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History · Elk Park

Elk Park dates to 1882, and 20% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listing is the Elk Park School. Below: maps from 1934 on and the census since 1890.

1882founded
1on the National Register
20%homes built before 1940
1famous people
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Quick answers

How Elk Park began

When was Elk Park founded?

1882

Elk Park dates its founding to 1882 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 313 in 18902020 census: 542144 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1883.The full story ↓

What stands out about Elk Park’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Elk Park are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Elk Park’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Elk Park’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story

How Elk Park came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Elk Park.

Read it all →

In 1882, the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad ("Tweetsie") linked Cranberry and Johnson City, Tennessee with a stop at Elk Park; three years later, Elk Park was incorporated. In 1911, Avery County was established; originally Elk Park was to serve as the county seat, but was changed after North Carolina Lieutenant Governor William C. Newland made a deal that the new county seat would be named after him for his aid in passage of the bill. However, Elk Park served as a temporary county seat while the new incorporated town of Newland was being constructed. In 1950, the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina decommissioned the railroad at Elk Park, ending rail service in Avery County, though it has survived as a town, unlike neighboring Cranberry.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Elk Park, 1882 to 1938

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1882
    FoundingElk Park is established
  3. 1883Post officeThe Elk Park post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1934On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1935Born hereHarry Blevins is born here
  7. 1938BuiltElk Park School is built
By decade

Elk Park, decade by decade

Today5 recent
WEATHER 2024-10-23 Elk Park -0462024WEATHER 2024-10-23 Elk Park -046WEATHER 2024-10-23 Elk Park -0452024WEATHER 2024-10-23 Elk Park -045Elk Park commercial district NC12017Elk Park commercial district NC1Elk-Park-North-Carolina-nc12015Elk-Park-North-Carolina-nc1Elk-Park-Elementary-School-nc12015Elk-Park-Elementary-School-nc1
On the map

Elk Park on the map, 1934 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Elk Park. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Elk Park on the 1934 USGS mapElk Park on the 1944 USGS mapElk Park on the 1960 USGS mapElk Park on the 1978 USGS mapElk Park on the 1994 USGS map1934Elk Park sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Elk Park.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Elk Park

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
2005
Elk Park School
Elk Park School, built 1938
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Rustic Revival1
Elk Park SchoolRustic Revival · Built 1938

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Elk Park, census by census

01002003004005006001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 545

Between 313 and 545 people in every census since 1890.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Elk Park’s Wikipedia page.

Questions about Elk Park’s history

What year was Elk Park founded?

In 1882, according to Wikidata. Elk Park’s post office opened in 1883, and the census of 1890 counted 313 people here.

What is on the National Register in Elk Park?

One place: the Elk Park School (listed 2005).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.