Tar Hi;i;i. Towns
Bv Rachael Landau
Faith
The town's name is something
everybody seems to have in this small
Rowan County community.
No oiu- is evci ,i strungei iii ihc
southern Kow.in County town
of Faith.
When a writei comes to visit, she’s
treated like one ol the latnilv. Locals
are eager to give any visitor a grand
lour. Even at a busy barbecue restau¬
rant. the cooks will take lime to tell vou
all alnnit theii town and even help to
track down the mayor. Arriving at the
mayors house, which is just down tin*
road, she is greeted wholeheai tedlv and
invited to Slav a while and even join the
tainilv lot dinner. II you didn't know
belter, you would think you were visit¬
ing relatives or good 1 1 i«-n«ls ol the fam¬
ily.
But that's just the way people are in
Kaith. with its population of BOO and
one caution light.
The town's name could not describe
this place Irelter. with its vital church
community, the people's faith in Cod
and country and their faith in the gran¬
ite industry, which is how the town got
its name from Ibundei John I lionias
Wvatt. Wyatt was said to have lacked
experience in granite quariying but
went ahead with his work "on faith."
In those early years of the town,
which was incorporated in 1903. many
families worked in the granite business.
After the depression and the introduc¬
tion ol cement and asphalt, the indus¬
try died out. Many people had to look
lor work out ol town. Remnants of the
industry can be seen in the foundations
ol manv homes and in the sidewalk
c tubing. The
«
reeks are even lined with
granite.
No matter il one ol the townspeople
goes away to college or marries some¬
one Irom another town, they all seem
to come back to Faith, folks here say.
When they do move away, they tell
everyone they know about their home¬
town, spreading the word about Faith.
Mayor Tim Williams lives next-door
to his parents and one ol his sisters lives
just down the road.
“I see no reason why you'd want to
leave Faith." says Randall Barger, co-
ownei ol a Faith soda shop. Barger, who
grew up here, currently lives in nearby
Granite Quarry but says he is moving
back to Faith as soon as the 125-year-old
house he is restoring is ready.
Being a bedroom community ol soi is,
most ol the people who live here work
in Salisbury 01 Concord, except for the
local merchants. With 30 local business¬
es in this small town, the residents don’t
lack foi anything. Downtown Faith is
complete with a grocery, bank, dry
cleaners, hairdresser, accountant, doc¬
tor, dentist and pharmacy, file town
has its own post ollice. an elementary
school and a middle school.
Ray McCombs, Faith's oldest living
citizen at 95. has lived here all his life
and can tell you exact dates and times
ol just about anything that has ever
happened in his hometown. Me was 2
years old when the town
was incorporated in 1903.
Mis grandfather was one
of the original owners ol
the town grocery store.
McCombs later took over
the store and now one ol
his sons owns it. Despite a
lire that burned it down
in 1927. the store still
remains the main source
ol food for the town.
"Living in Faith is dif¬
ferent than a lot ol other
places." Williams savs. Me
attributes this to what he
calls its old-fashioned
latnilv values and sense of
conuiiuniiv
I he churches in town
contribute a great deal to
the uniiv here, many say.
Williams says member¬
ship in the three church¬
es nearly triples that of the
The streets of Faith are always full fur the Rowan County town's annual Fourth of July celebration.
the Stalc/July IW.