Catawba Blends Progress With Preservation
Published May 27, 2009
Downtown Hickory blooms with shops and restaurants.
Claremont is a city of 1,100 residents, but the community balloons to a population of 4,000 people every weekday.
“About 3,000 people from surrounding communities drive into Claremont to work at the many jobs we happen to have here,” Mayor Glenn Morrison says. “There is plenty of industry in Claremont, which is especially impressive for a city of our small size.”
Larger employers in the city include Cargo Transporters, CertainTeed, CommScope, Draka Communications and Pierre Foods.
“Not only do these companies provide a good living for their employees, but they also substantially contribute to our tax base,” Morrison says.
The historic Bunker Hill Covered Bridge is in Claremont, and Catawba County is installing walking trails leading to it.
While it values its history, Morrison says, the city also is pushing toward the future with new projects. “We have a 67-home development that recently opened, as well as 91 condominium units. We offer a nice quality of life here,” he says.
The city of Conover, in the geographic center of the county, is home to a number of quaint and thriving antique stores and eateries, as well as a planned passenger train stop that will link Asheville to Salisbury.
A staple of the community is the Conover Farmer’s Market, open Saturdays from late April through October. The market features vendors selling products grown and produced within a 125-mile radius.
In the county seat of Newton, several parks and greenways grace the community, along with a historic downtown and a bevy of cultural and arts options.
The downtown district includes the city government complex, a historical museum and several residential properties.
The Catawba County Museum of History showcases the region’s heritage in the former Catawba County Courthouse, an imposing National Register Renaissance Revival structure built in 1924.
The city promotes and celebrates diversity through an annual Unity Day, says Gary Herman, Newton public information officer.
In Hickory, an unusual mix of specialty shops with local and imported merchandise has made the city’s downtown Union Square district a shopping and entertainment destination.
“I like to call it our living room because it is where we invite people to visit and relax on a regular basis,” says Connie Kincaid, executive director of the Hickory Downtown Development Association. “Not only are there many activities we schedule in Union Square, but historic buildings in the square’s park-like setting create a very interesting commercial district.”
Downtown Hickory also has a good selection of restaurants – from deli to pub fare to fine dining. “Those kinds of engaging attractions help make Hickory and all of Catawba County so interesting,” Kincaid says.
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Ian Curcio
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