Cullowhee, North Carolina

Home to 109 year-old Western Carolina University

Located in a broad, picturesque valley, Cullowhee was a popular settlement as early as 1850. Western Carolina University was founded in 1889 when Robert Lee Madison (son of Robert E. Lee's personal doctor) agreed to teach at what was then known as Cullowhee Academy. The school became Western Carolina Teachers College in 1929, and Western Carolina University in 1967. Its current enrollment in 6,500. Cullowhee, a community of just over 5,000, has never been incorporated. .