Thomasville, North Carolina
| Thomasville, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
| City | |
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| Nickname(s): T-Vegas, Chair City, Tater Town | |
 Location in Davidson County and the state of North Carolina |
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| Coordinates: 35°53′9″N 80°4′38″W / 35.88583°N 80.07722°WCoordinates: 35°53′9″N 80°4′38″W / 35.88583°N 80.07722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Counties | Davidson, Randolph |
| Incorporated | 1857 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Raleigh F York, Jr |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.78 sq mi (43.46 km2) |
| • Land | 16.77 sq mi (43.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 840 ft (256 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 26,757 |
| • Density | 1,596/sq mi (616.1/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 27360-27361 |
| Area code(s) | 336 |
| FIPS code | 37-67420 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1022940 |
| Website | www |
Thomasville is a city in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 26,757 at the 2010 census. The city is notable for its furniture industry, as are its neighbors High Point and Lexington. This Piedmont Triad community was established in 1852 and hosts the state's oldest festival, "Everybody's Day". Built around the local railway system, Thomasville is home to the oldest railroad depot in the state, just a few hundred feet from the city's most notable landmark, "The Big Chair".
John Warwick Thomas was born June 27, 1800, and by age 22 owned 384 acres (155 ha) in the Cedar Lodge area after marrying Mary Lambeth, daughter of Moses Lambeth. By age 30 he was a state representative. In 1848 he became a state senator. He pushed to get a railroad built through Davidson County and even invested money. Knowing the railroad was coming, Thomas built the community's first store in 1852 at present-day West Main and Salem streets, and the community was named "Thomasville" for its founder. In 1855 the North Carolina Railroad was built through Davidson County, reaching Thomasville November 9. On January 8, 1857, Thomasville was incorporated and occupied one square mile, with the railroad dividing the town into north and south sections.
In 1860 Thomasville had 308 people. After the Civil War the town had only 217 residents, but by 1880 the population was 450, reaching 751 by 1890.
Long Bill Whiteheart may have been the first to make furniture; he made split-bottom chairs at home. D.S. Westmoreland also made chairs at home starting in 1866, and his factory on what became Randolph Street went up in 1879 but burned in 1897 and was not rebuilt. The oldest plant still standing as of 1990 was that of Standard Chair, built in 1898. Other furniture companies were Lambeth Furniture, Thompson Chair, and Queen Chair Company.
Cramer Furniture was said to be the South's second largest furniture company in 1901. Thomasville Chair, started in 1904, soon became the town's leading furniture manufacturer. By 1916, 2,000 chairs a day were being made citywide.
By 1909 Jewel Cotton Mills and Amazon Cotton Mills gave Thomasville another industry, textiles. Sellers Hosiery Mills of Burlington opened in 1913, and Thomasville Hosiery in 1916.
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Wikipedia