Rutherford College, North Carolina
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Rutherford College, North Carolina
| settlement_type = Town
| nickname =
| motto = "Small but unique and moving forward"
| image_skyline = Rutherford-College-historical-marker-nc.jpg
| image_caption = Historical marker along Malcolm Boulevard
| image_flag = Rutherford College, NC Town Flag.jpg
| image_seal = Rutherford College, NC Town Seal.jpg
| image_map = NCMap-doton-RutherfordCollege.PNG
| mapsize = 250px
| map_caption = Location of Rutherford College, North Carolina
| image_map1 =
| mapsize1 =
| map_caption1 =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = North Carolina
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = Burke
| government_footnotes =
| government_type =
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 =
| leader_name1 =
| established_title =
| established_date =
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_magnitude =
| area_total_km2 = 5.95
| area_land_km2 = 5.95
| area_water_km2 = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi = 2.30
| area_land_sq_mi = 2.30
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
| population_as_of = 2020
| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 1226
| population_density_km2 = 206.04
| population_density_sq_mi = 533.74
| timezone = Eastern (EST)
| utc_offset = -5
| timezone_DST = EDT
| utc_offset_DST = -4
| elevation_ft = 1217
| coordinates = {{coord|35|44|27|N|81|31|31|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type = ZIP code
| postal_code = 28671
| area_code = 828
| blank_name = FIPS code
| blank_info = 37-58440{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}
| blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
| blank1_info = 2407261{{GNIS|2407261}}
| website = {{URL|www.rutherfordcollegenc.us}}
| footnotes =
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Rutherford College is a town in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 1,341.{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3758440| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212192049/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3758440| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Rutherford College town, North Carolina| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=February 14, 2014}} It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton metropolitan area.
The town was named for the college that was once located there, Rutherford College, which operated from the 1850s until the 1930s. The campus was later purchased by Valdese General Hospital.[http://www.rutherfordcollegenc.us/history.html "History of the town of Rutherford College, North Carolina"], official website for the town of Rutherford College, North Carolina
Geography
Rutherford College is located in eastern Burke County. It is bordered by Valdese to the west and Connelly Springs to the east.
U.S. Route 70 passes east–west through the southern part of town, and Interstate 40 passes through the southernmost section of the town, with access from exit 113. Morganton, the county seat, is {{convert|9|mi|0}} to the west, and Hickory is {{convert|12|mi}} to the east. The town is {{convert|65|mi}} east of Asheville, {{convert|66|mi}} northwest of Charlotte, and {{convert|184|mi}} west of the North Carolina state capital of Raleigh.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|5.9|sqkm|disp=flip}}, all of it land.
Demographics
{{US Census population
|1910= 229
|1920= 275
|1930= 330
|1980= 1108
|1990= 1126
|2000= 1293
|2010= 1341
|2020= 1226
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}
}}
=2020 census=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Rutherford College racial composition{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US3758440&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-21|website=data.census.gov}} !scope="col"| Race !scope="col"| Number !scope="col"| Percentage |
| scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)
| 1,115 | 90.95% |
|---|
| scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
| 17 | 1.39% |
| scope="row"| Native American
| 1 | 0.08% |
| scope="row"| Asian
| 30 | 2.45% |
| scope="row"| Other/Mixed
| 27 | 2.2% |
| scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino
| 36 | 2.94% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,226 people, 534 households, and 358 families residing in the town.
=2000 census=
File:Rutherford-College-town-hall-nc.jpg
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,293 people, 541 households, and 381 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|568.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 570 housing units at an average density of {{convert|250.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 93.74% White, 0.39% African American, 0.31% Native American, 4.25% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
There were 541 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,579, and the median income for a family was $42,206.
Notable people
- Arthur Talmage Abernethy (1872–1956), journalist, minister, scholar; first North Carolina Poet Laureate{{cite book|last=Powell|first=William Stevens|title=Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. Vol. 1, A-C|year=1979|publisher=University of North Carolina Press|location=Chapel Hill, NC|isbn=9780807813294|page=4|chapter=Abernethy, Arthur Talmage}}
- Charles Laban Abernethy (1872–1955), lawyer, congressman from North Carolina{{cite web|title=ABERNETHY, Charles Laban, (1872 - 1955)|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=A000015|work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|publisher=US Congress|accessdate=November 9, 2012}}
- Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1882–1973), folklorist, lawyer
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Rutherford College, North Carolina}}
- [http://rutherfordcollegenc.us Town website]
{{Burke County, North Carolina}}
{{Authority control}}