Glendon sits at an altitude of 301 feet above sea level.[2] It was originally known as Fair Haven. Residents of the community changed its name to Glendon[3] in honor of E. F. Glenn, the original owner of the land on which the community was established.[2] In 1897 a railroad was laid through the village and a depot was built.[4] For a time the depot hosted a telegraph station, but the cable was removed at an unknown date before 1924.[5] In 1900 the North Carolina Geological Survey identified large deposits of pyrophyllite (locally mislabeled talc) nearby. Shortly thereafter several companies established mining operations to extract the mineral.[6] The railroad was used to ship the pyrophyllite.[5] The town also hosted a post office, though by 2009 it was in disuse.[7]
In 1963 the population of Glendon was estimated to number at no greater than 25 people.[8] The railway depot was demolished in 1972.[9] In 2014 a firefighting and emergency medical service station was built in the village.[10] Since the 2015, the community has hosted a biannual music festival, Glendonfest.[11][12]
Gust, Frances Osborne; Melvin, Katharine Shields (1988). The points of our compass: surveying our ancestors, families of Bushrod, Moss, Glenn, and Hartsell. Frances Osborne Gust. OCLC866612240.
Powell, William S. (1976). The North Carolina Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Tar Heel Places. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. ISBN9780807812471.
