Reidsville, NC

Reidsville is a city in Rockingham County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. At the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 14,583. Reidsville is included in the Greensboro–High Point Metropolitan Statistical Area of the Piedmont Triad. Reidsville was established in the early 19th century as an outpost and stop on the stage line that ran between Salisbury, North Carolina, and Danville, Virginia, and was originally known as Wright's Crossroads. The community grew from a single home and inn owned by the family of Reuben Reid, a local farmer, businessman, justice of the peace and father of David S. Reid), into a thriving farming community primarily supporting tobacco production and cigarette manufacturing. Reidsville was officially incorporated by the North Carolina State Legislature in 1873 and became a key location of the American Tobacco Company which employed large numbers of city and county residents. The American Tobacco Company was the mainstay of Reidsville economics until its sale and closure in 1994. Many textile mills were established in Reidsville as well, with Cone Mills and Burlington Industries, located in Burlington North Carolina, consolidating most of them in the mid-20th century, although most have now closed. Although Reidsville has experienced economic recession in recent years the community has enjoyed a renewal of growth as a sleeper city supplying a source of rural development for the surrounding larger cities.