The Highways of North Carolina
N.C. 14 
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Photo: NC 14 begins after entering NC on NC 87 (Chris Curley)
NC 14
N.C. 14  17 miles
The Road: Begins at US 29-158 near Reidsville and ends at the Virginia State Line above Eden all within Rockingham County. The route continues 5 more miles as VA 87 to US 220 Ridgeway, VA.
Towns and Attractions: Rockingham Co:Reidsville, Eden
History: NC 14 was born in late 1940, running from US 29 (Scales St at Madison) Reidsville northwest to NC 87 (now unnumbered old 87) at the Dan River just below Leaksville-Spray. This had been part of NC 65 and is the 2nd NC 14.
1939 Official
NC 65 Reidsville to Leaksville
1941-42 Official
NC 14 Reidsville to Leaksville


Between 1959-63, NC 14 was rerouted on its north end to meet NC 87 in downtown Eden, leaving behind SR 2039. Also in this timeframe, NC 14 was straightended out to its modern alignment, leaving behind SR 2037 Harrison Crossroads Rd.
In 1967 or 1968, NC 14 was rerouted on its north end again to bypass Eden as new construction to the east and north, meeting NC 87 just short of the Virginia line.
1963 Official
NC 14 directly to Eden
1968 Official
NC 14 bypassing Eden


It appears that about 1973 or 1974 NC 14 south was truncated to today's US 29 Business as the new US 29 Bypass was built far to the east.
Between 1980-82, NC 14 south was extended out with a newly routed US 158 out to the US 29 freeway.
In 2000, when all NC routes were moved onto the Eden Bypass and NC 14, NC 14 was signed to 1000 feet from the Virginia State Line instead of ending at the old NC 87 jct. However, the current on-line map of Rockingham County implies NC 14 ends at NC 87.
1974-75 Official
NC 14 truncated at Reidsville
1978 Official
NC 14 under construction to new US 29

The first NC 14 was an original state highway. The 1921 Official Map shows a state highway from Chapel Hill to Hillsborough, then northeast to Timberlake. No highway is shown on the 1921 map running from Hillsborough northwest to anywhere.
The 1922 Auto Trails map shows NC 14 running from NC 75 (probably Columbia at Franklin) Chapel HIll running to Hillsborough using Old Chapel Hill Rd. After crossing its parent NC 10, NC 14 conitnued northwest to Yanceyville, then north to the Virginia State Line near Danville, VA. The Virginia side was briefly VA 14 but was later renumbered as VA 144 in the mid-20s.
1921 Official
NC 14 Chapel Hill to Hillsborough
1922 Auto Trails
NC 14 Chapel Hill to Danville, VA

The first noticeable change to NC 14 occurred in 1924 between Hillsborough and Prospect Hill. NC 14 was given a new alignment to the east bypassing Cedar Grove and McDade. The old route is today's McDade Store Rd and Old Hillsborough Rd.
1922 Auto Trails
NC 14 through Cedar Grove
1924 Official
NC 14 on modern alignment

There appears to be evidence NC 14 used Union Grove Church Rd and Arthur Minnis Rd from Calvander halfway to Hillsboro until 1926.
1925 Official
NC 14 wavy through Orange County
1924 Official
NC 14 straight through Orange County

Later, NC 54 was born, which ran through Chapel Hill from Carrboro on what was also NC 14. It is not currently known if NC 14 was truncated to NC 54 at any point (would've been Hillsborough Rd at West Main in Carrsboro).
In late 1940, NC 14 was renumbered in its entirety to NC 86. To follow the last alignment of original NC 14 today is to embark on a secondary route journey, as NC 86 was rebuilt/rerouted in many places in the late 50s.
In addition to using Old Chapel Hill Rd out of Carrsboro, NC 14 followed Main St through Yanceyville, and an extensive "Old NC 86" through northern Caswell County through the villages of Purley and Providence.
1937 RmcN
NC 14 not long for this world
1941-42 Official
NC 86 replaces NC 14

Comment:
Today's NC 14 is a multilane highway from US 29 to NC 700-770, and provides a much more direct path from Reidsville to Eden then NC 87 does. In fact, given what NC 87 now does in Reidsville and Eden, it would make much more sense to put NC 87 on the US 29 bypass of Reidsville and over NC 14. This would of course kill 14 although you could move it to the bit of 87 between NC 65 and US 311/NC 770.
NC 14 does hold the distinction of being the endpoint of the unsigned US 311.

Last Update: 2 September 2007

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