Named after Gen. George Monck, one of the Lord Proprietors of Carolina, Albemarle is the county seat of Stanly County, located amidst the rolling hills of the North Carolina Piedmont. The influential Hearne family donated 51 acres to the first Commissioners of Stanly County and Albemarle was incorporated in 1857. At its founding, Albemarle had a Methodist church and two saloons. With the onslaught of the Civil War, approximately 500 local men left to fight for the Confederate cause. After the austere post-war years, the economy grew with the coming of the railroad to Albemarle in the 1890s. The railroad initiated an industrial boom, bringing such companies as Efird and Wiscassett Mills, Lillian Knitting Mills, Allen Clothing Store, and Palmer Stone Works. This influx of industry fostered many socially prominent families who had house parties, social clubs, and philanthropic organizations. There is a wealth of local history to explore in Albemarle.