Shelby, North Carolina
Shelby is a city in and the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina.[5] It lies near the western edge of the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area. The population was 21,918 at the 2020 census.
Community[edit]
Shelby's community of art, music, and government all take place in Uptown Shelby historic district. Uptown Shelby is home to a large square, local businesses, and a variety of restaurants surrounding The Courthouse Square. Re-branded as "uptown" in the 70s to bring town-people back off the highway and away from the mall, this area has been named a "Main Street" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The local pavilion hosts a twice-a-week Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, as well as local concerts. Monthly summer festivals like Shelby Alive and Seventh Inning Stretch, hosted by the American Legion World Series, brings regional music acts to perform in the city.[13] With a low cost of living and a vibrant small town environment, Uptown Shelby has experienced a 10% growth in street level occupancy from 78% to 88%.[14] Uptown Shelby hosts opportunities for active living with groups that engage in cycling, running, crossfit, and yoga. Multiple restaurants and other local businesses are attracting day trippers and shoppers from across the region. Part of the city brand, live music is a part of community with the Earl Scruggs Center and the Don Gibson Theatre.
Other public attractions include walking trails like the thread trail and the Broad River Trail as well as public events. Reoccurring events include the Fall Livermush festival, The Cleveland County fair which is the largest county agricultural fair in North Carolina, The 7thinning Stretch, The Art of Sound, Arts on the Square, and various fundraisers.[15]
Shelby is known throughout the state for its collaborative methods between private, non-profit, and public sector organizations with groups like Leadership Cleveland County.
In 2011, Shelby was named the permanent home of the American Legion Baseball World Series after decades of rotating venues for the event.[16]
Geography[edit]
Shelby is located in south-central Cleveland County. U.S. Route 74, a four-lane highway, runs through the city south of the center, and leads east 21 miles (34 km) to Gastonia and west 27 miles (43 km) to Rutherfordton.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.1 square miles (54.7 km2), of which 21.1 square miles (54.6 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.17%, is water.[17]
Transportation[edit]
Highways[edit]
Shelby is served by US Highway 74 and its business route. US 74 Business travels through uptown Shelby along Marion St. and Warren St., giving travelers access to Shelby's growing central business district. Currently, a controlled-access highway (signed as US 74) is under construction from Mooresboro to Kings Mountain, which will bypass Shelby to the north.[22] Upon completion of the project, Charlotte and Asheville will be connected by virtually uninterrupted freeway via Interstate 85, US Highway 74, and Interstate 26.
Shelby is also served by four North Carolina State Highways.
In popular culture[edit]
The 2004 film adaptation of Blood Done Sign My Name was filmed in Shelby[23] – as well as the reaping scene in the 2012 film adaptation of The Hunger Games,[24] and the 1982 slasher film Death Screams.[25]
A fictionalized version of the city is the setting of HBO comedy show Eastbound & Down. Filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, it bears little geographic or cultural resemblance to the real place. Actor and writer Danny McBride chose the location as an inspiration because of its size, attitude, and name.[26]
The TV show Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern visited the 2009 Livermush festival in Shelby.[27]
On November 11, 2007, the Oxygen Network's "Captured" aired a profile of The Brenda Sue Brown murder mystery that took place in Shelby in 1966.[28]