Pinnacle

History

File:Rock House Stokes County North Carolina.JPG|The Rock House, built by Capt. 'Jack' Martin, ca. 1770 File:Window The Rock House Stokes County North Carolina.JPG|Detail of window, Rock House The town was originally known as Culler, named for Emanuel W. Culler who owned the land on which a railroad station was built and served as the town's first mayor. The present name was adopted in 1894. Pinnacle was incorporated in 1901 but the charter was repealed in 1903. Some east of Pinnacle on State Route 1186 is the Rock House, the remains of a massive four-story stone structure with three-foot-thick walls built in 1770 by Capt. John 'Jack' Martin, one of the first two settlers of Stokes County, on a grant from the Crown. Martin served in the North Carolina House of Representatives and as presiding judge of Stokes County court for over 30 years. The house was built by slaves using local flint stones, with a fireplace large enough to roast an ox and stuccoed white plaster on the exterior, and was used as a blockhouse by early settlers. Colonel Martin, who was born in Essex County, Virginia, and became a fierce fighter for the Continental cause during the Revolutionary War. Targeted by Tories during and following the War, when he was badly wounded while spying for American forces on the eve of the Battle of Kings Mountain, Martin was the brother of militia General Joseph Martin, namesake of Martinsville, Virginia. Col. Jack Martin saw action at the battles of Chestnut Ridge, Surrey County, Colsons, Old Fields, Alamance and Guilford Courthouse. The Rock House served as the mustering ground for colonial forces during the Revolutionary War as well as the War of 1812. One of the oldest structures in Stokes County and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975,…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,782
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  6,678
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  6,438
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  6,247
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  5,966
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,189
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,036
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  4,533

Largest nearby schools

• West Stokes High School
  High · King · 785 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• Chestnut Grove Middle School
  Middle · King · 661 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Poplar Springs Elementary School
  Elementary · King · 487 students · 17.4:1 ratio
• King Elementary School
  Elementary · King · 409 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Mount Olive Elementary School
  Elementary · King · 328 students · 19.3:1 ratio
• Pinnacle Elementary School
  Elementary · Pinnacle · 156 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Nancy Reynolds Elementary School
  Elementary · Westfield · 121 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• Meadowbrook Academy
  High · King · 55 students · 6.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.57 — 2023-07-08
  Virginia-North Carolina border region
• M 2.71 — 2023-07-06
  5 km S of Hillsville, Virginia
• M 2.59 — 2022-10-25
  Virginia-North Carolina border region
• M 2.56 — 2021-02-04
  1 km SSW of Sparta, North Carolina
• M 2.81 — 2020-10-25
  3 km ENE of Sparta, North Carolina
• M 2.63 — 2020-10-01
  16 km W of Sparta, North Carolina