Reidsville, North Carolina

Post office and Confederate statue (1912)

The early roots of Reidsville, incorporated in 1873 by the State Legislature, date back to the early 19th century when William Wright of the Little Troublesome Creek area owned a tavern and store on the road connecting Danville and Salem. This outpost, called Wright's Crossroads, was the earliest settlement in the present-day city and was overseen by Wright's son, Nathan, and then Nathan Wright's son-in-law, Robert Payne Richardson. Richardson's home, built in 1842 on a knoll overlooking Little Troublesome Creek, still remains on Richardson Drive and has the distinction of being the oldest standing house in the city.

Reuben Reid of the Hogan's Creek area moved his family, including wife, Elizabeth Williams Settle, and son, David Settle Reid, to a 700-acre (2.8 km²) farm on the ridge between Wolf Island and Little Troublesome creeks in May 1814. Reuben Reid became a successful farmer, operated a store and a public inn maintained in a private home and served the county as a constable and justice of the peace. When the family secured a post office, aptly named Reidsville, in 1829, 16-year-old David Reid was appointed its first postmaster. He later became a State Senator (1835–42), a U.S. Congressman (1843–47), Governor of North Carolina (1850) and a U.S. Senator (1854).

On November 26, 1858, William Lindsey of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, was high bidder for a 384-acre (1.55 km²) tract of land known as Reidsville. He and his bride, Sarah Holderby, a daughter of Joseph Holderby of the northern part of the county, moved into the frame house Reuben Reid had built across from his store. It is now a landmark in Reidsville, the first frame house built in the village.

American Tobacco factory building in Reidsville, presently used by Imperial Brands

Reidsville is located in east-central Rockingham County. The Southern Railroad passes through the center of the city from north to south. The town was incorporated in 1873 by the Legislature. Tobacco was a mainstay of the local economy for many years, with the history of the city tightly woven with that of American Tobacco Company. With the sale of American Tobacco in 1994, city leaders have diversified the local economy. The Reidsville Chamber of Commerce, established in 1923 by business leaders in the community, is now located downtown.

The Chinqua-Penn Plantation, First Baptist Church, Jennings-Baker House, Reuben Wallace McCollum House, North Washington Avenue Workers' House, Penn House, Gov. David S. Reid House, Reidsville High School, Former, Reidsville Historic District, and Richardson Houses Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.9 square miles (39 km²), of which 13.4 square miles (35 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) is water. The total area is 10.14% water.

Downtown area

Market Square

The downtown area of Reidsville was like many of its counterparts across the state in the 1970s, seeing a decline in business opportunities due to the emergence of malls and shopping centers. The Reidsville Downtown Corporation, a non-profit organization financed by monies from the Downtown District Tax, was created in 1976 to lead the charge to revitalize the downtown.

Joint projects of the Downtown Corporation and the City of Reidsville have been participation in the Main Street Program, the Streetscape Program and Façade Incentive Grant program. Each of these programs was initiated to aid in the revitalization of the downtown and improve the area aesthetically.

At the 2010 census,[3] there were 14,520 people, 6,013 households and 3,902 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,083.1 per square mile (418.3/km²). There were 6,477 housing units at an average density of 484.3 per square mile (187.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 57.02% White, 39.52% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.35% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. 2.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,013 households, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.92.

23.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.

The median household income was $31,040 and the median family income was $37,553. Males had a median income of $30,745 versus $21,991 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,414. 15.1% of the population and 11.6% of families were below the poverty line. 23.9% of those under the age of 18 and 14.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

• Scott Bankhead – Olympic athlete and Major League Baseball player
• Na Brown – graduated from Reidsville High, played for UNC and Philadelphia Eagles
• Nelson Cole – North Carolina State Representative
• Jim Duncan – football player and coach[7]
• Mike Goodes – PGA Champions Tour golfer
• Ione Grogan – academic, mathematician, educator
• Lindsey Hopkins Sr. – American businessman, financier and philanthropist
• Walter Hooper – American Author, Professor, and advisor to the estate of C.S. Lewis
• Jennifer King – first full-time black coach in NFL history.
• Janet Paschal – Singer, songwriter, author[8]
• H. Jefferson Powell – Former Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the U.S., American Lawyer, Professor
• Bill Lindsey – Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees baseball catcher
• David Settle Reid – two-term Democratic governor of North Carolina from 1851 to 1854, and a U.S. Senator from December 1854 to March 1859
• Tony Rice – bluegrass musician
• R. Stephen Ritchie – the only U.S. Air Force pilot ace of the Vietnam War[9]
• John Settle – NFL player, Cleveland Browns running back coach
• Jerome Simpson – former NFL wide receiver
• Tripp Welborne – Michigan Wolverines and the Minnesota Vikings safety

• All-America City Award – 2008

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reidsville, North Carolina.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Reidsville.

• Official website