Wake Forest

History

In 1832, Dr. Calvin Jones, originally from Massachusetts, bought of forested land in Wake County, North Carolina. He built his plantation here. The sparsely populated area became known as the Forest of Wake, or Wake Forest. Jones sold his farm to the North Carolina Baptist Convention for $2,000, who opened the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute, later Wake Forest College, on the site. The Raleigh & Gaston Railroad, completed in 1840, established a depot in nearby Forestville that stimulated the school and surrounding village. College leaders convinced the railroad to move the depot even closer to the college in 1874, leading to more economic development. This community was incorporated as the "Town of Wake Forest College" in 1880. In 1909, the word "College" was removed from the name of the town. The college moved to the much larger city of Winston-Salem in 1956. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary began offering classes on the original campus of Wake Forest University in 1950, and occupied the entire campus when the university completed its move. In 2007, the town was listed by Forbes magazine as the 20th fastest growing suburb in America, with a 73.2 percent increase in population between 2000 and 2006.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (0.76%) is water. Wake Forest is located in the northeast-central region of North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain regions meet. This area is known as the "Fall Line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. Its central Piedmont location situates Wake Forest approximately three hours by car west of Atlantic Beach, and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains. Wake Forest enjoys a moderate subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high humidity. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s °F (10 to 13 °C) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s °F (−2 to 2 °C), although an occasional 60 °F (15 °C) or warmer winter day is not uncommon. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s °F (low 20s °C), with lows at night in the lower 50s °F (10 to 14 °C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s °F (29 to 35 °C). The rainiest months are July and August.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Millbrook High
  High · Raleigh · 2,421 students · 19.1:1 ratio
• Rolesville High
  High · Rolesville · 2,373 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• Wake Forest High School
  High · Wake Forest · 2,101 students · 18.9:1 ratio
• Wakefield High
  High · Raleigh · 2,072 students · 19.2:1 ratio
• Heritage High
  High · Wake Forest · 1,811 students · 18.3:1 ratio
• Franklin Academy
  Other · Wake Forest · 1,651 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• River Bend Middle
  Middle · Raleigh · 1,124 students · 15:1 ratio
• West Millbrook Middle
  Middle · Raleigh · 1,046 students · 16.9:1 ratio