Welcome to Seven Devils

Welcome to Seven Devils!

Seven Devils is a beautiful mountain town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It began life in the 1960s as the Seven Devils Resort and it is not difficult to understand why it was considered a resort. In 1979, the resort became the Town of Seven Devils. Fortunately, becoming a Town did not diminish the resort-like qualities of Seven Devils. It is today every bit as beautiful as it was in those early years.

Seven Devils is very much a residential community. At the foot of the mountain on Highway 105 and at Tynecastle one finds some thriving businesses. The necessities such as grocery stores, hardware, gasoline, restaurants, and medical care are only a short drive away and very convenient to the town. It is comforting to know that first-class facilities are located nearby, but not within one’s backyard or view. The heart of Seven Devils is located on the “mountain.” Although commercial activity is found on the mountain at the Hawksnest facility, it is recreational in nature. Aside from Hawksnest, the only visible commercial activity is Town Hall, the Seven Devils Resort Club, and the occasional construction of new homes.

Visitors who come to Seven Devils for the day or the week soon find what the residents already know – that some of the most magnificent views in the mountains are available to those in our Town and opportunities for recreation abound. From many areas in Seven Devils, one has what many consider the best views of Grandfather Mountain available from anywhere. The views of Grandfather Mountain from Seven Devils are unsurpassed. Additionally, many areas in Town afford the onlooker views of Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Rich Mountain, and Mount Rogers in Virginia. Some have views of Devils Lake; and even those without long-range views have the beautiful wildlife, flora, and fauna. The entire area is a recreation haven. Without leaving the mountain, one can enjoy the zipline, winter snow tubing, hiking in the Bear Paw State Natural Area, tennis, fishing in local streams, and our walking routes. Countless other opportunities await in the region.

Seven Devils has an active and effective town government that is well run and the town is in good financial standing. The Town officials love the Town and put forth great effort to keep Seven Devils a beautiful and functional Town and vacation destination. Town boards and committees have a genuine desire to keep Seven Devils a wonderful town to visit and live. Our full-time Public Safety Department attends to the needs of our citizens and visitors and now has six full-time police officers that also serve as firefighters. A full-time Public Works Department tends to our streets, common areas, and water system, providing a full complement of services to residents and visitors. The administrative personnel are available to help our citizens and visitors in any way they can.

In short, we consider Seven Devils to be one of the premier destinations in the High Country. It is certainly worthy of consideration as a place to spend the day, week, month, or lifetime. Once you visit and see all the beauty in and surrounding this special town, it is difficult not to have the desire to return. So, do not resist that desire. Come and call Seven Devils home. You will not be sorry! Just ask our citizens who made the choice to stay and call Seven Devils their home.

A BriefHistory...

Indian arrowheads can still be found in our windy saddle known as Alpine Meadows. We don’t know much about the original natives in this area, but we do know that on March 19, 1775, the government opened up all of the Grandfather Mountain lands for homesteading. This land became known as the Grandfather Community. The first known settler was Issac McClurd from Scotland, who originally settled in Lenoir, NC. There he received a grant for 2000 acres “at the head of the Watauga River”, which included our area. This occurred at approximately the same time that the famous Daniel Boone lived and hunted in Boone, NC.

Records exist showing that several families lived on our mountain during the next 150 years and the land was primarily used for farming. According to local folk, the lower end of the mountain became known as Mast Mountain and it produced good cabbage, potatoes, and tobacco. In fact, the present Town Hall location was a cabbage and potato patch. The upper end of the mountain was known as Valley Creek including a section known as Buckeye Hollar. This area was mainly used for raising cattle. High above the meadows were the predominant geographical features of the mountain, Hanging Rock, Four Diamond Ridge, and Hawksbill Rock, which were named in the early 1800’s.

Seven men on horseback braved an old wagon trail and observed these peaks one fortunate day in 1964. The four Reynolds brothers; Buck, Frank, Dan, and Herb, Ray Smith, George Hampton, and Gardner Gidley saw this magnificent mountain as something that should be shared by many. The L.A. Reynolds Industrial District of Winston-Salem, NC formed the Resort in 1965 and the founders were met with the challenge of naming the Resort.

At this time there was a rumor about an old man on the mountain who had seven sons “as mean as the devil”. People were heard commenting that in the winter the mountain was “as cold as the devils” or “as windy as the devil”. The founders wanted a catchy, unique name that would bring attention to the mountain. They noticed the repeated appearance of the number seven, including the seven predominant rocky peaks surrounding Valley Creek, as well as the many coincidental references to ”devils”. “Seven Devils” seemed to suggest a frivolous, mischievous resort where people could “experience the temptation of Seven Devils”.

The Resort flourished with a golf course, ski slope, lake, riding stables, campground, and more until it was sold in 1972. A year later the Resort was in financial trouble, which came to include a bankruptcy in 1976. During this period the Resort was kept going by the Resort Club, which was acting as a Property Owners Association. Mountain Realty Company of Greensboro, NC purchased the Resort and worked with the residents to have the Resort incorporated. This incorporation of the Town of Seven Devils on June 30, 1979 served to establish a firm economic base for the Resort. Growths accelerated between 1979 and 1986 and many improvements were made. ‘The Mountain Group’, headed by Robert Kent and Robert West, purchased the Resort from Chester Brown of Mountain Realty in 1980. Kent and West distributed the land among many individuals, which completed the transition from Resort to Resort Town. During this period the Town acknowledges that growth was inevitable and set forth to control its growth properly and retain its quaint resort character.

Today the Town has many accomplishments to be proud of; financial independence and stability, Comprehensive Zoning and Land Use Plans and Regulations, Town Ordinances, successful Tax Collections, beautification programs, a remodeled Town Hall, a very successful Police and Fire Department, a hard working Public Works Department, Town vehicles and equipment to help with daily improvements. The Town is also in the process of improving the water system and road system. Seven Devils is a thriving community with lots of amenities to offer the citizens.

What the Town is today...