Fines Creek Community Center

The Fines Creek Community Association came together in 1995 after Fines Creek Elementary School closed and moved its students to Crabtree Elementary School. The empty school left an old rock building full of potential as a central meeting place for the town. Since then the old school has become a social hub for the community offering exercise classes, potlucks, dances and everything in between.

A Short History of Fines Creek, North Carolina

Fines Creek Township is situated in the northern part of Haywood County, North Carolina. Haywood became a county in 1808 and the Fines Creek Township was formed out of Crabtree Township in 1850. The Township lies along the valley of the creek from which it derived its name, formed from about one hundred square miles of territory. In 1930 the population was 1,327. Long before this, however, Fines Creek was originally called Crystal Creek because that name occurred frequently in old land grants. Later the settlement was called Twelve Mile Creek, because the entire creek length was twelve miles.

It was after the winter of 1783 that Fines Creek Township got its name. In 1783 Indians were stealing horses and cattle from the nearby Big Pigeon settlement. Major Peter Fine helped raise a company of men and followed the Indians across these mountains, where they killed one Indian and wounded several others. The Indians returned fire however, killing Vinette Fine, Major Fine’s brother. There was no time for grave digging, so the ice in a nearby creek was broken and Vinette’s body was placed in the water through the hole. Before Major Fine’s men could return to retrieve Vinette, the creek flooded and washed his body away, never to be recovered. Near the beginning of the 19th Century, the Township name was officially changed to Fines Creek.

It is from this story we have designed a quilt square as the logo for the Fines Creek Community Association. That is the quilt square shown as our profile picture.

Since 1995, people have been moving to Fines Creek faster than we can learn their names or where they live. Fines Creek Township today continues to grow, and with the help of the local community, as well as state and corporate grants, also helps its local families. Every year in late summer the community hosts one of the finest Bluegrass Festivals in the country, drawing visitors and viewers from states near and far. Fines Creek Township is a great place to visit and to live.