This marker is in front of the historic building in Sharon. The bank does not appear to be active…read more It is a brick building painted beige with white trim. The marker is to the right behind a tree that could use some pruning. It is printed on two sides. On the front, "This bank, built in 1909-10 by W.W. Blair, was the first bank in the town of Sharon, incorporated in 1889. Its first officers were J.H. Saye, president; J.L. Rainey, vice president; and A.M. Haddon, cashier. From 1910 to 1929 the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing produced national bank notes for this bank. It was the only bank in western York County to survive the Depression." And on the rear, "At the time of its merger with First Citizens Bank in 1986 the First National Bank of Sharon was the oldest continuously operating national bank in York County. The bank, with its distinctive arched corner entrance, is part of the Sharon Downtown Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001." [Review 13879 overall, 1201 of 2020, number 639 in South Carolina.]

I came all the way across the country to see the Lancaster County Courthouse. Well, maybe not. I…read moreactually came all this way to visit family. It just so happens that they live in the area. And so we all took a drive to Lancaster, SC to check this place out. We parked in the 3 hour street parking area and walked around outside first. There are some cool monument/memorials on the front side and back side of the old courthouse that we checked out. It was overcast, cool and breezy on this day and so we didn't waste anymore time getting into the museum. We were promptly greeted at the entrance. The lady who appeared to be the lead docent asked us to sign in and began telling us a little but of the history of the courthouse. She was on her way out, though, and so she passed along to a couple of other docents. They were all very friendly and knowledgable. They stayed nearby to answer questions and point out certain facts as we made our way from room to room. We were then guided up stairs to the actual court room. That was used until an arsonist tried burn his criminal record in 2008 nearly destroying this almost 200 year old courthouse. This museum tells the history of the area dating way back to the revolutionary days of the late 1700s. It is dedicated to more than simply the courthouse. So if you too are in the area and if you appreciate American history, stop on by. Visit for a spell. Talk to the friendly docents who can tell you more than the history but act as guides for the area. Locals know the best lunch spots ;)

This beautiful historic structure is a national historic landmark since 1976. After an arsonist…read moreattempted to destroy the building in 2008, it has been renovated and restored to its original glory. Today, it houses the Lancaster County Welcome Center and the county's Historical Museum. Built 1825-1828 and designed by Robert Mills of Charleston SC, America's first native-born professionally-trained architect, State Civil and Military engineer and is best known as the designer of the Washington Monument. Stop in when they're open and learn about the history of this area! [Review 13086 overall, 403 of 2020.]

With Fishing Creek winding nearby as it feeds into Fishing Creek Lake, this marker points out a…read moresignificant Revolutionary War skirmish that took place. The marker is along US-21 and there is room to stop to read it. The marker reads, "At this site on August 18, 1780 General Thomas Sumter camped with captured booty and 800 men. He was surprised and defeated by Lt. Col. Tarleton and 160 soldiers. The disaster followed only two days General Gate's defeat by Lord Cornwallis at Camden. The patriots lost 150 men killed and many captured, but Sumter escaped and soon rallied another large force." It is marker number 12-3 and it was erected in 1974 by the Chester County Historical Society. Sumter's men had halted to rest after days of marching in brutal summer heat, unaware that Tarleton had crossed the Catawba River and was closing in on their position. Tarleton launched a surprise attack while the Americans were scattered, many bathing, sleeping, or tending to captured supplies, and the result was a swift and overwhelming British victory. More than half of Sumter's force was killed or captured, though Sumter himself narrowly escaped the chaos. The defeat temporarily halted his campaign against British outposts and further strengthened Tarleton's reputation as Cornwallis's most aggressive field commander. [Review 185 of 2026 - 1380 in South Carolina - 25374 overall]

Visiting from out of town and came across this colorful walkway…read more So much history to be learned as you walk through this beautiful little town.

Amazing to see all the history that happened so long ago. They have so much information displayed…read moretelling the story of the Buford Massacre of 1780. You can walk through the park to get the story, but they also have some walking trails that show certain routes of different historical figures involved in this event. We took one of the shorter trails as it had just started to rain, but we will be back to take the other trails. Trails were not mowed, but they were obvious walking trails. There are some markers to show trails as well. Great place to check out of you like history or nature!

Most of the markers in the South are to do with the Civil War aka "The War of Northern…read moreAggression.". So I was surprised to come across this marker that is all about a famous battle from the Revolutionary War. If you've seen the movie The Patriot, some of it is loosely based on this story. There is a tall granite marker that is now behind a fence because it has been damaged by vandals in the past. It reads, "Erected to the memory and in honor of the brave and patriotic American soldiers who fell in the battle which occurred at this place on the 29th of May, 1780 between Col. Abraham Buford who commanded a regiment of 350 Virginians and Col. Tarelton of the British Army with 350 cavalry and a like number of infantry. "Nearly the entire command of Col. Buford were either killed or wounded. Gallant soldiers are buried in this grave that left their homes for the relief of Charleston, hearing at Camden of the surrender of that city were returning. Here their lives were ended in the service of their country. "The cruelty and barbarous massacre committed on this occasion by Tarleton and his command after the surrender of Col. Buford and his regiment originated the war cry 'Remember Tarleton's Quarters' a British historian confesses at this battle the virtue of humanity was totally forgot." A terrible tragedy but there is now an appropriate monument to their sacrifice. The area is shaded and there are several captions that map the battlefield and the incident. There is also a picnic table and parking. [Review 13103 overall, 420 of 2020.]

Very cool urban "archaeological" find...nobody but locals "in the know" seem to be aware it's even…read morethere! Found out about it from the very nice & informative bartender at Dust Off Brewing (check out doing to the YoCo Brew Trail; check into 6 breweries on the app & get a t-shirt). He couldn't quite remember how to get to it, but after some intensive research, found the geo coordinates. That was honestly the only way to find this place, plus a little guts & guesswork. You can quasi see some portion of the rockwork of the ruinous remains from the paved Riverwalk trail. The "easiest" way to get to the ruins is to follow the Riverwalk Piedmont Medical Center Trail to just before mile marker 1.25; you will see this steep wooden thing with awkwardly placed planks. You basically have to rock-wall climb your way up. From there you are on a mountain biking trail. Follow the arrows for just over a quarter mile and you will see some indicators of the ruins before they open up in front of you. You will most likely have the place to yourself. Really cool to wander around and take it all in. Just be careful with holes and don't walk on or within the actual ruins as they are pretty sketch & unsteady. There are spiders, snakes, and flying insects galore, so put on repellent and stay vigilant cuz it is deep woods! You can either get back down the way you came; I found this gray rock slope that I found easier to navigate than sliding down the wood thing I climbed up. Either way, really neat find and I'm so glad I explored to find it! The paved walkway along the Catawba is also a nice walk to and from!

A recent discovery in Lancaster. Attended the Jennifer Licko Celtic Band Highland Echoes Concert…read more Lots of words to describe a wonderful Scottish musical collections of songs and stories. They have monthly performances which include concerts, chamber music groups, cappella, solo trombone (!) and piano and a symphony concert. About one a month for this series. The old Presbyterian Church is a brick structure that really resonates the sounds. Bench/pews are your seats. Cozy inside so everyone has a good seat. A balcony surrounds the teas and two sides of the former church. We will be reporting on events as we attend them. Tickets purchased prior to the event were $20 but at the door, we paid $30 each. Ouch! That said, other performances go go $10, 15 and $20. We happened to hit the highest price of $25.

This is a hidden gem. Look up the Lancaster arts Council website for up coming events. These…read moreconcerts are outstanding at a very reasonable costs. We now attended at least 10 of them and will be going to more of them in the future. Also a good music learning experience for teens.

Admittedly, I have a diary full of complaints detailing how poorly the mail is handled. However,…read morethe people working at this location provide a ray of sunshine that things are not that dour. Actually, can we simply clone these relentlessly helpful people working the counter here? I have needed their assistance only a few times, but every encounter left me shaking my head and wagging my tail wondering, "why cannot others see what fruit niceness bears?!" My trips to the Monroe USPS has my "Give 'em a Whirl" meter begging me to fire up the Jeep and go here. Nice.

I put in a change of address weeks ago at the Monroe NC Post Office -- from "1348 Sweet Pea,…read moreMonroe, NC" to "153 Pampas Place, Statesville, NC"-- and I have received no forwarded mail. I am trying to change my address with all the organizations, companies, etc., with whom I do business, but I should've been getting the mail that is addressed to my old address. Please help.