Coldwell Banker Triad, REALTORS - Forsyth County NC History and lifestyle

Forsyth County

History

Forsyth County, North Carolina is located in the center of the state just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has a land area of 409 square miles and estimated population of 360,000 (2009). Forsyth County is a blend of high tech companies and cutting edge medical facilities balanced with a rich history of pioneer settlers who came to the foothills area of North Carolina. The first Moravians in North Carolina settled here 250 years ago. These German-speaking Protestants established the first colonial town in the Carolina Piedmont in an area known today as Historic Bethabara Park. Nearby Bethania the second settlement, is also a National Historic District.

Old Salem one of America’s few authentic Colonial towns was founded in 1766 to house professional Moravian craftsmen. Today it is a historic town with 100 restored and reconstructed buildings and two National Historic Landmarks, the Single Brothers' House and Salem Tavern.

African American residents have played a significant role in developing Winston-Salem. Simon Green Atkins conceived the idea of Slater Industrial Academy, which today is Winston-Salem State University. Our African American culture and artistic accomplishments are represented by the National Black Theatre Festival, the Delta Arts Center and Diggs Gallery

Lifestyle

Known as the “Heart of the Triad” Kernersville with a population of about 20,000 is equidistant to High Point, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, with each just 10-15 miles away. This central location makes Kernersville an ideal location for families, providing convenient access to three major North Carolina cities. Kernersville is Forsyth Count's second largest city and home to the first private little theater in the country. Körner's Folly, is an interior design extravaganza of the late 1880s. Artist and designer Jule Gilmer Körner created an eccentric 22-room home that stands 100 feet tall with seven levels. It is filled with murals and artwork.

The predominant urban area is the city of Winston-Salem. and is home to six Colleges and Universities, the first locally established Arts Council in the US. (1949), a city symphony, several art museums, performing theaters and art schools all blend together to enrich the quality of life for people living in Forsyth County and explains why many in North Carolina call Winston Salem the “city of the arts”. The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), housed in Old Salem, is the only museum dedicated to exhibiting and researching the original decorative arts of America's early South . Named to the National Register of Historic Places, Reynolda House, Museum of American Art , is the former home of tobacco baron R.J. Reynolds. Built between 1912 and 1917, it exhibits one of the finest public collections of American art in the South. Forsyth County is home to suburban cities including, Clemmons, Lewisville, Rural Hall, Tobaccoville, and Walkertown. Nine County Parks throughout the area provide a wide variety of outdoor cultural activities and sporting events . The largest of these parks is Tanglewood Park.