Every town has its
history. Statesville has its history after dark.

For generations, Statesville, North Carolina, proudly called itself “The Best Town in North Carolina.” Local historian and storyteller Steve Hill knows the stories behind that reputation—and the darker, stranger, sometimes hilarious stories that didn't make the Chamber of Commerce brochure.

Statesville After Dark: The Worst of “The Best Town in North Carolina” ventures into the crimes, tragedies, scandals, ghosts,
bizarre characters, and supernatural lore lurking beneath the polished surface of one Southern town.

But this is no ordinary local-history book.

Drawing on years of research conducted for his popular nighttime walking tours of historic downtown Statesville, Hill blends
documented history, oral tradition, folklore, humor, and storytelling into an
unconventional portrait of the hometown he loves. The result is populated by
crime and decadence, tragedy and insanity, ghosts and strange occurrences— and people whose stories might otherwise have disappeared into the shadows.

And the book has its own soundtrack.

Throughout the book, readers will find QR codes connecting them to 43 original songs inspired by the people and events they encounter. Hill performs about a dozen himself, with many of the remaining songs featuring musicians from the Statesville area. Read the story, scan the code, and hear history transformed into music.

Sometimes chilling, sometimes funny, and always deeply rooted in place, Statesville After Dark is part local history, part true
crime, part ghost story, part musical experience—and ultimately an unconventional love letter to a hometown with a few skeletons in its closets.

Perfect for readers of North Carolina and Southern history, true crime, folklore, ghost stories, local history, and music.

Proceeds from the book benefit Preservation Statesville, the nonprofit organization that operates the Statesville Historical Collection.