West End, North Carolina
{{About|the unincorporated crossroad community in Moore County|the town in North Carolina formerly known as West End |Carrboro, North Carolina}}
{{use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = West End, North Carolina
|native_name =
|native_name_lang =
|settlement_type = Unincorporated community
|image_skyline = File:West End, North Carolina.jpg
|imagesize = 250px
|image_alt =
|image_caption = Former Stanley furniture plant before being razed
|etymology =
|nickname =
|named_for = Western terminus of a railroad{{cite web |url=https://ncpedia.org/gazetteer/search/West%20End/0 |title=North Carolina Gazetteer |accessdate= December 7, 2022}}
|coordinates = {{coord|35|14|23|N|79|34|03|W|type:city_region:US-NC_source:GNIS-enwiki|display=inline,title}}
|pushpin_map = North Carolina#USA
|pushpin_label = West End
|pushpin_label_position = right
|pushpin_map_caption =
|population_total =
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = North Carolina
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name2 = Moore
|established_title = Founded
|established_date = 1890
|timezone = Eastern (EST)
|utc_offset = -5
|timezone_DST = EDT
|utc_offset_DST = -4
|elevation_m = 185
|elevation_ft = 607
|postal_code_type = ZIP code
|postal_code = 27376
|area_codes = 910, 472
|blank_name = GNIS feature ID
|blank_info = 997007{{cite gnis|id=997007|name=West End, North Carolina|accessdate=December 7, 2022}}
}}
West End is an unincorporated community in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The community is located at the multiplex of two primary state highways, North Carolina Highway 211 (NC 211) and North Carolina Highway 73 (NC 73). It is named for when it was the western terminus of a railroad from Aberdeen, from about 1890–1898.
History
In the late 1880s, turpentine distillery operator Daniel McDonald of Moore County petitioned local railroad owner Allison Page to extend rail lines to his property to allow him to ship his products. Page agreed and extended the Aberdeen & Star Railroad {{convert|13|mi|km}} northwest from Aberdeen to McDonald's land.{{cite web |url=https://www.carolana.com/NC/Transportation/railroads/nc_rrs_aberdeen_star.html |title= Aberdeen & Star Railroad |publisher=North Carolina Railroads |accessdate=December 7, 2022}} The western terminal of this line was dubbed West End, and a community arose around it with the same name. All buildings in the community but the train station and a drug store were destroyed by fire in 1898.{{cite news| title = Communities: Small Towns, Rural Areas Offer History, Character| newspaper = The Pilot| date = January 28, 2009| url = https://www.thepilot.com/news/communities-small-towns-rural-areas-offer-history-character/article_a29ce700-8bca-56a8-8257-689d7256c858.html| access-date = April 21, 2023}}
In the aftermath of the fire, the community was rebuilt on an agricultural economy, with particular emphasis on the cultivation of peaches. In 1927, peach grower J.B. Von Cannon established a factory which eventually became the Sandhills Furniture Corporation. The facility was purchased by Stanley Furniture in 1965. In early 2002, Stanley Furniture closed its West End plant, eliminating a work force of 400 jobs.{{cite news |author= |url=https://www.furnituretoday.com/business-news/stanley-closes-nc-plant-cuts-estimate/ |title=Stanley closes N.C. plant, cuts estimate |date=December 17, 2001 |newspaper=Furniture Today |access-date=December 7, 2022}} In 2019, the facility was razed to make way for the widening of NC 211 into a four-lane divided boulevard.{{cite news |last=Douglass |first=Laura |url=https://www.thepilot.com/news/stanley-plant-a-west-end-icon-finally-coming-down/article_0e76ac30-ce76-11e9-a7be-2f657caf6596.html |title=Stanley Plant, a West End Icon, Finally Coming Down |date=September 9, 2019 |newspaper=The Pilot |location=Southern Pines, NC |access-date=December 7, 2022}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Moore County, North Carolina}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Unincorporated communities in Moore County, North Carolina
Category:Unincorporated communities in North Carolina
Category:Populated places established in 1890
{{MooreCountyNC-geo-stub}}