HOA Management in Fletcher, NC

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The Town of Fletcher is a municipality within Henderson County, North Carolina

William Douglas Property Management offers HOA Management and Association Management services in Fletcher, NC

Fletcher was first settled in 1795. Fletcher is situated in the mountainous western region of North Carolina. The climate of Fletcher would be best described as moderate.

Fletcher’s population, per the 2020 United States Census, was determined to be 7,987. This was a 10% population growth increase since the 2010 United States Census.

Fletcher’s population, per the 2010 United States Census, was determined to be 7,187. This was a 41.7% population growth increase since the 2000 United States Census.

Fletcher’s population, per the 2000 United States Census, was determined to be 2,787. This is a 33.4% population growth increase since the 1990 United States Census.

The Town of Fletcher, N.C.

Location/Coordinates of Fletcher per Google Earth – Latitude: 35°25′50.46″N, Longitude: 82°30′04.43″ W

Fletcher’s Elevation above sea level is 2,120 feet per Google Earth for the coordinates noted above.

Fletcher was incorporated by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1989.

Fletcher is the 104th largest municipality in North Carolina.

As of 2012, per the United States Census, Fletcher had 785 total businesses or firms within the town limits.

The land area of Fletcher, per the United States Census, 2010, was 6.41 square miles.

Per the 2010 United States Census, Fletcher’s population per square mile was 1,121.0.

Per the United States Census Bureau, as of 2019, Fletcher’s median household income was $64,839.

Per the United States Census Bureau, 2015-2019, there were 3,468 households within the town limits of Fletcher.

Per the United States Census Bureau, 2015-2019, there were 2.31 persons per household within the town limits of Fletcher.

As of 2019, per the United States Census, the median value of an owner-occupied housing unit within Fletcher was $215,700.

Per the United States Census Bureau, 94.3% of Fletcher’s population who are 25 years of age or older are high school graduates.

Per the United States Census Bureau, 37.6% of Fletcher’s population who are 25 years of age or older hold a bachelor’s degree or have obtained a higher level of education.

Historical population of Fletcher per the United States Census

Census Pop.

1990 2,787

2000 4,185

2010 7,187

2020 7,987

The Early History of Fletcher and the Surrounding Area

The first recorded inhabitants of the future Fletcher area were Samuel Murray, Sr. (1739-1817), and his wife Elizabeth Rees Murray (1741-1815) and their children. Samuel and Elizabeth had nine children. Samuel and Elizabeth owned Murray’s Inn near present-day Fletcher.

The Murrays first settled what would become Fletcher around 1795. The Murray family started from Newberry County, South Carolina, onto the mountains of North Carolina. They journeyed up the old Howard Gap Road, which in many parts the word “road” would be a generous description of a very rough trail.

The Murrays chose a location east of where the Howard Gap Road ended for their new home. This site was in the proximity of where present-day Fletcher Community Park is located. Samuel Murray Sr. started purchasing land, which at the time was in the Limestone District of Buncombe County. He eventually purchased more than 10,000 acres.

Samuel Murray Jr.(1774-1847), Samuel Sr’s son in 1808, opened the first post office in the Limestone District in what would become Fletcher. He was the first postmaster. The post office and area became known as Murrayville. It was common for post offices to be named after the postmaster during this time period. Samuel Jr. was the postmaster and ran the post office into the 1820s.

The Buncombe Turnpike was constructed through Murrayville and became a prime stopping point for travelers. The Buncombe Turnpike was a 75-mile route from the South Carolina border through North Carolina to the Tennessee border that was constructed between 1824 and 1828. The Buncombe Turnpike opened the western mountainous region of North Carolina to settlement and trade. The Buncombe Turnpike was a huge economic driver for the future Fletcher area.

Samuel’s brother William Murray (1783-1867) became postmaster on March 6, 1827, and Murrayville became known as Limestone until October 19, 1832, when Jacob Rhyne “Jake” Shuford (1810-1878) became the postmaster, and he changed the post office name to Shufordsville. Jacob Rhyne Shuford was the postmaster of Shufordsville until February 4, 1838. The North Carolina General Assembly created Henderson County in 1838, and Shufordsville was no longer within Buncombe County and now within Henderson County.

The Shufordsville post office was moved on September 3, 1877, and a post office was opened a mile and a half south in Henderson County. The new post office was located within a general store owned by Dr. George Washington Fletcher (1829-1901), and he became the new postmaster. It became the Fletcher post office on September 15, 1886.

George Washington Fletcher was born, raised, and passed away on his ancestral plantation. He was highly thought of among the citizenry within the counties and known as a man with exceptional character. He graduated from Charleston Medical College. After the American Civil War, he returned to the family plantation, which was located in present-day Fletcher. Dr. Fletcher bought the interests of his seventeen siblings in the ancestral plantation and became successful at cultivating crops.

Dr. Fletcher built his home near the Old Plank Road, known as the Buncombe Turnpike and Howard Gap Road. This house was enlarged with additional rooms through the years, and it became a well-known inn along the Buncombe Turnpike. Dr. Fletcher served during the American Civil War as a doctor and surgeon. He practiced medicine for forty-eight years both in Henderson County and Buncombe County.

As the future town of Fletcher developed as more settlers moved into the area, Dr. Fletcher built a general store, tannery, and blacksmith shop. When the Spartanburg & Asheville Railroad arrived in 1878, a depot was constructed, and the railroad station was initially named “Shufordsville” by the railroad and changed to “Fletcher” in 1886.

The arrival of the Spartanburg & Asheville Railroad brought economic and population growth to the future Fletcher area. Unfortunately, the Spartanburg & Asheville Railroad had consistent financial problems due to underfunding and excessive expenses related to the construction of the railroad. Safety issues also played a part in the financial instability of the railroad, with a number of accidents and deaths. This resulted in the railroad filing for bankruptcy protection and reorganizing as the Asheville & Spartanburg Railroad in 1881. The Asheville & Spartanburg Railroad did not fare much better and sold at foreclosure on February 15, 1895. The foreclosed railroad was leased to the Southern Railway on November 11, 1895, and ultimately merged with the Southern Railway – Carolina Division in 1902. The rail line was still beset with safety problems, and since initial construction began, 27 deaths had occurred on the rail line.