News

Proclamation honors 'remarkable history' of city as it turns 175 years old

Members of the Hendersonville City Council and City Manager John Connetl hold a banner marking the 175th anniversary of the town.

By Lightning Reports, Published: January 6, 2022

Six years after Judge Mitchell King of Charleston, South Carolina, donated 56 acres of his sprawling summer estate to form a county seat in the newly created Henderson County, the town of Hendersonville was chartered.

The Hendersonville City Council commemorated the city's 175th birthday Thursday night during its first meeting of 2022. Named in honor of Judge Leonard Henderson, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the N.C. General Assembly created the town of Hendersonville in 1847. The town got an economic boost — and a delivery means for its robust agricultural output — with the arrival of the railroad in 1879.

Mayor Barbara Volk read the council’s proclamation highlighting the history of Hendersonville during the meeting Thursday. The city plans to celebrate the anniversary all year with special events, she said.

Hendersonville resident Indian Jackson spoke at the meeting about the anniversary during the time the council sets aside for public comments. Jackson, who spoke on behalf of the Diversity, Inclusion, Community and Engagement group in the city, asked council to remember all the people who were enslaved in Hendersonville both when the town was created and for many years later.

“Just remember that these people have a voice. They had no voice before,” she said.

Here is the full proclamation highlighting the "remarkable history" of Hendersonville:

WHEREAS, in 1841 Judge Mitchell King of Charleston, South Carolina, generously donated 56

acres from his summer estate for a site to build the county seat within the county of Henderson, which was
formed in 1838 from the southern part of Buncombe County; and
WHEREAS, on January 7, 1847, the North Carolina General Assembly approved an act to establish
the Town of Hendersonville, to serve as the seat of government for Henderson County, and named in honor
of Judge Leonard Henderson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, with the arrival of the railroad in 1879 from Spartanburg, South Carolina, the
agricultural significance of the city increased; and
WHEREAS, in 1913 the Town of Hendersonville became known as the City of Hendersonville; and
WHEREAS, Hendersonville's Main Street, a remarkable one hundred feet in width, was designed by
surveyor James Dryer Justice on what was known from the 1850s to 1880s as the Buncombe Turnpike. Main
Street today retains much of the character it has possessed since the height of its development in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries and was registered in the National Register of Historic Places in March 1988; and
WHEREAS, Hendersonville is traditionally known as “The City of Four Seasons” with its distinct
seasonal weather patterns which draw visitors to the area; and
WHEREAS, the City of Hendersonville’s governing body and staff are committed to providing
quality, efficient services to residents, visitors, and businesses, and promoting a high quality of life, and
WHEREAS, the 175th anniversary is an appropriate time to reflect on the remarkable history of the
City of Hendersonville;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Barbara G. Volk, Mayor of the City of Hendersonville do hereby proclaim January
7, 2022, “IN RECOGNITION OF THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE,
NORTH CAROLINA” and commend its observance to all citizens.