The original trestle here was completed in 1852 by the Charlotte & South Carolina Railroad on site…read moreof ancient crossing known as the Nation Ford. Burning by Federals on April 19, 1865 touched off sharp battle with Southern forces which resulted in Union retreat. The trestle was rebuilt after the war and they was washed away by the flood on July 17, 1916; and was then rebuilt in the form we see today. This is also the traditional site of the Battle of Liberty Hill, the last conflict between Catawba and Cherokee Indians. Sumter camped here July, 1780. Cornwallis here 1780. President Jefferson Davis crossed April 27, 1865, enroute west to reorganize the Confederacy. It's a beautiful and imposing trestle and worth the trip to see. [Review 13038 overall, 355 of 2020.]

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.

At the corner of Caldwell Street and East Main Street in downtown Rock Hill, this building is hard…read moreto miss. As is the historic marker located in front. On the one side, it reads "This building was described as "handsome in every respect" when it opened in 1932. It replaced a 1906 post office and housed a new district court and federal offices. It served as a post office until 1986 and provided offices and headquarters for several U.S. Congressmen, including Thomas S. Gettys 1965-75. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, it was renamed in honor of Gettys in 1997." On the other side, "This six-story structure was Rock Hill's first high-rise office building. Built in 1924-25, it opened in 1926 with Citizens Bank & Trust on the 1st floor. The bank closed in 1927. Rock Hill National Bank opened on the 1st floor in 1941 and remained here until 1976. WRHI Radio, one of S.C.'s earliest stations, signed-on with studios on the 2nd floor in 1944 and broadcast from here until 1977. Civil defense used an observation deck on the roof during World War II. [Erected by the Culture & Heritage Museums of York County and the City of Rick Hill, 2007." The building is no longer a post office but it remains as a solid and imposing structure in Rock Hill's skyline. [Review 13032 overall, 349 of 2020.]

I've seen all sorts of fake "George Washington slept here" signs but this one on Rock Hill Highway…read moreis legit! The marker reads, "Near this site was the home of Major Robert Crawford, where President George Washington spent his last night in South Carolina on his Southern tour, May 27, 1791. Here Washington was met by a delegation of the Chiefs of the Catawba Nation, who set forth their apprehensions that attempts would be made to deprive them of their land." It was erected in 1970 by the Waxhaw Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is marker number 29-12. The marker is on the side of the road and there is not much opportunity to pull over safely but I managed it. [Review 19356 overall - 930 in South Carolina - 326 of 2023.]

In the modern age, Charlotte is a banking capital. Some say that after New York and San Francisco,…read morethe Queen City is the third biggest financial city in the United States. So it's interesting to learn that this isn't a new phenomenon and has older origins. The marker reads, "Branch U.S. Mint. Stood a few feet southwest. Operated 1837-61, 1867-1913. Razed, 1933, and rebuilt as art museum three miles east." This is marker number L-5 and it was erected in 1969 by the North Carolina Archives and Highway Departments. The 1799 discovery of a massive gold nugget in Cabarrus County sparked America's first gold rush, positioning North Carolina and especially Charlotte as a hub of gold production. With local mines like Barringer and Gold Hill fueling the economy, Charlotte secured a branch of the U.S. Mint in 1837, designed by William Strickland in the austere yet refined Federal style. The mint produced gold coins until the Civil War, when it was repurposed by the Confederacy, and later served as a U.S. Assay Office until 1913. Threatened by demolition, the building was saved and relocated to Eastover in the 1930s through the efforts of Mary Myers Dwelle and local citizens. [Review 1432 of 2025 - 4503 in North Carolina - 24983 overall]

This statue of Sam Mills stands on the East side of Bank of America stadium. It is inside the gates…read moreso you'll probably only be able to visit when there is a game on. It depicts Sam Mills in uniform and seeming to look across the field. At his feet, the caption reads "Sam Mills. Leader and Gentleman. Linebacker. Carolina Panthers 1995-1997". For the squad, Mills was more than simply a linebacker. During the franchise's early years, he was its lifeblood. At 5'9", Mills was deemed tiny, yet he brought unparalleled intensity, leadership, and tenacity to the field. After joining the Panthers in 1995, he immediately established himself as a vital member of their defense. His status as a player was solidified by his famous interception in the team's first-ever victory and his selection to the Pro Bowl at the age of 37. The team's enduring motto, "Keep Pounding" was inspired by his bravery off the field as he battled cancer while still coaching. His #51 jersey was the first retired by the team. In 2022, he was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [Review 517 of 2025 - 4117 in North Carolina - 24078 overall]

This marker alongside the road denotes a historic school that sadly no longer exists. This is a…read morecounty marker rather than a state one, so it's not in the state database. The marker reads, "Site of Plato Price School 1915-1966. Mecklenburg County school for African Americans, Greads 1-12. Notable attendees included Philip P. Berry, Chairman of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, and U.S. Congressman Mel Watt. Erected September 2006." Congressman Watt was my Congressman for a period of time until he stepped down to take an administrative role in the Obama administration. [Review 12963 overall, 279 of 2020.]

South Carolina's historical marker 46-45 is located near the intersection of Old Nation Road and…read moreUS-21 (Business), in the shade of the trees near the fence. It's easy to miss. It points out some of the Antebellum and Civil War history of this area and the nearby home. The front reads, "This house was built ca. 1806 for planter John Springs III (1782-1853), who served in the S.C. House 1828-34 and was a partner in several banks, railroads, and textile mills before the Civil War. His son Andrew Baxter Springs (1819-1886) enlarged and remodeled this house in the 1850s. He served in the S.C. House 1852-56 and was also a delegate to the Secession Convention." And the reverse, "On April 26, 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet, making their way south from Richmond, Va., stopped here. Davis and part of his party spent the night here at the insistence of young ladies who greeted them with flowers. Springfield, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, has been headquarters of Leroy Springs & Company since 1987." The marker is in the grass and there is room to stop and read it. It was erected in 2010 by Leroy Springs and Company, Inc. [Review 520 of 2025 - 1288 in South Carolina - 24081 overall]