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GENERAL INFORMATION
The Highlands Plateau, located in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, is a wonderful place to spend some quiet peaceful days, away from the traffic, phone calls, and hustle and bustle of city life. Many of our Real Estate Agencies have wonderful homes for sale and for rent of one week to a full year.
Located just 125 miles from the suburbs of Atlanta, a scant three hours from the Hartsfield- Atlanta Airport, Highlands is ideally suited for the weekend getaway, second home investment, executive retreat. Greenville, S.C. is just 85 miles from our village, and Asheville is a mere 65 miles to the north east.
The village itself sits atop the plateau, at an average altitude of 4,118 feet above sea level. The Benchmark on Main Street measures the altitude there at 3835 feet, while just a few blocks away, Satulah Mountain crests at 4,543 feet.
For weather, the altitude reduces heat and makes humidity comfortable. The climate is tem- perate, the rainfall is significant, as we are in a rain forest area. Our average highs and lows for the period 1962 thru 1993 are:
POPULATION: The summer population varies due to the many 2nd home families returning for from two weeks to six months. Estimates range from about 20,000 to close to 30,000. The year round population is about 3000 for the mailing area of Highlands and Scaly Mountain.
AREA CHURCHES: Highlands and the area around Highlands has representation from many of the national denominations, including Assembly of God, Baptist, Catholic, Christian Science, Church of God, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodists, Nazarene, Non-Denominational, Presbyterian (EPC and PC USA), Seventh Day Adventist, and Unitarian Universalist.
STATE SALES TAX: State sales tax of 6% is charged on all purchases. Accommodations charge 6% plus a 3% Occupancy Tax.
STATE INCOME TAX: N.C. State income tax: for more information you can contact the N.C. Revenue Dept. in Franklin, N.C., or the N.C. Department of Revenue, P.O. Box 25000, Raleigh, N.C. 27640-0045, or your C.P.A.
COUNTY TAX: (Subject to changes): Macon County's Personal Property Tax is 0.43 on the hundred; the town rate is 0.23 on the hundred, of evaluation. For complete tax information, contact the Macon County Tax Office, Macon County Court House, Franklin, NC 28734, tel: 704-349-2000; or the Highlands Town Hall, PO Box 460, Highlands, NC 28741, tel: 704-526-2118.
EMERGENCY: Highlands is supported by a modern new hospital, with several physicians on staff, a fully equipped lab, CT/X-ray facilities, nursing care, physical therapy, and a well equipped and trained Emergency Medical Technician Intern squad, on 24 hour dispatch. The Highlands Police Department is trained and equipped to handle police type emergencies, and the sheriff has deputies available for the area outside the town limits. Volunteer Fire Departments provide fire fighting services for the area. Macon County is installing and upgrading the 911 service for the entire county. For all emergency calls, please use 911, to ensure proper response.
SHOPPING AREAS: Highlands shopping has always been a cornerstone for quality and fine items. Highlands has many fine shops, located throughout the village area. All needs may be met in the variety of shopping available. The town has two pharmacies, grocery stores, health and beauty needs, barber/hair styling salons, and business complexes. Major shopping areas within a 150 mile range include: Franklin and Asheville, N.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Greenville and Anderson, S.C.; and Knoxville, TN.
STRUCTURING OF ELECTRIC RATES: Highlands is served by three electric companies: Nantahala Power 8c Light, Franklin, N.C. 2S734; Haywood Electric Co-op, Waynesville, N.C. 28786; Highlands Town Electric, Town Hall Building, Highlands, N.C. 28741. You may write these companies at the above addresses to receive the structure information you require.
AUTOMOBILE REGISTRATION: If the vehicle is already registered and titled in your home state and you want to register in N.C. you pay the title fee, license fee, notary fee. The cost will be between $40 to $150. If you are purchasing a vehicle for first time registration in N.C. (the vehicle is new or has been assigned to you but not titled in your name) the cost will include the use tax on the amount paid for the vehicle. In N.C. use tax is 3%. With vehicles you are charged tax on the first $33,333 only. Tax on a vehicle does not exceed $1000.00; you will have to pay a minimum tax of $40. Title Fee: $35. Plate Fee: Car $20 - Truck $21.50.
CABLE TELEVISION: Highlands cable TV service is provided by Northland Cable TV, for information/assistance, please call 526-5675.
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES: Highlands School provides for the educational needs of the youth of the area around Highlands with grade K through grade 12. Our school historically ranks in the upper 10th percentile of the SATs, and equally well in other standardized tests. The majority of graduates continue their education in the many fine two and four year schools of North Carolina and the surrounding states. Head Start is an active educational experience enjoyed in Highlands. Pre-School is available for 3 to 5 year olds.
Day Care facilities are available at the Presbyterian and Methodist churches. Southwestern Community College is located in Sylva, NC, with extension classes in Franklin. It is a two year vocational institution, with continuing educational classes in a variety of avocational subjects. Western Carolina University is located in Cullowhee, NC, providing baccalaureate degrees in full four year areas of study. University of North Carolina at Asheville is a full four year campus of the University of North Carolina system. Clemson University is a four year university of the University of South Carolina system. It is located in Clemson, SC, approximately 65 miles south of Highlands.
Highlands Biological Station is a summer graduate program of the University of North Carolina system, administered by Western Carolina University. The Highlands Nature Center is located on Horse Cove Road (East Main Street extended) hosts a variety of events each summer, as well as nature exhibits inside the Center. It is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and also offers informative classes of interest to youths of all ages, and hikes and walks to various locations. Highlands Botanical Garden is located on East Main Street, approximately 1/4 mile from the center of town. It is located behind the Highlands Nature Center.
The area around Highlands is full of waterfalls, raging rivers, headwaters to the Chattooga, the Little Tennessee and the Cullasaja. Whiteside Mountain, located five miles from downtown Highlands, rises more than 2,100 feet above the valley floor, with sheer cliffs ranging from 400 to 700 feet in height, and is part of the eastern continental divide. It is the home of the peregrine falcons, an endangered species reintroduced to its native range in 1985.
Activities for the families include hiking, fishing, boating, horseback riding, rappelling and enjoying the beautiful native flowers and blooming vegetation. The town is celebrating the fifteenth season of the Highlands Chamber Music Festival, with performances by the Alexander String Quartet and the Cavani String Quartet, (for information, please call 704-526-9060) and the 56th gleason of live theater at the Highlands Playhouse. Acclaimed as one of the top ten in the country, this years performances include I Do! I Do!, Bedroom Farce, My Fair Lady, and Fallen Angels (For more information, please call 704-526 2695).
The Highlands Forum, The Center For Life Enrichment and The Highlands Institute For American Religious Thought all offer a variety of educational programs, lectures and special events throughout the summer season. The Mountain Camp and Conference Center offers many interesting programs, including Elderhostel. Over 100 years old, the historic Hudson Library is part of the regional system of libraries, and offers a large selection of fiction, nonfiction and reference material. Housed within the library is the Bascom Louise Gallery, where artists from throughout the area exhibit. Their Center For The Visual Arts offers a variety of workshops throughout the summer season. There is also an outdoor art sale sponsored by the Art League of Highlands.
TOWN EVENTS include Halloween Trick or Treating, Christmas Tree Lighting, Christmas Parade, Taste of Highlands, Jazz in The Parking Lot, Business Expo and Fourth of July Celebration. Juried Art Shows, Craft Shows and Musical Performances. Call the Chamber of Commerce for dates and times. 526-2112.
Highlands is situated on the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is popular for the cool, summer weather, where it seldom gets over 82 F, even in the middle of the summer. People from Georgia and Florida were the early "Sun Birds" to come to Highlands to build summer homes. Several of the Coca Cola founders built homes there, as did the Cannon Towel family. Now you see more car tags from Florida than you do from North Carolina, and will also see tags from all over the US.
This area is considered a rain forest, and located in Highlands is a Biological Station and Botanical Gardens, that is home to more different species of plants than anywhere else in the US. Students travel there from all across America, to do studies in the summers.
Some of the early family names common to the area are: Reed, Crowe, Owens, Hicks, Rogers, Nix, Hall, Chambers, Hall, Cleveland, James, Wilson, Pickleseimer, and many, many others too numerious to list here. Ethel Reed Gagle, is the mother of Gagle Communications Chairman and Founder, Merlin S. Gagle, Jr. of Crystal River, FL. Mrs. Ethel Gagle was born just across the Georgia state line in Rabun County, in.1905, and worked in Highlands while a teenager, at the Edwards House (Highlands Inn).
Alvin Crowe, who married Pearl Reed, was a long-time building contractor for Highlands, and built several of the area's golf & country clubs.
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