Whynot, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Whynot, North Carolina
|
|
|---|---|
Whynot sign
|
|
 Whynot, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
Whynot, North Carolina
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Randolph |
| Elevation | 604 ft (184 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Zip code |
27341
|
| Area code(s) | 336 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1016647 |
Whynot is a small, unique place in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. It's not a city or town with its own government. Instead, it's called an unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that are part of a larger county.
Whynot is located on a special road called NC 705. This highway is also known as the "North Carolina Pottery Highway." It's a famous area for pottery! Whynot is about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of Seagrove. Seagrove is a well-known center for pottery. The Pottery Highway has over 100 pottery shops and art galleries. They are all found in the area around Seagrove.
The Story of Whynot
People first settled in Whynot way back in the 1700s. These early settlers were mostly from Germany and England. They also settled in nearby places like Erect and Lonely.
The community's name was originally spelled "Why Not," with two separate words. The story of how it got its name is quite funny! The people living there were trying to decide on a name for their community. They debated for a long time. Finally, one person got tired and said, "Why not name the town Why Not and let's go home?" Everyone liked the idea, and the name stuck!
From 1893 to 1916, there was a school in Whynot called the Why Not Academy and Business Institute. It was a school that served both public and private students. Whynot is often mentioned on lists of places with very unusual names.
Creative Community: Whynot's Pottery
The people in this area started making pottery a long time ago, in the 1700s. This tradition is still very strong today. Whynot and the surrounding areas are famous for their handmade pottery.
You can find many pottery shops in Whynot. Some of these include Dirtworks Pottery, Tom Gray Pottery, and Dixieland Pottery. There are also Marsh Pottery, Kovack Pottery, Michele Hastings & Jeff Brown Pottery, and Whynot Pottery. These shops continue the long history of art and craft in the community.
Gallery
-
Location of Whynot on a map of Randolph County, North Carolina
-
This is a postmark from a Confederate soldier. He lived in "Why Not" during the Civil War. Notice the original spelling of the community's name. The postmark is from December 16, 1862.
-
The Whynot General Store
