Located in the north-central part of North Carolina and is in Guilford County, High Point is bordered on the southwest by Winston-Salem and Greensboro on the southwest, wherein the three cities form part the tri-city metropolitan area. The area was first settled by the Quakers around 1750 and was then laid out to be the “high point” of the North Carolina Railroad that is situated between Goldsboro and Charlotte. High Point has been a leading center for the manufacturing of furniture since the late 1800s. The city holds a bi-annual International Furnishings Market, which has been drawing and attended by thousands of national and foreign buyers. Several schools and institutions were founded in the city such as the Methodist institution, High Point University, the High Point Museum and Historical Park, and the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival.