Town of Glen Alpine

FOUNDED 1883

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Glen Alpine was incorporated in 1883.  The Western North Carolina Railroad (later the Southern Railroad) was built through this section in 1868 and the little community called Turkey Tail had its beginning then.  The name Turkey Tail was derived from a tree near the railroad tracks that had the shape of a turkey’s tail.

When two brothers, Columbus and Edward Sigmon (Sigmund), operated a store and a post office in their store, the name of the village of Turkey Tail was changed to Sigmundsburg.

By 1883 this community located six miles west of Morganton had acquired the name of Glen Alpine Station.  In 1896 the word Station was dropped.

In the early 1870’s, The Glen Alpine Springs Hotel was built.  It was the largest wooden structure in North Carolina, and was said to have had as many as 100 guests at a time. The hotel was closed in 1902.  The building was used as a school until 1909.  The structure burned to the ground in 1934.  After the hotel closing the town’s name was changed to just Glen Alpine.

Glen Alpine today is primarily a residential community with hometown values, and is conveniently located in Burke County, the heart of Western North Carolina and the Blue Ridge Mountains, offering up some of the best outdoor activities in the area and just minutes from Lake James State Park and the Catawba River. Discover the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge foothills, minutes from some of the region’s best wineries and breweries.