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December marks 65 years for McAdenville as “Christmas Town USA,” with over 375 trees and most homes decorated in red, white and green lights. Festivities honor the family whose kindness rescued the town from the Great Depression.
In 1939, mill owner William Pharr saw potential in McAdenville, moved his family there and bought up the closed factories. At Christmas he provided trees and decorations for every house and all of Main Street, and covered the electric bills.
The Pharrs visited Europe some years later and brought home the idea of the “Yule Log Parade” that remains a beloved town tradition.
– The North Carolina 100 reports