Enon, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Enon is an unincorporated community in eastern Yadkin County
, North Carolina
, USA. The community, which is centered around Enon Baptist Church, is in the Forbush Township
and in the East Bend
ZIP code
zone (27018). It is a Piedmont Triad
community.
The community is bordered by the Yadkin River
and Forsyth County
to the east, Huntsville
and Forbush and Logan creeks to the south, Flint Hill to the north and Looney Creek to the west.
at Enon going back to at least the early Woodland period
(500 B.C.-100 A.D.), according to a 1998 survey. A v-shaped stone fish weir, used by Native Americans to trap spawning fish, was identified north of the Old U.S. 421 Bridge in Enon.
in the mid-18th century. By 1850, the area included large plantations along the Yadkin River that were farmed by slaves as well as a few smaller farms.
The area was first known as Red Plains, likely for the red soil in the area. A school and post office were located there. Because there was no road nearby, only paths through the woods led to the school. There was also a post office called Mana in the area at one time.
Enon Baptist Church was founded in 1858. Members first met at the Red Plains School, near the home of Tyre Glen. The name Enon was chosen because of its proximity of the Yadkin River. Enon is an alternate spelling for Ænon, a Greek word for spring. The church began with eight members, one a slave of Tyre Glen named John. The first church building included a balcony for slave members.
, once had 360 slaves and 6000 acres (24.3 km²). The 15-room house, with its Doric
columns, was completed in 1837. The soapstone foundation for the house came from Glen's own quarry. Recently, it was restored and is a privately-owned residence. Glen's property included a dam, gristmill and a ferry at the Yadkin River.
Glen spent his early career as a slave trader and land broker, helping set up plantations in Mississippi
. Glen's papers are available through Duke University Libraries and have been cited in recent books on the Civil War period. Among the records, is a price table from the early 1850s that values slaves based on their ages. Glenwood was a center for culture in the area. Prominent visitors included Nathan Rudolphus., the son of Sen. Stephen A. Douglas
; North Carolina Gov. Zebulon Vance
; and North Carolina Chief Justice Richard M. Pearson
.
In 1863, a company of 50 uninvited Confederate troops of the 8th Battalion Georgia Infantry descended on Glenwood. In April 1863, Glen's rants against succession angered the officers, who instigated a plot to lure him from Glenwood and hang him as a traitor. The officers' plot was stopped by heavy rains that washed away the bridge at Deep Creek, and Glen returned to his home.
In July 1864, William Alexander Conrad, a founding member of Enon Baptist Church and member of the Home Guard, was shot at Glenn's Ferry, trying to catch what he thought were three deserters who were crossing the river in a small boat. Conrad died several months later. Years after the war, it was learned that the men were Union soldiers who had escaped from prison and were on their way to Ohio.
Glenwood was raided several times during the close of the Civil War. After the last raid in April 1865, most of the slaves had fled, and there was neither a horse nor a head of cattle left. As the Confederate army disbanded, troops marched along the ferry road that ran through the estate. For weeks, long tables were erected at each side of the house and family members and the few remaining freedmen gave food to all who stopped.
A partner in the slave trade with Glen, Isaac Jarratt (1812–1875), also settled in the Enon area. Jarratt, who served as a drummer boy during the War of 1812, bought the Davis Durrett plantation in 1835. Many of the Jarratt family papers, including letters and slave receipts, are located in the library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During the Civil War, Isaac Jarratt was captain of the Yadkin County Home Guard.
The Jarratt family is also tied to the families of Thomas Lanier Clingman
and through marriage to Richard Clauselle Puryear
of nearby Huntsville, North Carolina
. The Durrett-Jarratt house, on Old U.S. Highway 421, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
to Yadkinville
, was paved in 1925 and became part of U.S. Highway 421. The highway gave the area easier access to Winston-Salem
, which is less than 10 miles (16.1 km) east.
At least four country stores and a roller mill opened along the highway, offering gas and other conveniences to locals and travelers along the highway. However, the stores began closing in the 1960s after a new four-lane U.S. 421 was built a few miles south of the community. The former U.S. highway is now called Old U.S. 421.
In 1936, High Point
began an ill-fated plan to build an 85 feet (25.9 m) deep lake and hydroelectric dam in an area that included portions the community. High Point bought up more than 14000 acres (56.7 km²) along the Yadkin River for the Styers Ferry dam project and had spent about $1 million before it was stopped by the courts. Local farmers and Duke Power mobilized to fight the plan. The dam project went before the state Supreme Court seven times. Finally, the federal government ended the project during World War II because generators were needed for the war effort.
, has begun to move into the community. Land that for decades had been used for farming is being converted into housing developments.
Most residents work in nearby Winston-Salem. However, there are a few home-grown businesses that employ area residents. The largest is Johnson's Modern Electric, which has a home office near the Yadkin River on Old U.S. Highway 421.
sponsored event, six times: 1989, 1990, 2005, 2006, 2007,2008 and 2009. The 2007 team compiled a score of 7,580, 792 points over the second-place team from Utah, and took honors in all events.
Forbush Elementary, one of five feeder schools for Forbush High School, was rebuilt after a 1986 countywide bond referendum. In 2002, a tower was built in front of the school to house the old bell that was used at Enon School, a three-teacher school built in 1908. The bell was moved to the school when Enon School closed.
Yadkin County, North Carolina
- Cities and towns :*Boonville*East Bend*Jonesville*Yadkinville-Towns of the past:These towns were incorporated at one time:*Arlington, merged with Jonesville in 2001.*Hamptonville, chartered in 1818.*Huntsville, incorporated in 1792....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, USA. The community, which is centered around Enon Baptist Church, is in the Forbush Township
Forbush Township, Yadkin County, North Carolina
Forbush Township is one of twelve townships in Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States. The township had a population of 3,695 according to the 2000 census....
and in the East Bend
East Bend, North Carolina
East Bend is a town in northeastern Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 659 at the 2000 census. It is a Piedmont Triad community.-Geography:East Bend is located at ....
ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
zone (27018). It is a Piedmont Triad
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
community.
The community is bordered by the Yadkin River
Yadkin River
The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, power, and flood control. The river becomes the Pee Dee...
and Forsyth County
Forsyth County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. The population density was 747 people per square mile . There were 133,093 housing units at an average density of 325 per square mile...
to the east, Huntsville
Huntsville, North Carolina
-External links:* * *...
and Forbush and Logan creeks to the south, Flint Hill to the north and Looney Creek to the west.
Pre-history
Native Americans were living along the Yadkin RiverYadkin River
The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, power, and flood control. The river becomes the Pee Dee...
at Enon going back to at least the early Woodland period
Woodland period
The Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures was from roughly 1000 BCE to 1000 CE in the eastern part of North America. The term "Woodland Period" was introduced in the 1930s as a generic header for prehistoric sites falling between the Archaic hunter-gatherers and the...
(500 B.C.-100 A.D.), according to a 1998 survey. A v-shaped stone fish weir, used by Native Americans to trap spawning fish, was identified north of the Old U.S. 421 Bridge in Enon.
Founding of community
The fertile river bottoms began to draw a few European settlers who followed the Great Wagon RoadGreat Wagon Road
The Great Wagon Road was a colonial American improved trail transiting the Great Appalachian Valley from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, and from there to Georgia....
in the mid-18th century. By 1850, the area included large plantations along the Yadkin River that were farmed by slaves as well as a few smaller farms.
The area was first known as Red Plains, likely for the red soil in the area. A school and post office were located there. Because there was no road nearby, only paths through the woods led to the school. There was also a post office called Mana in the area at one time.
Enon Baptist Church was founded in 1858. Members first met at the Red Plains School, near the home of Tyre Glen. The name Enon was chosen because of its proximity of the Yadkin River. Enon is an alternate spelling for Ænon, a Greek word for spring. The church began with eight members, one a slave of Tyre Glen named John. The first church building included a balcony for slave members.
Civil War period
Tyre Glen or Tyree Glenn (1800–1875) built one of the largest plantations in western North Carolina in Enon. The estate, known as GlenwoodGlenwood (Enon, North Carolina)
Glenwood is a plantation estate with a Greek Revival house built in 1851, and outbuildings, in or near Enon, North Carolina.Tyre Glen or Tyree Glenn built one of the largest plantations in western North Carolina in Enon. The estate, known as Glenwood, once had 360 slaves and . The 15-room house,...
, once had 360 slaves and 6000 acres (24.3 km²). The 15-room house, with its Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns, was completed in 1837. The soapstone foundation for the house came from Glen's own quarry. Recently, it was restored and is a privately-owned residence. Glen's property included a dam, gristmill and a ferry at the Yadkin River.
Glen spent his early career as a slave trader and land broker, helping set up plantations in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Glen's papers are available through Duke University Libraries and have been cited in recent books on the Civil War period. Among the records, is a price table from the early 1850s that values slaves based on their ages. Glenwood was a center for culture in the area. Prominent visitors included Nathan Rudolphus., the son of Sen. Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Northern Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in a Senate contest following a famed...
; North Carolina Gov. Zebulon Vance
Zebulon Baird Vance
Zebulon Baird Vance was a Confederate military officer in the American Civil War, the 37th and 43rd Governor of North Carolina, and U.S. Senator...
; and North Carolina Chief Justice Richard M. Pearson
Richmond Mumford Pearson
Richmond Mumford Pearson was an American jurist who served as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1858 to 1878. He was the father of Congressman Richmond Pearson and the father-in-law of North Carolina Governor Daniel Gould Fowle.Pearson lived much of his life in what is now...
.
In 1863, a company of 50 uninvited Confederate troops of the 8th Battalion Georgia Infantry descended on Glenwood. In April 1863, Glen's rants against succession angered the officers, who instigated a plot to lure him from Glenwood and hang him as a traitor. The officers' plot was stopped by heavy rains that washed away the bridge at Deep Creek, and Glen returned to his home.
In July 1864, William Alexander Conrad, a founding member of Enon Baptist Church and member of the Home Guard, was shot at Glenn's Ferry, trying to catch what he thought were three deserters who were crossing the river in a small boat. Conrad died several months later. Years after the war, it was learned that the men were Union soldiers who had escaped from prison and were on their way to Ohio.
Glenwood was raided several times during the close of the Civil War. After the last raid in April 1865, most of the slaves had fled, and there was neither a horse nor a head of cattle left. As the Confederate army disbanded, troops marched along the ferry road that ran through the estate. For weeks, long tables were erected at each side of the house and family members and the few remaining freedmen gave food to all who stopped.
A partner in the slave trade with Glen, Isaac Jarratt (1812–1875), also settled in the Enon area. Jarratt, who served as a drummer boy during the War of 1812, bought the Davis Durrett plantation in 1835. Many of the Jarratt family papers, including letters and slave receipts, are located in the library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During the Civil War, Isaac Jarratt was captain of the Yadkin County Home Guard.
The Jarratt family is also tied to the families of Thomas Lanier Clingman
Thomas Lanier Clingman
Thomas Lanier Clingman , known as the "Prince of Politicians," was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1845 and from 1847 to 1858, and U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1858 and 1861...
and through marriage to Richard Clauselle Puryear
Richard Clauselle Puryear
Richard Clauselle Puryear was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between the years of 1853 and 1857.Puryear, born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, moved to Surry County, North Carolina as a child...
of nearby Huntsville, North Carolina
Huntsville, North Carolina
-External links:* * *...
. The Durrett-Jarratt house, on Old U.S. Highway 421, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Later development
The community remained isolated after the Civil War. In 1913, the first bridge across the Yadkin River at Enon was authorized by the North Carolina Legislature. The steel bridge was completed a short time before a sand-clay road was built in 1915. The road, which linked Winston-SalemWinston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
to Yadkinville
Yadkinville, North Carolina
Yadkinville is a town in Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,818 at the 2000 census. Located in the Piedmont Triad, it is the county seat and largest city of Yadkin County.-Geography:Yadkinville is located at ....
, was paved in 1925 and became part of U.S. Highway 421. The highway gave the area easier access to Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
, which is less than 10 miles (16.1 km) east.
At least four country stores and a roller mill opened along the highway, offering gas and other conveniences to locals and travelers along the highway. However, the stores began closing in the 1960s after a new four-lane U.S. 421 was built a few miles south of the community. The former U.S. highway is now called Old U.S. 421.
In 1936, High Point
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
began an ill-fated plan to build an 85 feet (25.9 m) deep lake and hydroelectric dam in an area that included portions the community. High Point bought up more than 14000 acres (56.7 km²) along the Yadkin River for the Styers Ferry dam project and had spent about $1 million before it was stopped by the courts. Local farmers and Duke Power mobilized to fight the plan. The dam project went before the state Supreme Court seven times. Finally, the federal government ended the project during World War II because generators were needed for the war effort.
Growth and development
Until recently, many Enon residents lived on family farms, and the area remained primarily rural. However, the community's proximity to Winston-Salem has made it more attractive as a bedroom community. Development in the western suburbs of Winston-Salem, especially in nearby LewisvilleLewisville, North Carolina
Lewisville is a village in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 12,639 at the 2010 census. It is a Piedmont Triad community.-Geography:Lewisville is located at ....
, has begun to move into the community. Land that for decades had been used for farming is being converted into housing developments.
Most residents work in nearby Winston-Salem. However, there are a few home-grown businesses that employ area residents. The largest is Johnson's Modern Electric, which has a home office near the Yadkin River on Old U.S. Highway 421.
Education
Most children in the area attend Forbush Elementary School, a kindergarten through eighth-grade community school at Bloomtown Road and Old U.S. 421. The school, which first opened in 1935, is a source of pride in the community. The school's hunter's safety team has won the National Junior Youth Hunter Education Challenge, a National Rifle AssociationNational Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
sponsored event, six times: 1989, 1990, 2005, 2006, 2007,2008 and 2009. The 2007 team compiled a score of 7,580, 792 points over the second-place team from Utah, and took honors in all events.
Forbush Elementary, one of five feeder schools for Forbush High School, was rebuilt after a 1986 countywide bond referendum. In 2002, a tower was built in front of the school to house the old bell that was used at Enon School, a three-teacher school built in 1908. The bell was moved to the school when Enon School closed.