The Town of Elon College was incorporated by the State of North Carolina in 1893. From a humble beginning, it is now home to one of the most respected and honored private universities in the nation. A railroad depot was built in a remote area of Alamance County between autumn of 1887 and spring of 1888 to serve textile mills to the north. A post office also opened in 1888, and the Christian Church opened Elon College there in 1889. That little college, now a university, is named the best in several areas of national ranking year after year. The town, now Elon, North Carolina, grew from that tiny depot site to a thriving business area across from the college campus, and there are other nearby businesses along with large residential neighborhoods that make up Elon in its 125th year. For many years, the town was also home to Elon Orphanage, which opened in 1907.