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    Kernersville
    Kernersville
    Kernersville
    Ebook176 pages38 minutes

    Kernersville

    By Alice E. Sink and Kernersville Historic Preservation Society

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    About this ebook

    Native Americans first inhabited the eastern Forsyth County area, a natural watershed and source of six rivers and creeks. About 1756, Irishman Caleb Story settled here on 400 acres of wooded land. Years later, Story sold his land to David Morrow for a purported four gallons of rum. About 1771, William Dobson purchased the original acreage and additional tracts and built an inn near what is now Mountain Street and Main Street. He named this junction Dobson s
    Crossroads. On June 2, 1791, President George Washington ate breakfast at Dobson s Tavern. On November 14, 1817, German-born Joseph Kerner (also spelled K rner) purchased the land and renamed the area Kerner s Crossroads. This begins the story of Kernersville. The same roads, still graced with historic churches, stores, and homes, crisscross at the heart of this community. K rner s Folly, which contains 22 rooms, housed the first private little theater in America.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateAug 17, 2005
    ISBN9781439617090
    Kernersville
    Author

    Alice E. Sink

    Alice E. Sink was an Associate Professor of English for thirty years at High Point University in North Carolina. She is the published author of numerous books, articles, and essays; she earned her MFA in Creative Writing from UNC Greensboro. In 2007, she was awarded a grant to promote her writing from the Central Piedmont Regional Artists Hub.

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      Book preview

      Kernersville - Alice E. Sink

      (KNC)

      INTRODUCTION

      Kernersville’s first pioneers found in its virgin forest cleared areas that Indians had farmed. Arrowheads and broken fragments of pottery surfaced. Early hunters also discovered that the territory was a natural watershed, the source of six rivers or creeks.

      Most of the early people were transitory. Some were headed for the Great Lakes region; they passed through after leaving the eastern part of North Carolina. Catawba tribes, who did settle in the area, farmed, made pottery, and wove baskets. Many Cherokees who found their original mountain settlements overcrowded migrated here.

      By the mid-1700s, Native Americans were joined by other immigrants. About 1756, Caleb Story, of Scotch-Irish descent, appeared on the scene and, with his land grant from the Royal Colony of Carolina, settled on his newly obtained land. Whether he was frightened away by 1756 French and Indian War activities in nearby Bethabara or he merely decided to move on, no one knows. Story sold all his land to David Morrow for what may have been the common barter—four gallons of rum.

      In 1771, Irishman William Dobson bought David Morrow’s land and other adjoining property, bringing his tract to 1,133 acres. With Captain Dobson, the intriguing history of Kernersville—as we know it today—begins. Dobson built a store and inn at the crossroads. Dobson’s Tavern became the first stop for Moravians on their way from Salem to their Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, settlement. According to Moravian Records, on June 2, 1791, Pres. George Washington ate breakfast at one Dobson’s. The crossroads had the honor of entertaining our first president.

      On November 14, 1817, Joseph Kerner bought the inn and named it Kerner’s Crossroads. The real story of Kernersville begins with this man called Joseph of Kernersville, and the pictorial history continues throughout the pages of this book. Although the age and conditions of some photographs defy clear reproduction, they represent the genuine history of the town. Because of their historical value and intrinsic worth, they have been included in this volume.

      EARLY VIEW. This is a 1909 view of Main Street, looking north. Dobson’s Tavern is on the right. (BW.)

      One

      HISTORIC OVERVIEW AND TIMELINE

      Kernersville has always been a staunch supporter of schools, churches, civic improvements, and progressive business endeavors. In earlier times, small religious groups, consisting of charter members, met in private homes or schools. Different denominations met only once a month. Congregations staggered individual services during the first four Sundays of each month. A joint meeting brought everyone together on the fifth Sunday.

      The Kernersville Academy opened in 1858 with the assurance that every possible care will be taken to guard those placed under our tuition against those evils so dangerous to the young. Approximately 40 students enrolled, some boarding in private homes for as little as $5 per month. Although work in both the primary and high school was not graded, many students studied so diligently they were accepted into college as sophomores.

      When other schools closed during the Civil War, the Academy remained open. Before the fall session of 1864 convened, student fees could be paid in either produce or money. Classes began at 9:00 a.m. and continued until 4:00 p.m., with short recesses and a designated lunch hour. Students completed their writing assignments on slates, cleaning them with water or—as oral history indicates—saliva. Fridays were reserved for special academic events, such as recitations and debates.

      Although early facilities were primitive and books scarce, teachers proved to be devoted, educated, and cherished by their charges. General stores opened, mills began operation, and leaders emerged, devoting time, money, and individual and collective wisdom to the business of governing the community.

      DOBSON’S CROSSROADS. In 1771, Irish emigrant William Dobson purchased 400 acres of land from David Morrow and built an inn where the roads crossed. This settlement was called Dobson’s Crossroads. (KBB.)

      DEED. This is the 1784 deed records transfer of 400 acres from David Morrow to William

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