Story Example: Fact or Fiction

Fact or Fiction: Investigating Theories Behind the Name “Holly Springs”

With a name like “Holly Springs,” it’s easy to assume the Town’s name originated long ago when thirsty travelers paused for a drink from natural springs bubbling up from an underground reservoir shaded by towering holly trees. However, as sometimes is the case, the story may – or may not be – as simple as that.  

There are two prevailing theories as to where the original “spring” in Holly Springs originated. Some believe it is located across from what is now Holly Springs High School, near Eagles Landing Park. The other possible location found in Town records alludes to a spring in the downtown area, in the woods of Mims Park near the Cultural Center. 

Hubert Collins, a Holly Springs resident in the late 1800s, recalled the Town’s namesake spring as being near what is now the future Eagles Landing Park, close to the intersection of Avent Ferry and Cass Holt Roads. In a letter to Carl P. Holleman, Collins recalls, “In 1896 there were two very large holly trees about 40 feet high and 30 feet apart, with the closest tree about 25-feet from the spring. ... As a child I was told that this spring was near the site where the first Holly Springs Baptist Church was built.”  

An earlier theory about the Town’s name points to a mistake on official documents dating back to the late 1700s. The record shows local land recorded as “including the head of Sampson Holland’s Spring Branch” (see image). When nearby land was surveyed in 1779, the name of the branch previously identified as “Holland’s Spring Branch” was recorded as “Holley Spring Branch.” This spring is located inside Mims Park in downtown Holly Springs, a short walk from the trailhead near the Cultural Center. 

Does the Town of Holly Springs owe its charming name to a surveyor’s mistake or the beauty of the natural landscape? Perhaps the truth is a blend of both—a natural feature that became official through a happy accident of transcription.  

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