Outlying Area, Hendersonville...

The area where Hendersonville is located was originally part of a land grant by the King of England to the Earl of Granville. In 1780, the Revolutionary State of North Carolina laid claim to the area. A series of subdivisions of the grant finally led in 1881 to the creation of Vance County. The already existing town of Henderson, because of its size and central location, was designated as county seat for Vance County.

The beginnings of the settlements that led to the incorporation of Hendersonville preceded  the creation of Vance County by more than a century. By the early 1700s, Scotch, German and Irish settlers had migrated to the area, and well-identified communities had begun to emerge.

The town was named for Chief Justice Leonard Henderson, an outstanding colonial jurist and native of Hendersonville.