TRYON - LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION...Gorgeous double lot ready for your build in Gillette Woods! Road frontage on Laurel Way and Hillswick Road. One of the few easily b...
Listing courtesy of Mountain Property Group LLC.
First-time home ownership is cheaper than paying rent! Needs someone with some skills to bring this back to its glory. Could make a good 1st flip. The bonus with this pro...
Listing courtesy of Ferguson Real Estate & Associates.
Do not miss this adorable two bedroom one bathroom home less than 5 minutes to Downtown Tryon! Enjoy the convenience of easy access and single level living with your kitc...
Listing courtesy of Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks Asheville-Biltmore Park.
Enjoy ultimate serenity here in the quiet subdivision of Woody Estates, right in the center of Tryon horse country, and just 12 minutes to I-26 and the grocery store. DO ...
Listing courtesy of Looking Glass Realty, Saluda.
For the Discriminating Buyer! Superior end unit in Hunting Country Trails includes top quality interior upgrades and gorgeous new exterior hardscape with terraces, planti...
Listing courtesy of Mountain Property Group LLC.
Cozy up to Hunting Country Trails, an intimate and neighborly community, nestled on forested grounds. This home feels greater than it's stature due to the soaring ceilin...
Listing courtesy of Redfin Corporation.
.45 acre building lot in downtown Tryon! Conveniently located on Payne St. just behind Stotts Ford & White Oak, lot has public water & sewer. The lot appears to have an...
Listing courtesy of SC NC Realty.
Own your own getaway in beautiful Tryon N.C. This property is perfectly positioned along White Oak Creek and Hugh Champion Road in the rural community of Polk County. You...
Listing courtesy of Skyfall Properties.
BACK ON MARKET: Located alongside the Pacolet River, you will find this 3.4-acre dream. Located directly across from Harmon field, which provides 36 acres of outdoor recr...
Listing courtesy of Lusso Realty, LLC..
Welcome Home! This 4/3 home sits on .32 ac in the desirable Hidden Hill community of Tryon! Sellers inherited this property and have totally renovated it inside & out, up...
Listing courtesy of Tryon Foothills Realty.
Welcome to the desirable Melrose Mountain community! This secluded parcel offers great privacy & your choice of building site. There is a well already in place, and so th...
Listing courtesy of Tryon Foothills Realty.
Adorable 2 Bedroom 2 Bath Tryon Bungalow that has been completely updated. All brand new stainless steel appliances including gas stove. New roof, flooring, electrical,...
Listing courtesy of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.
Prime location in Tryon's Business District. Approx 1743 sqft building was formally Tryon Fine Books. Approx 1146.02 sqft on main level, and approx 597 sqft in the finis...
Listing courtesy of Gasperson-Peek Realty.
Own this stunning piece of landmark history located just minutes from downtown Tryon. This property as a house, trainers quarters, 3-stall barn, pasture for horses, 3 car...
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX RESULTS.
Welcome to "Westbrook Corners", one of the last, major, undeveloped intersections left along HWY 9 - between Lake Bowen & Lake Lure. This is the "Gateway" from Landrum t...
Listing courtesy of SC NC Realty.
Tryon Craftsman Home with Guest House Sitting atop hill, this 1918 4BR, 3B home with a detached guest house is a short stroll to downtown picturesque Tryon. Granite, stai...
Listing courtesy of Sell Your Home Services LLC.
Lot 26 is up high with a potential view, long road frontage. 1.77 acres makes it one of the largest lots in the development. Riverbank is a small 42 lot gated community w...
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker King-Col/Tryon.
Discover scenic views and landscaped grounds as you travel up the tree-lined drive, leading to a private paradise where nature meets art. Feast your eyes on this beautifu...
Listing courtesy of Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks Hendersonville.
Lot 22 Vista at the Riverbank, 1.17 acres dead level lot, wooded, private, corner to cul-de-sac lot. Riverbank is a small 42 lot gated community with common areas, includ...
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker King-Col/Tryon.
1.03 acres just inside the gate in Vista at the Riverbank. Lot rises from the road. Small cleared, grassed area at the frontage. The street light is the dividing between ...
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker King-Col/Tryon.
1.38 acres just inside the gate in Vista at the Riverbank. Lot rises from the road and has professional landscaping maintained by the HOA. Small cleared, grassed area at ...
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker King-Col/Tryon.
Sloping approx 2 acre lot with adjacent 4 acre lot available, fronts on State Road
Listing courtesy of Walker, Wallace, and Emerson Realty.
Great price on what may be your last chance to own land in this exclusive, private gated community in Tryon. This L shaped property offers panoramic mountain views. Enjoy...
Listing courtesy of Tryon Horse & Home LLC.
Recently reduced. 1.25 acre building lot in gated Vista at Riverbank. Waterfront lot with potential views with select cutting. Three bedroom septic system already install...
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker King-Col/Tryon.
Previous buyers' loss is your GAIN!! Welcome to Belvedere Terrace! This small condominium complex is quite the hidden gem. Tucked off a quiet street within walking distan...
Listing courtesy of Tryon Foothills Realty.
Red Fox Beauty! The walk onto the expansive covered front porch will be your first clue that you're home and may never want to leave. Then take a step inside and the war...
Listing courtesy of Tryon Foothills Realty.
Nestled in a clearing at the top of the hill and surrounded by 9 acres of hardwood forests, this 3/2 residence has recently undergone extensive renovations including: new...
Listing courtesy of Tryon Foothills Realty.
Southern Charm –Timeless, architecturally crafted (4 BRs with 3 full/2 half bath) home is nestled on 6.05 private acres in a park-like setting. Perfect for entertaining, ...
Listing courtesy of Town & Country Realty of the Carolinas.
Sophisticated, renovated, solid mid-century home nestled in 1.22 acres of mature landscaping features 3 spacious bedrooms, 4 baths, open floor plan & great flow from indo...
Listing courtesy of Ivester Jackson Blackstream.
Beautiful riverfront lot on the Pacolet River in Tryon NC. This fully wooded .70-acre lot has a gentle slope down to the river and is dotted with beautiful old-growth ha...
Listing courtesy of NorthGroup Real Estate, Inc..
Limitless potential best describes this unspoiled 24.82+/- acres. This tract checks all the boxes including an excellent location, untouched, mature hardwood and pine tim...
Listing courtesy of Metcalf Land Company Inc..
Historic Tryon Estate with panoramic mountain views that are even more stunning in person! Classic 1920's Arts & Crafts home is a rare gem - beautifully sited at the end ...
Listing courtesy of Mountain Property Group LLC.
Welcome to Hunting Country and your private sanctuary in the woods. Take the leisurely drive down the winding, paved driveway lined with rhododendrons and emerge at this ...
Listing courtesy of Tryon Foothills Realty.
Privacy and views! This 1.23 acre lot offers an excellent building site in a gated community located just a few minutes from the town of Tryon. Melrose Mountain is a quie...
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Advantage Realty / Tryon-Polk.
Nice, large residential building lot. Subject to POA and Architectural review, 1800 sq. ft. to build.
Listing courtesy of Walker, Wallace, and Emerson Realty.
Looking for privacy, pastures, a creek and level place to build your home? Here is 17.18 Acres of level and nice laying land located off Penial Road in Tryon. Land comes ...
Listing courtesy of Ferguson Real Estate & Associates.
Lovely parcel within the private gated community of Melrose Mountain just minutes from historic downtown Tryon! Come enjoy the natural beauty of the area with two spring ...
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker King-Col/Tryon.
Modern farmhouse design can be seen in this stunning home. The home is a juxtaposition of elements, cool earth tones w/pops of cobalt blue accent walls & entirely symmetr...
Listing courtesy of Pinnacle Sothebys International Realty.
Beautiful Mountain View Lot on Melrose Mountain! Just under an acre, this lot is in the gated community of Melrose Mountain in Tryon, NC. This community offers a clubhous...
Listing courtesy of Shelton Properties at KW.
Acreage close to TIEC.
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams - Old Tryon Re.
See this beautiful home in Popular Tryon NC. This great space sits on an acre of land and features over 2500 S.F. of heated living space. Enter into an impressive social ...
Listing courtesy of George Real Estate Group Inc.
RIVERFRONT PROPERTY only Minutes from Tryon Equestrian Center! Fish and Swim on Your Own Property along the White Oak River. LEAST EXPENSIVE LOT in the Vistas at the R...
Listing courtesy of Keller Williams Realty Mountain Partners.
Amazing long range view out over the valley below past Warrior Mountain and beyond to Tryon Peak to the north.! Well established neighborhood of Prometheus Point, beyond ...
Listing courtesy of Mountain Real Estate Rocks.
AMAZING VIEWS IN HUNTING COUNTRY. Serene setting on 2.7 acres yet 5 minutes to Tryon or Landrum. Enjoy amazing sunrises from master bedroom, kitchen, living room and dec...
Listing courtesy of Premier Sothebys International Realty.
One of 6 units offered for sale at One Tryon Place Professional Condominiums. Located off Trade St (HWY176) in close proximity to downtown Tryon. Previous accounting fi...
Listing courtesy of NextHome WNC Realty.
Welcome to Melrose Mountain - a wonderful, gated community on top of Melrose Mtn. in Tryon, NC. This is a great place to build your dream home or cabin to just "get away...
Listing courtesy of SC NC Realty.
A terrific corner lot on Dogwood Ct. Great neighborhood of well-kept homes. This lot is flat and usable. Easy build. Already surveyed. Just under one acre of land on whic...
Listing courtesy of Tryon Horse & Home LLC.
A Rare Find! 4.51 acres in desirable Gillette Woods location. This very special property offers multiple building sites in a private setting. You choose how much privacy ...
Listing courtesy of RE/MAX Advantage Realty / Tryon-Polk.
10.36 acres of unrestricted land. Rises above the community road to a beautiful building site. All wooded, large trees, trails. Five minutes to TIEC. More land available...
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker King-Col/Tryon.
10.10 acres of very private land. All wooded, large trees, trails. Five minutes to TIEC. Unrestricted. More land available see mls 3848789.
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker King-Col/Tryon.
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Tryon is a town in Polk County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,646.[2] Located in the escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the area is a center for outdoor pursuits, equestrian activity and fine arts.
Tryon Peak and the Town of Tryon are named for William Tryon, Governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771 in recognition of his negotiation with the Cherokee for a treaty during a bloody period of conflict during the French and Indian War.
The area now known as Tryon was originally part of the Cherokee nation[6] of Western North Carolina. Archaeological evidence dates their occupation of the site to the end of the last Ice Age more than 11,000 years ago and semi-permanent villages appeared by 8,000 B.C. They later settled in towns with a democratic political structure, religion, domesticated crops, pottery and skilled, powerful archery. Each village had a peace chief, war chief, and priest and survived through growth of vegetables, hunting and fishing.[7]
Having landed near present-day Panama City, Florida on May 30, 1539,[8] Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reputedly traveled up to what is now Spartanburg, South Carolina and north to western North Carolina.[9] Traveling on horses, de Soto and 1,000 men arrived in North Carolina mid-May, 1540.[10] In search of gold, de Soto explored the Asheville area and met with Cherokee Indians in Xuala, the area now known as Tryon. After a day or two de Soto continued his journey with provisions provided by the Cherokee.[9] Luys Hernandez de Biedma, one of de Soto's officers wrote of a group of men who made their way to what is now Tryon on May 21, 1540:
"The next day, they went to Xuala which is a town on a plain between some rivers; its chief was so well provisioned that he gave to the Christians however much they asked for: slaves, corn, little dogs [probably opossums]… and however much he had."[11]
After Tryon, de Soto went to Gauxuile (now Asheville) which in Cherokee meant "The place where they race", named for the walk around the perimeter of the village.[11]
In the earliest periods of settlement, the British and Cherokee enjoyed peaceful relations. A treaty signed in 1730 resulted in a greater influx of white traders and settlers.[6] An early home, Seven Hearths was built in 1740 [also have seen 1770] and reputedly the oldest clapboard house in the county (moved to its present location in 1934). A log cabin that served as slave quarters was also built about 1740 and moved and rebuilt next to Seven Hearths.[12]
The French and Indian War forever ended the peace that existed between the Cherokee and the English settlers, bringing to an end a relatively peaceful period.[6] The French attempted to ally themselves with the Cherokees, who had been loyal to the British, encouraged the Shawnees to raid settlements of the English and were allied with the Creeks. As conflict and tension increased, defensive forts were constructed, one of which was the "Block House" near Tryon.[13] In 1767 William Tryon, Governor of North Carolina (1765—1771), alerted to the heavy bloodshed in this part of western North Carolina, traveled to the area and negotiated a peace treaty with the Cherokee, establishing a boundary line between a location near Greenville, South Carolina the highest point on White Oak Mountain (renamed Tryon Peak by the settlers). Settlers, though, did not commit to the boundary and tension grew with the Revolutionary War. In the spring of 1776 Cherokee met on Round Mountain and planned an attack on the "Block House", Earl's Fort in Landrum, South Carolina and Young's Fort near the current town of Mill Spring, North Carolina. Aware of the plans, a Cherokee named Skyuka went to the "Block House" where he warned his friend Capt. Thomas Howard of the impending attacks. Howard and the assembled local militia took a trail towards Round mountain they met and defeated the Cherokee at a gap in the valley, now known as Howard Gap.[13] Skyuka's name lives on in Skyuka Creek, scenic Skyuka Road, and the Y.M.C.A. Camp Skyuka on Mt. Tryon.[14]
In 1839 a post office was established at the base of Tryon peak, both named after Governor Tryon.[6]
Tryon may not have be the town it is today had it not been for the railroad. In 1877 the railroad provided transportation from the South Carolina seaports to North Carolina, Tennessee and the Ohio Valley.[15] The particular spot that became the town of Tryon was the point were construction of the railroad to Asheville stopped for two years. West of Tryon, the railroad ascends the Blue Ridge along the Saluda Grade, which was the steepest railroad grade in the country before becoming inactive. At the peak of railroad expansion in 1885, Tryon was incorporated.[16] By the 1890s, there were six daily railway stops in Tryon.[15] The current depot building, built in 1922, is the third depot built. Passenger service to Tryon ended in 1968.[15]
As a means of correction, in 1920 Tryon became a town instead of a city since it had less than 10,000 residents.[17]
In 1881 and 1882 T.T. Ballenger and his father-in-law built the Tryon Hotel at 77 Chestnut Street at Melrose. In 1892 Mrs. Delia Williams purchased the hotel, changed its name to Oak Hall and ran it for three years. "Miss Clara" Edwards purchased the hotel with 36 rooms and expanded it to 66. Oak Hall had notable guests, such as David Niven, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Gershwin, Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, Lady Nancy Astor, and Mrs. George C. Marshall. In October 1979, too cost prohibitive to maintain, the building was torn down.[15] It is now a condominium complex sitting on a bluff that looks over Trade Street.[18]
Appreciative of the ice cream served at Misseldine's drug store (previously located at the current bank location on Trade Street), F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote,[19]
The elevation is 1,067 feet (325 m) above sea level. The town's original boundary was established as a circle with a radius of three quarters of a mile.[17] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), all of it land.
Tryon is located near a "thermal belt", an area generally free of dew and frost that provides an enjoyable climate year-round.[20] It was the initial draw of many of Tryon's visitors and residents. In this region of the Blue Ridge mountains, air may be warmer on the slopes than the base of a valley,[21] particularly in the spring and fall, causing longer periods of warm weather throughout the year and greater crop yields.[6]
However, data indicate that Tryon has a similar climate to comparable areas of the Piedmont.
[hide]Climate data for Tryon, North Carolina (1917–2010) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 83 (28) |
82 (28) |
92 (33) |
94 (34) |
98 (37) |
105 (41) |
104 (40) |
103 (39) |
103 (39) |
96 (36) |
87 (31) |
82 (28) |
105 (41) |
Average high °F (°C) | 53.4 (11.9) |
56.6 (13.7) |
64.5 (18.1) |
73.6 (23.1) |
80.1 (26.7) |
86.2 (30.1) |
88.4 (31.3) |
87.3 (30.7) |
82.0 (27.8) |
73.3 (22.9) |
63.4 (17.4) |
54.7 (12.6) |
72.0 (22.2) |
Average low °F (°C) | 31.5 (−0.3) |
33.0 (0.6) |
38.9 (3.8) |
46.4 (8) |
54.5 (12.5) |
62.3 (16.8) |
66.1 (18.9) |
65.2 (18.4) |
59.6 (15.3) |
48.3 (9.1) |
39.5 (4.2) |
33.0 (0.6) |
48.2 (9) |
Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) |
4 (−16) |
11 (−12) |
23 (−5) |
30 (−1) |
40 (4) |
44 (7) |
47 (8) |
35 (2) |
25 (−4) |
8 (−13) |
0 (−18) |
−8 (−22) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.23 (132.8) |
5.11 (129.8) |
6.19 (157.2) |
4.77 (121.2) |
5.02 (127.5) |
5.19 (131.8) |
5.52 (140.2) |
5.99 (152.1) |
5.14 (130.6) |
4.62 (117.3) |
4.27 (108.5) |
5.35 (135.9) |
62.4 (1,585) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.4 (6.1) |
1.6 (4.1) |
1.2 (3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.2 (3) |
6.4 (16.3) |
Source: SERCC,[22] NOAA[23] |
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1900 | 324 | — | |
1910 | 700 | 116.0% | |
1920 | 1,067 | 52.4% | |
1930 | 1,670 | 56.5% | |
1940 | 2,043 | 22.3% | |
1950 | 1,985 | −2.8% | |
1960 | 2,223 | 12.0% | |
1970 | 1,951 | −12.2% | |
1980 | 1,796 | −7.9% | |
1990 | 1,680 | −6.5% | |
2000 | 1,760 | 4.8% | |
2010 | 1,646 | −6.5% | |
Est. 2016 | 1,621 | [3] | −1.5% |
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 1,760 people, 869 households, and 452 families residing in the town. The population density was 955.0 people per square mile (369.3/km²). There were 985 housing units at an average density of 534.5 per square mile (206.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 77.16% White, 21.02% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.68% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population.
There were 869 households out of which 16.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.9% were non-families. 44.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 28.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.66.
In the town, the population was spread out with 16.7% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 37.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females there were 72.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,449, and the median income for a family was $44,485. Males had a median income of $35,956 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,347. About 7.9% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
More than half of Tryon's full-time residents are "transplants" from other areas of the country, some of whom have helped to create the cultural center that continues to attract other writers, educators, artists and professional people like themselves to the Tryon area.[6]
Tryon's churches include: Grace Foothills Church (PCA) which meets in the historic Tryon Theatre, Tryon Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), Holy Cross Church & Chapel (Episcopal), Congregational Church, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, First Baptist Church, Trinity Lutheran Church LCMS.[15] Other churches include Garrison Chapel Baptist Church. The Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, originally a slave chapel known as St. Andrews on the Coxe Plantation, was moved to Tryon in 1955. Located on Jackson Road, it still has original furnishings and glass.[12][25]
The southern exposure of Tryon's hills provides a conducive environment for orchards and vineyards. Vineyards were established in the Pacolet Valley, on Old Howard Gap, and other Tryon locations.[21] By the 1950s the industry suffered due to decline in railroad transportation and competition with Californian grapes. Grapes, though, are beginning to make a comeback in the area.[15]
Bed and Breakfasts and Inns in Tryon include:[26]
The Tryon Fine Arts Center, located on Melrose Avenue in Tryon, is a visual and performing arts center that offers music, drama, film and other cultural programs. Founded in 1969, the non-profit organization offers a number of classes in the arts. The center's theatre seats 345 individuals and has a system for the hearing impaired.[29][30] Located, exhibiting or performing within the center are:
Established in 1960, Tryon Arts and Crafts provides the community with creative opportunities "through education, instruction, and expression of heritage and contemporary arts and crafts" created and showcased at the school. In the 1950s local artists offered space in their homes for fine arts and crafts. The blizzard of 1959 was impetous for creation of a formal organization. Grace Hall, a local resident who had been trapped in her home for three weeks, wrote to the Tryon Daily Bulletin with an idea: form a local crafts center so that area residents would have the knowledge to create arts or crafts so that in the wake of another blizzard they would have something to do with their time. Many agreed, including architect Carter Brown and Tryon philanthropist Violet Parish-Watson. In April 1960, 200 area residents pledged a one-dollar membership fee to support what would be called Tryon Crafts, Inc. "Recapturing Tryon's history as an artist's colony," local artisans began selling work and teaching classes. After residing in several locations, Tryon Arts & Crafts (named since 2004) is located at 373 Harmon Field Road, adjacent to Harmon Field. The facility offers professional studios for a wide variety of arts, such as fiber arts, pottery, jewelry, lapidary, woodworking, multimedia and blacksmithing.[33]
Tryon Concert Association claims to have been bringing "world-class artists" to Tryon since the first concert in January 1955 when baritone Robert McFerrin gave a recital. Soon after the performance McFerrin was the first African-American to join the Metropolitan Opera Company. The Tryon Concert Association provides a series of four concerts from the fall through spring with talent that rivals that of large metropolitan cities.[34]
The Tryon Little Theatre holds classes and workshops at the Tryon Little Theater Workshop on Highway 176. Season performances by this organization can also be seen at the Tryon Fine Arts Center in Tryon.[35]
Tryon Youth Center, located in a 5,300-square-foot (490 m2) building on US Highway 176, offers artistic, social and recreational programs for the young people of the local area. Annually a Youth Center Summer Musical production is held at the Tryon Fine Arts Center.[36]
Children's Theater Festival organized in 1978 offers "lively arts" for children including: "Eight to ten different performances, encompassing theater, music, storytelling, mime, dance, puppetry, and more are brought to Tryon on a Saturday in late March."[37]
Local historian and former Tryon Riding and Hunt Club President Colonel Charles C. Ross, U.S. Army (Retd.) said at a Polk County Historical Association meeting in April 2010, "The horse is all important in Polk County. Horses provide sport, pleasure, entertainment, business, and the good country living. It can be said that horses are a way of life in our pleasant community here in rural North Carolina." Much of that started with Carter Brown who came to Tryon from Michigan in 1917 and opened the Pine Crest Inn, a place where moneyed northerners could enjoy riding horses or play golf during the winter months. In 1925 Brown founded and was the first president of the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club. With Brown's inspiration, the Tryon Horse Show and the Block House Steeplechase were born in 1929 and 1934, respectively. The Tryon Horse Show "was so popular that the schools were let out and most businesses closed for the afternoon," Ross said. In 1956, the US Equestrian Team prepared and trained for the 1956 Olympics in Tryon. The Tryon Horse Show remains today as the third oldest horse show and a rated United States Equestrian Federation event, and smaller shows are held at Harmon Field and the Tryon Horse Shows are at the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE). Many local organizations such as the Carolina Carriage Club, the Blue Ridge Hunter Jumper Association, Foothills Riding Club, and River Valley Pony Club hold shows and events.[38]
Morris, the Tryon Horse, stands at the center of Tryon. The Tryon horse, a large version of toys made by the Tryon Toymakers and Woodcarvers, was first built in 1928 for the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club. The current Morris is the fifth generation, three of the previous versions succumbed to fire, mischievous kidnapping and age and the fourth was refurbished with a fiberglass body. Morris serves as a billboard during the Tryon Horse Show and Block House Steeplechase Races. At Christmas, he is decorated with garland and a top hat.[14]
In May 2012, a group of Tryonite volunteers, in conjunction with the Town of Tryon and the Tryon Daily Bulletin (The World's Smallest Daily Newspaper!), banded together to raise money for the restoration and maintenance of the badly deteriorating Morris. The enormous statue was "kidnapped" in the dead of night on June 8, 2012, and held for "ransom". The refurbished Morris was returned to his rightful spot in November, 2012.
In June 2014, the $100 million Tryon International Equestrian Center and Resort opened to host numerous multi-day, international-level equestrian competitions across several disciplines in collaboration with the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club. Located close to Mill Spring, the 1400-acre equestrian facility will features up to 10 riding arenas (including one with stadium seating for 6,000), 1,000 permanent stalls, elevated and shaded viewing decks, a large covered riding facility and the Tryon Sports Complex, which will include a health club, game room, kid's camp, sports bar, children's playground, tennis courts, mountain bike park, climbing walls, basketball court, and a large pool. The developer also plans to open a 150-room hotel overlooking the equestrian center in summer 2017.[39] The Center is set to host the 2018 World Equestrian Games.[40]
The Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) is a 380-acre (1.5 km2) nature preserve of trails for hiking, riding and bird-watching. The center, which also includes picnic areas and a pond, hosts equestrian events and concerts.[20][41]
The Lanier Library Association is named for poet Sidney Lanier,[42] who died September 7, 1881 in "the Wilcox home" on Highway 108 in Lynn, three miles (5 km) north of Tryon, which since has been known as the Lanier House.[12] The idea for a library was developed in 1889 by five women from Tryon with the goal of being "the source of intellectual and cultural stimulation for the community", achieved through library membership to local women. Two volumes of Sidney Lanier's poems, a gift from his wife Mary were the first books for the library. Initially the library was a bookcase of books located in several places in town before being formally located in the Lanier Library building built in 1905 and expanded over the years. In 1930 the library established an endowment fund to support the library and extended library membership to include men. The Lanier Library Association, Inc., previously called the Lanier club, was organized to provide library services and related cultural programs to the community. Lanier Library remains a membership library supported solely by membership dues, endowments and donations, one of only a few membership libraries in the country.[43]
The area is known for its scenic drives of tailored horse farms, hardwood forests, and kudzu landscaped scenery of the Carolina foothills.[20]
Tryon has a number of parks including:
As an interesting connection to de Soto's travels, Margaret Culkin Banning's novel I Took My Love to the Country features the town "DeSoto", known to be Tryon, which attracted visitors for its climate, performing arts and equestrian events.[49]
In June Tryon hosts an annual barbecue festival which is visited by many all across the US.
Tryon is located west of Interstate 26 that runs northwest to Asheville and southeast to Spartanburg, South Carolina approximately one mile from the NC/SC border. U.S. Highway 176 runs through the center of town where it is known as Trade Street.[50]