page_title: Reidsville, North Carolina
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Reidsville, North Carolina / History
caption_attribution_description: English: American Tobacco factory building with Lucky Strike livery on smoke stack, presently owned by Imperial Brands
context_page_description: Reidsville is a city in Rockingham County, North Carolina, United States. At the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 14,520.
  Reidsville was established in the early 19th century as an outpost and stop on the stage line that ran between Salisbury, North Carolina, and Danville, Virginia, and was originally known as Wright's Crossroads. The community grew from a single home and inn owned by the family of Reuben Reid, a local farmer, businessman, justice of the peace and father of David S. Reid), into a thriving farming community primarily supporting tobacco production and cigarette manufacturing. Reidsville was officially incorporated by the North Carolina State Legislature in 1873 and became a key location of the American Tobacco Company which employed large numbers of city and county residents. The American Tobacco Company was the mainstay of Reidsville economics until its sale and closure in 1994. Many textile mills were established in Reidsville as well, with Cone Mills and Burlington Industries, located in Burlington North Carolina, consolidating most of them in the mid-20th century, although most have now closed.
context_section_description: 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.
  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.
caption: American Tobacco factory building in Reidsville, presently used by Imperial Brands
exif: {"Image Make": "Apple", "Image Model": "iPhone 7", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "10.2", "Image DateTime": "2020:01:03 16:43:12", "Image ExifOffset": "168", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/60", "EXIF FNumber": "9/5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "32", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2020:01:03 16:43:12", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2020:01:03 16:43:12", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "4761/806", "EXIF ApertureValue": "2159/1273", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "46716/9971", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "399/100", "EXIF SubjectArea": "[2015, 1511, 2217, 1330]", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "543", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "543", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3021", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2540", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "28", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF LensSpecification": "[399/100, 399/100, 9/5, 9/5]", "EXIF LensMake": "Apple", "EXIF LensModel": "iPhone 7 back camera 3.99mm f/1.8"}