Cool little piece of Lenoir history…read more You can go there and walk the grounds for free which I highly recommend. It's a beautiful area. If you pay the fee which was $7/person when we went then you will get a guided tour inside the house and learn about the history of William Lenoir, his family and the house he built. I think it's totally worth it if you are into that. Regardless if you do the tour or not it's definitely worth a quick stop to check it out if you are in the area.

Saw a gun and musket but my son got shot and now he looks like a crinkly raisin thanks to you…read more Pic below has his classic catchphrase

This marker is located just around the corner from the historic Mitchell County Courthouse. I did…read moremanage to find some street parking nearby so I could explore the courthouse and then this marker. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Asa Gray. American botanist and Harvard professor. In July, 1841, investigated flora of this region. He visited Roan Mountain, 12 miles north." There is more information online. Born in 1810 in New York, Gray initially trained in medicine but shifted his focus to botany, eventually becoming a leading figure in the field. His journey through Ashe and Mitchell counties involved collecting plant specimens and retracing paths once taken by French botanist André Michaux. Gray's findings contributed to his 1842 Botanical Textbook, which became a foundational science resource and helped secure his position at Harvard. Over the next 45 years, he published extensively, helped found the National Academy of Sciences, and served as a Smithsonian regent. Gray also corresponded with Charles Darwin, becoming a key American supporter of evolutionary theory until his death in 1888. [Review 1291 of 2025 - 4436 in North Carolina - 24843 overall]

While in Hickory, I knew I had to make a stop at the Harper House. After you drive up the driveway,…read morethere is a free parking for you to use on the property. When you arrive for your tour, you do need to go to the Lyerly House (Hickory History Center) to check in and pay rather than the Harper House. (I do think they want you to schedule an appointment to tour the house even though I just showed up and asked for a tour as I didn't know about needing an appointment then) I don't have much background in Hickory's history so I wasn't sure what to expect with the Harper House. From the minute I walked in the house, I was wowed. It is said to be the finest Queen Anne home in the state and I think I'd agree with that statement. The house was built in 1887 by Daniel Webster Schuler who founded Hickory's first bank. The Harper's acquired the house in 1923 and three generations of the family lived in the house. In 2000, Catawba County took ownership of the house and started to restoring it to its original Victorian decor. The architecture is just amazing and unique in this house from the fish scale shingles to the spindles on the porch railing to the pebble dashing to the stained glass windows to the cherry staircase to the winged Mercury on the stair post to the parquet floors. The ornate details are there. I hadn't seen wallpaper before on the ceilings or various patterns used together. One room had at least 13 different patterns in the design. The furnishings are elegant to show off their luxury. It is a little overwhelming. The draperies are beautiful and the chandeliers are amazing but it is a lot. The attic was a fun surprise as that is the speakeasy used during Prohibition and the Harpers required they get a silhouette on the wall. I highly recommend touring the Harper House as you are in for a treat with this gem.

Lovely Victorian house. Nice way to spend an hour or two. The guide had a lot of knowledge about…read morethe entire history of the home & the exhibit in the office building on polio was very interesting.

Located just down the hill from the Caldwell Heritage Museum which is the 1905 county courthouse,…read morethis marker points out the history of an educational institution that is no longer but was in the heritage museum for a time. It is marker number N-30 and it reads, "Davenport College. For women; chartered 1859 by Methodist Episcopal Church, South; merged with Greensboro College, 1933. Two bldgs. stand 100 ft. S.W." It was erected in 1956 by the North Carolina Archives and Highway Departments. There is more information online. The college began in 1955 after local Methodists raised funds and secure land, becoming an early center for women's education in Caldwell County. It endured wartime loses during Stoneman's Raid, then burned in 1877 and was rebuilt as a smaller school that gradually returned to collegiate status in the early twentieth century. For decades, it served as a cultural hub, offering lectures and performances to the wider community. Financial pressures during the Depression led to its closure in 1933 and eventual consolidation with Greensboro College, after which the remaining campus buildings were used by the county school system. The last surviving structure now houses the Caldwell Heritage Museum. [Review 556 of 2026 - 4650 in North Carolina - 25738 overall]

This historical marker is in a small dirt pull out at the side of the highway. I did drive through…read moreit but I would not recommend it as it's seen better days and was quite bumpy. There is a caption posted. There is also a marker that has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Founded by Mary Martin Sloop, physician, 1913, to serve region's youth. Weaving Room, est. 1920, boosted revival of handicrafts. Campus 1/2 mile west." There is more information online. In 1952, journalist LeGette Blythe collaborated with Dr. Mary Martin Sloop to publish Miracle in the Hills, a memoir that highlighted her life and the founding of Crossnore School in Avery County. Sloop, the daughter of a mathematics professor, overcame gender barriers in medical education and eventually earned her degree in Philadelphia before settling in Crossnore with her husband Eustace in 1911. She established Crossnore School to address the lack of quality education in the region, later adapting its mission to serve over 3,000 children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Beyond education, she worked to combat child marriage and illegal liquor, supported infrastructure improvements, and helped found the Southern Highlands Handicrafts Guild. The school's Weaving Room, launched in 1920, became a cornerstone of Appalachian craft revival and a vital source of character development and financial support for the institution. Worth the stop. [Review 1223 of 2025 - 4408 in North Carolina - 24775 overall]

Historical marker N-8 is located across the street from the Historic Burke County Courthouse and…read morepoints out the history of a local politician who went on to lead the state of North Carolina through challenging times. The marker reads, "Governor, 1870-1874, during Reconstruction, member State Convention of 1865. His home stood here." It was erected in 1939 by the North Carolina Department of Conservation and Development. Tod Robinson Caldwell rose from a standout Morganton‑born attorney to a central figure in North Carolina's turbulent Reconstruction politics. Trained by leading educators and known for sharp courtroom skill, he entered public life early and remained a committed Unionist even as most state Whigs shifted course during the Civil War. Afterward he helped build the state's Republican Party and became a key architect of its postwar government. As governor he pushed for financial stability, stronger public schools, legal protections for Black citizens, and accountability in major bond scandals, though an unfriendly legislature blocked much of his agenda. Known for moderation during a volatile era, he won a narrow reelection before dying suddenly in 1874, with his body returned to the community that shaped his early career. There is street parking here and it's an easy stop as you're exploring the historic district of Morganton. [Review 545 of 2026 - 4640 in North Carolina - 25727 overall]

This marker is located directly in front of the Burke County Courthouse and points out this local…read morewho was a lawyer here and went on to represent the state in Washington. It is marker number N-49 and it reads, "U.S. Senator, 1954-1974; led Senate Watergate Committee, 1973-1974; judge. His law office was one block west." It was erected in 2011 by the North Carolina Office of Archives an History. There is more information online. Ervin's career bridged the era when powerful Southern politicians shaped national politics. After service in World War I and years as a legislator and judge, he entered Congress twice by appointment, ultimately winning three full Senate terms. Ervin became nationally known for chairing the Watergate Committee in 1973‑74. A prolific speaker and writer on North Carolina history, he left behind an extensive body of work now housed at UNC‑Chapel Hill. His legacy, as described by historian Karl Campbell, reflects both his resistance to civil rights and the Equal Rights Amendment and his celebrated defense of civil liberties. [Review 544 of 2026 - 4639 in North Carolina - 25726 overall]

Can you really be in the south and not spot a Confederate memorial somewhere? This one is located…read morein downtown Lenoir near the center of downtown and it's hard to miss. There is a similar obelisk on an opposite corner but that one is to all Veterans and not just the Civil War. Installed in 1910 at a cost of $2500, the 35 foot tall granite obelisk is made from white Mount Airy granite. Much of the carving on the sides has faded but it is still somewhat legible. On the north face, "Nor shall you glory be forgot where fam her record keeps or honor points the hallowed spot where valor proudly sleeps." This from an old poem, "The Vivouac of the Dead." On the front, "In honor of the men who wore the gray." [Review 15922 overall - 3137 in North Carolina - 1427 of 2021.]

Love the art, love the history, love the south, love DIXIE, I'm here to save the South from dyingread more