McDowell County, North Carolina
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 14 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1970. Most listings are in or near Marion, Old Fort, Ashford.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for North Carolina is not yet loaded on this site. Browse McDowell titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP10 of 14 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
14 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Artz, Welsford Parker, House | Old Fort | 1990 |
| Brown, Henry Seawell, and Mary Jane English, Farmstead | Ashford | 2009 |
| Carson House | Marion | 1970 |
| Carson-Young House | Marion | 2011 |
| Clinchfield Manufacturing Company Mill No. 2 | Marion | 2024 |
| Depot Historic District | Marion | 1991 |
| First Presbyterian Church | Marion | 1991 |
| Ledbetter, Albertus, House | Montford Cove | 2001 |
| Lone Beech | Marion | 1995 |
| Main Street Historic District | Marion | 1991 |
| McDowell County Courthouse | Marion | 1979 |
| Old Fort Commercial Historic District | Old Fort | 2011 |
| St. John's Episcopal Church | Marion | 1991 |
| St. Matthew's Lutheran Church | Marion | 1991 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBMcdowell was formed in 1842 (1842-12-19) from Burke, Rutherford.
MCDOWELL created from BURKE and RUTHERFORD.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusMcDowell County population from 1850 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1850 | 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6,246 | 7,120 | 9,836 | 12,567 | 16,763 | 22,996 | 25,720 | 26,742 | 35,135 | 42,151 | 44,578 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS28 cemeteries and 1 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 28 of 28 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Barnes Cemetery |
| Biddix Cemetery |
| Brackettown Cemetery |
| Brown Cemetery |
| Davistown Cemetery |
| Dixon Cemetery |
| Glades Cemetery |
| Good Cemetery |
| Green Mountain Cemetery |
| Hall Cemetery |
| Haney Cemetery |
| Hollifield Cemetery |
| Hoover Cemetery |
| Lawing Cemetery |
| Liberty Cemetery |
| Lonon Cemetery |
| McDowell Memorial Park |
| Neal Cemetery |
| Nebo Cemetery |
| Oak Grove Cemetery |
| Pine Cove Cemetery |
| Rocky Pass Cemetery |
| Siloam Cemeteries |
| Snow Hill Cemetery |
| Washburn Cemetery |
| West Court Cemetery |
| Wilson Cemetery |
| Zion Hill Cemetery |
Historical populated places — 1 of 1
| Name |
|---|
| Mountain Home |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for McDowell County, North Carolina
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