Caswell County Place Names

Caswell County Place Names (some still used; others long obsolete)

Aldridge
Allison
Anderson
Antioch
Ashland

Barker's
Baynes
Benaja
Bethel
Bethesda
Bigelow Road
Blackwell's Store/Blackwell
Blanch
Brown's Store
Buzzard Roost

Camp Springs
Cannon Ball Road
Casville
Centre Hill
Cherry Grove
Cobb's School
Collin's Hill
Corbett
Covington
Cross Roads

Dabb's Store
Dan River
Dixton, Dixon
Doll Branch Road
Dotmond
Dudleyville

Eastland
Edgewood
Estelle

Fitch's Store/Fitch

Gannaway
Gatewood
Gentlemen's Ridge
Graves

Hamer
Hell's Half Acre
Hightowers
Hodges
Hudson
Hycotee

Independence

Jericho
John Doe Road
Jones

Launch
Leasburg
Lick Fork Creek Road
Locust Hill

Matkins
Miles Store
Milesville
Milton
Mineral Springs
Moore's Store

Newtonville

Oliver
Oliver's Store
Osmond

Palm Road
Park Springs
Pea Ridge
Pelham
Pine Forest
Piney Grove
Pleasant Grove
Prospect
Prospect Hill
Providence
Purley

Quick

Rabbit Shuffle
Red House
Ridgeville
River Bend
Robertson's

Sergeantsville
Semora
Slade's Store
Snatchburg Road
Sommer's Store
Sterlingville
Strickridge
Stoney Creek
Summer's Grove
Swann
Sweet Gum Grove

Taylor's Store
Tiptoe
Tony
Topnot

Union Ridge

Walters's Mill
Well Grove
West Castle
West Yanceyville
White House
White's Store
Williamson's Store

Yanceyville
Yarbro
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Many, perhaps most, of Caswell County's early communities grew up around a country store. And, the name of this store owner was given to some communities. As the population grew and could support churches, they were added, as were mills if near a stream. Eventually, some communities (even small ones) would have an officially designated US (and, for a few years, CSA) post office (often located in the country store).
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Blackwell/Blackwell's. This community is named for the Blackwell family -- probably Captain Robert Blackwell (1742-1813) and his descendants.

Camp Springs. The name Camp Springs purportedly comes from early horse traders, who once traveled from place to place selling horses, camping at the spring for several days each time they visited the area. Others claim the area is so named because, during the Revolutionary War, Lord Cornwallis rested his troops there for several days.

Cherry Grove. Cherry Grove was named for the large number of cherry trees in the area. A post office operated there 1882-1905.

Covington. Named for Edward Green Covington (1827-1916) and his descendants.

Fitch's Store/Fitch. Named for the Fitch family. Post office operated there 1876-1926.

Hamer. Origin of name is not known. A post office operated there 1882-1904, probably from a store that stood at the intersection of NC Highway 62 N and High Rock School Road.

Hightowers. Hightowers is located in the southeastern part of Caswell County at the crossroads of NC 86 and NC 119. The community purportedly is named for Daniel Hightower who moved to the area from Virginia. A post office was established in 1833 and served the community until 1935.

Leasburg.

Matkins. Named for the Matkins family. No known post office. Burlington Industries purchased the estate lands of Lemuel Gibbons Matkins (1879-1960) from his children in 1964. In 1966, a textile weaving plant known as "Williamsburg" was built on this land. Burlington Industries was in need of a location for their postal address, and "Matkins" was chosen due to the continuity of the Matkins family on this land since 1793.

Source: Whitlow, Jeannine D., Editor. The Heritage of Caswell County North Carolina 1985. Winston-Salem: Hunter Publishing Company, 1985 (Article #466: "Matkins in Caswell County, N.C." by Clarence C. Matkins, Page 371).

Milesville. When James Miles (1784-1848) and Elizabeth Burnett (Betsy) Gunn Miles (1786-1873) were first married(1807), they built and lived in a one-room log cabin with a half-wooden, half-dirt floor, which was located south of Yanceyville, North Carolina. At that time, they were unable to afford a completely wooden floor. They later bought the Judge Thomas Ruffin farm in Stoney Creek Township, consisting of 1700 acres, for 50 cents an acre. Much later, the farm was divided among the twelve children. James Miles gave the name Milesville to the location where he settled and for years there was a general store and post office at the site. Source: The Heritage of Caswell County, North Carolina, Jeannine D. Whitlow, Editor (1985) at 382-383 (Article #489 "The Miles Family" by Alice M. Reavis). Post office operated there 1882-1907.

Milton. Milton, incorporated in 1796, purportedly was so named because Asa Thomas operated a mill nearby. A post office has operated there since 1818.

Pelham. Pelham came from the name given to the railroad depot, itself named 1863 in honor of Major Pelham who fought (and died) in the Revolutionary War. The Pelham post office was established in 1865, changing the name from Graves (which had operated since 1845).

Pleasant Grove.

Prospect Hill. Prospect Hill is named for the Warren plantation. It generally is in the area around the intersection of NC Highway 86 and NC Highway 49. A post office was established there in 1823.

Purley.

Rabbit Shuffle. "Rabbit Shuffle" is a community overlapping a north portion of Anderson township and a southern part of Yanceyville township. It is impossible to identify its exact boundaries. They change to suit the occasion. Even though many denials may be made, it adjoins and probably overlaps "Buzzard Roost" to the north. The origin of the name has so many versions that it has become legendary. Most of the versions seem to center around an old and intoxicated man using much profanity while chasing rabbits.

Source: Plumblee, Millard Quentin. From Rabbit Shuffle to Collins Hill: Stories of Southern Caswell County, North Carolina. Burlington (North Carolina): Full Service Printing, 1984, page 75.

Red House. Tradition tells that the Red House community is named for an inn or tavern located on the Hillsborough stagecoach road, which was painted red.

Ridgeville. Once known as Pea Ridge, Ridgeville is believed to be one of the highest elevations in Caswell County. The origin of Pea Ridge is not known. A post office operated there from 1870 to 1876 as Pea Ridge, and from 1874 until 1948 as Ridgeville. Note the apparent two-year overlap, which is not understood.

Semora. This community apparently is named for the post office, established in 1877, which was named for Semora Stella McAden, the six-year-old daughter of the first postmaster. This is not the only Caswell County post office named for a postmaster's daughter. See Blanch.

Slade's Store.

Stoney Creek.

Strickridge.

Yanceyville.

Yarbro. In 1887, a post office was established in honor of Captain Joe Yarbrough. However, oddly, it was named Yarbro.