Summerfield is a town in Guilford County, North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,951.
The town is largely regarded as a suburb of Greensboro and as development has grown, the town has slowly transformed from a rural farming area into a bedroom community primarily from Northern transplants. It features a town hall, along Oak Ridge Road (aka NC 150), west of Battleground Avenue (aka US 220), as well as a shopping center east of Battleground Avenue and Auburn Road, located on the eastern portion of NC 150. Interstate 73 passes just west of the town's center, connecting with NC 150, and also connecting with US 158 in the northernmost part of the town.
History
The area was settled in about 1769 by Charles Bruce and acquired the name Bruce's Crossroads. In February 1781 patriot forces under General Henry Lee III and British forces under General Banastre Tarleton skirmished at the crossroads during the American Revolutionary War. The Patriots won the battle and forced the British cavalry to retreat. In 1812 a post office was established, and the community was renamed Summerfield, in homage to evangelist John Summerfield.
Summerfield School Gymnasium and Community Center has a gym that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. The Summerfield Historic District was listed in 2005.
Former North Carolina Governor Alexander Martin had a house that he lived in the town square of Summerfield, which is not standing today. George Washington stayed in the house during the Revolutionary War. There is currently a historical home on the square known as the Martin House, but it was lived in by a son of the Governor. Currently, the Martin House is owned by the town of Summerfield.
In June 2024, the North Carolina General Assembly voted to deannex close to 1000 acres owned by developer David Couch after officials and people living in the area opposed his planned housing development. While an appeal of the action is possible, Couch would get to develop the land without being denied permission by the town government. Nearly a year later, nearby |Greensboro voted to annex a portion of this land.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.3 square miles (70.7 km), of which 27.1 square miles (70.2 km) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km) (0.62%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 10,951 people, 3,902 households, and 3,227 families residing in the town.
The median age was 44.6 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.1 males age 18 and over.
Of households in Summerfield, 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 74.2% were married-couple households, 9.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 13.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 13.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Students of SCA are known as the Summerfield Stampede. Most people in Summerfield attend Northern Guilford Middle School and Northern Guilford High School, while some attend Northern Elementary School, all three located east on Route 150, in proximity to Brown Summit, and having the Nighthawk as their mascot. Some residents attend Northwest Guilford Middle School followed by Northwest Guilford High School, both of which are located nearby in Greensboro. The mascot of the NW schools and Summerfield Elementary School is the Viking.
Notable people
- Elissa Cunane, professional basketball player, BK Brno
- Andrew Jackson, 7th president of the United States
- Elizabeth Kitley, former WNBA basketball player, Las Vegas Aces
- Alexander Martin, former governor of North Carolina and founding father
- Harold L. Martin, former chancellor, North Carolina A&T State University
- Jim Molinaro, former professional football player, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins
- Patrick Ball, actor best known for The Pitt