Andrews, North Carolina

Andrews, North Carolina
Andrews is a town in Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,667 at the 2020 census.
History
White settlement and history
In 1905, the town was incorporated, with David Samuel Russell appointed as the first mayor of the new town. The Franklin Pierce Cover House, First Baptist Church, and Walker's Inn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
After African-Americans were forced out of Cumming, Georgia in 1912, some came to Andrews and started a community called Happytop.
Andrews was home to the Wilhide brothers, Robert M. and Wilfred W. Wilhide, born between 1920 and 1922. Both were born and raised in Andrews, attended flight school at Cherry Point, North Carolina, and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as pilots during World War II. In the space of several days, after inflicting severe losses upon the Japanese fleet, both brothers were lost and killed during missions near Okinawa. The Wilhide brothers were given a memorial in the Valleytown cemetery, and a monument at Veterans Memorial Park in Andrews, not far from their childhood home and birthplace.
Geography
Andrews is located in northeastern Cherokee County on the south side of the Valley River, a southwestward-flowing tributary of the Hiwassee River and part of the Tennessee River watershed.
U.S. Routes 19, 74, and U.S. Route 129 form a four-lane bypass around the northern edge of the town; the highways lead northeast to Topton, where they diverge, and southwest to Murphy, the county seat. Bryson City is northeast via US 19/74, and Robbinsville is north via US 129.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Andrews has a total area of , all land.
Valleytown Township dominates the eastern part of Cherokee County. The area is bordered by Graham County to the north, Clay County to the south, and Macon County to the east. Within the township are the towns of Marble in the west, Andrews at the center, and Topton in the far east at the Macon and Graham county lines.
Climate
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,667 people, 714 households, and 400 families residing in the town.
2010 census
In the 2010 census, the total population was 1,781 people residing in 780 households including 452 family units. The population density was 1,090 people per square mile.
2000 census
In the 2000 census, there were 831 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.76% White, 2.68% African American, 0.69% Native American, 1.06% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.62% of the population.
There were 703 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.81.
Age distribution was 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males.
The median household income was $20,273, and the median family income was $28,320. Males had a median income of $23,462 versus $16,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,350. About 17.6% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
The Western Carolina Regional Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located located west of the central business district of Andrews.
Notable people
Dave Bristol, Major League Baseball manager
Charles Frazier, National Book Award-winning author, grew up in Andrews
Tina Gordon, NASCAR driver
References
External links
1837 establishments in North Carolina
Populated places established in 1837
Populated places on the Valley River
Towns in Cherokee County, North Carolina
Towns in North Carolina