A couple of blocks from the city center, this historical marker is in a parking lot and points out…read moresomething that used to be here but is now gone. The marker reads, "Organized in 1881, this Negro Presbyterian (USA) school was founded by the Rev. J. P. Crawford with support from Mrs. C. E. Coulter from whom it received its name. The Rev. G. W. Long was academy president from 1908 until 1943, and Coulter offered junior college credit, 1933-1947. The academy merged with the public school system, 1949." The marker was erected in 1991 by the Coulter Memorial Academy National Alumni Association, Inc. Today, the brick building behind the church is the home of the Freemason's Sanctorum Lodge Number 25. [Review 18870 overall - 897 in South Carolina - 2393 of 2022.]

This highway marker commemorates a local citizen who was born here but went on to serve elsewhere…read more The marker reads, "John J. McRae, 1815-1868. Governor of Mississippi, 1854-1857. Member, U.S. Senate and House; Confederate congressman. Born 5 miles southeast." Online there is more information. "John J McRae, born in Sneedsborough in Anson County in 1815, moved to Winchester, Mississippi, in 1818 and became a prominent politician in Mississippi and nationally. McRae represented the state of Mississippi in the United States Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Confederate Congress during his career. He also served two terms as governor of Mississippi in the 1850s." "In 1851 McRae was appointed to complete the U.S. Senate term of Jefferson Davis. Two years later he was appointed to finish the term of John A. Quitman in the House of Representatives. He withdrew from his position in the House with all other Mississippi representatives following the secession of Mississippi from the Union in January 1861. McRae was elected as a Mississippi representative to the lower house of the Confederate Congress, serving from 1862 until 1864." [Review 14332 overall, 1656 of 2020, number 2699 in North Carolina.]

This marker is standing in front of a KFC and points out a structure that is not far away. It…read morereads, "Eighteenth-century house built by Patrick Boggan, Revolutionary soldier & a founder of Wadesboro. Now historical museum. Located 2 blocks south." Online, there is more information. "The fully restored Boggan-Hammond House sits in the Anson County seat of Wadesboro two blocks from the town square. Built in the late eighteenth century by Revolutionary War veteran and town founder Patrick Boggan (1725-1817), the house is a simple one-story frame structure built on a hall-parlor plan. During the Revolution, Captain Boggan commanded the minutemen of the Salisbury District, serving together with Thomas Wade, his brother-in-law." "Appended to the Boggan-Hammond House is the Alexander Little Wing, constructed by jurist Alexander Little at some point after his acquisition of the property in 1839. The renovation of the house and wing were projects of the Anson County Historical Society." [Review 13956 overall, 1278 of 2020, number 2598 in North Carolina.]

This historical marker points out the early plans of settlers which did not manage to survive into…read morethe present. The marker reads, "Sneedsborough. Laid out 1795. Promoted as inland port town on Pee Dee River by Archibald D. Murphey. Only graveyard remains, five miles southeast." Online, there is more information. " In 1795 a town called Sneedsborough was founded in Anson County on the land of Richard Edgeworth. Sneedsborough was developed as an inland port town, to be connected to the Pee Dee River by a series of canals. The town expanded after its conception and became a small merchant center close to the North Carolina - South Carolina border. he canals proved impossible to build though, stalling the development and growth of industry and the town itself. By the Civil War the town had been abandoned and its remnants were destroyed by Union troops." When you zoom out and look at how far the Pee Dee River is from the coast, you can kind of understand that. [Review 14333 overall, 1657 of 2020, round number 2700 in North Carolina.]

The town of Cheraw is a true gem for anyone interested in antebellum southern houses. The town grew…read moreup in the 18th century as a prosperous trading center. By 1780, it was one of only 7 town's in South Carolina shown on maps. It continued to grow and a district of beautiful large houses was built before the Civil War. The story goes that when Sherman came through, he was so charmed by the town's beauty that he decided not to allow looting and ordered the town not to be burnt down, as he had done with nearby Chesterfield. According to the story posted at the Lyceum Museum (on Market, get the key at the Chamber of Commerce), the truth is that having heard what happened to Chesterfield, the town fathers greeted the advancing Union forces with a flag of truce and the town's surrender. In any case, Sherman based his headquarters in a lovely home on McIver Street for most of March. The town has a great walking tour of the historic central district. The Chamber of Commerce office has a map that includes addresses and information on more than 40 significant homes and buildings. Many of the houses have signs with a phone number to call for an audio guide to the building. Mary's Restaurant on lower Market Street is a great place to enjoy a meal before or after you walk the tour. Mary's been serving good family cooking in town for 39 years - the last 33 years at the current site! Open from 6am till 2pm everyday but Sunday. And a visit to Cheraw isn't complete without going down to the Great Pee Dee river. There is a nice park on river just past the St. johns Church off Front Street. Founded in the 1760s as the last colonial parish, the church held services until 1916. Many generations of locals are buried in its graveyard. Keys to visit inside the church are also available at the Chamber of Commerce office.

I read about this place in my AAA book, and it really is a worthwhile side trip to see streets…read morelined with beautiful antebellum houses surrounded by shady trees and manicured landscaping. Even better, the town has posted signs with a number on them in front of numerous homes. Dial the number on your cell phone, and get a recorded story that is quite interesting. If you are a history buff, this place is a must. Old time Main Street, and lovely river park add to its charm.

We were driving trough and decided to do the walking tour of this impressive little town. If…read moreAntebellum houses are of interest, you must visit Cheraw! Within an easy walking distance, you see an impressive collection of dozens of 1780 to 1860 houses and grounds. The Chamber of Commerce has prepared a great walking guide that gives a little story for the most significant houses. They have also set up a call in system where you use your cell phone to access a more detailed history of the most important houses on the tour. Everyone at the Chamber offices were great. You can check out the keys to the town's Lyceum, a delightful little museum of local history and arcana that was charming! The keys also let you tour the historic St Johns church, which is a short drive from the downtown and was in use from 1780s to 1916.

Thankfully, the Confederate Monument was removed from the entrance to the Anson County Courthouse…read morein Wadesboro, NC back in 2020. What remains is a granite monument to the Confederate flag. I'm not sure why that was kept. In front of the Courthouse is a memorial to WWI; WWII; Korean War and Vietnam Veterans. The courthouse has two bronze plaques on the outside of the courthouse one for African American soldiers and another for the white men and women who served in WWI. Pinwheels were in the lawn for child abuse prevention.

Anson County doubles down on the Confederate Memorial debate by having not one, but two memorials…read moreon the grounds of the Anson County Courthouse in Wadesboro. Wadesboro is the county seat of Anson County and the largest city in the county. Anson County was formed in 1750 as part of Bladen County. It is named for Baron George Anson, a British admiral, who circumnavigated the globe from 1740 to 1744, and later became First Lord of the Admiralty and purchased land in the state. The first monument was installed in 1906 and is a all, multi-tiered white granite base and column which used to support a bronze Confederate Common Soldier that was removed in 2020. An ornate, darker granite section rests on top of the first three tiers of the base, and the four sides of this darker granite face are inscribed. Each corner of this section is framed by a Roman-style column, capped with acanthus leaves. "By this monument we / translate our homage / for the soldiers of / Anson County / who served in the war / between the government / and the Confederate / states." Means business there. The second monument is lower and stands to the right. More of a memorial than a tribute, it has the Confederate flag at the top and a long poem. "Not long ago, unfurled was I known for fate was against me but I flashed over a pure cause and on land and sea, so fired the hearts of men unto heroism the the world honors me, within my folds, the dead who died under them, lie nobly shrouded and my tattered colors crowded with a thousand shining victories have become the people who loved me, a glorified memory." Welcome to the South, y'all! [Review 15455 overall, 959 of 2021, number 2999 in North Carolina.]

As historical markers go, this one is pretty typical. As you can see, it is a gray sign with black…read morelettering. While it won't blow your socks off, it isn't ugly either. In fact, it looks similar to all other historical markers in North Carolina. If you're ever in Richmond County and in the mood to see a genuine state historical marker, I recommend that you consider this one. It certainly met all of my expectations for what a historical marker could and should be.

Located in front of the Richmond County Court House, this marker points out a local hero of the…read moreRevolutionary War. The marker reads, "Henry William Harrington. Brigadier general of militia, 1776-81, State senator, a commissioner to locate State capital. Grave is five miles south." This is another instance where there is some distance from the site being pointed out to here where the marker is located. There is more information online. "Henry William Harrington, Revolutionary War political and military leader, was born in London in 1747. He immigrated to Jamaica in the 1770s, but left after a short time for South Carolina, where he settled along the Pee Dee River. At the outbreak of war in 1775, Harrington accepted a captaincy in the South Carolina militia. The following year he married Rosanna Auld, the daughter of a prominent Anson County militia officer. The couple moved to North Carolina, settling in part of Anson that became Richmond County in 1779." "Harrington was elected colonel of the Richmond County militia in November following their arrival and briefly commanded a militia regiment in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1780 before returning to serve in the General Assembly. In the summer of 1780 he was called upon to accept a temporary position as the brigadier general in command of the Salisbury District militia while Griffith Rutherford was serving in the Camden expedition." "After the conflict [a British raiding party attacked his home in January 1781] Harrington represented Richmond County in 1783 and again in 1785. In 1784 he was appointed a trustee of Salisbury Academy, and five years later became a trustee of the University of North Carolina, a post he held for six years. He also served as one of the commissioners that approved of placing the state capitol at Raleigh. In the latter 1790s Harrington retired to his plantation. He died on March 31, 1809, and is buried in the family cemetery overlooking the Pee Dee River." [Review 15474 overall, 978 of 2021, number 3017 in North Carolina.]