Dendron was a company town, built and run by the Surry Lumber Company in order to house its mills and employees. The village had not yet been named; this came in 1896 when Mussel Fork Village was renamed "Dendron." A fitting name derived from the Greek word for trees. The years after 1896 saw rapid growth and expansion for both the Company and the Town. More people were drawn to Dendron and more Company housing built. By 1906, Dendron had 1513 people, 298 dwellings, two hotels, eighteen Company stores and five churches. By 1928, Dendron's population had reached nearly 3,000 people. In addition to those establishments listed above, there was also a post office, two schools, a jail, two banks, two doctors, a skating rink, a movie theater, and a number of non-company owned businesses; such as a drug store, barber shops, garages, cleaning establishments, a pool room, a restaurant, bakery and ice cream parlor.

The Surry Lumber Company shut down on October 27, 1927. Owning most of the Town, they had the legal right to destroy what they owned, and from 1928 until 1930, much of Dendron was dismantled. Left without a Company, a railroad, water system, and electricity, Dendron experienced a final nightmare in February 1931 when fire destroyed twenty-one (21) buildings on Main Street.

Dendron Municipal Building 1999.
The Town Council meets the First Monday of each month.

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