History of Davidson, North Carolina

Davidson College was founded by the Presbyterian Church. A committee of the Presbytery of Concord started planning in 1835 and the College opened its doors in March 1837. Businesses were first on land leased by the college. The area around Davidson consisted of small farms and plantations and remained very rural into the 20th century.

The college was the Town government and even managed patrols. The Town incorporated as Davidson College in 1879. In 1891, the town’s name was changed to Davidson.

Davidson got a cotton mill in 1890, but could never compete with nearby towns as a manufacturing center. The mills, however, provided economic changes and added to social divisions.

By the turn of 20th century, the college was still critical to the Town, not only as the largest business but also for providing the first water and electricity systems to the Town. The first cars came to town in 1911 with bus services following in 1917, but the Town remained off the beaten track. Poor roads and inconvenient train schedules protected local businesses by keeping customers in town. The building of the I-77 highway in the 1920’s brought areas closer together.

In 1968, Davidson College students picketed Ralph Johnson’s barbershop in the Town’s only civil rights protest.

In 1973, Developers proposed bringing Marine World to Davidson. This attempt launched the village movement with citizens raising concerns about staying small. During this time period, local mills begin to close, new manufacturers and strip malls began to appear and the town faced racial divisions. In response to a KKK march down Main Street in 1986, college students organized a town-wide activity day.

During the past two decades, new concerns have been raised about growth and a changing population with fewer people connected to the college. There has been a renewed effort to re-establish a community center and maintain a sense of identity and community in Davidson.