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Brasstown, North Carolina
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Brasstown, North Carolina
Brasstown is an unincorporated community located mostly within Clay County, North Carolina, United States, though roughly one third of Brasstown is within the adjacent Cherokee County. Brasstown Creek travels through the community and separates the two counties.
The name, "Brasstown," was given to several historic towns in the Cherokee region, including this one. The name resulted from confusion in translating the Cherokee name, "Itse'yĭ" (meaning 'New Green Place' or 'Place of Fresh Green') with "Ûňtsaiyĭ" (meaning "brass").
Brasstown is the oldest continuous settlement in Clay County. The community was built on the Native American route known as the Unicoi Turnpike. In 1813, when the path was turned into a toll road, a store and inn were built in what would become Brasstown that same year. The community's first white settler was reputedly David Thompson, who ran the inn, which was located near the present community center. Joshua Harshaw's smokehouse, likely built in the 1840s, is the oldest surviving building in western Clay County and may be the oldest structure still in its original location in the entire county. Brasstown's largest church, Little Brasstown Baptist, was founded in 1850. The town's first post office was established in 1871, though it closed and was replaced in 1889.
Brasstown's first school was established in the mid-1880s. It was a log house at Green Cove Church, located at the site of the present-day Hickory Stand Church. Children later attended the five-classroom Ogden School, which opened in 1926 to consolidate small schools in the Warne and Brasstown area. The Ogden School offered up to high school classes and closed in 1975. Today the only public schools for Clay County students are 10 miles (16 km) east in Hayesville. Nonprofit manufacturer Industrial Opportunities, Inc., was founded at Ogden school in 1974 before moving to Andrews. Private school The Learning Center was established at Ogden school in 1987 before moving to Murphy.
Construction on US 64 between Hayesville, Warne, and Brasstown started in 1921. The John C. Campbell Folk School was formed in 1925 and a credit union known as the Brasstown Savings and Loan Association was established in 1926. As late as 1934 Brasstown had its own time zone. At that time Cherokee County operated on Central time and Clay County ran on Eastern time. Due to frequent gatherings at the folk school, Brasstown clocks were set half-way in-between to avoid confusion. When it was 1 p.m. in Murphy and 2 p.m. in Hayesville, it was 1:30 p.m. in Brasstown.
A creamery opened in Brasstown in 1924 and was operated by the Folk School during the 1930s. It produced butter at first, then ice cream, and by 1937, whole milk. It was equipped to churn 6,000 pounds of butter per week, one-third of which was sold to businesses in Atlanta. The creamery closed in 1974. The building is today occupied by an art gallery. A gold mine operated in Brasstown around the 1930s.
The Tri-County Racetrack, a 1/4-mile banked dirt oval raceway, opened in 1969 and hosts races on weekend evenings. Jack Wimpey built the track on property he owned. NASCAR driver Bill Elloiott gained experience on the track. VIP suites were constructed in 2018. In 2025, the concession stand was remodeled, new restrooms were built, and the pit area quadrupled in size. The Brasstown area experienced two small tornadoes during the 1974 Super Outbreak. Brasstown's volunteer fire department began in 1976. In 2023 the department built and moved into a new headquarters on Old Highway 64 West next to the raceway.
The 6,000-square-foot (560 m2) Brasstown Community Center was built and opened in 1998. It features a commercial kitchen, a gym that can seat 850 people, a fenced playground, and a quarter-mile walking track. It also functions as the town's voting site. Brasstown Airport opened by 2005 on Settawig Road. Little Brasstown Creek Park opened in 2006 on the Folk School campus. The park includes the Rivercane Walk, Cherokee history and artwork exhibits, and multiple nature trails. Brasstown's Hollywood-style hillside sign was erected by 2008. Clay County's two-day Punkin Chunkin Festival, where pumpkins are launched through the air via catapult, has been held on Settawig Road in Brasstown since 2009. Brasstown also hosts the Folk School's annual Fall Festival, which began in 1974 and draws thousands of people to the community.
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Brasstown, North Carolina
Brasstown is an unincorporated community located mostly within Clay County, North Carolina, United States, though roughly one third of Brasstown is within the adjacent Cherokee County. Brasstown Creek travels through the community and separates the two counties.
The name, "Brasstown," was given to several historic towns in the Cherokee region, including this one. The name resulted from confusion in translating the Cherokee name, "Itse'yĭ" (meaning 'New Green Place' or 'Place of Fresh Green') with "Ûňtsaiyĭ" (meaning "brass").
Brasstown is the oldest continuous settlement in Clay County. The community was built on the Native American route known as the Unicoi Turnpike. In 1813, when the path was turned into a toll road, a store and inn were built in what would become Brasstown that same year. The community's first white settler was reputedly David Thompson, who ran the inn, which was located near the present community center. Joshua Harshaw's smokehouse, likely built in the 1840s, is the oldest surviving building in western Clay County and may be the oldest structure still in its original location in the entire county. Brasstown's largest church, Little Brasstown Baptist, was founded in 1850. The town's first post office was established in 1871, though it closed and was replaced in 1889.
Brasstown's first school was established in the mid-1880s. It was a log house at Green Cove Church, located at the site of the present-day Hickory Stand Church. Children later attended the five-classroom Ogden School, which opened in 1926 to consolidate small schools in the Warne and Brasstown area. The Ogden School offered up to high school classes and closed in 1975. Today the only public schools for Clay County students are 10 miles (16 km) east in Hayesville. Nonprofit manufacturer Industrial Opportunities, Inc., was founded at Ogden school in 1974 before moving to Andrews. Private school The Learning Center was established at Ogden school in 1987 before moving to Murphy.
Construction on US 64 between Hayesville, Warne, and Brasstown started in 1921. The John C. Campbell Folk School was formed in 1925 and a credit union known as the Brasstown Savings and Loan Association was established in 1926. As late as 1934 Brasstown had its own time zone. At that time Cherokee County operated on Central time and Clay County ran on Eastern time. Due to frequent gatherings at the folk school, Brasstown clocks were set half-way in-between to avoid confusion. When it was 1 p.m. in Murphy and 2 p.m. in Hayesville, it was 1:30 p.m. in Brasstown.
A creamery opened in Brasstown in 1924 and was operated by the Folk School during the 1930s. It produced butter at first, then ice cream, and by 1937, whole milk. It was equipped to churn 6,000 pounds of butter per week, one-third of which was sold to businesses in Atlanta. The creamery closed in 1974. The building is today occupied by an art gallery. A gold mine operated in Brasstown around the 1930s.
The Tri-County Racetrack, a 1/4-mile banked dirt oval raceway, opened in 1969 and hosts races on weekend evenings. Jack Wimpey built the track on property he owned. NASCAR driver Bill Elloiott gained experience on the track. VIP suites were constructed in 2018. In 2025, the concession stand was remodeled, new restrooms were built, and the pit area quadrupled in size. The Brasstown area experienced two small tornadoes during the 1974 Super Outbreak. Brasstown's volunteer fire department began in 1976. In 2023 the department built and moved into a new headquarters on Old Highway 64 West next to the raceway.
The 6,000-square-foot (560 m2) Brasstown Community Center was built and opened in 1998. It features a commercial kitchen, a gym that can seat 850 people, a fenced playground, and a quarter-mile walking track. It also functions as the town's voting site. Brasstown Airport opened by 2005 on Settawig Road. Little Brasstown Creek Park opened in 2006 on the Folk School campus. The park includes the Rivercane Walk, Cherokee history and artwork exhibits, and multiple nature trails. Brasstown's Hollywood-style hillside sign was erected by 2008. Clay County's two-day Punkin Chunkin Festival, where pumpkins are launched through the air via catapult, has been held on Settawig Road in Brasstown since 2009. Brasstown also hosts the Folk School's annual Fall Festival, which began in 1974 and draws thousands of people to the community.
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