WELCOME TO DAVIDSON

Davidson Town History Timeline

1835-1850
Davidson College was founded by Presbyterian Church, a committee of the Presbytery of Concord start planning in 1835. The College opened its doors in March 1837. Businesses were first on land leased by the college.

1835-1891
The area around Davidson consisted of small farms and plantations. The area remained very rural into the 20th century.

1837 to 1879
The college was the Town government - even managed patrols. The Town incorporated as Davidson College in 1879.

1891
The Town’s name was changed to Davidson.

1888-1907
An important turning point - the founding of Cornelius over cotton-weighing decision. Davidson got a cotton mill in 1890, but could never compete with Cornelius and Mooresville as manufacturing centers. The mills in Davidson did provide some economic changes but also added to social divisions.

1865-1900
African-Americans established businesses very early in Town’s history, but most worked as servants for the college or for white families.

1880-1900
A growing population of poorer whites coming to towns from farms as crop prices declined. Tenant farmers came to work in mills. Davidson had a mill village and separate church for mill workers. - Unity Church - became Calvary Presbyterian, the building site is now Reeves Temple AME Zion.

1890s
An example of civic cooperation: the early churches established public schools (both black and white). Women from the churches raised funds to improve facilities and provide recreation for children. Women attending Davidson College Presbyterian Church and college students created Sunday schools for slaves and then helped with the mill church classes. Ironically, this helping also kept the communities separate and followed regional and national patterns of class and race.

1900-1917
At the turn of 20th century, the college was still critical to the Town, not just as the largest business but also providing the first water and electricity systems to the Town. The first cars came to town in 1911 with bus services following in 1917, but as with railroad, the Town remained off the beaten track. It was easier to get to Charlotte or Statesville which was important because the Town no longer had a hospital or clinic anymore. Poor roads and inconvenient train schedules protected local businesses by keeping customers in town.


1903-1922
Davidson got its first bank.

1923
The Town celebrated the opening of a new highway.

1929-1935
The Town police department expanded to four people.

1935
After a fire at the Davidson Colored School, the black community raised funds to build a building (now known as Ada Jenkins Center).
The College YMCA and town’s Civic Club help fund a community center for the black community.


1949-1950
A fire in Brady’s Alley destroyed the homes and brought attention to housing problems. This began series of efforts to address housing needs in Davidson.

1949-1950
The first TV program was seen - through the window of Withers Electric.

1964-1968
The Town was also beginning to deal with ending segregation. The Town’s schools first integrated in 1964 - when second grade class from Davidson Colored was sent to Davidson Elementary. The black school building was closed in 1965, and was then used as Head Start center.


1968
Initially Davidson still remained isolated from changes the lake but the building of the I-77 highway brought to areas closer together.

1968
Davidson College students picketed Ralph Johnson’s barbershop in the Town’s only civil rights protest.

1973
Developers propose bringing Marine World to Davidson. This attempt launched the village movement with citizens raising concerns about staying small.

1963-1980
During this time, local mills begin to close and a few new manufacturers appear in Town: Bridgeport fabrics, ELOX, General Time, Kerr-McGee. By 1980, the first strip mall appears causing the loss of an African-American playing field. The town faces racial divisions over a project to remove housing on Griffith Street to create greenway into the campus.

1986
In response to a KKK march down Main Street, college students organize a town-wide activity day. The march happens with no one on the streets.


1994
With the opening of new Davidson Elementary School, new concerns were raised about growth. The building was overcrowded in its first year bringing awareness of how developments like River Run were changing the area.

1994-1999
There is a renewed effort to establish a community center. The Ada Jenkins Center was refurbished and given new lease.

2000s
The Town is facing a change in population with more retirees and fewer people directly connected to the college. Growth means finding new ways to maintain a sense of identity and community.