An Unusual Southern Town

Badin, North Carolina, is a charming little town with an interesting history. In 1913, L'Aluminum Francais, a French aluminum company, started to construct a dam at the narrows of the Yadkin River just before it joins with the Pee Dee. They planned to use it to provide power for a smelter and wanted a town close to it to house their workers. Adrien Badin was the company's president at the time, so they named the new town "Badin."

When World War I broke out, the company redirected its credit lines to the war effort and ended work on the Badin project. In 1915, The Mellon Company in Pittsburg with its aluminum monopoly, the Aluminum Company of America (better known as ALOCA after 1929), bought the town, which was about half finished.

The French had completed a few buildings on the factory site, a club house for single males, a manager's home, and some single family housing on Henderson Street. In addition. work had been started on 150 apartments. The new owners continued construction, added bungalows on Tallassee Street, built cottages on Pine Street, and enlarged the clubhouse to include an annex for females.

For years ALCOA produced aluminum at its Badin plant and dominated the town. The dam became a recreation spot for Stanly County residents. However, the company decided to curtail production in 2002, although the Badin plant continued to make anodes and high-quality aluminum until 2007. ALCOA completely shut down its operations and closed in 2010.

Today, Badin is a quaint town with decided appeal. Its original French influence can still be seen from sidewalk cafes, to duplexes and apartments, and even small drainage canals with footbridges. There's small museums to explore, a beautiful old school, shops, post office, churches, town offices, and a golf course and country club open to the public. The downtown is tiny enough to stroll through and enjoy its unique character. 

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