EEL ToWS
By Al Stewart
Eden
This mid-sized Rockingham County town near the
Virginia border is home to beautiful Victorian homes and
a big-time brewery.
Aland rich even unto ihe fabled
lands about Babylon." Such was
the description applied to the
Dan River Valley in a 1728 diary by
William Byrd II. an English planter who
surveyed what is now Rockingham Coun¬
ty for the British Crown. Later. Byrd
acquired 20.000 acres of that property
and named his estate "The Land of
Eden."
Much of the land Byrd surveyed is now
within the city limits of Eden, formed in
1967 as a result of the merger of three
towns — Leaksville, Spray and Draper.
In a referendum that year, voters chose
Eden over "Leaksville-Spray-Draper”and
"Twin Rivers" for the city’s new name.
Since their merger 28 years ago. the
three towns have retained their visual
identity and. to a certain degree, their
political identity.
Approximately 15 square miles in area
with a 1990 census count of 15.238. Eden
is the most populous city in Rockingham
County. Located in the north-central
part of the county, the town is less than
three miles from the Virginia line. To
the south arc Greensboro <35 miles) and
Winston-Salem (45 miles).
The county's diversified economy is
based on a trio of industries — tobacco,
textiles and brewing, with the latter two
driving Eden's economy.
With approximately 850 employees,
the Miller Brewing Company, which
opened a brewery near Eden in 1978,
owns one of the county's largest indus¬
trial plants. Among the plant's products
are beers with such familiar names as
Miller Lite and Lowenbrau.
A second major contributor to Eden's
economy is Fieldcrest-Cannon Mills,
Eden s historic Bullard-Ray-! larrington House
whose administrative offices are located
in the city. Two Fieldcrest-Cannon plants
in Eden produce blankets and decora¬
tive bedding. The coming ol Fieldcrest
Mills to the county in 1911 was a
paramount factor in linking Leaksville.
Spray and Draper, industrially and
socially.
Another leading employer is Sara Lee
Knit Products, which began operations
in 1986. With a payroll of almost 1.000.
this firm turns out Hanes sweatshirts.
Endowed with a rich architectural her¬
itage. Eden boasts an abundance of Vic¬
torian houses. Perhaps the grandest is
Idle-wild, built in 1874 by Leaksville
banker D.F. King. This 16-room man¬
sion. once leaksville's most fashionable
address, was recently restored to its for¬
mer glory by Bill and Cathy Dickens, who
purchased the house from the Historic
Preservation Foundation of North Car¬
olina in 1987.
Other historic structures arc the
Bullard-Ray-Harrington I louse, a Greek
Revival-style dwelling built in the mid-
1840s. and the Dempsey-Rcynolds-Tay-
lor House, which dates to the early 19th
century.
Supported by the Eden Historic Prop¬
erties Commission, all three houses arc
among the seven Eden buildings listed
in the National Register of Historic
Places. Four areas of the city have been
designated historic districts. One of
these, the Boone Road Historic District,
includes the former residence of
Luther H. Hodges. North Carolina's
governor from 1954 to 1961 and. later,
the United States secretary of com¬
merce during the Kennedy and John¬
son administrations.
One family name closely identified
with Eden for more than a century is
Morchead. Patriarch John Motley
Morehead. the state's governor during
the early 1840s. urged the construction
of rural roads and development of rail¬
roads. His grandson. John Motley Morc¬
head 1 1 , was a textile executive and con- I
gressman. Both the local hospital and
high school are named for John Motley
Morehead III (1870-1965). an industri¬
alist and chemical engineer who found¬
ed the Morehead Foundation scholar¬
ship endow’ment at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In Eden's cultural arena, a stellar
event is the Fine Arts Festival, a two-
week affair held each spring at nearby
Rockingham Community College.
Prizes are awarded to winners in sever¬
al categories — painting, ceramics,
music scores, short stories and poems.
Some 20,000 people attended the 1994
festival. The 1995 event will commem¬
orate the 51st anniversary of the festi¬
val.
Another event that draws thousands
each October is the Apple Festival held
at Eden Mall. Featured are displays by
local artists and craftsmen, live music,
clogging, an apple pie contest and a
demonstration of an apple cider press.
In the early 1 8th century. William
Byrd touted the healthy air. fertile soil
and perfect climate of the Dan River
V'allcv. Residents of that valley in the
late 20th century can claim an industri¬
ous work force, excellent schools and a
culturally-conscious citizenry as positive
community assets.
Л1
Stewart is a freelance writer living in \
Greensboro.
Tbfo by llamVJ FtllKli
Thr StateMpnl 1995
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