Belews Creek, North Carolina

Belews Creek Township is one of fifteen townships in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. The township had a population of 2,647 according to the 2010 census.Geographically, Belews Creek Township occupies 32.33 square miles (83.7 km2) in central Forsyth County. There are no incorporated municipalities in Belews Creek Township however, the small unincorporated community of Belews Creek is located here.

Belews Creek Steam Station is a 2.24-GW, two-unit coal-fired generating facility located on Belews Lake in Stokes County, North Carolina. It is Duke Energy’s largest coal-burning power plant in the Carolinas and consistently ranks among the most efficient coal facilities in the United States. During 2006, it was the fifth most efficient coal power plant in the United States with a heat rate of 9,023 Btu/kWh (37.8% conversion efficiency). The remaining 62.2% of energy released by the burning coal is in the form of heat. It is dumped into Belews Lake, a man-made lake created by Duke Power for cooling water purposes in the early 1970s. In 2008, it was the #1 most efficient coal power plant in the United States with a heat rate of 9,204 British thermal units per kilowatt-hour (2.697 kWh/kWh) or 37.1% conversion efficiency. The plant consists of two nearly identical units, launched into operation in 1974 and 1975. Each furnace, a Babcock & Wilcox boiler, heats steam to 1,000 °F (538 °C) in both the secondary superheater and reheater sections. The boilers are supercritical units, operating at 3,400 pounds per square inch (230 atm) of pressure. All four generators (two low pressure generators and two high pressure/intermediate pressure generators) are Westinghouse generators. The low pressure, intermediate pressure and high pressure steam turbines were originally Westinghouse units, but were replaced over time with Alstom steam-path upgraded components. The turbine valves are the originally installed Westinghouse equipment. The plant employs multiple pollution control systems, including a selective catalytic reducer which removes nitrogen oxides, an electrostatic precipitator which removes fly ash, and low NOx burners in the boiler. The plant has completed a $500 million flue-gas desulfurization project which came online during the beginning of 2008. This project has reduced the plant's sulfur dioxide emissions by 95%.

Belews Lake is a reservoir in Stokes, Rockingham, Guilford and Forsyth counties of North Carolina, near the towns of Stokesdale and Pine Hall. It was created in 1973 by the Duke Energy corporation as a cooling basin for the corporation's Belews Creek Steam Station, a coal-burning power plant. There are 4 public boat ramps on the lake, with 2 being commissioned by the North Carolina Wildlife Resorces Commission (NCWRC). Piney Bluff is located on the southern part of the lake, in Forsyth County, with entrance on NC Highway 65. Pine Hall Boat Launch is the closest to the plant, located in Stokes County, with the ramp being located on the west-northwest part of the lake, with entrance from Pine Hall Rd. Carolina Marina is located in the northern part of the lake, in Rockingham County, with a fee for use. Humphreys Ridge has a boat ramp located on the eastern side of the lake, in Rockingham County. The power plant can be seen from the ramp. Cooling water was pumped back and forth between the plant and reservoir until 1986 when the corporation decided to use other methods to dispose of their coal ash waste. From 1974-1986, contaminants such as vanadium, nickel, cobalt, barium, arsenic, were introduced into the lake through the release of contaminated cooling water from the power plant back into the lake. Many scientific studies were undertaken at Belews Lake and their findings, along with those conducted at the Kesterson Reservoir, are fundamental to today's understanding of the ecological risks associated with elevated selenium concentrations in aquatic systems.

Ceramic is a ghost town in Stokes County, North Carolina, United States, approximately ten miles southeast of the county seat of Danbury, near Belews Lake. Ceramic as a community ceased to exist at least 6 decades ago. The community was started by a ceramic pipe and drain tile manufacturing company, presently the "Pine Hall" brick company. Only remnants of the factory exist, it appears that fire may have caused its demise. The huge clay pits are surrounded by overgrown trees and underbrush and are nearly impossible to find. The only residents are small game and coyotes.

Sauratown Township is one of nine townships in Stokes County, North Carolina, United States. The township had a population of 5,560 according to the 2000 census. Geographically, Sauratown Township occupies 46.35 square miles (120.0 km2) in central Stokes County. The township's southern border is with Forsyth County and the eastern border is with Rockingham County. The only incorporated municipality within Sauratown Township is Walnut Cove. There are also several unincorporated communities located here.

Pine Hall is an unincorporated community in Stokes County, North Carolina, United States, approximately ten miles southwest of county seat Danbury, near Belews Lake. Danbury and Sandy Ridge are to the north, with Stokesdale to the east. Kernersville and Walkertown are to the south, with Winston-Salem to the southwest. Walnut Cove and Germanton are located to the west. On March 20, 1998, a EF-1 tornado touched down briefly in the northern part of Pine Hall, north of Route 311 near Morning Star Baptist Church. The walls were knocked from the foundation of the church and windows were blown out because of the pressure. Trees were also knocked and blown over and 3 people were injured. It was on the ground for 1.5 miles before lifting near the Stokes/Rockingham County line. This tornado and system would eventually become the Stoneville Tornado from the 1998 Gainesville-Stoneville tornado outbreak. Pine Hall, a historic plantation house, bearing the same name was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.In 1922, Flake Steele took over Consolidated Brick Co. and bought hundreds of acres containing Triassic shale. Pine Hall Brick Co. moved its offices to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, two years later. In 2021, the company has two plants in Madison, North Carolina, and two in Fairmount, Georgia, and sells its brick products in 35 U.S. states and in other countries.

Walnut Cove is a town in Stokes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2020 census.It is the home of the Walnut Cove Springfest, which draws many visitors to the area. Festival-organizers marked 1889, the town's incorporation date, but the town's roots date to the mid-18th century when it was known as Town Fork. Town Fork settlers formed a bond with Moravians in Bethania and Bethabara. Eventually, William Lash, a Moravian settler at Bethania, bought land along the Town Fork Creek, which later developed into a large plantation named Walnut Cove. The Town was a railroad center in its former years, and today remnants of the old Train Depot still stand on Depot Street. It is also home to historic Covington House (built in 1821), Fulp-Marshall Home (built in 1836), Culler Roller Mill now known as Monitor Roller Mill (built in 1900). Walnut Cove is also home to South Stokes High School, a big part of the town is located to the west of town, near NC 8 and Hawkins Road. Belews Lake and Hanging Rock State Park are located nearby. Winston-Salem is 23 miles (37 km) to the southeast via US 311, US 158 and Salem Parkway (US 421). Danbury is 10 miles (16 km) to the north via NC 89. Germanton is 6.6 miles to the west-southwest via NC 65. Madison and Mayodan are 14 miles (23 km) to the northeast via US 311. Other nearby cities include Kernersville, Walkertown, Rural Hall, Stokesdale, and the small community of Pine Hall.

Stokesdale is a town in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States with small parts in the counties of Rockingham, Forsyth, and Stokes. The population was 5,924 at the 2020 census. Belews Lake is located nearby, and North Carolina Highway 68 and North Carolina Highway 65 both intersect U.S. Route 158 near the town's center.

Pine Hall, also known as Anderson-Hanes House, is a historic plantation house located at Pine Hall, Stokes County, North Carolina. It was built in 1859, and is a two-story, three bay by two bay, Greek Revival style brick dwelling. The front facade features a one-story portico with a hip roof and paired heavy Doric order pillars. Also on the property are a number of contributing outbuildings and a family cemetery.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Christ Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church located at 412 Summit Avenue in Walnut Cove, Stokes County, North Carolina. It was built in 1886–1887, and is a one-story, Gothic Revival style board-and-batten frame building. It was moved to its present located in 1909. It features lancet-arched windows and a two-stage entrance tower and belfry. An addition was built in 1943.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Walnut Cove Colored School, also known as London School, is historic Rosenwald School located at Walnut Cove, Stokes County, North Carolina. It was built in 1921 with a grant from Sears & Roebuck financier, Julius Rosenwald. A condition of the grant was that it had to have local matching funds. Therefore, it was built on land donated by John William Dalton and his brother George Samuel Dalton and with materials provided by The Dan River Lumber Company. It is a one-story, rectangular frame building with five classrooms and Bungalow / American Craftsman design elements. It has weatherboard siding, a broad clipped gable roof, large sash windows, and a projecting front vestibule. The building measures approximately 49 feet wide by 73 feet deep and rests on a brick foundation. It housed a school until 1952. It was later renovated for use as a senior citizens' community center.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Dennis is a populated place in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States.