A creed-conscious father and persistent preacher laid out the groundwork for the early beginnings of the community with plans for a college now called Mars Hill. The legend of a Negro slave and the tireless efforts of a man named Robert Lee Moore have also been written into the history of the town. It is a town that came into existence with a college as its focal point and education as its purpose. There has been little change in that policy in more than 100 years.

Located 19 miles north of Asheville, just 2 miles off US 19-23, Mars Hill has an elevation of 2,330 feet and has been called a "gem in the emerald ring of the hills surrounding it." The lofty peaks of Bailey Mountain, The Craggies, Pisgah and Max Patch rise above the town, and the fertile "hill" takes on the appearance of a secluded valley. Mars Hill acquired a 550 acre watershed in 1927, which served as the town's source of water until 1952 when an adjoining 250 acre watershed was purchased. In 1956, when a new storage reservoir was needed, town officials decided to investigate the possibility of financing it through the sale of lumber.