Thomasville is a small Davidson County city between High Point and Lexington in North Carolina’s growing Piedmont Triad region. Like its neighbors, this community, founded in 1852, was built on the furniture industry. A past honored in the city center with a larger-than-life ornate wooden armchair known simply as “The Big Chair.” It’s a popular photo-op spot and why Thomasville is nicknamed the Chair City. But furniture craftsmanship isn’t this community’s only claim to fame. T’Ville hosts the state’s oldest street festival, and with train tracks slicing through the center of town, it regularly attracts rail fans near and far to watch locomotives pass by the historic Thomasville Railroad Passenger Depot.
Home to just over 27,000 people today, Thomasville is recovering from the loss of many of its furniture companies in the early 2000s, welcoming new industries such as flooring and trucking. It’s also home to the headquarters of Cook Out. As Thomasville looks to the future, the city is reenergizing its downtown and is in the process of becoming an official North Carolina Main Street community. “We’ve learned that the Main Street program is vital to the health and wellness of a downtown,” says Cory Tobin, a Thomasville native and the director of Thomasville Parks and Recreation. “We want to preserve historic buildings and see downtown grow into a vibrant place.”
Revitalizing downtown Thomasville, home of Everybody’s Day
The Thomasville Downtown Historic District is on an upswing. While it’s long been the central spot for train watching, supporting local business and enjoying community events, city leaders want the area to grow with the help of a grant it received in 2019 from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The historic brick facades of longtime boutiques and diners are being restored. “We’re trying to draw people here,” says Keith Tobin, Cory’s father and the Thomasville Chamber of Commerce president. “We’re redeveloping some of the old buildings in town and trying to create things that are more inviting. The old police station is going to be a boutique hotel and restaurant.”
Every year, roughly 25,000 people pack the streets of downtown Thomasville on the last Saturday of September for Everybody’s Day, the oldest street festival in North Carolina. “In 1908, communication wasn’t as great. Everybody’s Day was created to get people together and see people you haven’t seen all year,” he says.
Main St Cone and Coffee is an emblematic cafe where you can enjoy ice cream in Erwin Heights.
Old North State Candy & Gifts is a Downtown Thomasville staple.
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Rising home prices amid new construction
Thomasville’s housing market is shifting. “Housing was tough at one time, but with new developments happening, it’s opened the door. There’s been a tremendous amount of building,” Keith says. Nearly 300 new townhouses are rising off Lexington Avenue, and new construction is for sale across the city. Home prices are up 8% from 2023 to 2024. The median price of $250,000 is slightly over half the national median of $406,000 and slightly below High Point’s median of $258,000.
The blocks of Downtown Thomasville feature a range of styles, from Craftsman-inspired cottages and bungalows to Tudor and Greek Revivals, while ranch-style homes rest on spacious lots in Erwin Heights to the north. Memorial Park is in between, offering a blend of Minimal Traditional homes, split-levels and new construction.
Thomasville experiences four distinct seasons, with mild winters and hot summers. Residents are encouraged to prepare for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, as tropical storms can cause severe flooding, landslides and tornadoes.
You can find a variety of home styles in Erwin Heights like this Colonial revival style home.
You can find a variety of home styles in Thomasville's Memorial Park including this Craftsman style home.
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Thomasville Aquatics and Community Center and future park upgrades
From a municipal golf course that draws golfers from across the region to small neighborhood parks and a new aquatics and community center that hosts swim meets and city council meetings, Thomasville offers a range of spaces for recreation and community engagement. Many are in line for improvements as part of the city’s Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan. “The new aquatics center is something we’re really proud of. It was our first ground-up build since the 1940s,” Cory says. An outdoor gym and pickleball courts are some of the upgrades coming to Thomasville Central Recreation Center, and a new accessible playground is open at Myers Park, which is slated to get a dog park as its next upgrade.
The Thomasville Rec Center is the hot spot to play pickleball and other sports with friends.
Adjacent to Memorial Park, kids love spending time at the Thomasville Aquatic Center.
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Friday night lights at Thomasville City Schools
Thomasville City Schools and Davidson County Schools serve the city. Thomasville City Schools receives an overall rating of C from Niche and enrolls less than 3,000 students, making for a tight-knit community. Football games at Thomasville Senior High are a popular Friday night activity for families in the fall. The Bulldogs have won eight state championships since 1964. Davidson County Schools earns a B-plus overall rating. Five of its 37 schools are on the edge of the city limits.
Thomasville Middle School has a large campus in Thomasville, NC.
The football field and track at Thomasville High School are ready for action from the students.
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Commuting around the Piedmont Triad
A largely car-dependent community, Thomasville has quick access to Interstate 85 to commute to larger nearby cities like High Point and Greensboro. While traffic is not an issue here, drivers do have to contend with the city’s busy train crossings. “We love it, but it also can be a pain for us as locals because you’re stuck there until the train goes by,” says Keith, who adds that trains roll through the city at least 20 times a day. Davidson County Transportation System has two free bus routes in Thomasville, offering rides to destinations such as Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center, roughly 2 miles west of the city center, and Davidson County Community College east of town. Piedmont Triad International Airport is about 30 miles away.
Crime rates at or below national numbers
According to the Thomasville Police Department’s 2022 Crime Statistics report, incidents of violent and property crime dropped by 28% and 16%, respectively, from August 2021 to August 2022. FBI data shows the rate of violent crime continued to trend downward, sitting below national and state figures throughout 2022. However, the property crime rate matched national and state averages.
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