Purley, North Carolina

Here are the observations of William S. Powell at 336–337 of When the Past Refused to Die: A History of Caswell County North Carolina 1777–1977, William S. Powell (1977): Purley in the north central part of the county is noted as the source of the earliest bright leaf tobacco.

Tradition relates that the name evolved because the Samuel Satterwhite Harrison house built before 1846 atop a hill here was painted a gleaming white.

Purley at one time had a doctor; Cobb & Daves operated both a sawmill and a gristmill here in the late nineteenth century; there are several churches in the community; and there has long been a general store to supply most needs.

It occupies a fairly level plain that leads down to Moon Creek, which flows into the Dan River.

The Purley region is less rugged than some other areas of Caswell County, especially the ridges that are on either side of Country Line Creek.