Saxapahaw, NC

Saxapahaw is an Alamance County CDP on the Haw River, and the river is the whole first chapter. The settlement began around a gristmill; John Newlin and his sons built a cotton mill in 1844, creating the mill town that still shapes the place's buildings. The former Saxapahaw Spinning Mill is on the National Register, and the old industrial buildings now hold apartments, businesses, and the Haw River Ballroom. The Catawban name is another local clue, but you do not need to pronounce it to place the town: look for the Haw River, the old mill, and a village built around waterpower.