Sparta
-- Our Hometown
 Located
at the crossroads of the county's two main corridors -- US 21 and NC 18
-- Sparta is the physical center as well as the focus of community life
for Alleghany County. Like many southern towns, the Courthouse is the center
of town. The old central business district recalls the charm of the town's
early history. Two shopping centers speak more to recent growth.
Sparta
is
home to Alleghany High School, Sparta Elementary School -- the largest
of three elementary schools in the county -- the satellite campus of Wilkes
Community College, Alleghany Memorial Hospital and four of the county's
largest manufacturers.
The
town also features one of the most complete public parks for a community
of its size, Crouse Park. The property was the home of R. Floyd and Crystal
Crouse and left to the town in honor of Mr. Crouse's parents, Floyd and
Ellen Gambill Crouse.
R.
Floyd Crouse (1892-1969) was Sparta's first mayor following incorporation
in 1925. A graduate of the University of North Carolina and the Harvard
Law School, he was was one of the community's most prominent lawyers during
the middle of the 20th century and a champion of conservation causes.
The
park features a basketball and volleyball court, horseshoes and exercise
and play equipment for all ages from toddlers through adults. There are
two covered picnic pavilions. It is encircled by a paved walking course.
And the Course home is available for public functions.
Sparta
is governed by a five-member elected council and mayor. The town manager
handles day-to-day concerns. The town office is located at 304 South Main
Street.
History
Alleghany
County was created from land carved out of what was primarily Ashe County
in 1859. James H. Parks was an early businessman whose store stood near
the present location of the ABC store. He was one of three men who donated
land for the countyseat in 1866 and is credited with suggesting naming
the town after the Greek city-state.
The
present Courthouse was constructed in 1910 and is listed in the National
Register of historic buildings. Noteworthy businesses include: The Alleghany
News, which traces its history to The Alleghany Star, established in 1889
by A.S. Carson.
The
Bank of Sparta was established in 1902 and merged with three other banks
to form Northwestern Bank in 1937 under the leadership of Sparta businessman
Edwin Duncan. It grew to be a major financial institution in northwestern
North Carolina until it was bought by First Union in the late 1980s.
Like many southern
communities, the Courthouse occupies the town's center. Today's Courthouse
is modeled after the original 1909 structure that burned in the 1933 fire.
Little more than the columns and foundation remained. Place your mouse
pointer on the picture to see the original structure. |
During
the early part of the 20th Century, the Alleghany countryside was dotted
with small farms and Saturday would see farm families pour into Sparta
to visit and trade. One of the prominent stores of that time was N.B. Smithey's
store, the large rock building next to the town office built in 1936.
Smithey
had built a number of such stores in communities in the northwest mountains,
forerunners of the modern department store. Smithey's sold clothing, household
goods, groceries and even sported a cafe. The Smithey's chain closed in
the 1990s with the death of Mr. Smithey's son-in-law who had inherited
the business.
Another
prominent store of the time was Farmer's Hardware, located across from
the Courthouse. Opened in 1936, R. Amos Wagoner, Sr. bought into the business
in 1937 and it remains in the Wagoner family today. It has the longest
history in Sparta of operating out of the same location and under the same
ownership.
In
the latter half of the 20th Century, small farms were consolidated into
larger operations and much of the employment moved to manufacturing. The
county's oldest manufacturer, Sparta Industries, began as D&P Pipe
works in 1943, and produces Dr. Grabow pipes. The county's largest employer,
Bristol Compressors, opened in Sparta in 1994. Other large manufacturers
in Sparta include NAPCO and Magnolia Manufacturing.
The
town's first shopping center, Trojan Village, was opened in 1977 by developer
D.W. Miles. Another shopping center, Sparta Plaza was opened in 1986 by
Ken Richardson.
Fire
has played a critical role in the town's development. In January, 1933,
a fire that began in Ray's Lunch Room (presently Sparta Restaurant), burned
half the buildings on the block, jumped the street and destroyed businesses
and much of the Courthouse before it was brought under control.
The
fire left little more than a shell where the Courthouse stood. It was rebuilt,
but being that this was the depression, the newer structure lacked some
of the grandeur of its predecessor.
The
town had little in the way of a fire department and dynamite was one of
the tools used to bring the fire under control. This event prompted the
establishment of the Sparta Fire Department.
Shortly
after midnight, Jan. 28, 1986, a traveler stopped in a convenience store
to report smoke was pouring from Sparta Restaurant. Fire departments from
Alleghany and surrounding communities battled until early morning in temperatures
as low as minus nine degrees Fahrenheit to bring the town's second worst
fire under control. Four downtown businesses were destroyed, but the fire
was contained to that city block.
Determined
not to be done in, the fire prompted a renewal of that portion of town.
The area was rebuilt and Sparta Restaurant continues to operate from the
same location.
For more information
on Sparta, check government
and demographics.
(Click here
to read about other communities in Alleghany County.)
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