Are you serious? You can live, own a business, or invest inside an incorporated Burke County town and still have another town’s name in your mailing address. Even a Town Hall can have another town listed in its address.
At first glance, a mailing address may not seem like an economic development issue. But for several of Burke County’s small towns, the name that appears after a street address can affect everything from emergency response and package delivery to business recruitment, community identity and whether a town gets credit for the investment happening within its own borders.
Rutherford College, Rhodhiss, Drexel and Glen Alpine all have properties physically located within their municipalities that carry the mailing address of another community. For a small town working to strengthen its downtown, recruit businesses, attract visitors and build community pride, that matters.
Rutherford College: Which Town Hall?
Consider Rutherford College, where even the Town Hall illustrates the problem. Rutherford College Town Hall is physically located in the Town of Rutherford College, but its mailing address says Connelly Springs. Just 2 miles away, the Town of Connelly Springs has its own Town Hall — also, of course, with a Connelly Springs address.
That creates real confusion. Rutherford College rents its Town Hall for birthday parties and other gatherings, and attendees sometimes have difficulty figuring out which “town hall in Connelly Springs” they are supposed to go to — the Rutherford College Town Hall or the Connelly Springs Town Hall.
Businesses along Malcolm Boulevard face the same identity issue. JD’s Smokehouse, one of Burke County’s best-known destination restaurants, is physically located in Rutherford College but carries a Connelly Springs address. When visitors search for the restaurant, share its location or tell others where they ate, Rutherford College can disappear from the story.
Town leaders have also raised the more serious concern of emergency response and 911 addressing. When the municipality someone is physically in does not match the community name attached to the address, what begins as an identity problem can become a public-safety issue as well.
Rhodhiss: Building a Downtown — With a Hickory Address
In Rhodhiss, the issue could have an even greater impact as the historic Old Glory Mill is redeveloped. Plans for the mill include approximately 100 apartments along with restaurant, retail and community space — a project that could essentially become a new downtown center for Rhodhiss. Yet the property currently carries a Hickory address. Rhodhiss could spend years helping bring one of the most significant redevelopment projects in its history to life, only to have the businesses, residents and visitors associated on paper with another city.
Drexel: Investment in Drexel, Addressed to Morganton
Drexel faces a similar economic development challenge. An approximately 100-acre industrial property near the heart of town is being marketed for future investment, but it carries a Morganton mailing address. If a new manufacturer or major employer locates there, the jobs and investment will be in Drexel, while the company’s public-facing address could identify it as Morganton. For a small municipality trying to attract investment and establish its place on the map, that lost visibility is significant. The same issue exists along Drexel’s Main Street, where businesses physically located in downtown Drexel can carry Morganton mailing addresses.
Glen Alpine: When an Address Creates Real Problems
And in Glen Alpine, the consequences are already very real. The town is currently working with NC Commerce on a five-year strategic economic development plan, including efforts to strengthen its downtown. Yet businesses locating in downtown Glen Alpine will carry Morganton addresses. That means a business recruited specifically to help revitalize downtown Glen Alpine could end up advertising itself to customers as being in Morganton.
The address problem in Glen Alpine goes beyond branding. The News Herald has documented difficulties caused by having a Linville Street in both Glen Alpine and Morganton. Residents have reported packages being delivered to the wrong Linville Street, addresses being rejected by online systems and problems with official records. One resident reported being mistakenly charged City of Morganton vehicle property taxes, while a Glen Alpine pharmacy owner described shipments being returned because systems did not recognize his physical address. Some residents and businesses have resorted to paying for post office boxes simply to receive mail and packages reliably.
Lost Identity
These examples point to a larger issue. A town’s name is part of its identity — and for a small town, that identity has economic value. When a restaurant, major employer, downtown business, housing development or visitor destination carries the name of a larger neighboring community, the smaller town loses some of the recognition that comes with that investment. Over time, that affects how visitors, prospective businesses, residents and even online search engines understand where a community begins and what it has to offer.
And the confusion is not always limited to one neighboring community. Depending on the location, Rhodhiss properties can carry Hickory, Lenoir or Granite Falls addresses. Drexel properties can carry Morganton or Valdese addresses, while Rutherford College properties can carry Connelly Springs, Valdese or Granite Falls addresses. A single incorporated town can essentially disappear behind several different mailing-city names.
Burke River Trail Association has raised these concerns directly with Congressman Tim Moore. BRTA discussed the issue with Congressman Moore at a Burke Chamber business roundtable and again during a meeting in Rhodhiss. His office asked for additional information and examples, particularly about how the postal-address issue affects the identities and economic development efforts of Burke County’s small towns. BRTA has followed up with information from Rutherford College, Rhodhiss, Drexel and Glen Alpine. Sen Budd’s office had the same request municipal visits facilitated by BRTA.
The goal does not necessarily have to be redrawing ZIP Code boundaries or changing existing postal routes. USPS already maintains approved city names associated with ZIP Codes through its addressing system. We are asking whether incorporated municipalities such as Rutherford College, Rhodhiss, Drexel and Glen Alpine can be recognized as acceptable mailing city names for properties physically located within their boundaries
If a home or business is actually in Rutherford College, its address should be able to say Rutherford College. If it is in Rhodhiss, it should be able to say Rhodhiss. The same should be true for Drexel and Glen Alpine.
Burke County’s communities are working hard to recruit investment, strengthen downtowns, preserve historic properties, support local businesses and create places where people want to live and visit.
Their names matter. Their identities matter. And their addresses should reflect where they actually are.