Martins Creek, North Carolina

Martins Creek Community Church, established in 1860, pictured in 2023

Martins Creek is an unincorporated community in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina.[1]

History

The community takes its name from nearby Martin Creek.[2] Martins Creek Community Church, built in 1860, was destroyed during a battle in the Civil War. The church has been rebuilt three times since.[3] Martins Creek School was destroyed by fire around 1993 and classes were held at the community center until the school was rebuilt.[4]

Education

Martins Creek School's present campus opened in 1997.

Martins Creek Elementary School serves grades K-5 and has an enrollment of 122. The current school building was constructed in 1997. The school's 61-acre campus includes hiking trails and mountain biking trails. The school served grades K-8 until 2024 when its middle school was closed and its 54 remaining students were sent to Murphy Middle School in nearby Murphy.[5] The school has received numerous awards, including being in the top 25 Schools of Excellence in the North Carolina ABC program and being listed in PC Magazine's Top 100 Wired Schools in the nation.[6]

Higher education is offered at Tri-County Community College.[7] Other nearby colleges and universities include North Georgia Technical College,[8] Young Harris College,[9] Southwestern Community College,[10] Western Carolina University,[11] and the University of North Georgia.[12]

The John C. Campbell Folk School, the oldest and largest folk school in the United States, is located about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast in nearby Brasstown.[13][14] The folk school offers community concerts and dance entertainment and focuses on creative folk arts for all ages.[15]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Martins Creek, North Carolina
2. "Community Backstory". Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
3. McCoy Williams, Aiden (September 25, 2024). "For whom the bell tolls". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers Inc. p. 2A.
4. "WNC communities: WNC honors community achievements" (PDF). WNCcommunities.org. November 3, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
5. Foster, Randy (September 11, 2024). "First day of school stats reflect moves". Cherokee Scout. Murphy, NC: Community Newspapers Inc. pp. 1A, 9A.
6. "Martins Creek Elementary". Cherokee County Schools. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
7. "Tri-County Community College - -". Tri-County Community College. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
8. "North Georgia Technical College". northgatech.edu. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
9. "A private, four-year, liberal arts college located in the mountains of North Georgia". Young Harris College. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
10. "Southwestern Community College | Explore Your Path To Success". www.southwesterncc.edu. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
11. "Western Carolina University - Home | Choose Great". Home | Choose Great. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
12. "Blue Ridge Campus". ung.edu. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
13. Eiben, Vicky (2015). "A brief history of folk schools". Folk Education Association of America. Folk School Alliance. The John C. Campbell Folk School founded in 1925 in Brasstown, North Carolina is the largest folk school in the U.S. today.
14. "region: Brasstown, Hayesville". Great Smoky Mountains North Carolina. Nation's oldest folk school founded in 1925.
15. "John C. Campbell Folk School". www.folkschool.org. Retrieved February 23, 2016.

35°01′30″N 84°01′51″W