Weekly Acorn #22
I am not sure exactly when Polo Road was created. The City of W-S Streets Division does not have any records dating back that far and the earliest map I have been able to locate is a Forsyth County map from 1907. I am still searching for information in the NC room at the library.
Polo Rd is divided into two segments, West Polo and East Polo, with Reynolda Rd being the dividing line. Most people do not distinguish between West and East any longer, but those terms were widely used in the mid-century. I am going to distinguish between the two for the sake of this history lesson.
West Polo – The oldest stretch of Polo Rd is West Polo Rd. I am not sure of its date of origin, but the earliest history I have been able to find is on a 1907 Forsyth County map. It does not have a name and the map legend refers to it as a “public road”. It only shows it running from Robinhood Rd to Reynolda Rd. I am sure it was a dirt road in those days.
Over the years West Polo has gone by several other names. I am not sure of the order or the dates or the boundries of these names, but I will tell you what I know so far.
Mount Tabor Rd – It was named after Mount Tabor United Methodist Church on Robinhood Rd (formerly Brookstown Rd). Brookstown Rd was named after Brookstown United Methodist Church on Yadkinville Rd (formerly…….). I have seen Mount Tabor Rd listed on several maps
New Mount Tabor Rd – I saw this name on one plat along the stretch where the polo field was located.
Ridgecrest Rd – This name was only indicated between Petree Rd (formerly Carolina Rd) and Tabor St.
The neighborhoods of Knollwood and Carter Park were along the stretch called Ridgecrest Dr. Other neighborhoods along West Polo are Foxhall, Derby Heights (now Polo Acres), Clinard Oaks, Polo View, Polo View Extension, Polo Grove, Polo Grove Addition, and Amherst. I will continue this segment and discuss these neighborhoods in my next post.
East Polo – This segment of Polo Rd was not on the 1907 map. However, there was a “cartway” that ran just south of the present East Polo Rd. It began in the vicinity of Maple Springs United Methodist Church on Reynolda Rd and ran east and ending either at Indiana Av or Patterson Av. Then a 1927 Forsyth County map does show East Polo Rd at its present location*.
*Some new found information has just revealed that a sand clay rd was completed by the county circa early 1923 and began at Reynolda Rd (referred to as the concrete highway and the Boone Trail Highway) and continued east connecting with the Old Town, Rural Hall, and Walkertown roads.
Somewhere between 1907 and 1923 is probably when East Polo originated. It was definitely present when Oak Crest was Platted in June 1923. I also saw a map of it referenced in the book Reynolda: A History Of An American Country House by Barbara Mayer. The map references a 95 acre parcel of land purchased for Reynolda in 1920 from H A Nading along Sand Clay Rd (East Polo). I believe this is the parcel where WFU is now located.
Like West Polo, East Polo went through several name changes as well.
sand clay road – This is what East Polo was called before it really had a name. I believe it was completed circa early 1923.
Oak Crest Dr – This name was quite possibly the first name and was used when the neighborhood of OC was platted in June 1923. The only place I have seen this name indicated is through the Oak Crest neighborhood.
Polo Rd gets its name for a large polo field that existed where Speas Elementary School and its ball fields are now located. The big white house (2078 Polo) adjacent to the field on the west side served as a clubhouse for the polo field. Both the polo field and the clubhouse were part of the Reynolds estate.
I am not sure when Polo Rd was named. My guess is sometime between 1928 and 1937 (based on plats and maps I have studied). I am also not sure when Polo was paved. I do believe it was paved in segments. I have been told that the segment through Oak Crest was possibly paved around 1936.
I will continue the History of Polo Rd in my next post.