Macon County, North Carolina: History
The river valleys were long occupied by indigenous peoples, some of whom built earthwork mounds about 1000 AD. Some are still visible in this region. It was part of the homeland of the historic Cherokee people, who had towns throughout the river valleys. The Cherokee in Western North Carolina are known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a federally recognized tribe.
The county was formed in 1828 from the western part of Haywood County. It was named for Nathaniel Macon, who represented North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives from 1791 to 1815 (serving as Speaker of the House from 1801 to 1807), and in the United States Senate from 1815 to 1828. Macon County's first courthouse was a brick building constructed by Colonel David Coleman in Franklin in 1829.
In 1839 the western part of Macon County became Cherokee County. In 1851 parts of Macon County and Haywood County were combined to form Jackson County. In 1872, Macon County's Buck Creek and Black Mountain areas became part of Clay County.
A new two-story brick courthouse was designed by William Gould Bulgin and constructed by John Davis in 1881. The neighboring Clay County Courthouse was modeled after it. Macon County's historic courthouse was demolished when a new three-story modern neo-formalist courthouse was built in 1972 by architect Kyle C Boone. However, the former courthouse's cupola was saved and remains on display in a downtown park.
Macon County's first hospital opened in Franklin in August 1923. In 1926, the first permanent hospital in North Carolina west of Asheville was built and named Angel Brothers Hospital. It was renamed Angel Hospital in 1940. A new $68 million Angel Medical Center was built east of Franklin in 2022.
Tourism has become a major industry for Macon County. The travel industry employed more than 1,800 people in Macon County as of 2025. As of 2025, visitors spend more than $385 million annually in Macon County. In 2025, Macon County had the second highest growth in visitor spending of any county in North Carolina.