Eden resulted from the consolidation of the independent communities of Leaksville, Spray and Draper, as well as the Central Sanitary District, in 1967. The two participating downtown areas of Eden participating in the NC Main Street program are Historic Downtown Eden and Downtown Draper.

Historic Downtown Eden

Historic Leaksville was founded in 1797 which makes it the most historic of Eden’s downtown areas. Within this downtown area are Leaksville Commercial Historic District and Central Leaksville Historic District. This is commonly referred as Historic Downtown Eden and it encompasses the indicated areas.

More than 65 businesses operate in this area, from retail to service providers.  

Downtown Draper

Draper was a model mill village built by the Spray Water Power and Land Company under B. Frank Mebane beginning in 1906 and expanded under Marshall Field and Company of Chicago beginning in 1911. The German-American Mill that opened in 1906 was the focus of the new community rather than an adjunct to an established town. The Draper business district began to develop in the 1920s. More than twenty business operate in the Downtown Draper area.