Whynot, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Whynot sign | |
  Location of Whynot in North Carolina  Whynot, North Carolina (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 35°31′55.8″N 79°45′14.3″W / 35.532167°N 79.753972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Randolph |
| Elevation | 604 ft (184 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Zip code | 27341 |
| Area code | 336 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1016647[1] |
Whynot is an unincorporated community in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States, and is included in the Piedmont Triad metropolitan region.[2] Whynot is located on NC 705, also known as the "North Carolina Pottery Highway",[3] one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Seagrove and seven miles (11 km) west of Jugtown Pottery, a historic pottery listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4] The North Carolina Pottery Highway contains over 100 potteries and galleries in a 15-square-mile (39 km2) region surrounding Seagrove.[5]
Whynot was first settled in the 18th century by German and English people, along with the nearby communities of Erect, Hemp, Lonely, Steeds, and Sophia.[6] The community was originally spelled with two separate words, "Why Not".[7] The origin of town's name came from residents debating a title for their community. A man finally remarked: "Why not name the town Why Not and let's go home?"[8][9][10]
The Why Not Academy and Business Institute, a combination public and private school, was located in the community from 1893 to 1916.[11][12] Whynot has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.[13][14]
Area residents first began making pottery in the 18th century.[15] The area still contains several pottery shops including Dirtworks Pottery, Tom Gray Pottery, Dixieland Pottery, Marsh Pottery, Kovack Pottery, Michele Hastings & Jeff Brown Pottery, and Whynot Pottery.[6][16]
