Tryon, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Tryon is a town in Polk County
, North Carolina
, United States
. According to the 2000 Census the population of Tryon was 1,760. The area is a center for equestrian
activity and fine arts.
Tryon Peak and the Town of Tryon are named for William Tryon
, Governor of North Carolina
from 1765 to 1771 in recognition of his negotiation with the Cherokee
for a treaty during a bloody period of the French and Indian War
. Tryon was the birthplace of the singer, pianist, composer, and activist Nina Simone
.
that runs northwest to Asheville and southeast to Spartanburg, South Carolina
approximately one mile from the NC/SC border. More than half of Tryon’s full-time residents are "transplants" from other areas of the country, some of whom have helped to create the cultural center that continues to attract other writers, educators, artists and professional people like themselves to the Tryon area.
U.S. Highway 176
runs through the center of town where it is known as Trade Street.
nation of Western North Carolina
, archaeological evidence dates their occupation of the late to the end of the last Ice Age
more than 11,000 years ago and semi-permanent villages appeared by 8,000 B.C. They later settled in towns with a democratic political structure, religion, domesticated crops, pottery and skilled, powerful archery. Each village had a peace chief, war chief, and priest and survived through growth of vegetables, hunting and fishing.
Luys Hernandez de Biedma, one of de Soto’s officers wrote of a group of men who made their way to what is now Tryon on May 21, 1540:
After Tryon, de Soto went to Gauxuile (now Asheville) which in Cherokee meant "The place where they race", named for the walk around the perimeter of the village.
The French and Indian War
forever ended the peace that existed between the Cherokee and the English settlers. The French attempted to ally themselves with the Cherokees, who had been loyal to the British, encouraged the Shawnee
s to raid settlements of the English and were allied with the Creeks. As conflict and tension increased, defensive forts were constructed, one of which was the "Block House" near Tryon. In 1767 William Tryon
, Governor of North Carolina
(1765—1771), alerted to the heavy bloodshed in this part of western North Carolina, traveled to the area and negotiated peace treaty with the Cherokee, establishing a boundary line between a location near Greenville, South Carolina
the highest point on White Oak Mountain (renamed Tryon Peak by the settlers). Settlers, though, did not commit to the boundary and tension grew with the Revolutionary War. In the spring of 1776 Cherokee met on Round Mountain and planned an attack on the "Block House", Earl's Fort in Landrum, South Carolina
and Young's Fort near the current town of Mill Spring, North Carolina. Aware of the plans, a Cherokee named Skyuka went to the "Block House" where he warned his friend Capt. Thomas Howard of the impending attacks. Howard and the assembled local militia took a trail towards Round mountain they met and defeated the Cherokee at a gap in the valley, now known as Howard Gap. Skyuka's name lives on in Skyuka Creek, scenic Skyuka Road, and the Y.M.C.A. Camp Skyuka on Mt. Tryon.
Tryon may not have be the town it is today had it not been for the railroad. In 1877 the railroad provided transportation from the South Carolina
seaports to North Carolina
, Tennessee
and the Ohio Valley. The particular spot that became the town of Tryon was the point were construction of the railroad to Asheville stopped for two years. West of Tryon, the railroad ascends the Blue Ridge along the Saluda Grade
, which was the steepest railroad grade in the country before becoming inactive. At the peak of railroad expansion in 1885, Tryon was incorporated.
By the 1890s, there were six daily railway stops in Tryon. The current depot building, built in 1922, is the third depot built. Passenger service to Tryon ended in 1968.
As a means of correction, in 1920 Tryon became a town from a city since it had less than 10,000 residents.
, F. Scott Fitzgerald
, George Gershwin
, Mrs. Calvin Coolidge
, Lady Nancy Astor
, and Mrs. George C. Marshall. In October 1979, too cost prohibitive to maintain, the building was torn down. It is now a condominium complex sitting on a bluff that looks over Trade Street.
Appreciative of the ice cream served at Misseldine's drug store (previously located at the current bank location on Trade Street), F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote,
, the town has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
However, data indicate that Tryon has a similar climate to comparable areas of the Piedmont.
of 2000, there were 1,760 people, 869 households, and 452 families residing in the town. The population density
was 955.0 people per square mile (369.3/km²). There were 985 housing units at an average density of 534.5 per square mile (206.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 77.16% White, 21.02% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.68% from other races
, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population.
There were 869 households out of which 16.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples
living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.9% were non-families. 44.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 28.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.66.
In the town, the population was spread out with 16.7% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 37.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females there were 72.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,449, and the median income for a family was $44,485. Males had a median income of $35,956 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $21,347. About 7.9% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
for those with tuberculosis. In 1917 it was converted to an inn. The inn was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Its dining room has a AAA four diamond designation. Early in the inn’s history hunters were attracted by its location, sitting right on the edge of the wilderness. Swayback cabin, now more than 240 years old, hosted both Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
s, pottery
, jewelry, lapidary
, woodworking
, multimedia
and blacksmith
ing.
Morris, the Tryon Horse, stands at the very center of Tryon. The Tryon horse, a large version of toys made by the Tryon Toymakers and Woodcarvers, was first built in 1928 for the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club. The current Morris is the fifth generation, three of the previous versions succumbed to fire, mischievous kidnapping and age and the fourth was refurbished with a fiberglass body. Morris serves as a billboard during the Tryon Horse Show and Block House Steeplechase Races. At Christmas, he is decorated with garland and a top hat.
is named for poet Sidney Lanier died September 7, 1881 in "the Wilcox home" on Highway 108 in Lynn, three miles (5 km) of Tryon, which has been since known as the Lanier House. The idea for a library was developed in 1889 by five women from Tryon with the goal of being "the source of intellectual and cultural stimulation for the community", achieved through library membership to local women. Two volumes of Sidney Lanier's poems, a gift from his wife Mary were the first books for the library. Initially the library was a bookcase of books located in several places in town before being formally located in the Lanier Library building built in 1905 and expanded over the years. In 1930 the library established an endowment fund to support the library and extended library membership to include men. The Lanier Library Association, Inc., previously called the Lanier club, was organized to provide library services and related cultural programs to the community. Lanier Library remains a membership library supported solely by membership dues, endowments and donations, one of only a few membership libraries in the country.
The Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, originally a slave chapel known as St. Andrews on the Coxe Plantation, was moved to Tryon in 1955. Located on Jackson Road, it still has original furnishings and glass.
, singer, pianist, composer, and activist, was born Eunice Waymon at 30 East Livingston Street in Tryon. She took piano lessons from Mrs. Mazzanovich who lived in Gillette Woods. Zenos Frudakis created a bronze monument which was dedicated on her birthday, February 21, 2010.
Other past notable Tryon residents included:
Living notable Tryon residents include:
Polk County, North Carolina
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 20,510. Its county seat is Columbus.-History:The county was formed in 1855 from parts of Henderson County and Rutherford County...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to the 2000 Census the population of Tryon was 1,760. The area is a center for equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
activity and fine arts.
Tryon Peak and the Town of Tryon are named for William Tryon
William Tryon
William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
, Governor of North Carolina
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
from 1765 to 1771 in recognition of his negotiation with the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
for a treaty during a bloody period of the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. Tryon was the birthplace of the singer, pianist, composer, and activist Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
.
Background information
Tryon is located west of Interstate 26Interstate 26
Interstate 26 is a nominally east–west main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W and U.S. Route 23 in Kingsport, Tennessee, generally southeastward to U.S. Route 17 in Charleston, South Carolina...
that runs northwest to Asheville and southeast to Spartanburg, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
approximately one mile from the NC/SC border. More than half of Tryon’s full-time residents are "transplants" from other areas of the country, some of whom have helped to create the cultural center that continues to attract other writers, educators, artists and professional people like themselves to the Tryon area.
U.S. Highway 176
U.S. Route 176
U.S. Route 176 is a spur of U.S. Route 76. It currently runs for 229 miles from Goose Creek, South Carolina at U.S. Route 52 to Hendersonville, North Carolina at U.S. Route 25. It passes through the states of South Carolina and North Carolina. It goes through the cities of Spartanburg, South...
runs through the center of town where it is known as Trade Street.
Cherokee
The area now known as Tryon was originally part of the CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
nation of Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It is sometimes included with upstate South Carolina as the "Western Carolinas", which is also counted as a single media market...
, archaeological evidence dates their occupation of the late to the end of the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
more than 11,000 years ago and semi-permanent villages appeared by 8,000 B.C. They later settled in towns with a democratic political structure, religion, domesticated crops, pottery and skilled, powerful archery. Each village had a peace chief, war chief, and priest and survived through growth of vegetables, hunting and fishing.
de Soto
Having landed near present-day Panama City, Florida on May 30, 1539, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reputedly traveled up to what is now Spartanburg, South Carolina and north to western North Carolina. Traveling on horses, de Soto and 1,000 men arrived in North Carolina mid-May, 1540. In search of gold, de Soto explored the Asheville area and met with Cherokee Indians in Xuala, the area now known as Tryon. After a day or two de Soto continued his journey with provisions provided by the Cherokee.Luys Hernandez de Biedma, one of de Soto’s officers wrote of a group of men who made their way to what is now Tryon on May 21, 1540:
"The next day, they went to Xuala which is a town on a plain between some rivers; its chief was so well provisioned that he gave to the Christians however much they asked for: slaves, corn, little dogs [probably opossums]… and however much he had."
After Tryon, de Soto went to Gauxuile (now Asheville) which in Cherokee meant "The place where they race", named for the walk around the perimeter of the village.
Early English settlement
In the earliest periods of settlement, the British and Cherokee enjoyed peaceful relations. A treaty signed in 1730 resulted in a greater influx of white traders and settlers. An early home, Seven Hearths was built in 1740 [also have seen 1770] and reputedly the oldest clapboard house in the county (moved to its present location in 1934). A log cabin that served as slave quarters was also built about 1740 and moved and rebuilt next to Seven Hearths.The French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
forever ended the peace that existed between the Cherokee and the English settlers. The French attempted to ally themselves with the Cherokees, who had been loyal to the British, encouraged the Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
s to raid settlements of the English and were allied with the Creeks. As conflict and tension increased, defensive forts were constructed, one of which was the "Block House" near Tryon. In 1767 William Tryon
William Tryon
William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
, Governor of North Carolina
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
(1765—1771), alerted to the heavy bloodshed in this part of western North Carolina, traveled to the area and negotiated peace treaty with the Cherokee, establishing a boundary line between a location near Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
the highest point on White Oak Mountain (renamed Tryon Peak by the settlers). Settlers, though, did not commit to the boundary and tension grew with the Revolutionary War. In the spring of 1776 Cherokee met on Round Mountain and planned an attack on the "Block House", Earl's Fort in Landrum, South Carolina
Landrum, South Carolina
Landrum is a city in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,376 at the 2010 census.It was founded in 1880 and incorporated in 1912...
and Young's Fort near the current town of Mill Spring, North Carolina. Aware of the plans, a Cherokee named Skyuka went to the "Block House" where he warned his friend Capt. Thomas Howard of the impending attacks. Howard and the assembled local militia took a trail towards Round mountain they met and defeated the Cherokee at a gap in the valley, now known as Howard Gap. Skyuka's name lives on in Skyuka Creek, scenic Skyuka Road, and the Y.M.C.A. Camp Skyuka on Mt. Tryon.
The town's beginnings
In 1839 a post office was established at the base of Tryon peak, both named after Governor Tryon.Tryon may not have be the town it is today had it not been for the railroad. In 1877 the railroad provided transportation from the South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
seaports to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and the Ohio Valley. The particular spot that became the town of Tryon was the point were construction of the railroad to Asheville stopped for two years. West of Tryon, the railroad ascends the Blue Ridge along the Saluda Grade
Saluda Grade
Saluda Grade is the steepest standard-gauge mainline railway grade in the United States. Owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway as part of its W Line, the Saluda Grade in Polk County, North Carolina consists of a three-mile section of track that rises over in elevation with a highest official...
, which was the steepest railroad grade in the country before becoming inactive. At the peak of railroad expansion in 1885, Tryon was incorporated.
By the 1890s, there were six daily railway stops in Tryon. The current depot building, built in 1922, is the third depot built. Passenger service to Tryon ended in 1968.
As a means of correction, in 1920 Tryon became a town from a city since it had less than 10,000 residents.
Oak Hall Hotel
In 1881 and 1882 T.T. Ballenger and his father-in-law built the Tryon Hotel at 77 Chestnut Street at Melrose. In 1892 Mrs. Delia Williams purchased the hotel, changed its name to Oak Hall and ran it for three years. "Miss Clara" Edwards purchased the hotel with 36 rooms and expanded it to 66. Oak Hall had notable guests, such as David NivenDavid Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
, F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
, George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, Mrs. Calvin Coolidge
Grace Coolidge
Grace Anna Goodhue Coolidge was the wife of Calvin Coolidge and First Lady of the United States from 1923 to 1929.-Biography:...
, Lady Nancy Astor
Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor
Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor, CH, was the first woman to sit as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons.Constance Markievicz was the first woman elected to the House of Commons in December 1918 after running for the Sinn Féin party in 1918 General Election, but in line...
, and Mrs. George C. Marshall. In October 1979, too cost prohibitive to maintain, the building was torn down. It is now a condominium complex sitting on a bluff that looks over Trade Street.
Appreciative of the ice cream served at Misseldine's drug store (previously located at the current bank location on Trade Street), F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote,
- "Oh Misseldine's, dear Misseldine's,
- A dive we'll ne'er forget,
- The taste of its banana splits
- Is on our tonsils yet.
- Its chocolate fudge makes livers budge,
- It's really too divine,
- And as we reel, we'll give one squeal
- For dear old Misseldine's."
Geography
The elevation is 1067 feet (325.2 m) above sea level. The town's original boundary was established as a circle with a radius of three quarters of a mile. According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
Climate
Tryon is located near a "thermal belt", an area generally free of dew and frost, provides an enjoyable climate year-around. was the initial draw of many of Tryon's visitors and residents. In this region of the Blue Ridge mountains an inversion of warm air, air may be warmer on the slopes than the base of a valley, particularly in the spring and fall, cause for longer periods of warm weather throughout the year and greater crop yields.However, data indicate that Tryon has a similar climate to comparable areas of the Piedmont.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,760 people, 869 households, and 452 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 955.0 people per square mile (369.3/km²). There were 985 housing units at an average density of 534.5 per square mile (206.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 77.16% White, 21.02% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.68% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population.
There were 869 households out of which 16.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.9% were non-families. 44.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 28.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.66.
In the town, the population was spread out with 16.7% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 37.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females there were 72.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,449, and the median income for a family was $44,485. Males had a median income of $35,956 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $21,347. About 7.9% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Agriculture
The southern exposure of Tryon's hills provides a conducive environment for orchards and vineyards. Vineyards were established in the Pacolet Valley, on Old Howard Gap, and other Tryon locations. By the 1950s the industry suffered due to decline in railroad transportation and competition with Californian grapes. Grapes, though, are beginning to make a comeback in the area.Tourism
Bed and Breakfasts and Inns in Tryon include:- Mimosa Inn & Tavern.
- 1906 Pine Crest Inn & Restaurant.
1906 Pine Crest Inn
The 1906 Pine Crest Inn was originally built in 1906 as a sanitariumSanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
for those with tuberculosis. In 1917 it was converted to an inn. The inn was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Its dining room has a AAA four diamond designation. Early in the inn’s history hunters were attracted by its location, sitting right on the edge of the wilderness. Swayback cabin, now more than 240 years old, hosted both Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Tryon Fine Arts Center
The Tryon Fine Arts Center, located on Melrose Avenue in Tryon, is a visual and performing arts center that offers music, drama, film and other cultural programs. Founded in 1969, the non-profit organization offers a number of classes in the arts. The center's theatre seats 345 individuals and has a system for the hearing impaired. Located, exhibiting or performing within the center are:- Tryon Painters and Sculptors
- Carolina Photo Club annually exhibits in January and February. The group, affiliated with the Photographic Society of America, meets monthly and conducts an annual contest where winning submissions are exhibited in the Tryon Fine Arts Center.
Tryon Arts and Crafts School
Established in 1960, Tryon Arts and Crafts provides the community with creative opportunities "through education, instruction, and expression of heritage and contemporary arts and crafts" created and showcased at the school. In the 1950s local artists offered space in their homes for fine arts and crafts. The blizzard of 1959 was impetous for creation of a formal organization. Grace Hall, a local resident who had been trapped in her home for three weeks, wrote to the Tryon Daily Bulletin with an idea: form a local crafts center so that area residents would have the knowledge to create arts or crafts so that in the wake of another blizzard they would have something to do with their time. Many agreed, including architect Carter Brown and Tryon philanthropist Violet Parish-Watson. In April, 1960 200 area residents pledged a one-dollar membership fee to support what would be called Tryon Crafts, Inc. "Recapturing Tryon's history as an artist's colony," local artisans began selling work and teaching classes. After residing in several locations, Tryon Arts & Crafts (named since 2004) is located at 373 Harmon Field Road, adjacent to Harmon Field. The facility offers professional studios for a wide variety of arts, such as fiber artFiber art
Fiber art is a style of fine art which uses textiles such as fabric, yarn, and natural and synthetic fibers. It focuses on the materials and on the manual labour involved as part of its significance.-Fiber:...
s, pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, jewelry, lapidary
Lapidary
A lapidary is an artist or artisan who forms stone, mineral, gemstones, and other suitably durable materials into decorative items such as engraved gems, including cameos, or cabochons, and faceted designs...
, woodworking
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
, multimedia
Multimedia artist
Multimedia artists are contemporary artists who use a wide range of media to communicate their art. Multimedia art includes, by definition, more than one medium, therefore multimedia artists use visual art in combination with sound art, moving images and other media...
and blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
ing.
Tryon Concert Association
Tryon Concert Association claims to have been bringing "world-class artists" to Tryon since the first concert in January 1955 when baritone Robert McFerrin gave a recital. Soon after the performance McFerrin was the first African-American to join the Metropolitan Opera Company. The Tryon Concert Asscoation provides a series of four concerts from the fall through spring with talent that rivals that of large metropolitan cities.Tryon Little Theater
The Tryon Little Theatre holds classes and workshops at the Tryon Little Theater Workshop on Highway 176. Season performances by this organization can also be seen at the Tryon Fine Arts Center in Tryon.Tryon Youth Center
Tryon Youth Center, located in a 5300 square feet (492.4 m²) building on US Highway 176, offers artistic, social and recreational programs for the young people of the local area. Annually a Youth Center Summer Musical production is held at the Tryon Fine Arts Center.Children's Theatre Festival
Children's Theater Festival organized in 1978 offers "lively arts" for children including: "Eight to ten different performances, encompassing theater, music, storytelling, mime, dance, puppetry, and more are brought to Tryon on a Saturday in late March."Equestrian community
Local historian and former Tryon Riding and Hunt Club President Colonel Charles C. Ross, U.S. Army (Retd.) said at a Polk County Historical Association meeting in April 2010, "The horse is all important in Polk County. Horses provide sport, pleasure, entertainment, business, and the good country living. It can be said that horses are a way of life in our pleasant community here in rural North Carolina." Much of that started with Carter Brown who came to Tryon from Michigan in 1917 and opened the Pine Crest Inn, a place where moneyed northerners could enjoy riding horses or play golf during the winter months. In 1925 Brown founded and was the first president of the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club. With Brown's inspiration, the Tryon Horse Show and the Block House Steeplechase were born in 1929 and 1934, respectively. The Tryon Horse Show "was so popular that the schools were let out and most businesses closed for the afternoon," Ross said. Now, smaller shows are held at Harmon Field and the Tryon Horse Shows are at the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE). Many local organizations such as the Carolina Carriage Club, the Blue Ridge Hunter Jumper Association, Foothills Riding Club, and River Valley Pony Club hold shows and events.Morris, the Tryon Horse, stands at the very center of Tryon. The Tryon horse, a large version of toys made by the Tryon Toymakers and Woodcarvers, was first built in 1928 for the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club. The current Morris is the fifth generation, three of the previous versions succumbed to fire, mischievous kidnapping and age and the fourth was refurbished with a fiberglass body. Morris serves as a billboard during the Tryon Horse Show and Block House Steeplechase Races. At Christmas, he is decorated with garland and a top hat.
Foothills Equestrian Nature Center
The Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) is a 380 acres (1.5 km²) nature preserve of trails for hiking, riding and bird-watching. The center, which also includes picnic areas and a pond, hosts equestrian events and concerts.Library
The Lanier Library AssociationLanier Library Association
The Lanier Library Association is a subscription library in Tryon, North Carolina. Established on 9 January 1889, it is named for Sidney Lanier.-External links:*...
is named for poet Sidney Lanier died September 7, 1881 in "the Wilcox home" on Highway 108 in Lynn, three miles (5 km) of Tryon, which has been since known as the Lanier House. The idea for a library was developed in 1889 by five women from Tryon with the goal of being "the source of intellectual and cultural stimulation for the community", achieved through library membership to local women. Two volumes of Sidney Lanier's poems, a gift from his wife Mary were the first books for the library. Initially the library was a bookcase of books located in several places in town before being formally located in the Lanier Library building built in 1905 and expanded over the years. In 1930 the library established an endowment fund to support the library and extended library membership to include men. The Lanier Library Association, Inc., previously called the Lanier club, was organized to provide library services and related cultural programs to the community. Lanier Library remains a membership library supported solely by membership dues, endowments and donations, one of only a few membership libraries in the country.
Recreation
The area is known for its scenic drives of tailored horse farms, hardwood forests, and kudzu landscaped scenery of the Carolina foothills.Parks
Tryon has a number of parks including:- Rogers Park located in downtown Tryon is a park and an open-air amphitheatre. The natural setting includes a small creek and trails and also landscaping with native plants and Crab Orchard stone walls. Its facilities are used for public events, such as music performances, and can be reserved for private events, such as weddings and other occasions.
- Greene Corner, on Melrose Avenue across from the entrance to the Tryon Fine Arts Center, is a beautiful garden and gazebo often used for wedding photos. The Sassoon Park, also on Melrose Avenue, has a modern sculpture and greenery.
- Harmon Field, a 46 acres (186,155.6 m²) park in Tryon located on Harmon Field Road between US Hwy 176 and NC Hwy 108, is regularly used by town residents and visitors. It offers a variety of activities, from relaxing on trails to active sports participation:
- For horse-back riders there periodic events (see their calendar of events) and facilities include four horse rings and 140 stalls.
- For the sports-minded there are three baseball fields, two soccer fields, four tennis courts, basketball courts, putting green and a playground.
- For those inclined for a leisurely walk there are trails and a community garden.
- Shelters and grills are available for picnics.
- The field also offers rental facilities and a concession stand.
- The Blue Ridge Barbecue and Music Festival, "One of America's most prestigious barbecue competitions!", is held annually at Harmon Field.
Scenic areas and drives
- Pacolet Scenic Byway, one of North Carolina Scenic BywaysNorth Carolina Scenic BywaysThe North Carolina Scenic Byways consists of roads in the state of North Carolina that travel through areas of scenic, historic, and cultural significance. The intent of this system is to provide travelers with a safe an interesting alternate route....
, is a ten-mile (16 km) portion of US 176 that runs from Tryon to Saluda. The scenic drive provides scenic views of the Pacolet RiverPacolet RiverThe Pacolet River is a tributary of the Broad River, about 50 miles long, in northwestern South Carolina in the United States . One of its principal headwaters tributaries also drains a small portion of western North Carolina. Via the Broad and Congaree Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the...
and waterfalls.
- Pearson's Falls Natural Heritage Site, named for its 90 feet (27.4 m) waterfallWaterfalls of North CarolinaThe waterfalls of North Carolina, U.S.A., are a prominent feature of the geography of the Piedmont and mountain regions of the state, as well as a major focus of tourism and outdoor recreation. Many of these falls are located in state parks, national forests, wildlife management areas, and other...
, is owned and maintained by the Tryon Garden Club. Located between Tryon and SaludaSaluda, North CarolinaThe City of Saluda is located in both Henderson and Polk counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 713 at the 2010 census. Saluda is famous for sitting at the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway's Saluda Grade, the steepest main line standard gauge railroad line east of the...
, it is offers a picnic area and hiking and biking trails for its customers. There is a one-quarter mile walk to the waterfall off from US 176. The "botanical preserve" offers more than 200 species of wildflowers and plans and has been classified as a deciduous climax forestEcological successionEcological succession, is the phenomenon or process by which a community progressively transforms itself until a stable community is formed. It is a fundamental concept in ecology, and refers to more or less predictable and orderly changes in the composition or structure of an ecological community...
. An engineer, Charles William Pearson, scouted the Blue Ridge Mountains for the Southern Railroad and it's his name that labels the waterfalls.
Religion
Tryon's churches include:- Holy Cross Church & Chapel on 150 Melrose Avenue.
- Congregational Church on 210 Melrose Avenue.
- St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on 180 Laurel Avenue.
- First Baptist Church on 125 Pacolet Street.
- Trinity Lutheran Church LCMS on 3353 US Hwy 176 toward Saluda.
The Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, originally a slave chapel known as St. Andrews on the Coxe Plantation, was moved to Tryon in 1955. Located on Jackson Road, it still has original furnishings and glass.
Notable people
Nina SimoneNina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, singer, pianist, composer, and activist, was born Eunice Waymon at 30 East Livingston Street in Tryon. She took piano lessons from Mrs. Mazzanovich who lived in Gillette Woods. Zenos Frudakis created a bronze monument which was dedicated on her birthday, February 21, 2010.
Other past notable Tryon residents included:
- Actor William GilletteWilliam GilletteWilliam Hooker Gillette was an American actor, playwright and stage-manager in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who is best remembered today for portraying Sherlock Holmes....
who built a home here. Artists and writers, including Margaret MorleyMargaret Warner MorleyMargaret Warner Morley was an American educator, biologist and writer, author of many books on nature and biology for children and novel writer.- Biography :...
, were entertained by William Gillette in his home, which he inexplicably boarded up in 1910. In 1925 Gillette sold his house and it became the Thousand Pine Inn. Now it’s a private residence. - Historians CharlesCharles A. BeardCharles Austin Beard was, with Frederick Jackson Turner, one of the most influential American historians of the first half of the 20th century. He published hundreds of monographs, textbooks and interpretive studies in both history and political science...
and Mary BeardMary Ritter BeardMary Ritter Beard was an American historian and archivist, who played an important role in the women's suffrage movement and was a lifelong advocate of social justice through educational and activist roles in both the labor and woman's rights movements... - Donald C. PeattieDonald C. PeattieDonald Culross Peattie was a U.S. botanist, naturalist and author. He was described by Joseph Wood Krutch as "perhaps the most widely read of all contemporary American nature writers" during his heyday.-Biography:...
- Roderick Peattie
- Margaret Culkin BanningMargaret Culkin BanningMargaret Frances Culkin Banning was a best-selling American author of thirty-six novels and an early advocate of women's rights. Banning was born in Buffalo, Minnesota, the daughter of William E. Culkin, who served in the Minnesota state senate from 1895 to 1899. She was also the first woman...
whose home "Friendly HillsFriendly Hills (Tryon, North Carolina)Friendly Hills, also known as Margaret Culkin Banning House, near Tryon, North Carolina, was built in 1924. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998....
" was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1998.
Living notable Tryon residents include:
- Jeri Fitzgerald Board, novelist.
- Richard Christian NelsonRichard Christian NelsonRichard Christian Nelson is a portrait and gallery artist from Tryon, North Carolina. He has won numerous national awards and honors, and created over 1000 commissioned oil and charcoal portraits. He is also known for landscape and still life painting...
, artist