Hickory Downtown Development Association (HDDA) 

is a private, non-profit 501 (c)6 organization with a thirteen member volunteer Board of Directors. Funding for the organization is comprised of membership dues, grants, donations, and event sponsorships.

MISSION STATEMENT

“ To physically and culturally improve downtown Hickory as a place of commerce, recreation, and culture for the people of Hickory and the greater metro area.”

HICKORY DOWNTOWN VISION

Supporting your life well crafted, Downtown Hickory serves as the gathering center for varied recreation and entertainment. Downtown is the hub of owner-operated local businesses, corporate headquarters, and urban living.

HISTORY

Hickory began as a small piedmont city whose growth and development moved it from a late nineteenth-century trading center on the Western North Carolina Railroad to a thriving twentieth-century manufacturing center for furniture, hosiery and textiles.

The history and development of Hickory has been divided into five stages of growth. The earliest phase began at the end of the eighteenth century and ended with the outbreak of the Civil War (1769-1860).

The second phase began when the Civil War ended, as the city’s population and economy expanded as well as increased development in cultural and educational facilities (1861-1900). This second phase lasted until around 1901, when the establishment of the first large-scale furniture plant made permanent changes in the manufacturing business. From 1901 until the onset of World War I in 1917, many furniture factories as well as hosiery and textile mills were built in the city’s realm resulting in a rise in population, service industries and building activity.

During World War I, construction in the city declined only to be followed by a large increase in population and housing needs, growth of businesses and manufacturing companies, and the extension of public services rendered by local government (1918-1940).

Growth since 1940- After World War II Hickory continued growing and by 1961 the city boasted forty-six furniture plants, eight-nine hosiery mills, twenty-seven other manufactories, and a population of 37,000 people. A vast urban renewal project as well as continual redevelopment also accompanied this period of growth. Much of the historic fabric of Hickory’s downtown was removed or drastically altered in the 1960s and 1970s, leaving gaping holes in the urban landscape. Yet, this period also saw the emergence of historic preservation efforts in Hickory, a trend that has grown in scope by instilling pride in the city’s past by encouraging the appreciation, preservation, and continued use of Hickory’s historic resources.

Nika Werner – President

Lake Hickory Realty

Sabrina Parris – President Elect
Honeycomb State Tax Strategies

Jay Brown – Past President
Jay Brown Realtors

Marty Mull
Hickory Wine Shoppe

Emily Westmoreland
Broome Insurance

Bill Morgan
Morgan Law, PLLC

Tammy Panther
Focus Newspaper

Dave Leonetti
City of Hickory

Mandy Hildebrand
Hickory Metro Convention Center