Matthews began as a small farming community in the 1800s. Cotton farmers cleared the land for new plantings, leaving tree stumps in all directions; thus, the first name for the community became known as "Stumptown". The history of Matthews runs deep, but most of the town's residents moved to Matthews in the past decade, attracted by affordable subdivisions, strong schools and the historic, pedestrian-friendly downtown. Some historic Matthews homes remain around the fringes of Matthews town center, however the area has seen tremendous growth with new subdivisions. Matthews has an active parks and recreation department and satellite campuses for Central Piedmont Community College and Wingate University.