Kernersville, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Kernersville is a town in Forsyth County
in the U.S. state
of North Carolina
. The population was 17,126 at the 2000 census
. In 2007 the U.S. Census estimated the town's population at 22,309. Kernersville is located at the heart of the Piedmont Triad
metropolitan area, which consists of the cities of Greensboro
, High Point
, and Winston-Salem. Some of the rural farmland surrounding the town has been sold and turned into large middle-to-upper-class housing developments, and numerous large shopping centers have been built in the town over the past few years. Flue-cured tobacco
was the major crop grown in the area and is still grown in some areas today. While Kernersville went through a growth spurt in the early part of this decade it has leveled off and farms are doing well for the most part in an attempt to revitalize the agriculture community.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 12.2 square miles (31.5 km²), of which 12.1 square miles (31.3 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) (0.58%) is water.
of 2000, there were 17,126 people, 7,286 households, and 4,663 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,415.7 people per square mile (546.5/km²). There were 7,950 housing units at an average density of 657.2 per square mile (253.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 84.11% White, 8.74% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.26% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.33% from other races
, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.36% of the population.
There were 7,286 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples
living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,520, and the median income for a family was $52,266. Males had a median income of $36,777 versus $26,873 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $23,506. About 6.3% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
named Jacob Story in 1756. Around 1770 the site was purchased by William Dobson and was called Dobson's Crossroads. George Washington
was served breakfast at Dobson's tavern on June 2, 1791. Joseph Kerner bought the property in 1817, continuing to operate the inn; the town became known as Kerners Crossroads. Kerner left his property to two sons and a daughter. Not long after the arrival of the railroad, the town was incorporated as Kernersville in 1873.
In late 2005 President George W. Bush
visited Kernersville's Deere
-Hitachi
plant to give a speech about the American economy.
In 2001 NASCAR
driver Kevin Harvick
opened his shop in Kernersville. Kevin and his wife, Delana, were residents of Kernersville until 2007. Delana and her dad, former Nationwide Series driver, John Linville are natives of Kernersville.
In the summer of 2008, former president Bill Clinton spoke at R. B. Glenn High school. He was campaigning for his wife, Hillary Clinton, in the Democratic primary.
In the spring of 2010, Kernersville's Cheer Extreme All Stars Senior Elite squad won first place in the Large Senior Division at the Cheerleading Worlds Championship in Orlando, Florida.
Starting in mid 2006, Century Park went under construction to rebuild the lake that had dried up years before. The lake was restocked with fish and renovated, and the park is now accessible from Century Blvd with bathrooms and picnic areas. The project was finished in the Spring 2008. Beginning in May 2009 the public is allowed to fish from the lake.
Also, Century Blvd went under construction in the winter of 2008. The construction extended Century Place Blvd which allowed traffic from South Main St to Century Blvd. The construction was finished in January 2009.
The resident houses in the historical district on Salisbury St. were given an ordinance to renovate their homes to match the current renovations done to the roads leading into downtown along with the new bank and park added further downtown. The historical district includes the famous Körner’s Folly built 1878-1880, and the Harmon House.
. These public schools are all a part of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools system. Kernersville is also home to four private schools, most prominently the Brookside Montessori School and Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, one of only three Catholic high schools in North Carolina. Oak Ridge Military Academy
is located in nearby Oak Ridge, North Carolina
.
Kernersville also contains a branch of Forsyth Technical Community College
. Numerous colleges and universities are located within easy driving distance of Kernersville, including Wake Forest University
, Winston-Salem State University
, Bennett College
, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
, Greensboro College
, Guilford College
,
Guilford Technical Community College
and North Carolina A&T State University, and High Point University
.
Magazine (May 2004) and in a televised Our State Magazine production, among others. A model of the house was made into an ornament to represent North Carolina on the White House
Christmas Tree in 2001.
Each year during the late spring, downtown streets are closed for a festival known as "Spring Folly." The event includes rides, county fair food, games, and booths to buy local items. The Spring Folly attracts people of all ages, but it is especially enjoyed by those with young children. The festival usually takes place the second or third weekend in May, beginning Friday night and ending mid-day Sunday.
In the fall, Fourth of July Park hosts the annual Honeybee Festival.
The Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden is located on South Main Street in the historical district. It officially opened to the public in April 2011 with a new welcome center and five gardens on the seven-acre property. It includes an award-winning perennial border, pollarded hornbeam tree allee and pattern garden that features thousands of spring-flowering bulbs.
Forsyth County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. The population density was 747 people per square mile . There were 133,093 housing units at an average density of 325 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The population was 17,126 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. In 2007 the U.S. Census estimated the town's population at 22,309. Kernersville is located at the heart of the Piedmont Triad
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
metropolitan area, which consists of the cities of Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, High Point
High Point
High Point, in the northwestern part of New Jersey in Montague, Sussex County in the Skylands Region of New Jersey, is the highest elevation in the state at 1,803 feet . It is southeast of Port Jervis, New York. High Point is the highest peak of the Kittatinny Mountains.At the peak is the High...
, and Winston-Salem. Some of the rural farmland surrounding the town has been sold and turned into large middle-to-upper-class housing developments, and numerous large shopping centers have been built in the town over the past few years. Flue-cured tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
was the major crop grown in the area and is still grown in some areas today. While Kernersville went through a growth spurt in the early part of this decade it has leveled off and farms are doing well for the most part in an attempt to revitalize the agriculture community.
Geography
Kernersville is located at 36°6′58"N 80°4′55"W (36.116240, -80.081963).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 12.2 square miles (31.5 km²), of which 12.1 square miles (31.3 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) (0.58%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 17,126 people, 7,286 households, and 4,663 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,415.7 people per square mile (546.5/km²). There were 7,950 housing units at an average density of 657.2 per square mile (253.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 84.11% White, 8.74% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.26% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.33% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.36% of the population.
There were 7,286 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,520, and the median income for a family was $52,266. Males had a median income of $36,777 versus $26,873 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $23,506. About 6.3% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
History, current events and popularity
The site was first settled by an IrishmanIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
named Jacob Story in 1756. Around 1770 the site was purchased by William Dobson and was called Dobson's Crossroads. George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
was served breakfast at Dobson's tavern on June 2, 1791. Joseph Kerner bought the property in 1817, continuing to operate the inn; the town became known as Kerners Crossroads. Kerner left his property to two sons and a daughter. Not long after the arrival of the railroad, the town was incorporated as Kernersville in 1873.
In late 2005 President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
visited Kernersville's Deere
Deere & Company
Deere & Company, usually known by its brand name John Deere , is an American corporation based in Moline, Illinois, and the leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery in the world. In 2010, it was listed as 107th in the Fortune 500 ranking...
-Hitachi
Hitachi
Hitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...
plant to give a speech about the American economy.
In 2001 NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
opened his shop in Kernersville. Kevin and his wife, Delana, were residents of Kernersville until 2007. Delana and her dad, former Nationwide Series driver, John Linville are natives of Kernersville.
In the summer of 2008, former president Bill Clinton spoke at R. B. Glenn High school. He was campaigning for his wife, Hillary Clinton, in the Democratic primary.
In the spring of 2010, Kernersville's Cheer Extreme All Stars Senior Elite squad won first place in the Large Senior Division at the Cheerleading Worlds Championship in Orlando, Florida.
Improvements
Starting in July 2008, North Main Street was closed through downtown Kernersville. The improvements included widening the road and adding parking along the street. North Main Street was re-opened on October 2, 2008.Starting in mid 2006, Century Park went under construction to rebuild the lake that had dried up years before. The lake was restocked with fish and renovated, and the park is now accessible from Century Blvd with bathrooms and picnic areas. The project was finished in the Spring 2008. Beginning in May 2009 the public is allowed to fish from the lake.
Also, Century Blvd went under construction in the winter of 2008. The construction extended Century Place Blvd which allowed traffic from South Main St to Century Blvd. The construction was finished in January 2009.
The resident houses in the historical district on Salisbury St. were given an ordinance to renovate their homes to match the current renovations done to the roads leading into downtown along with the new bank and park added further downtown. The historical district includes the famous Körner’s Folly built 1878-1880, and the Harmon House.
Education
Kernersville is served by five public elementary schools, three public middle schools, and two public high schools - Robert B. Glenn High School and East Forsyth High SchoolEast Forsyth High School
East Forsyth High School is located in the town of Kernersville in Forsyth County, North Carolina. It is laid out in a college-campus esque style with numerous small buildings rather than a single large building.-Facilities:...
. These public schools are all a part of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools system. Kernersville is also home to four private schools, most prominently the Brookside Montessori School and Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School, one of only three Catholic high schools in North Carolina. Oak Ridge Military Academy
Oak Ridge Military Academy
' is a college-preparatory military school in northwestern Guilford County, North Carolina. The academy is located within the town limits of Oak Ridge, North Carolina, which is named after the school...
is located in nearby Oak Ridge, North Carolina
Oak Ridge, North Carolina
Oak Ridge is a town in northwestern Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,988 at the 2000 census. As of 2010, the US Census Bureau indicated that the population had risen to 6,185 . The Oak Ridge Military Academy, a private, coed, college-preparatory military boarding...
.
Kernersville also contains a branch of Forsyth Technical Community College
Forsyth Technical Community College
Forsyth Technical Community College is a two-year public community college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, serving Forsyth and Stokes counties...
. Numerous colleges and universities are located within easy driving distance of Kernersville, including Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University , a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina, is a historically black public research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.Winston-Salem State has been...
, Bennett College
Bennett College
Bennett College is a four-year liberal arts women's college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Founded in 1873, this historically black institution began as a normal school to provide education to newly emancipated slaves. It became a women's college in 1926 and currently serves roughly 780...
, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro , also known as UNC Greensboro, is a public university in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States and is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate, 61 master's and 26...
, Greensboro College
Greensboro College
Greensboro College is a four-year, independent, coeducational liberal-arts college, also offering four master's degrees, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1838...
, Guilford College
Guilford College
Guilford College, founded in 1837 by members of the Religious Society of Friends , is an independent college whose stated mission is to: provide a transformative, practical and excellent liberal arts education that produces critical thinkers in an inclusive, diverse environment, guided by Quaker...
,
Guilford Technical Community College
Guilford Technical Community College
-A Quick History:Guilford Technical Community College was founded as the Guilford Industrial Education Center on April 3, 1958, the training facility was established to prepare workers for technical jobs created by the rapid manufacturing growth in the county...
and North Carolina A&T State University, and High Point University
High Point University
High Point University is a private liberal arts university in High Point, North Carolina, USA, affiliated with the United Methodist Church.- Beginnings :...
.
Attractions
Körner’s Folly was built 1878-1880 by Jule Körner, a grandson of Joseph Kerner, the town's namesake. It is now a tourist attraction, as a result of its very unusual design and architecture, featuring 22 rooms on seven levels, and 15 decorated fireplaces. It also houses what is said to be the first private Little Theatre in the U.S., dating to 1896. The house has been featured in the New York Times (March 10, 2006), in Southern LivingSouthern Living
Southern Living is a widely read lifestyle magazine aimed at readers in the Southern United States featuring recipes, house plans, and information about Southern culture and travel...
Magazine (May 2004) and in a televised Our State Magazine production, among others. A model of the house was made into an ornament to represent North Carolina on the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Christmas Tree in 2001.
Each year during the late spring, downtown streets are closed for a festival known as "Spring Folly." The event includes rides, county fair food, games, and booths to buy local items. The Spring Folly attracts people of all ages, but it is especially enjoyed by those with young children. The festival usually takes place the second or third weekend in May, beginning Friday night and ending mid-day Sunday.
In the fall, Fourth of July Park hosts the annual Honeybee Festival.
The Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden is located on South Main Street in the historical district. It officially opened to the public in April 2011 with a new welcome center and five gardens on the seven-acre property. It includes an award-winning perennial border, pollarded hornbeam tree allee and pattern garden that features thousands of spring-flowering bulbs.