HOA Management in Garner, NC

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Garner, North Carolina, or the Town of Garner is located directly south of Raleigh, NC Garner is located within Wake County. Garner was first incorporated in 1883 by charter of the North Carolina General Assembly as “Garner’s Station.” The North Carolina General Assembly revoked the charter in 1891. The exact reason for this is not known, however, during this time period charters were typically revoked due to inaction on the part of the charter holders to properly exercise the charter. The North Carolina General Assembly granted another charter in 1905 to the “Town of Garner.”

City and towns emerged from the earth for a myriad of reasons in early American history. Typically, a good water source to allow for water egress or water as a source to help power a grain mill. Or perhaps because of a natural resource such as coal was nearby. In the 1850s when railway lines were being laid around the country, towns were continuingly popping up. The construction of the railway was the origin of Garner.

The North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation in 1848 to create a railroad that would connect the eastern part of the state with the Piedmont. This became the North Carolina Railroad, which is still operating to this day. When the railroad was being constructed in the 1850s, state political leaders chose the area where Garner is today for the location of a station between Goldsboro and Charlotte.

Sometime before 1870, the North Carolina Railroad needed a “water stop” or “water station,” and constructed one in now what is downtown Garner. The actual physical stopping of the train itself is also called a “water stop.” This water stop term originated from the early era of steam engines when steam engines needed large quantities of water to operate. These stopes are referred to as wood and water stops or coal and water stops. At that time train engines, even with tenders, had to stop ever 100 to 150 miles to replenish water and wood.

While this water stop was not a full-fledged depot, all indications are that this stop did contribute to population growth in the area. Before the Garner water stop, the area was sparsely populated and dominated by open tobacco and cotton fields. Population growth in the Garner area is best evidenced by the opening of the first post office in 1878.

Garner grew after the American Civil War, and there was a strong African American influence in this growth. Henry Fort, an African American, purchased 52 acres from Eli Dupree in 1874. Fort was a farmer, cabinetmaker, and carpenter. Fort also sold off portions of these 52 acres to other African Americans.

Henry Fort and Thomas A. Bingham are believed to have opened the first two businesses in Garner. Bingham owned a general store and made wagons. Bingham is the person who requested that the post office be named Garner’s Station when he became the first postmaster. Garner’s Station was incorporated 1883 and Bingham was the first mayor in 1883 to 1884. Garner’s Station incorporation charter was revoked in 1891.

In 1902 a full train depot was constructed in Garner. The original depot had four rooms with a tin roof. The new depot soon became a very vital part of the community. Vital in transporting Garner’s citizens to and from Raleigh and far away destinations. Vital in shipping crops such as cotton and tobacco that were cultivated in the area. The depot established Garner as a market and shipping point for agriculture which was the lifeblood of the area. This original depot still exists apart from its original tin roof now replaced with a modern metal roofing system. The depot was moved in December 2019 from its original location at Garner Road to the corner of Main Street and Pearl Street in Garner. Along with a train caboose, the depot is scheduled to become a new Garner History Museum.

With the construction of the depot and the other economic activity in Garner, the North Carolina General Assembly granted another incorporation charter to the “Town of Garner” in 1905. The first mayor with this new charter was Mayor J. B. Richardson appointed in 1905 for a one-year term.

Another important transportation conveyance of early Garner that still has an impact up to present times is the North Carolina Central Highway, Old NC 10. The North Carolina Central Highway project was established by the General Assembly in 1911 to create a continuous paved highway that ran from the most western portions of the state to the coast. Referred to as the mountains-to-the-sea Central Highway was going to be accomplished by connecting existing roads with new roads to form one continuous highway. The Central Highway became the genesis of North Carolina extensive highway system.

The Central Highway road ultimately became known as NC Number 10 and U.S. 70. In the 1930s, the highway was mostly taken over by the U.S. Highway System and in Garner and in most of the state, NC 10 became just U.S. 70. The stretch of NC 10 and U.S. 70 that runs between Garner and Raleigh was first paved around 1916. Since a new U.S. 70 has been slightly rerouted and widened in the 1950s, the old road or old NC 10 and U.S. 77 is known in Garner today as Garner Road.

Basic utilities that are viewed as commonplace today were in Garner early as compared to other parts of the region. The first telephone service came to town in 1912 and remained open until 1914. Telephone service came back in 1924 to stay. Electrical service along with electrical pole to carry this power came to Garner in 1921.

Economic development in Garner has transformed in the last one hundred years. From being primarily agriculturally based to Garner being a bedroom community for Raleigh and the Research Triangle. As indicated by the U.S. Census population numbers below, Garner has had explosive population growth.

The U.S. Census Population Calculations:

Census Pop. %

1910 284 —

1920 376 32.4%

1930 476 26.6%

1940 768 61.3%

1950 1,180 53.6%

1960 3,451 192.5%

1970 4,923 42.7%

1980 10,073 104.6%

1960 171 −1990 14,967 48.6%

2000 17,757 18.6%

2019 (est.) 31,407 22.0%

Highway &Roads

U.S. Interstate 40 passes by the north and east sides of Garner.

2010 565 13.0%

U.S. 70 is main east–west highway through Garner.

U.S. 401 splits from U.S. 70 at the northwestern corner of town and runs to the west of the town.

N.C. 50 enters the town with U.S. 401 and U.S. 70 at the northwestern corner, then splits from U.S. 70 at Benson Road.

N.C. 42 is an east–west highway south of Garner.

Garner Road is the former U.S. 70

From Garner to Raleigh, NC (7 Miles), Durham, NC (32 Miles), Chapel Hill, NC (35 Miles), Research Triangle Park (21) Miles) Charlotte (144 Miles), and Washington, DC (284 Miles).

elPublic transportation

Garner is served by the GoRaleigh bus routes.

Rail Service

Amtrak passes through Garner but has no scheduled stops. Raleigh and Cary both have Amtrak stations with regular service.

Commercial air service that is most convenient from Garner is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). The following airlines currently serve Raleigh-Durham: Air Canada Express, Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, and United Express.

The Garner educational systems are well rated from primary to secondary. There are 11 top ranked colleges or universities in the Garner Springs area.