Peachtree, North Carolina

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Coordinates: 35°05′38″N 83°56′34″W / 35.09389°N 83.94278°W / 35.09389; -83.94278
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Peachtree, North Carolina, from the air in September 2023

Peachtree is a community located in Cherokee County, North Carolina.[1] It is named after the numerous peach trees found in the area. The local schools are Peachtree Elementary School, Murphy and Andrews Middle School, and Murphy and Andrews High School.

Due to its central location near the border of Cherokee and Clay counties, Peachtree has also been home to major institutions serving the area. The Cherokee County Prison Camp opened in 1939 but was abandoned after 25 years following multiple escapes.[2] Its property became the main campus of Tri-County Community College, which opened in 1964 and serves Cherokee, Clay, and Graham counties.[3] Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, the only hospital in North Carolina west of Franklin and Bryson City, was founded in Peachtree in 1979.[4]

In 2003, Moog Inc. established a manufacturing facility in Peachtree employing more than 400 people to build motors and blowers for the aerospace industry.[5] Also, the $20 million, 66,000-square-foot Cherokee County School of Innovation & Technology campus opened in 2023.[6]

Additionally, the John C. Campbell Folk School is located 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast in nearby Brasstown.

History[edit]

Cherokee Native Americans had a courthouse building named the Hiwassee Townhouse located in Peachtree.[7] Around 1755, after being scattered by war, the Natchez Native Americans also established a town near Peachtree.[8][9] In 1820, a Baptist Mission School at the Natchez town was founded by Rev. Evan Jones.[9] The Native Americans were forcibly removed from the area during the summer of 1838 via the Trail of Tears.[7]

In 1837, settlers established a Baptist church in Peachtree.[10] Peachtree had its own post office from 1839 to 1866 and again between 1878 and 1907.[11] The community was considered as a site for the Western Carolina Regional Airport, which was later constructed 8 miles (13 km) northeast in Marble.[12] The community was formerly the site of the "Murphy Drive-In" movie theater. The theater's screen was flattened by high winds in 1974.[13]

In the early 2020s Peachtree was the planned site of a single consolidated high school for Cherokee County, combining Andrews, Hiwassee Dam, and Murphy high schools. In 2023, however, new members of the Cherokee County Board of Education voted against the plan.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Peachtree". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  2. ^ Hilton, Mark (2018-09-18). "Prison Cell Door From the Cherokee County Prison Camp". The Historical Marker Database. HMDB.org.
  3. ^ "Peachtree North Carolina". theblueridgehighlander.com.
  4. ^ Fite, Elizabeth (2018-04-03). "Erlanger Murphy Medical Center opens doors". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Chattanooga Publishing Company.
  5. ^ Bethea, Patrice (2020-04-27). "Aerospace Company to Invest $2.3 Million in Murphy". N.C. Department of Commerce.
  6. ^ Brown, David (2023-05-14). "Touring the Schools of Innovation". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, N.C.
  7. ^ a b Hyatt, Jr., Bass (2018). "Cherokee Indian Removal". In Avett, Wally (ed.). Brasstown Valley Myths & History. Blairsville, Georgia: Straub Publishing. p. 17-21. ISBN 9780991372669.
  8. ^ Mooney, James (1995). "The End of the Natchez". American Anthropologist: 520–521. JSTOR 658815.
  9. ^ a b "Cherokee County, North Carolina". www.carolana.com. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  10. ^ Williams, Ms. Michael Ann (1983-07-14), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form – Harshaw Chapel and Cemetery (PDF) Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  11. ^ Lewis, J.D. "Cherokee County, NC Post Offices - 1839 to 1971". Carolana.com.
  12. ^ "Commission recommends Marble site for airport". The Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC. 1945-05-17. p. A1. Accessed January 12, 2024
  13. ^ Brown, David (2024-03-27). "This Week in Local History". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers Inc. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  14. ^ Putnam, Jared (2023-01-10). "County officially turns down grant". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, N.C.: Community Newspapers, Inc.

35°05′38″N 83°56′34″W / 35.09389°N 83.94278°W / 35.09389; -83.94278


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