Eden NC is a small southern city which borders Danville & Martinsville VA., Caswell County and Guilford County NC. Eden has a population of roughly fifteen thousand people and is often referred to as “The Land of Two Rivers”. The Dan and Smith Rivers flow north and south of the city, and they supply a bevy of natural resources to the area.
Small town living with good old down-home southern hospitality awaits you within a 25-minute drive from the Danville area. Eden is just a short drive to many larger populated areas such as Greensboro, Winston Salem, High Point, Charlotte, and Roanoke VA. Many of our residents live in Eden and work in the larger cities not only saving money in the housing market but also some residents prefer a smaller town atmosphere to live and raise their children.
Eden is a young city, only 52-years old. The City was incorporated September 1967 through the consolidation of three towns—Leaksville, Spray, and Draper. Eden is also the largest city in Rockingham County. During the mid-1800s and well into the 20th century, the three separate towns thrived. The dominate industries were textile mills and farms that produced tobacco and agricultural goods. The two rivers supplied travel access for goods to be imported and exported to and from Eden. In modern times, the Dan and Smith Rivers provide recreation, canoeing, fishing, and serene settings with various access points for boats and or swimmers. In the early 1700s, a Virginian named William Byrd II purchased 20,000 acres south of the boundary line from the North Carolina commissioners. This wedge-shaped tract of land lies almost entirely within present day Rockingham County, NC. A very small sliver at the eastern edge of Byrd’s tract lies in present day Caswell County, NC. A few years later, Byrd added an additional 6,000 acres. Leaksville was founded in the 1790s and incorporated in 1874. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War veteran, John Leak. Spray was settled around 1813. It was originally called Splash or Splashy, because of the water that splashed about on the waterwheel at the local mill. Spray was not incorporated until 1951. Draper was originally established as a mill village in 1905 and not incorporated until 1949. During those days, the three areas were commonly known as the “tri-cities.”
On September 12, 1967 residents of Leaksville, Draper, Spray, and the unincorporated Meadows Greens Sanitary District (what is now known as Central Eden) voted to consolidate the communities.