Legacy Update: Tobaccoville

Tobaccoville was named for a plug chewing tobacco factory owned and operated in the 1870's by Charles Orrender. The Orrender Tobacco Factory was the principal landmark in the area, and the name "Tobaccoville" was suggested for the post office. This area was the mail route of a 4-horse stagecoach from Mt. Airy to Winston-Salem.

The Tobaccoville community's desire to maintain its identity, quality of life, and to preserve its heritage was the motivation for its incorporation in 1991. Help with the effort to oppose annexation plans by the Town of King and to incorporate was given by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which had recently built its newest and largest cigarette manufacturing facility in Tobaccoville.

In 2000, the Village Development Guidelines 2000-2020 were developed for the community by the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Assistance to manage residential and commercial growth while at the same time preserving open space. These guidelines were reviewed and adopted by the City-County Planning Board and the Forsyth County Commissioners.

What principles of the 2001 Legacy Plan have been incorporated?

• Managing growth for the preservation of open space and development of a livable community: Village Guidelines promote Open Space Design over Conventional Design of new subdivisions.
• Linking neighborhoods to other parts of the Village by roads and bike trails: Village guidelines promote a Road Network over Unconnected Roads.
• Preserving the special character of small towns: Village Guidelines promote designing new subdivisions with street trees, sidewalks and preserved common area for open space and recreational opportunities.
• Creating a more compact form of development around Village Centers and commercial areas: Village Guidelines promote Commercial Centers over Strip Development.
• Promoting the development of a Village atmosphere and a more compact form of development around Village Centers: Development of Village Hall and the Village Park in the Town Center.

What Challenges Face the Community?

• Managing residential and commercial growth while preserving open space.
• Connecting scattered subdivisions with roads or bike trails.
• Developing the proposed commercial centers in a compact pedestrian-friendly form.
• Creating neighborhood-scale commercial centers.