I stopped at this marker on the stretch between Wentworth and Reidsville and it's one of those…read moresigns that quietly carries a much bigger story than you expect from a roadside pull-off. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Glenn T. Settle. 1894-1967. Founder of Wings Over Jordan Choir and Negro Hour radio show, 1937. He promoted traditional spiritual music & racial harmony. Born 2 mi. SW." Glenn T. Settle was born in a log cabin on Nubbin Ridge, a sharecropper's son whose life would arc all the way to national radio and early civil rights influence. The marker does a good job grounding him in Rockingham County's landscape and in the legacy of his grandfather Tom, who had been enslaved by the local Settle family, which gives the whole narrative a sense of rootedness that follows him even after the family left for Pennsylvania in 1902. What stands out is how this local boy became the force behind the Wings Over Jordan Choir, a group that not only brought Black spirituals to a national CBS audience in the 1930s but also refused to perform for segregated crowds, decades before the civil rights movement reached its peak. The marker captures that blend of artistry, ministry, and quiet activism. It leaves you with the sense that this rural ridge produced someone whose voice carried far beyond Rockingham County. [Review 652 of 2026 - 4740 in North Carolina - 25833 overall]

Between Madison and Wentworth, this roadside marker points out the home of one of North Carolina's…read morefirst governors who was an important figure in the early days of one of the original colonies. There is room to pull over to view the marker and perhaps look around. It is marker number J-15 and it was erected in 1993 by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. It reads, "Alexander Martin, 1738-1807. Governor, 1782-85 and 1789-92, officer in the Revolution, member Federal Convention of 1787, United States Senator. Home stood 1/2 mile north." Alexander Martin, born around 1739 in New Jersey and educated at the College of New Jersey, built a prominent political career after settling in North Carolina around 1760. Rising from merchant and lawyer to legislator, Revolutionary War officer, and eventually governor, he served multiple terms and steered a moderate political course while helping guide the state through the end of the Revolution, the State of Franklin crisis, the founding of the University of North Carolina, and the establishment of Raleigh as the capital. Though his military record was blemished by a court‑martial from which he was acquitted, he remained influential, later serving in the U.S. Senate before returning home to Rockingham County, where he died in 1807. [Review 649 of 2026 - 4737 in North Carolina - 25830 overall]

The cornerstone of this historic courthouse was laid on November 17, 1923 after the original…read morecourthouse was demolished because it no longer met the needs of Alamance County. Completed in 1924, the courthouse was dedicated in 1924. It is designed in the Neoclassical Revival style, similar in design to other buildings completed designed by architect and Greensboro resident Harry Barton. The porticoes on the north and south sides of the courthouse each feature six fluted Doric columns, each topped with acanthus and palmette flourishes. They also feature the words Alamance County Courthouse at the top of each portico. The "ground floor" is raised above a basement area that is used for small claims court and records storage. There is a prominent sign "No standing on steps without a permit" and I'd love to know the story behind that. [Review 2169 of 2024 - 3826 in North Carolina - 23188 overall]

"All men are created equal." -Thomas Jefferson…read more That line feels especially fitting when you walk up to the Charters of Freedom installation at the Rockingham County Justice Center in Reidsville because the whole display is built around the idea that the rights we argue about inside the courthouse come from something older and bigger than the building itself. The setting works well, with the replicas of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights arranged so that you can take them in before you even reach the doors, and the installation makes a point of highlighting North Carolina's own Declaration of Independence signers which gives is a nice local grounding. What stands out is how the display feels like a quiet reminder rather than a monument trying too hard and the layout encourages you to slow down a minute and actually read the panels. The brickwork and metal framing five it a clean civic look that fits the Justice Center. It's the kind of installation that does exactly what it should, connecting the founding documents to the everyday work of the courthouse and giving anyone walking in a moment to be reminded of where those rights came from. [Review 634 of 2026 - 4722 in North Carolina - 25815 overall]

Located in one of the busier parts of downtown Reidsville, I spotted this marker as I was parking…read moreand heading to dinner. It is easily visible on a very tall sign. The marker reads, "Governor, 1851-54, U.S. Senator, Congressman, member of peace conference, 1861, and of state conventions, 1861, 1875. Home stands 2 blocks east" Online, there is more information. "David Settle Reid, in addition to being governor, served in both houses of Congress. The oldest son of Reuben and Elizabeth Settle Reid, David Reid was born on April 19, 1813, in Rockingham County and was raised in a community that in time became the city of Reidsville. In 1829, at the age of sixteen, he was appointed postmaster of the new city. On December 19, 1850, Reid married Henrietta Settle, daughter of Thomas Settle Sr., and they had four children. "Through hard work, Reid rose quickly in wealth and popularity. In 1835, at the age of twenty-two, he achieved two goals, being elected both colonel of the county militia and a state senator. In time, he would become a leader of the Democratic Party. Reid played an influential role in passage of the 1839 public school law and the state's first public school opened in Rockingham County in 1840. Reid won his second bid for election to the U. S. House in 1843. There he supported the expansionist policies of President James K. Polk including statehood for Texas, resolution of the Oregon dispute, war with Mexico, and subsequent Mexican territorial cession. "As the Democratic choice for governor in 1848, Reid agreed to run only if permitted to introduce the issue of elimination of the property requirement to vote for state senators. Narrowly defeated by Charles Manly, Reid ran again in 1850 on the same issue, defeating Manly. Other planks in Reid's campaign called for "judicious" internal improvements, more support for public schools, and defense of Southern rights, a theme he emphasized in his inaugural address on January 1, 1851. While professing loyalty to the Union, Reid declared that the suppression of States' rights would violate the Constitution and negate such allegiance. "Reid's two terms as governor were marked by expanded internal improvements, appointment of Calvin H. Wiley as the first Superintendent of the Common Schools, initiation of the geological survey, and confirmation of land titles held by Cherokee Indians who had remained in North Carolina. Reid also proposed replacing the land and poll tax with one based on the value of one's estate, but it was not seriously considered by the legislature. "On November 24, 1854, the General Assembly elected David S. Reid to fill a vacancy in the U. S. Senate, and he turned over gubernatorial duties to Warren Winslow. During his term in the Senate he spoke in defense of States' rights, reflected in support for the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Defeated for re-election in 1858, Reid retired to private life, stepping back into the public arena occasionally. His last political endeavor came in the Convention of 1875 where, from behind the scenes, he directed Democratic Party activity and influenced constitutional reform. Reid suffered a severe stroke in May of 1881 that left him paralyzed. He fought failing health for a decade, dying on June 18, 1891. He was buried in Reidsville." This is marker number J-13. It was erected in 1939 by the Archives Conservation and Highway Departments. [Review 2486 of 2024 - 3939 in North Carolina - 23498 overall]

On the sidewalk in front of the massive complex that is the Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, this…read moremarker is a reminder that things weren't always the way they are today. Historical marker J-120 has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Landmark federal court of appeals decision 1963 involving Cone Hospital led to racial integration of hospitals in the U.S." Simkins v. Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital challenged segregated hospital systems in Greensboro, arguing that facilities built with federal Hill-Burton Act funds could not lawfully discriminate. George C. Simkins and other African American physicians and patients sued after one hospital barred Black patients entirely and the other allowed only limited access. The Fourth Circuit ruled in 1963 that hospitals receiving federal funds were subject to the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, making separate but equal policies unconstitutional. When the Supreme Court declined review in 1964, the decision stood and helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Act's desegregation of public facilities. As it was a weekend, I was able to quickly stop in the medical office across the street to park. On a weekday, there is no good parking nearby. [Review 654 of 2026 - 4742 in North Carolina - 25835 overall]

Attended a "Geneology 101" presentation by the Caswell Historical Association…read more The library hosted the event and furnished AV and teaching equipment to the attendees. Very friendly and helpful staff there!

This marker is located in downtown Greensboro and points out what was here during the Civil War…read more North Carolina had a number of Civil War battles and many of them in this area. The marker reads, "Set up in the First Presbyterian Church to receive wounded from Battle of Bentonville, 1865, was here." Online, there is more information. "During the winter and early spring of 1864-1865, General William Tecumseh Sherman's army wreaked destruction on Georgia and South Carolina. On March 8, his men entered North Carolina. Concerned with the ability to feed and supply his 60,000 men, Sherman divided his army into two wings: the left, commanded by Major General Henry Slocum and the right commanded by Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard. Both wings advanced in the direction of Goldsboro, as Confederate forces from across the region were cobbled together in an attempt to delay their progress. "On March 19-21, at Bentonville, Sherman's army lost 304 killed in action, 1,112 wounded, and 221 missing. The Confederates lost 239 killed, 1,694 wounded, and 673 missing. While many of the wounded were treated immediately at the numerous field hospitals established by both Federal and Confederate forces, some Southern soldiers were sent west to Greensboro. Many of these men were attended to at temporary Confederate hospitals established at the First Presbyterian Church and Edgeworth Female Seminary. The congregation of the church had offered their services and their facility to the Confederacy as early as April 1862, but it had not been used as a hospital until the latter half of March 1865. "Locals recorded their shock at the number of wounded. A local woman who was present recorded that those who died of their wounds "were laid in a semi-circle around the pulpit in their last long sleep." The exact number of those who died at the church remains unknown. A monument to them is located at Green Hill Cemetery. After the Federal occupation of Greensboro, the field hospital was converted back into the church once more." This is marker number J-30 and it was erected in 1950 by the Archives, Conservation and Highway Departments. [Review 2493 of 2024 - 3946 in North Carolina - 23505 overall]