Summerfield, NC: Town On The Rise

Tucked into the rolling landscape of Guilford County, Summerfield, North Carolina sits just north of Greensboro and feels like a world away from the city. It is the kind of place where neighbors still wave from their front porches, kids walk to school past someone's backyard, and the same families have lived on the same land for generations. With a population of around 10,951 according to the 2020 census, Summerfield is largely regarded as a suburb of Greensboro, but that label does not quite do it justice. This town has its own character, its own history, and its own reasons to visit.

From Bruce's Crossroads to Summerfield

The area was settled in about 1769 by Charles Bruce and acquired the name Bruce's Crossroads. It was a farming community from the start, built around agriculture and the rhythms of rural life. Then the Revolutionary War arrived at its doorstep. There were several Revolutionary War skirmishes in the area leading up to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781. James Gillies, a bugler for American General Light Horse Harry Lee, was killed in one such skirmish and is buried in the Bruce graveyard across from Summerfield Elementary School. His memory lives on in a way that is easy to spot: the newspaper at the school was called The Bugler, and a sketch of him with his bugle is on the town seal.

During the Revolutionary War, George Washington visited and stayed in the house of former North Carolina Governor Alexander Martin, who lived in the town square of what became known as Summerfield. Alexander Martin was the first Guilford County resident elected governor of North Carolina.

The town got its current name in a way that says a lot about the community spirit of the people who lived here. The name was changed to Summerfield by residents who were quite fond of an evangelist named John Summerfield who preached a revival in the area and settled in the community. The early economy was built on the land. In the early years, the community was strictly agricultural. Crops such as corn, tobacco, and cattle provided the growing markets of Greensboro and Winston-Salem.

By the 1870s, the town had grown into a proper crossroads community. Stores were constructed at the crossroads of what is now NC-150 and old US-220. The Brittain store and the Ogburn-Gordon store operated from the 1870s until the 1950s. There was a garage, a drug store, and a blacksmith shop in this area. A railroad connection soon followed. The Yadkin and Southern Railroad Company laid a rail line through the community. The railroad ran north from Greensboro through Summerfield and on to Mount Airy. The tracks are long gone, but evidence of the railroad can still be seen along the Toscana and Lake Brandt Greenways.

Summerfield was incorporated as a town in 1996. The Brittain building, where people loved to gather around a pot-bellied stove to catch up on the local news, was donated to the town by Bill Parrish in 1996. It was restored and is used today as the Town Hall and a museum. That detail tells you something important about Summerfield: history here is not locked away. It is right where you can walk in and see it.

Historic Landmarks Worth Your Time

The Summerfield Town Hall and its attached museum is the natural starting point for anyone curious about the town's past. Town Hall is a welcoming hub for residents and visitors alike, housing a history museum where you can step back in time and learn about Summerfield's rich heritage through exhibits that tell the story of the community.

The Gordon Hardware Store, also known as the Ogburn-Gordon Building, was built in the 1830s at Summerfield's main intersection. The Alexander Strong Martin House was one of Guilford County's largest brick homes at the time. The town bought the Martin House back from private owners in 2015, and it now belongs to the community once again.

The original crossroads and surrounding buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, with a total of 35 contributing resources. That designation is more than a plaque on a wall. It means Summerfield's core is protected, preserved, and recognized as genuinely significant to American history.

The Summerfield Methodist Church is another landmark that anchors the community's sense of identity. Established in 1763, it still stands as a testament to the town's rich history. Few churches in North Carolina can claim to have been part of a community for that long.

The Great Outdoors in Summerfield

Nature is a big part of why people move to Summerfield and why visitors keep coming back. Summerfield Community Park is a center of activity. Walking trails encircle Schoolhouse Lake, leading to a butterfly garden and pier for fishing. It is an easy place to spend an afternoon without spending a dime.

Lake Brandt is an 816-acre reservoir where residents can enjoy boating, fishing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing using three boat launch locations. The lake sits on Summerfield's southern edge and draws both serious anglers and people who just want to paddle around and enjoy the scenery.

Plans are underway to extend the Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway farther north through Summerfield. Currently, the trail runs from the intersection of Summerfield Road and Battleground Avenue all the way to Greensboro's Country Park. When completed, that connection will make Summerfield one of the better-linked trail towns in the Piedmont.

For golfers, Greensboro National Golf Course opened in October of 1995. It is a championship golf course that meanders over 225 acres of beautiful landscape including 300-year-old trees, 50 acres of lakes and ponds, and 10 bridges. The club features a 13,000-square-foot clubhouse with a bar, dining room, snack bar, and golf pro shop, along with a two-tier grass driving range, practice bunker, and two putting greens. It is a serious course for serious golfers, but welcoming enough for players at every level.

Summerfield Farms is a working farm committed to sustainable agriculture, producing 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef as well as certified organic produce. Visitors can explore the charming market, which features local goods and fresh produce. The farm also hosts community events, summer camps, and wellness activities. It is one of those places that manages to be both a working operation and a community hub at the same time.

Where to Eat in Summerfield

Summerfield does not have a traditional downtown, but residents will find restaurants, cafes, and stores peppered around the community. What it lacks in density it more than makes up for in character.

Center Grove Grill and Soda Shop is probably the most beloved spot in town. Sisters Lorie Pope and Rhonda Pegram opened the restaurant together, drawing on a shared love of cooking and a family tradition of good food. Decorated with vintage signs and photos of American icons like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, Center Grove Grill and Soda Shop takes patrons back to the 1950s, serving diner fare and root beer floats. The menu includes burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, pimento cheese, grilled chicken, BLT, steak and cheese subs, salads, fries, wings, and a daily plate special, along with ice cream by the scoop, milkshakes, and splits. It is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that shows up in people's childhood memories.

Locals pick up organic brews and espresso at The Jumping Bean, a colorful drive-thru and walk-up coffee shop with a decorated outdoor seating area. If you are starting your morning in Summerfield, this is where many residents begin theirs.

For those looking to venture slightly beyond the town's edges, Yelp users consistently point to a cluster of well-regarded spots close by. Top-rated restaurants near Summerfield include Dear Dad's, Hillbilly Hideaway Restaurant, Parker's Home Cookin' Restaurant, Boots and Bourbon, and Homestead Kitchen. The dining scene leans Southern, hearty, and unpretentious, which fits the town perfectly.

A Community That Keeps Growing

Summerfield is currently growing at a rate of 0.82% annually, with a 2026 population of around 11,521. The median household income is $160,275. Those numbers reflect a town that attracts families who want good schools, quiet streets, and a real sense of place.

Summerfield is known for its excellent public schools, low taxes, expanding parks and trail systems, and a strong sense of community. It is the third-largest municipality in Guilford County by population.

Summerfield is not trying to be Greensboro. It is not trying to be anything other than what it has always been: a community built on the land, shaped by history, and held together by the people who live there. Whether you come for the golf, the greenways, the history museum, or just a root beer float at Center Grove, you will find a town that is quiet in the best possible way and worth far more than a quick drive-through.

Don’t drink and drive. But if you get a DWI in Summerfield, call Clifford and Harris Trial Lawyers in Greensboro at  (336) 574-2788