Enon, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Enon
Unincorporated community
Enon Baptist Church as it looks today
Enon Location in North Carolina
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Yadkin
Elevation	886 ft (270 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
GNIS feature ID	984806

Enon is a small community in eastern Yadkin County, North Carolina, in the United States. It's not a city or town with its own government, but a group of homes and businesses centered around the Enon Baptist Church. It is located near the Yadkin River and is part of the larger Piedmont Triad area.

The community is surrounded by natural features. The Yadkin River and Forsyth County are to the east. To the south are Huntsville and Logan creeks. Flint Hill is to the north, and Looney Creek is to the west.

Enon's Long History

First People in Enon

Native Americans lived along the Yadkin River in Enon a very long time ago. Archeological surveys show people lived here starting around 500 B.C. They built special V-shaped stone structures called fish weirs. These weirs helped them catch fish in the river.

How Enon Began

In the mid-1700s, European settlers started moving to this area. They were drawn by the rich soil near the river. By 1850, there were large farms, called plantations, along the Yadkin River. These plantations relied on the forced labor of enslaved people. There were also smaller farms in the area.

The community was first known as Red Plains, probably because of the color of the soil. It had a school and a post office. The paths to the school were just trails through the woods. A post office named Mana was also once in the area.

Enon Baptist Church was started in 1858. The first members met at the Red Plains School. They chose the name Enon because it was close to the Yadkin River. "Enon" is a Greek word that means "spring." The church began with eight members, including an enslaved man named John. The first church building had a special balcony for enslaved members.

Enon During the Civil War

Tyre Glen (1800–1875) built one of the biggest plantations in western North Carolina, right in Enon. His estate, called Glenwood, was huge. It once had 360 enslaved people and about 6,000 acres (24 km²) of land. The large 15-room house was finished in 1837. It had tall columns, and its foundation was made from stone from Glen's own quarry. Today, Glenwood is a private home. Glen also owned a dam, a mill, and a ferry on the Yadkin River.

Tyre Glen had been involved in the slave trade and land deals. His old papers, which include records of enslaved people's values, are now at Duke University. Glenwood was an important place for social gatherings. Famous visitors included the son of Senator Stephen A. Douglas, North Carolina Governor Zebulon Vance, and Chief Justice Richard M. Pearson.

In 1863, about 50 Confederate soldiers came to Glenwood. Glen was angry about the war, and the officers tried to trick him and hang him. But heavy rains stopped their plan, and Glen returned home safely.

In July 1864, William Alexander Conrad, a founder of Enon Baptist Church, was shot. He was trying to catch what he thought were three soldiers who had left the army. Conrad died months later. It was later found out that the men were Union soldiers who had escaped from prison.

Glenwood was raided several times as the Civil War ended. After the last raid in April 1865, most of the enslaved people had left. There were no horses or cattle left either. As the Confederate army broke up, soldiers marched through the estate. For weeks, Glen's family and the few remaining freed people gave food to all who stopped.

Isaac Jarratt (1812–1875), who worked with Glen in the slave trade, also lived in Enon. Jarratt had been a drummer boy in the War of 1812. He bought a plantation in 1835. Many of his family's papers, including letters and receipts for enslaved people, are at the University of North Carolina. During the Civil War, Isaac Jarratt was a captain in the local Home Guard.

The Jarratt family was also connected to other important families in the area. The Durrett-Jarratt House is a historic building in Enon. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Growing Up: Later Years

After the Civil War, Enon remained a quiet, isolated community. In 1913, North Carolina approved building the first bridge across the Yadkin River at Enon. A steel bridge was finished, and then a new road was built in 1915. This road connected Winston-Salem to Yadkinville. It was paved in 1925 and became part of U.S. Highway 421. The highway made it much easier for people in Enon to reach Winston-Salem, which is less than 10 miles (16 km) away.

Along the highway, four country stores and a mill opened. They sold gas and other things to local people and travelers. But these stores started closing in the 1960s. This happened after a new, bigger U.S. 421 highway was built a few miles south of Enon. The old highway is now called Old U.S. 421.

In 1936, the city of High Point planned to build a large lake and dam in Enon. They wanted to create an 85-foot (26 m) deep lake and a hydroelectric dam. High Point bought over 14,000 acres (57 km²) of land for this project and spent about $1 million. But local farmers and Duke Power fought the plan in court. The project went to the state Supreme Court seven times. Finally, the federal government stopped the project during World War II. They needed the generators for the war effort.

Enon Today: Growth and Jobs

For a long time, many Enon residents lived on family farms, and the area was mostly rural. But now, Enon is becoming more popular as a place to live for people who work in Winston-Salem. New housing developments are being built on land that was once used for farming.

Most people in Enon work in nearby Winston-Salem. However, there are some local businesses that employ residents. The largest is Johnson's Modern Electric, which has its main office near the Yadkin River on Old U.S. Highway 421.

Learning in Enon: Education

Most children in Enon go to Forbush Elementary School. This school teaches students from kindergarten through eighth grade. It is located at Bloomtown Road and Old U.S. 421. The school first opened in 1935 and is a source of pride for the community.

The school's hunter's safety team is very successful. They have won the National Junior Youth Hunter Education Challenge, a competition sponsored by the National Rifle Association, six times. They won in 1989, 1990, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. The 2007 team scored very high and won honors in all events.

Forbush Elementary is one of five schools that send students to Forbush High School. The elementary school was rebuilt after a vote in 1986. In 2002, a tower was built in front of the school. It holds the old bell from Enon School, which was a three-teacher school built in 1908. The bell was moved to Forbush Elementary when Enon School closed.

Fun in Enon: Recreation

Old U.S. 421 River Park is just across the Yadkin River from Enon. This park is about 1.58 acres (6,400 m²) in size. It makes it easy for people to go fishing or canoeing on the Yadkin River. The park is part of the Forsyth County park system.