Summerfield History
The community now known as Summerfield traces its roots to 1769, when Charles Bruce purchased 640 acres in what is today the heart of the town. During the American Revolution, the Bruce homestead became both the birthplace and muster site of a local patriot group known as the "Friends of Liberty." Charles Bruce served as a recruiting officer for the Patriot cause and helped support American forces in their campaigns against Loyalists and the British Army.
Several Revolutionary War skirmishes took place in the area leading up to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781. Among those who lost their lives was James Gillies, bugler for General Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee. Gillies is buried in the Bruce family cemetery across from present-day Summerfield Elementary School. Known locally as the "Bugler Boy," he has become an enduring symbol of Summerfield's heritage. The school's newspaper was once named The Bugler, and the Town Seal features his likeness holding a bugle.
Following the war, President George Washington's Southern Tour of 1791 may have brought him through the community as he traveled between Salem and the Guilford Courthouse Battlefield.
The settlement that grew around the Bruce homestead was originally known as Bruce's Crossroads. In 1812, residents renamed the community Summerfield in honor of the evangelist John Summerfield, who preached a revival in the area and later made the community his home.
For much of the nineteenth century, Summerfield was an agricultural community. Farms producing corn, tobacco, and livestock supplied the growing markets of Greensboro and Winston-Salem. As farming prospered, local merchants established stores and businesses that became the foundation of the town's commercial center.
During the 1870s, several stores were built at the intersection of Oak Ridge Road and what was then U.S. Highway 220 (now Summerfield Road). This crossroads became the heart of the community. Two brick commercial buildings constructed by local builder George Smith – the Brittain Store and the Ogburn-Gordon Store – served residents from the 1870s through the 1950s. Nearby were a garage, drugstore, and blacksmith shop, while additional businesses farther south along Summerfield Road included a sawmill, post office, school, grocery store, and numerous family-owned enterprises.
The arrival of the Yadkin and Southern Railroad further fueled the community's growth. The rail line connected Greensboro with Mount Airy, and a depot in Summerfield provided passenger and freight service that supported local businesses and agriculture. Although the railroad tracks were removed during the 1960s and 1970s, traces of the former rail corridor remain visible today along portions of the A&Y Greenway.
In 2005, Summerfield's original crossroads and surrounding historic buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district includes 35 contributing historic resources and 20 noncontributing resources, helping preserve the character and architectural heritage of the community.
Summerfield was officially incorporated as a town in 1996 and has continued to grow while maintaining its small-town character and commitment to preserving its history. That same year, the historic Brittain Building – once a favorite gathering place where neighbors shared stories around a pot-bellied stove – was donated to the Town by Bill Parrish. After careful restoration, the building was transformed into Town Hall and now also serves as a museum celebrating Summerfield's rich history.
Acknowledgments: This history was compiled from research and contributions by Linda Southard, Gladys Scarlette, former Mayor Bill Peterson, former Town Council member Jim Alexander, and other local historians who have helped preserve Summerfield's story.