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Highlands is an incorporated town in Macon and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located on a plateau in the southern Appalachian mountains, within the Nantahala National Forest, it lies mostly in southeastern Macon and slightly in southwestern Jackson counties, in the Highlands and Cashiers townships, respectively. The permanent population was 909 at the 2000 census. The population swells to 10,000-15,000 during the season from spring to fall.

Highlands was founded in 1875 after its two founders, Samuel Truman Kelsey and Clinton Carter Hutchinson drew lines from Chicago to Savannah and from New Orleans to Baltimore. They felt that the place where these lines met would eventually become a great trading center and commercial crossroads. In the 1930s the town became a golfing mecca when Bobby Jones of Atlanta and some of his well-heeled golfing buddies founded the Highlands Country Club. Today that club is one of seven successful residential country club communities.

Climate - Highlands owes its cooler weather to its altitude. Astride the Eastern Continental Divide, at just over 4,100 ft (1,200 m), the town's elevation contributes to its relatively cool summers and abundant rainfall, averaging 87.57 inches (2,224 mm) per year. Average snowfall is only 6 inches (15 cm), largely due to the fact that Highlands is further south and east in the Appalachian Mountains. Areas of similar elevation on the northwest side of Appalachian region, such as Banner Elk, are not as protected from periodic blasts of Arctic air and receive more substantial snowfall. Regardless, Highlands is one of the very rare locations at this latitude that has an average high of 78°F or 26°C in July, far lower than the rest of the American South.

Tourism in Highlands is becoming more and more a two-season community; a summer-season community and an ever growing winter-season community. The summer season (generally March through November) draws large numbers of Southerners from the oppressive summertime heat and humidity found throughout much of the region to enjoy the beautiful mountains, cool days, fine dining, and hometown Main Street experience. More and more the town is increasing its winter season draw through its offering of arts, culinary, holiday and romantic events. The town is dotted with many antique dealers, a well-known auction house, restaurants (many have have received awards from Wine Spectator), shops, inns, as well as several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. For the performing arts there are four theaters: The Highlands Playhouse (founded in 1938), the Instant Theatre Company (founded in 1981), the Highlands Community Players (founded in 1995), and the Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center, which hosts touring groups. For the visual arts there is The Bascom - A Center for the Visual Arts, a new facility named for the artist and playwright, Louise Rand Bascom Barratt. The historic (NRHP-listed) Lee's Inn, with an enormous tree growing through the middle of its dining room, was lost to an electrical fire in the 1980s and was not rebuilt. The historic Highlands Inn and Old Edwards Inn (also NRHP-listed) continue to operate as inns.

There is one Public school in the town, Highlands School, as well as an independent public library in the town, known as the Hudson Library. The library also housed The Bascom until May 2009; The Bascom is a nonprofit visual arts center that is now located on Oak Street.

Highlands has a US post office, with ZIP code 28741 covering all of Highlands township (including Scaly Mountain) and adjacent parts of Sugar Fork township. It is also within area code 828, and all telephone numbers served by the town's telephone exchange begin with 526-, with seven-digit dialing allowed. Since buying GTE, Verizon is now the telephone company for the area. It also offers DSL high-speed Internet. Cable television and cable modem services for the city of Highlands are contracted to Northland Cable TV. (Frontier also provides internet services) Highlands is also the city of license for two radio stations. WHLC FM 104.5 and Western NC Public Radio from Asheville.

Hiking trails around Highlands are popular with backpackers, and there is at least two outfitter stores in town. As Highlands is in such a mountainous area, there are many scenic places to hike. With Highlands being home to various waterfalls, many hiking trails lead to these falls.

Fishing is also available in Highlands, at Harris Lake and other in-town and surrounding-area lakes. Some areas are public and others are private fishing grounds. There are also several rivers, including the Cullasaja River, west of town, and the Chattooga River to the southeast.

Link To Highlands & Cashiers Area Churches

Link To - Highlands Newspaper Archives

Highlands Time Line

1590 DeSoto with 200 men explore the area
1666 First Colonists in Nantahala area
1819 Macon County acquired from Indians
1827 Barak Norton builds log cabin in Whiteside Cove
1844 Capt. Dobson acquires land grants in Highlands
1850 Census: 5613 whites 121 Indians 549 slaves 207 free
1855 Post office in Horse Cove
1860 Highlands area population approximately 500
1864 Kirks Raiders - Civil War marauders roam the area
1875 Kelsey & Hutchinson arrive to develop health resort
1875 Log Law House built on the site of "Helen's Barn."
1876 First white child born in Highlands - Charles McKinney
1877 Kelsey & Hutchinson begin promoting Highlands
1878 Non-denominational church - Log Law House
1879 Town of Highlands incorporates
1881 First newspaper "Blue Ridge Enterprise" 1883 pop. 300
1883 S.W. Hill elected first mayor
1883 Moccasin War fought on main Street
1887 Highlands records a 36-inch snowfall
1894 Church of Incarnation built (Episcopal)
1895 Telephone line from Seneca, SC
1896 First quartz mine - Bull Pen Road
1900 Capt. S.P. Ravenel, Jr. builds toll road Cashiers/Shortoff
1906 Dillard Road Built
1907 Methodist Church construction begins
1908 Highlands Improvement Society acquires Satulah Summit
1911 Charlie Wright rescues Gus Bety from Whitesides cliffs
1920 Walhalla Road build
1927 Highlands School graduates first class (2)
1927 Municipal dam / power project - Cullasaja River / Lake Sequoyah
1927 Highlands Biological Station founded
1927 Franklin Road construction begins
1928 Highlands Country Club - Bobby Jones plays first round
1934 Civilian Conservation Corp. Camp on Horse Cove Road
1937 W.P.A. Auditorium built - Highlands Playhouse
1941 Highlands Community Theatre formed
1945 Church in the Wildwood in Horse Cove
1950 New Highlands School built (present location)
1950 Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church built
1951 Highlands Community Hospital opens
1952 Highlands firefighters purchase first equipment
1954 Town Hall built
1958 Highlander Newspaper published
1963 Wildcat Cliffs Country Club opened
1964 Highlands School enrollment 100+
1973 Highlands Falls Country Club opens
1975 Centennial Celebration - Summer season
1980 Scaly Mountain ski slope opens
1982 First Pro-Am Golf Tournament - Highlands Country Club
1982 Historic Lee's Inn burns to the ground
1985 Woodruff Building opens at Rec. Park
1986 Cullasaja Country Club begins construction
1987 Foxfire filmed in the Buck Creek area
1989 19 structures nominated National Register of Historic Places
2003 Highlands' Newspaper & HighlandsInfo.com published

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