Author: Andrew Duppstadt, DNCR
North Carolina formed Iredell County in 1788 out of Rowan County and named it in honor of James Iredell, Sr., a leading political and legal figure during the Revolution and early Republic. Iredell was born in Lewes, England, October 5, 1751, and emigrated to Edenton in 1767 where he served the Crown as deputy collector of customs for the port. He also read law under Samuel Johnston, later governor of North Carolina. The grandson of a clergyman, Iredell was a devout Anglican. Iredell married Johnston’s sister Hannah, and the couple had four children.
Though a supporter of American independence, Iredell’s revolutionary views remained muted due to his employment as a British official. However, his sentiments appear in his writing, most noticeably his essay “Principles of an American Whig” which echoes the ideas found in the Declaration of Independence. From 1778 on, Iredell served the new state in numerous capacities. He was on the committee that drafted the first state statutes and set up the state court system and served as the third Attorney General of North Carolina. He was considered the intellectual leader of the Federalists in North Carolina and vocally supported the Constitution. As a reward for his efforts, President George Washington named Iredell as one of the first justices on the newly created US Supreme Court in 1790. Being a federal judge at the time required a great deal of traveling, and Iredell’s health wore down after several years. He died suddenly in October 1799 at the age of 48.
Iredell County was home to several indigenous tribes, including the Catawba and Cheraw people, prior to the arrival of European settlers in what was the backcountry of North Carolina. Those first Europeans, mainly Scots-Irish and Germans, arrived between the 1730s and 1750s in search of land. Located in the western Piedmont between Salisbury and Hickory, Iredell County encompasses 597 square miles with a population of just over 206,000 residents. Statesville is the county seat and other incorporated towns include the county’s largest, Mooresville, as well as Davidson, Love Valley, Harmony, and Troutman. Iredell is bounded by Yadkin, Davie, Rowan, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Lincoln, Catawba, Alexander, and Wilkes counties. Several major highways, including I-40 and I-77, run through the county. Much of Iredell’s economy is agricultural, but Mooresville in the southern part of the county is home to many NASCAR race shops, the NASCAR Technical Institute, and the corporate headquarters of Lowe’s. Mooresville has developed into a popular suburb of Charlotte due to its proximity to Lake Norman. The county is home to Mitchell Community College, with campuses in Statesville and Mooresville. Local attractions include two DNCR sites, Lake Norman State Park and Fort Dobbs State Historic Site.