Vass NC - The rural pastoral town that the railroad built.

Vass

Vass NC is another town that the railroad built in the northern section of Moore County, North Carolina. Vass was primarily a rural, pastoral town until the Seaboard Airline Railroad came to town in the late 1800's. Originally settled by F D Byrd and known as Bynum, the town was soon named Winder, after an official for the Raleigh and Augusta Railroad. The name was officially adopted in 1892, named after Major William Worrell Vass, the paymaster for the Raleigh and Gaston railroad and an official in the Seaboard Airline, Chatham, and Raleigh and Augusta Railroads(which would all later be merged into the CSX corporation). The town incorporated in 1907.

Once the railroad came to Vass, the production of farmed goods and exports made the town grow. Agriculture has long been a primary industry here, and once tobacco crops were planted, it really took off. Vass is another sandhills community that will make you feel as if you've stepped back in time. All the old shop and store buildings along Seaboard Street(by the railroad tracks) are still Downtown Vass by the Railroad. there, although not alot of commerce is done there anymore. Vass is kind of like the rural "gateway town" that channels residents and visitors to other areas. Gateway to all points north (Raleigh and Cary), east (Fort Bragg and Fayetteville), south (Pinehurst and Southern Pines), and west (Carthage). It has long been the gateway for soldiers who live here, to get to Ft Bragg through Spring Lake. Highway 690 crosses business Hwy 1 at the Main St crossroads in Vass.

Today Vass is home to around 850 residents, and is still mainly a rural Vass Post Office agricultural, residential and pastoral community. The town and outlying areas have started to gain attention, over the last few years, as a nice bedroom community for commuters that work in Raleigh and Research Triangle Park. People who want that small country town feel, but still convenient to Hwy 1 going north have started to settle in the area. It is also home to Woodlake Resort and Golf Club, a great community built around 2 beautiful Ellis Maples and Arnold Palmer golf courses and an 1130 acre lake.

Homes and real estate here are quite affordable, and larger tracts of acreage,

because of it's agricultural heritage, are often available. Homes around the lake at Woodlake, that haven't been updated or are great renovation candidates can often be found in the $200K-$300K range. Of course you can always find move in ready, completely updated properties in the $500K-$900K range on the water as well. Average home prices for the town overall have long hovered in the $160K-$180K range, but thanks to some new developments and a rise in new construction properties in the last couple of years, the average home price has gradually increased.

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