About Columbus, NC

Columbus was established in 1855 on a 100-acre site of wild, rugged foothills, nestled up to White Oak Mountain. The town was named after Columbus Mills, a NC senator whose grandfather, Ambrose Mills, was one of the first settlers in the area. Columbus has been the county seat since being established. Known for it’s historic courthouse completed in 1859 from bricks made of local clay and baked nearby, the courthouse still stands in the center of town and is the 8th oldest courthouse in NC that is still in use today.