Stanley began as Brevard Station in 1879, a railroad stop on Alexander Brevard family land, and took its present name from a prospector who panned for gold in the creek nearby. The tracks still run beside the central business district along NC-27, and the Brevard Station Museum keeps the town's records and artifacts. Harold Rankin Park handles the everyday side of things, with sports fields, walking trails, and open lawn. Mountain Island Lake is minutes away for kayaking and fishing, and the Mountain Island Educational State Forest has a Talking Tree Trail where audio stations tell you about the woods you are standing in.
Stanley was founded as Brevard Station in 1879, renamed Stanley Creek in 1893, and incorporated as Stanley in 1911.
Mountain Island Lake was created in 1924, alongside the Mountain Island hydroelectric station.