3,253 households, and 1,711 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,486 people per square mile (545.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.3% White, 11.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.07%, 0.46% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.7% of the population.

There were 2,826 households, out of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12, and the average family size was 2.73.

The population was distributed broadly among different age groups, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,497, and the median income for a family was $44,489. Males had a median income of $26,929 versus $21,348 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,256. About 7.61% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education [edit]

Brevard is the home of Brevard College, a four-year liberal arts institution with nationally recognized programs in music and environmental studies. The town is home to the Brevard Music Center, one of the nation's preeminent summer music teaching and performance institutions, as well as to a campus of the Blue Ridge Community College. Brevard also has an extensive local music and arts community.

Celebrations [edit]

Independence Day is a major event in Brevard. The celebrations include an annual fireworks display and a car judging competition. Streets downtown are blocked off for a festival including games, arts and crafts, concerts and food vendors.

Other annual celebrations are Halloweenfest^[6] and the White Squirrel Festival on Memorial Day featuring Squirrel Box Derby cars that race down Jailhouse Hill. The white variant of the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is commonly seen around Brevard.^[7][8]

Christmas: Early in the morning runners come out for the Reindeer Run 5K Run. Street vendors appear in the afternoon after downtown is closed to traffic. The Christmas Parade proceeds down South Broad Street around noon, starting at Brevard High School and ending at Brevard College. After nightfall, a thousand luminaries are lit by some of the students from the High School as part of the Twilight Tour.^[9]

Sports and leisure [edit]

Mountain Biking: Due to the proximity of both The Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Forest mountain biking opportunities abound. In all there are approximately 200 miles of bike trail in the county. The area is also home to The Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race and The Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race.

Road Biking: The area is popular among road cyclists. The premier event of the year is the 1,000 bicycles participating in the Assault on the Carolinas featuring 100K, 40K and 20K races through the mountains of North and South CarolinaThe Blue Ridge Parkway is nearby and is by far the most scenic road route around.

Races: In addition to the Reindeer Run, Brevard also has the Flight of the Vampire 5K Run and 10K run on October 30, the White Squirrel 5K and 10K run, and the Firecracker 5K and 10k run.

Clubs: Glen Cannon Country Club is located just outside Brevard, offering golf, tennis, and pools. Brevard Health and Racquet offers tennis and swimming, in addition to a full gym with free weights, yoga, and kickboxing. The Fitness Factory and Brevard Rock Gym are located just down S. Broad St. from downtown, both are indoor all-season gyms.

Pickup sports: Brevard Ultimate Club plays weekly on Sundays at 4:15PM on the Recreation Fields behind the Elementary school on Ecusta Rd. Co-ed rec volleyball and softball are also popular.

Rock Climbing: Brevard is a well known destination for rock climbers, featuring Looking Glass, Cedar Rock, and many other areas of interest.

Notable people [edit]

• Joseph R. Bryson (1893–1953), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Gil Coan (born 1922), former Major League baseball outfielder
• Spencer Fisher (born 1976), mixed martial artist
• Courtney W. Hamlin (1858–1950), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• James A. Hefner, former president, Tennessee State University (son of Art Hefner)
• Clifford B. Hicks (1920–2010), author
• Allen Hunt (born 1964), radio personality
• Randy Johnson (1944–2009), American football player
• Moms Mabley (1894–1975), stand-up comedian
• Mickey Marvin (born 1955), American football player Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
• Cliff Melton (1912–1986), Major League baseball pitcher
• Lauren Myracle (born 1969), author
• James Champlin "Champ" Osteen (1877–1962), Major League baseball infielder
• Charles H. Taylor, (born 1941), former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Steep Canyon Rangers, Grammy winning bluegrass band

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Official website
• Brevard Chamber of Commerce
• Brevard/Transylvania Tourism Development Authority

v t e Municipalities and communities of Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States County seat: Brevard City Brevard Town Rosman Unincorporated communities Balsam Grove Cedar Mountain Lake Toxaway Penrose Pisgah Forest Sapphire