HOA Management in Elon, NC

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Elon, NC facts and information

The Town of Elon is a municipality in Alamance County. Elon was incorporated in 1893.

As of 2020, Elon is the 77^th largest municipality in the State of North Carolina.

Per the 2020 United States Census, Elon’s population was calculated to be 11,336. From the 2010 United States Census, this was a population growth of 16.9%.

Elon’s population per the 2010 United States Census was determined to be 9,419.

Per the 2012 United States Census, there were 501 total businesses or firms within the town limits of Elon.

Per the United States Census Bureau (2015-2019), there were 3,465 households in Elon.

Per the United States Census Bureau (2015-2019), in 2019 dollars, Elon’s median household income was $65,313.

Per the 2010 United States Census, the land area of Elon is 3.89 square miles.

Elon’s population per square mile is 2,424.4 per the 2010 United States Census.

95.6% of Elon’s population who are 25 years of age or older are high school graduates per the United States Census Bureau (2015-2019).

54.1% of Burlington’s population who are 25 years of age or older hold a bachelor’s degree or have obtained a higher level of education per the United States Census Bureau (2015-2019).

The coordinates or location of Elon per Google Earth – Latitude: 36°06′02.55″N, Longitude: 79°30′23.93″ W

The elevation of Elon at the above coordinates or location per Google Earth is 713 feet.

An Overview of Elon and Alamance County

Alamance County was created in 1849 from the western portion of Orange County. The county is named for Alamance Creek, which flows through the county. Alamance reportedly means “blue clay” in a Native American language. Blue clay is found along Alamance Creek. Native Americans have inhabited the Piedmont region of North Carolina for thousands of years. The first recorded inhabitants of the future Alamance County were the Shakori, the Eno, and the Occaneechi Indians. The first settlers of European descent began arriving in the 1700s in the future Alamance County. These settlers did not begin arriving in larger numbers until the mid-1700s. Early settlers were predominantly subsistence farmers, cultivating small tracts of land. The majority of these early settlers were of Scots-Irish origin and German descent. Small groups of Quakers were also mixed in with these early settlers.

The Battle of Alamance was the first and possibly the most significant historic event to ever occur in Alamance County, and it occurred before Alamance County was a county. The Battle of Alamance took place on May 16, 1771, when North Carolina British Royal Governor William Tryon and his militia force engaged the Regulators along the banks of the Great Alamance Creek. The Regulators were a disorganized or loosely organized militant group of protesters, mainly North Carolina farmers. They were not in open rebellion against the British Crown or attempting to overthrow the British Crown. The Regulators were protesting British governance more than looking for American independence.

The battler unfolded when around 2,000 Regulators had assembled along the Great Alamance Creek in a faceoff with Governor Tryon’s militia force. The Regulators attempted to negotiate with Governor Tryon and discuss their concerns. Governor Tryon rejected their offer to negotiate before disarming and then gave the Regulators one hour to lay down their arms and surrender. The Regulators replied with: “Fire and be damned.” Governor Tryon then replied with cannon fire.

The Battle of Alamance was relatively a quick battle lasting less than two hours, with limited casualties. Some of the Regulators, many having no military training, fled the field of battle after running out of ammunition. Others fled the field without firing a shot. No matter the actions of individual Regulators, their lack of military training and organization led to their ultimate defeat. Their overall casualties are not certain, but at least nine were killed. The militia numbers were higher; however, they were more easily accounted for over the Regulator’s ranks. Up to 27 militiamen were killed, and 61 were wounded.

Seven Regulators were hanged for treason by Governor Tryon. The following day, May 17, Governor Tryon agreed to grant amnesty to anyone who took an oath of allegiance. Within two weeks, 6,409 Regulators took the oath of allegiance. This battle was of such significance because it was a precursor of the American Revolution and an indicator of the discontent many of the population had with British rule.

During the American Revolutionary War, there were no major battles within Alamance County. After the American Revolution, the future Elon and Alamance County demographics changed only slightly with the development of mills and mill towns. Agriculture was still predominant, well into the 1800s.

The Town of Elon had an unassuming beginning at the intersection of the railroad tracks of the North Carolina Railroad and a country dirt road traveling south. The rail line was connecting Charlotte and Goldsboro and was completed on January 29, 1856.

A train depot was constructed at this intersection in 1888, which was the genesis of Elon. The North Carolina Railroad initially named the train depot “Mill Point.” The railroad gave the depot this name because it was to be the shipping point for the cotton mills in the area. The local inhabitants of the area referred to the intersection as “Boon’s Crossing.” There was also a post office established in 1888 as well. The train depot’s name was changed to “Elon College in 1890.

The area around the Ellon College train depot began to develop like hundreds and hundreds of towns developed in the United States in the 1800s as a result of the arrival of the railroad. The arrival of the North Carolina Railroad in 1888 transformed the future Elon into a bustling community essentially overnight.

The origin of Elon College was the Southern Christian Conference which later became the United Church of Christ. In 1872, the Southern Christian Conference began looking for land in Graham to relocate the Graham Normal College. After not finding suitable land in Graham and several other locations in 1888, it was decided to relocate the college to a heavily oak tree covering the land plot in Mill Point. The Hebrew word for oak is Elon, thus the origin of the new name for the college and town name.

Elon College opened in 1889 with an initial student body of 76. The first president of the college was Reverend William Samuel Long (1839-1924). The college initially offered a four-year liberal arts program. On June 18, 1923, a fire broke out that came close to burning down the entire college. The fire burned down the school’s main building, library, chapel, and several classrooms. The school’s records were also destroyed in the massive fire. After the fire, the damage was repaired, and five new buildings: a library, auditorium, three classrooms, and office buildings were reconstructed in 1924.

The 1929 Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression of the 1930s brought about difficult economic times to Elon and the nation. Like most businesses throughout the nation, local businesses in Elon were negatively affected by the economic downturn. Elon College was no exception to the economic hard times. Fortunately for Elon College in 1931, Dr. Leon Edgar Smith (1884-1975) became the college’s fifth president. He became the longest-serving president serving for twenty-five years and retiring in 1957. During the Great Depression, Dr. Smith established a program of belt-tightening that saved the college.

The post-World War II student body at Elon College exceeded 700. Returning soldiers with GI Bill benefits swelled the student ranks. From that point forward, Elon College continued to grow. Graduate programs increased in the 1980s, including the development of a now well-respected MBA program. A law school was added in 2006. By the 2000’s Elon had become the third-largest private college in North Carolina. The board of trustees changed the school’s name to Elon University in 2001 because of the many varied degrees offered, and the student body exceeded 4,000. Today, Elon has six schools with a student body of around 7,000.