Located next to the Riverwalk YMCA, this marker points out the history of the massive plant that…read moreused to be on this site. On the front, it reads, "This plant, once called "a miracle of modern technology," produced synthetic yarn and fibers for clothing, synthetic flakes for making plastic household and industrial goods, and other synthetics from 1948 to 2005. The Celanese Corporation of America chose this 1,100-acre site on the Catawba River for its capacity of 100 million gallons of water a day. The plant began operations in 1948." And on the reverse, "The plant had its own power plant, water purification and treatment plants, and chemical recycling. It was long among the largest employers in York Co., with an average of 1,600 and a peak of 2,300. Its work force was unionized, unlike most S.C. industries. At one time this plant was one of the largest producers of synthetic yarn in the U.S. As global demand for its products slowed, Celanese Celriver closed in 2005." The marker was erected in 2015 by the Culture & Heritage Museums of York County. All that remains of the plant is the water tower that now stands over the Riverwalk mixed use development. There is parking here. [Review 88 of 2025 - 1245 in South Carolina - 23656 overall]

This marker is located next to Town Hall and the post office of this small town that isn't much…read moremore than an intersection where three roads awkwardly meet US-321. There are a couple of gas station/convenience stores here and not much else. The marker reads, "After the Kings Mountain Railroad was completed in 1852, the McConnellsville Post Office was established here in 1854. The town, named for the McConnell family, was incorporated in 1906. The first intendant was J.T. Crawford; wardens were J.F. Ashe, S.H. Love, J.O. Moore, and J.M. Williams. The post office was renamed McConnells in 1951." It is marker number 46-13 and was erected in 1979 by the York County Historical Commission. [Review 20333 overall - 1099 in South Carolina - 1311 of 2023.]

This marker is standing in front of a very pretty two story brick home in the residential area of…read moreRock Hill. The building itself has nothing to do with Mr. Cherry's home other than it is in front of where the home used to stand. It is on two sides. The front reads, "The home of James Milton Cherry (1856-1920) stood here until 1974. Cherry was a businessman, public servant, agriculturalist, and real estate developer in Rock Hill for 50 years. He helped found the Young Men's Loan & Trust Co., one of the first banks here and later the Savings Bank of Rock Hill. Cherry was also a founder of the Rock Hill Light & Power Co., the Land & Town Site Co., and the Rock Hill Telephone Co." The back, "Cherry was intendant, or mayor, of Rock Hill 1890-91 and later a longtime city councilman. A partner in the Rock Hill Buggy Co., he founded the Carolina Traction Co. to power an electric street railway. He was known as "The Alfalfa King" for advocating hay as a cash crop and a national spokesman for diversifying crops. Cherry Road, named for him, was paved in 1920 and was one of the first concrete roads in S.C." [Review 14683 overall, 183 of 2021, number 778 in South Carolina.]

This state marker points out the first store in the Belks chain, which began here in Monroe. The…read moremarker reads, "William Henry Belk, 1862-1952, Merchant, philanthropist, and Presbyterian layman. Opened first store, May 29, 1888, two blocks east." Online, there is more information. "William Henry Belk, merchant and founder of the department store chain that bears his name, was born in Lancaster County, South Carolina, in 1862 to Abel and Sarah Belk. His father was drowned by Union general William T. Sherman's troops in 1865. Eight years later the family moved to Monroe. At age fourteen Belk went to work in a dry goods store. At twenty-six he struck out on his own. Belk called his first store "The New York Racket," believing it "sounded big." Soon after its opening on May 29, 1888, Belk painted the slogan "Cheapest Store on Earth" on the side of the two-story brick building." "Belk adopted several innovations such as trading on a cash-only basis and refusing to haggle, as was then common practice. W. H. Belk was the sole proprietor of the business until 1891. In that year he was joined in the operation by his brother Dr. John Belk and the name was changed to W. H. Belk and Bro. The original building was replaced in 1941 with a new, larger structure on the same site. The "Mother Store of the Belk Stores" operated there until it was moved to a mall location in 1979." "The effects of W. H. Belk's merchandising skills have been felt in practically every North Carolina city and town. The Belk stores were unique in that they were not chain stores or franchises in the usual sense, but in that there was a local part-owner for each store, thus Belk-Leggett, Belk-Hudson, and the like. In time Belk stores, headquartered in Charlotte, numbered nearly 400 businesses in sixteen states throughout the South. The organization is the largest family- and management-owned department store operation in the nation with nearly two billion dollars in annual sales. William Henry Belk's "genius as a merchant" was hailed during his lifetime, and, through the store name, remains well-known to this day. Less well-remembered perhaps are Belk's philanthropic efforts and his devout Presbyterianism." [Review 15442 overall, 946 of 2021, number 2989 in North Carolina.]

Located outside the entrance to the Kings Mountain National Military Park, this marker points out…read morethe history of a local who fought in the battle and lived nearby. Perhaps humanizing a little bit more this wonderful park. The marker has text on both sides. The front, "Col. Frederick Hambright (1727-1817), a prominent militia officer of the American Revolution, lived his last 25 years in a house which stood 200 yards northeast. Hambright, born in Germany, emigrated to America as a boy, and settled in North Carolina by 1750. He held several Tryon County offices from 1774 to 1776, most notably a brief term as a member of the North Carolina Provincial Congress in 1775." And the reverse, "Hambright, after several campaigns, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel by 1779. He commanded the Lincoln County (North Carolina) troops at Kings Mountain Oct. 7, 1780, and was severely wounded. After recuperating at a log cabin near the battlefield he returned to North Carolina but soon moved to South Carolina and built a two-story house near the cabin; it burned in 1927. He is buried 1 mile east of Grover, North Carolina at Shiloh Cemetery." This is marker number 11-5 and it was erected in 1999 by the Cherokee County Historical and Preservation Society. [Review 671 of 2025 - 1293 in South Carolina - 24232 overall]

You need to check out this hidden gem first to learn more about your community and the history of…read morethe area! Be sure to check for the open hours, or if planning well in advance the will open for you if they have staff available Then go back multiple time with family and friends to see more and more! The volunteer staff is different on every visit we have had---but they are such a wealth of knowledge, some on more recent events and others going back many generations!. Please consider a visit

South Carolina is part of the South and as happened in much of the South during the 1960's, there…read morewas a fight for civil rights and equality for black citizens. One of those fights happened here in Rock Hill and this marker remembers the circumstances. On one side, "This building, built in 1901, was occupied by McCrory's Five & Dime from 1937 to 1997. On February 12, 1960, black students from Friendship Jr. College in Rock Hill were denied service at the McCrory's lunch counter but refused to leave. Their "sit-in" was one of the first of many calling attention to segregated public places in downtown Rock Hill. These protests lasted for more than a year." On the other side, "Many Rock Hill protesters were arrested, convicted, and fined. On January 31, 1961, ten students from Friendship Jr. College were arrested when they refused to leave McCrory's. Nine would not pay their fines and became the first Civil Rights sit-in protesters in the nation to serve jail time. This new "Jail No Bail" strategy by "the Friendship Nine" was soon adopted as the model strategy for the Freedom Rides of 1961." The marker was erected in 2007 by the Culture and Heritage Museums of York County and the City of Rock Hill. McCrory Stores was a chain of stores based in York, Pennsylvania (no relation to York County, South Carolina). Founded in 1882, it was acquired by Ames Stores in 1989. Ames became defunct in 2002. [Review 13022 overall, 339 of 2020.]

This marker is located not far from downtown York. It is in quite good condition and points out the…read morebirthplace of one of the city's success stories. On the front side, "David Edward Finley, Jr. (1890-1977), first director of the National Gallery of Art, was born in this house. Finley moved to Washington, D.C. as a child when his father was elected to Congress and was educated at the University of S.C. and George Washington University Law School. He practiced law, served in World War I, then worked for Secretary of the Treasury Andrew W. Mellon." On the back, "Finley and Andrew W. Mellon worked for years to establish a national art gallery with Mellon's collection as its nucleus, but Mellon died in 1937 just as the project began. Finley directed the construction of the National Art Gallery and was its director 1938-1956, building it into "a treasure trove of art." He was also chairman of the National Trust for Historic Preservation 1950-1962" [Review 13894 overall, 1216 of 2020, number 654 in South Carolina.]