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Tryon, North Carolina

From North Carolina History Wiki, the encyclopedia of Tar Heel towns
Blue Ridge foothillsPolk County
TryonTown in North Carolina
Location
StateNorth Carolina
CountyPolk
RegionBlue Ridge foothills
History
Named forTryon Mountain (after Gov. William Tryon)
Other
Known forThermal belt; equestrian sports; Morris the Horse

Tryon is a town in Polk County, North Carolina, near the South Carolina line at the foot of the Blue Ridge escarpment. It takes its name from nearby Tryon Mountain, which was named for William Tryon, royal governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771.[1] The town is known for its mild “thermal belt” climate, its long association with artists and horses, and as the birthplace of Nina Simone.

History[edit]

Railroad town[edit]

The town grew after the railroad was built up the steep Saluda Grade in the late 1870s, linking Spartanburg, South Carolina, with Asheville. A depot at Tryon made the town a gateway to the mountains.[1]

Resort and artists' colony[edit]

The thermal belt, a band of slopes where cold air drains away and frosts are less common, gave Tryon mild winters and drew seasonal residents from the North in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Writers, painters and craftspeople settled in the town, giving it a reputation as an artists' colony.[2]

Tryon Toy-Makers and Morris the Horse[edit]

In 1915 Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale founded the Tryon Toy-Makers and Wood-Carvers, which became known for hand-carved wooden toys. A large toy horse named Morris, first made in 1928, became the town's symbol; later versions of Morris still stand in the town.[2]

Horse country[edit]

Tryon has a long equestrian tradition. The Block House Steeplechase has been held in the area since 1947, and the nearby Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring hosted the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018.[3]

Notable people[edit]

The singer, pianist and civil rights activist Nina Simone was born Eunice Waymon in Tryon in 1933. Her childhood home has been recognized as a historic site.[4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ “Tryon.” NCpedia. State Library of North Carolina.
  2. ^ Powell, William S., ed. Encyclopedia of North Carolina. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006.
  3. ^ Tryon Riding and Hunt Club. Block House Steeplechase history.
  4. ^ National Trust for Historic Preservation. Nina Simone Childhood Home.
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