Spindale, North Carolina
Spindale is a town of 4,131 people in Rutherford County, North Carolina.
Why visit Spindale
Townapedia lists 15 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 41 places to eat and 8 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Carrier Houses and Cliffside Public School.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Spindale
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Spindale
Spindale is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,225 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Spindale, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks15
Carrier Houses
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Cliffside Public School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic school building in North Carolina, United States
Cool Springs High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
School building in Forest City, North Carolina
George W. Logan House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Gilbert Town Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
James Dexter Ledbetter House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic district in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, United States
Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Rutherford County
Rutherford County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Courthouse in North Carolina, United States
Rutherfordton-Spindale Middle School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
High school in Rutherfordton, Rutherford County, North Carolina
T. Max Watson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Forest City, North Carolina, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina
West Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic district in Forest City, North Carolina
3 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes41
Sakura Express
Restaurant · Asian · 0.7 mi
267 West Main Street, Spindale
Waynes Lunch Box
Diner · American · 0.4 mi
391 East Main Street, Spindale
Barley's Taproom & Pizzaria
Restaurant · 0.5 mi
123 West Main Street, Spindale
Fat Tracy's BBQ
Restaurant · 1.8 mi
1163 West Main Street, Forest City
Granny B's Sub Shoppe Bakery
Restaurant · 0.7 mi
322 West Main Street, Spindale
Jesse James Railroad Express
Restaurant · 1.5 mi
531 Railroad Avenue, Rutherfordton
29 more on the map.
Where to stay8
History
Spindale originated as a mill town from its first textile mill, Spencer Mills, in 1916, until its last textile mill, Stonecutter Mills, organized by J. B. Tanner in 1920, which closed in 1999. The town of Spindale was incorporated on August 21, 1923. In 1939, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a local act that extended the corporate limits of the town of Spindale, which nearly doubled its size in area.
In 1926, the iconic Spindale House was opened as a community and recreation center and as a memorial building, presented to the town by K. S. Tanner and other members of the Tanner family.
Opening in 1926, a classic landmark of the Spindale mill village was Greene's Grocery Store located on Spindale Street, which stood for over five decades as the number one volume store for many mill families, featuring a home delivery truck service, a credit account system, and a fresh meat market.
The first organized churches in Spindale were First Baptist in 1917, Methodist in 1919, Presbyterian in 1922, and Spencer Baptist in 1926.
In 1930, the Carolina Theater opened on Main Street in Spindale, which could seat 360 patrons and operated until it closed in 1961.
From the History section of Spindale, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship24
Forest City Baptist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
St. Luke's Chapel
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Trinity Lutheran Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Iglesia Bautista Cristo Vive Forest City
Church · Baptist · 1.9 mi
929 Oakland Road, Forest City
Shopping11
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries17
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School
School · 2.9 mi
286 Learning Parkway, Forest City
Forrest W. Hunt Elementary School
School · 5.7 mi
100 Forrest Hunt Drive, Forest City
Rutherfordton Elementary School
School · 3.3 mi
201 Bob Hardin Road, Rutherfordton
Healthcare4
Map of Spindale
129 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 27°F | 4.3 in |
| Feb | 55°F | 30°F | 3.9 in |
| Mar | 63°F | 35°F | 4.3 in |
| Apr | 72°F | 44°F | 4.4 in |
| May | 79°F | 53°F | 3.9 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 62°F | 5.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 67°F | 4.9 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 4.5 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 60°F | 4.5 in |
| Oct | 72°F | 46°F | 3.6 in |
| Nov | 63°F | 34°F | 3.9 in |
| Dec | 54°F | 30°F | 4.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Forest City 8 W (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Rutherford County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-28: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
- 2020-05-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport (SPA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 30 miles away.
- Rutherfordton 2 mi west, about 3 min by car
- Forest City 3 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Boiling Springs 16 mi southeast, about 26 min by car
- Lake Lure 17 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Columbus 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Shelby 22 mi east, about 35 min by car
- Boiling Springs 22 mi south, about 35 min by car
- Marion 22 mi north, about 36 min by car
- Edneyville 23 mi west, about 37 min by car
- Gaffney 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Spindale-House-nc, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0
- Main Street, Spindale, North Carolina, Gerry Dincher from Hope Mills, NC, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gilbert Town Site, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. Luke's Chapel - Ruthefordton, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- McMurry-Bodie House - Built 1928, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cool Springs High School, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Forest City Baptist Church, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- George W. Logan House, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cliffside School, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- T. Max Watson House, Forest City, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Former National Bank of Forest City, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- RS Central Middle School, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- James Ledbetter House, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rutherfordton-Town-Hall-nc, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0
- Gun Raffle (47987062241), Gerry Dincher from Hope Mills, NC, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Trump 2020 (47987062001), Gerry Dincher from Hope Mills, NC, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Downtown Rutherfordton, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rutherford County Courthouse, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Carrier-McBrayer House, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rutherford County Courthouse, Rutherfordton, North Carolina (2019), Gerry Dincher, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rutherfordton Presbyterian Church, Gerry Dincher, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bechtler's mint marker, Muhranoff, CC0
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