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Town of Wilkesboro
Welcome to the town of Wilkesboro, where the mountains begin!
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      • Town Forms
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      • Wilkesboro Tourism Development Authority
      • Attraction Maps
      • Civic Center Rental Information
      • Historic Wilkesboro Tour
      • Parks & Recreation
      • - - Cub Creek Park
      • - - Mountain Bike Trails
      • - - Community Commons & Pavilion Stage
      • - - Heritage Square Splash Pad
      • - - Rolling Pines Disc Golf Course
      • - - Wilkesboro Campground
      • Wilkes Co. Birding Trails
      • Wilkes Heritage Museum
      • Wilkes Transportation Options
      • Wilkesboro Sundial
      • Wilkesboro Music & Festivals
      • - - Brushy Mtn. Peach & Heritage Festival
      • - - Carolina in the Fall
      • - - Concerts in the Commons
      • - - Faithfest
      • - - Merlefest
      • - - Movies on Main
      • Yadkin River Greenway
  • I Want To...
    • Apply...
      • Town Job
      • Committees/Boards Application
      • Police Permits
      Contact...
      • Employee or Dept.
      • Help by Topic
      • Wilkes Resource Guide
      • Federal or State Government
      Get...
      • Account Balance
      • ACH Authorization Form
      • Attraction Maps
      • Building Inspection
      • Directions to Wilkesboro
      • Fire Inspection
      • Holiday Schedule
      • Recycling Information
      • Town Forms
      • Utilities Turned On
      • Utilities Turned Off
      • Water Quality Report
      Lookup...
      • Account Balance
      • Meeting Agendas & Minutes
      • Schedule of Fees
      • Transportation Options
      • Wilkesboro's Mapping / GIS
      • Wilkesboro's Ordinances
      Pay...
      • Civic Center Rental
      • Parking Ticket
      • Police Report
      • Town Taxes
      • Utility Bill
      Pickup...
      • Civic Center Key
      Report...
      • Report Missing Street Sign
      • Report Nuisance Animal
      • Report Pothole/Sidewalk Issue
      • Report Rollout Cart Problem
      • Report Street/Traffic Light Outage
      • Report Water/Sewer Problem
      • Report Other Issues/Problems
      Request...
      • Request Appointment
      • Request Civic Center Reservation
      • Request Fire Education Event
      • Request Utility Bill thru Email
      Schedule...
      • Bulky Item Collection
      • Electronics Recycling
      • Recycling Collection
      • Trash Collection
      • Yard Waste Collection
      • Schedule-Service Online
  • Town Government
    • Government
      • Local Government in NC
      • How NC Municipalities Work
      • What is Powell Bill?
      • Town's Budgets & Audits
      • Town's Financial Dashboard
      • Town's Form of Government
      • Town's Holiday Schedule
      • Town's Ordinances
      • Town's Organizational Chart
      • Town's Schedule of Fees - FY 20-21
      • 2019 ADA Transition Plan
      • 2020 ADA Transition Plan
      • Title VI Civic Rights Act
      Wilkesboro's History
      • Wilkesboro's History Overview
      • Tory Oak History
      • Wilkesboro's Cemetery Records
      • Library's Genealogy Room
      • Wilkes Genealogical Society, Inc.
      • Wilkes Heritage Museum
      • History Links
      Town Council
      • Meet Your Governing Board
      • Responsibilities
      • Code of Ethics
      • FAQ
      • Meeting Schedule
      • Agenda & Minutes
      • History of Town Board
      ABC Board
      • Board Responsibilities
      • Board Members
      • Meetings Schedule
      • ABC Webpage
      Cemetery Board
      • Board Responsibilities
      • Board Members
      • Meeting Schedule
      Historic Pres. Commission
      • Board Responsibilities
      • Board Members
      • Meeting Schedule
      • Agenda & Minutes
      • Historic Downtown Grants
      Landscape Planning & Review Board
      • Board Responsibilities
      • Board Members
      • Meeting Schedule
      • Agenda & Minutes
      Parks & Recreation Board
      • Board Responsibilities
      • Board Members
      Planning Board
      • Board Responsibilities
      • Board Members
      • Meeting Schedule
      • Agenda & Minutes
      Small Town Main Street
      • Board Responsibilities
      • Committees
      Tourism Dev Authority Board
      • Board Responsibilities
      • Board Members
      • Meeting Schedule
      Zoning Board of Adjustments
      • Board Responsibilities
      • Board Members
      • Meeting Schedule
      • Agenda & Minutes
  • Departments
    • Administration
      • Dept. Overview
      Finance
      • Dept. Overview
      • Accounts Payable
      • Cemetery Collections
      • Civic Center Rental
      • Beer/Wine License
      • Purchasing & Contracts
      • Taxes
      • Utility Billing
      Fire
      • Dept. Overview
      • Burning Permit
      • F.A.Q.
      • Fire Education Event
      • Fire Hydrant Testing
      • Fire Inspections
      • Fire Roster
      • How to Apply to FD
      • Meeting Schedule
      • Retired Firemen History
      • Fire Chief History
      Parks & Recreation
      • Dept. Overview
      • Community Commons & Pavilion Stage
      • - - Heritage Square Splash Pad
      • Cub Creek Park
      • - - Community Garden
      • - - Hidden Oaks Dog Park
      • - - Mountain Bike Trails
      • - - Creek Restoration
      • Rolling Pines Disc Golf Course
      • School Street Park
      • Westwood Park
      • Wilkesboro Campground
      Personnel & Payroll
      • Dept. Overview
      Planning & Community Dev't
      • Dept. Overview
      • Adopted Plans
      • Forms
      • Maps
      • Wilkesboro GIS
      • Wilkesboro's Ordinances
      Police
      • Dept. Overview
      • Annual Reports
      • Comment/Complaint Section
      • Crime Data & Statistics
      • Directions to Police Dept.
      • Parking Tickets
      • Police Chief History
      • Police Permits
      • Police Reports
      • Police Roster
      Public Works
      • Dept. Overview
      • Powell Bill
      • Public Buildings
      • Streets
      • Water & Sewer Construction
      Sanitation
      • Dept. Overview
      • Bulky Item Collection
      • Curbside Trash
        • Trash/Recycle Listing by Streets
      • Trash/Recycle Listing by Streets
      • Curbside Recycling
        • Curbside Recycling Schedule
      • Electronics Recycling-By Appt Only
      • Non-curbside Recyclable Items
      • Recycling Centers
      • Curbside Yard Waste Collection
      • Seasonal Curbside Leaf Collection
      Utilities
      • Cross Connection Control
      • NC Water & Wastewater Rates Dashboard
      • Wastewater / Sewer Plant
      • Water Filtration Plant
  • For Residents
    • Civic Center Rental Information
    • - - Online Reservation Form
    • Cemetery Plots & Information
    • Wilkesboro Utilities
    • - - Report Water/Sewer Problem
    • Other Utility Providers
    • Schedule of Fees FY 20-21
    • Wilkesboro Sanitation
    • - - Recycle/Trash Days by Street
    • - - Recycle Schedule
    • - - Request Rollout Cart Repair
    • - - Schedule Bulky Item Collection
    • - - Schedule Electronics Recycling
    • - - Schedule Yard Waste Collection
    • Report a Problem Form
    • - - Report Missing Street Sign
    • - - Report Pothole / Sidewalk Problem
    • - - Report Street Light Outage
    • Transportation
  • For Business
    • Wilkes Co. Economic Development
    • - - NC Dept. of Commerce ~ Wilkes Co Profile
    • - - Wilkesboro Livability Magazine
    • - - Transportation
    • How to Start a Business in NC
    • How to Start a Business in Wilkesboro
    • - - Step 1) Zoning/Planning
    • - - Step 2) Sign Permit
    • - - Step 3) Request Fire Inspections
    • - - Step 4) Water/Sewer Service
    • - - Step 5) Beer/Wine Application
    • - - All Building Inspections - inside Town and County
    • - - All Food Inspections
    • Meeting Space Rental Information
    • - - Online Reservation Form
    • Other Utility Providers for Business
    • Outside Trash Providers for Business
    • Schedule of Fees FY 20-21
    • Town Forms
  • For Visitors
    • Wilkesboro Tourism Development Authority
    • Attraction Maps
    • Civic Center Rental Information
    • Historic Wilkesboro Tour
    • Parks & Recreation
    • - - Cub Creek Park
    • - - Mountain Bike Trails
    • - - Community Commons & Pavilion Stage
    • - - Heritage Square Splash Pad
    • - - Rolling Pines Disc Golf Course
    • - - Wilkesboro Campground
    • Wilkes Co. Birding Trails
    • Wilkes Heritage Museum
    • Wilkes Transportation Options
    • Wilkesboro Sundial
    • Wilkesboro Music & Festivals
    • - - Brushy Mtn. Peach & Heritage Festival
    • - - Carolina in the Fall
    • - - Concerts in the Commons
    • - - Faithfest
    • - - Merlefest
    • - - Movies on Main
    • Yadkin River Greenway

Wilkesboro Tourism Development Authority logo

Thomas Salley, Director
Wilkesboro Tourism Development Authority

Office Location:
203 West Main Street
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
Tel: 336-838-3951
Fax: 336-838-7616

Office Hours:
Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Mailing Address:
Town of Wilkesboro
Attn: TDA
PO Box 1056
Wilkesboro, NC 28697

TDA Board Members

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EXPLORE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WILKESBORO

with a Heritage Tour of our Famous Landmarks!

DowntownTour1

Printable Map 

Wilkesboro is the county seat of Wilkes County and located in Northwest North Carolina. For two centuries it has been the center of life for people living between the Brushy Mountains on the southeast and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Today while retaining some of its 18th and 19th-century flavor, the town has also enjoyed the development on it fringes with rapidly growing restaurant and shopping facilities, a community college and two civic centers bring the town up-to-date. For those of us that are sentimental to our grassroots, a self-guided tour can be done in our historic downtown of Wilkesboro. 

The tour includes fifteen stops. The thirteen buildings that reveal the character of the Town of Wilkesboro as it developed. All are examples of the distinctive styling and culture of their time and each is included in the National Register of Historic Places. Each represents an aspect of community life that is historically noteworthy. The buildings are within walking distance of each other. Two other sites with significant history are also along the tour and the map and site explanations below will explain the significance of these sites.currently Wilkes Heritage Museum

IMG 2446-transparent-background300X2151TourThe Old Wilkes County Courthouse - A great landmark in Wilkes County. This courthouse was built in 1902 and is an example of official classical revival structures built at the turn of the century. A new courthouse was built in to utilize the ever growing needs of Wilkes County citizens. The Old Courthouse has been restored and houses the "Heritage Museum" for Wilkes County History. 

Tory Oak Tree c. 1940s


2TourTory Oak Site - For two and a half centuries the Tory Oak grew strong and stately in the center of Wilkesboro, a symbol of the revolutionary struggle that led to the founding of our county. Some leaders called this old tree the Liberty Oak, but it became famous because several enemies of the American Revolution, known as Tories, were hanged on its limbs when the tree was still young. When the original Tory Oak died, it was replaced by a black oak with the marker stone & plaque, which is pictured above in the map image.  

     IMG 4167-transparent-background300X215

3TourThomas B. Finley Law Office - It was built in the late 19th century and a succession of lawyers have practiced here. It is a diminutive, well-preserved carpenter gothic building, an excellent example of its type. Opposite the law office is the Wilkes Heritage Museum. 

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4TourThe Smithey Hotel - This building is located east of the Old Wilkes County Courthouse and was built in 1891. It was once a center of mercantile trade on the ground floor with the area's main hotel above. This late 19th-century example of small-town commercial architecture remains relatively unaltered outside. 
      IMG 4165-transparent-background300X215

5TourW.H.H. Cowles Law Office - This building dates from 1871 and is a low, small structure that suited the legal practice of the time. It is on Main Street near the Brown-Cowles House and is also known as the "Law & Bridal Cottage."  
     IMG 4192-transparent-background300X215 

6TourBrown-Cowles House - This is the oldest house remaining in Wilkesboro and dates from the 1830s. Hamilton-Brown (1786-1870) built the central structure and Congressman William H. H. Cowles (1850-1901) expanded it. The slave kitchen and curing house are among the few outbuilding still remaining in the area. In front of the house is the Cowles Law Office.
 Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church     
7TourWilkesboro Presbyterian Church - Established in 1837 and built in 1849-50, the church is two blocks east of the Old Wilkes County Courthouse on the south side of Main Street. It served the oldest Presbyterian congregation in 21 Western NC counties. It is a tetrastyle Doric portico is an excellent example of the popular design at the time. 
 
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8TourJohnson-Hubbard House - Built in 1855 by Stephen Johnson and purchased in 1885 by Julius C. Hubbard. Hubbard added some additional rooms, but the house remains much in its original state. The upstairs bedroom ceilings are unique in that they were painted with designs made with a smoking pine torch.  
      IMG 4160-transparent-background

9TourJ. T. Ferguson Store - It stands across the street from the Smithey hotel. This building front is cast iron and pressed metal facade produced in St. Louis in 1887. The classical and Victorian details are still bold and impressive today. The manufacturer sold over 5,000 building fronts of this sort during a 23 year period. This is one of the few of this type remaining. 

IMG 4166-transparent-background300X21510TourFormer Federal Building - Located on the south side of Main Street and was built in 1915. It is an example of federal revival style architecture, unusual in its preserved refined classical elegance and its use of terra cotta, brick, wood, and plaster. This building has served many purposes over the years, federal courthouse, post office, the board of education and is currently a real estate office. A larger Federal Courthouse and Post Office has been built two doors down from this structure on Main Street.  

11TourCarl Lowe House - This home was built in 1899 and is at the top of Brooke Street at Woodland Blvd. It is a fine remaining example of Queen Anne and late Victorian houses, with irregular design, textures, and rare orientation. 
    St Paul's Episocal Church

12TourSt. Paul's Episcopal Church - Located on Cowles Street on the crest of the hill above the town. It was completed in 1849 and is one of the earliest consecrated in the Episcopal Diocese of Western NC. It is a good example of a small parish in the gothic revival style church & much of the building is in its original condition. Ben Long's Frescoes has been a wonderful addition to the church in recent years.    
IMG 4159-transparent-background300X215

 
  
13TourOld Wilkes County Jail - It is located behind the old Wilkes County Courthouse & was completed in 1860. It has been restored and is now a museum. Tom Dula or Dooley was one of its inmates and was famous for the murder of Laura Foster, the love of his life. This is an outstanding example of mid 19th century jails and one of the few intact examples in the State of NC.

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14TourRobert Cleveland Log Home- This was the famous home of Robert Cleveland, a gentleman farmer and his family of 17 children. It was built in 1770s in Purlear, in western Wilkes County. It was moved to Wilkesboro and restored behind the Old Jail. Col. Benjamin Cleveland, Robert's brother, lived in Wilkes County and led forces from this region to the Battle of Kings Mountain during the Revolutionary War.
     

15Tourovermtn-victory-sealYadkin River Greenway - By using the designated bicycle and pedestrian trails along the river, its tributaries, and the Historic Overmountain Victory Trail, Wilkes County citizens and visitors will enjoy this area's many natural, cultural, and recreational resources. The Overmountain Victory Trail is remembered where soldiers on their way to King’s Mountain battle defeated the British in a strategic battle that helped win the Revolution. There are many historic sites along the Reddies and Yadkin River that were not marked but are a significant part of the Wilkes County history. As part of the greenway development, several of the most famous historic and ecological kiosks, located along the trail will explain the significance of these sites. The National Park Service has designated the OVT as one element of a national trails system. 
 

Click here to read more the National Register of Historic Places in Wilkes County, NC.

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P.O. Box 1056 • 203 West Main Street • Wilkesboro, NC 28697 •  336-838-3951 3 3 6 8 3 8 3 9 5 1

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