The town of Huntersville is located 15 miles north of downtown Charlotte, in Mecklenburg County, NC. Once a settlement known as Craighead, Huntersville received its present name in honor of a prominent farming family headed by Robert Boston Hunter, who contributed to the area’s cotton farming success in the 19th century. Huntersville incorporated as a town in 1873, and grew quickly as businesses, such as the Virgin Manufacturing Company, thrived and attracted employees and residents to the area. Huntersville is now situated on the southeast shores of beautiful Lake Norman, but this wasn’t always true; Lake Norman, the largest manmade body of fresh water in North Carolina, was created between 1959 and 1964 by Duke Power, who constructed the Cowans Ford Dam to service the Piedmont region of North Carolina with electricity. Fed by the Catawba River, Lake Norman has a surface area of more than 50 square miles, and offers 250 miles of shoreline, and its vast natural beauty and recreation possibilities immediately attracted many residents and visitors to Huntersville and its surrounding communities. Between the allure of Lake Norman and the close proximity to the bustling city of Charlotte, Huntersville experienced a population growth of 728 percent in the decade between 1990 and 2000.

Although there are approximately 40,000 people living in Huntersville today, the town is still considered by many to be a lake haven with quiet neighborhoods and a charming, friendly atmosphere. The community has received many accolades over the years; in 2005, Money magazine ranked Huntersville as #76 on its list of “Best Places to Live in America,” and Grey House Publishing recognized the town as one of “America’s Top-Rated Smaller Cities.” Residents of Huntersville enjoy a variety of attractions in Mecklenburg County and all over the Charlotte Metro Area—from museums, shopping, and dining to outdoor recreation. Huntersville has 18 historic sites, including the Hopewell Presbyterian Church and Cemetery, which dates back to the 1740s, and the Hugh Torrance House and Store, the oldest surviving store in the county, established in the 1770s. In contrast to these heritage sites are new, world-class retail centers such as that in Birkdale Village, which features top label fashion stores Ann Taylor Loft, Chico’s, and Jones New York, as well as home décor and bookstores, casual and fine dining, and a movie theater—all in a Nantucket village style atmosphere complete with bubbling fountains and manicured gardens.

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