Located on the grounds of the old Union County Courthouse, this 40 foot tall granite obelisk is a…read morememorial to the Confederate soldiers from Union County. Atop the three-tier granite foundation rests the base of the obelisk. The tall shaft is topped with a polished sphere. All four sides of the base are inscribed. The east face of the base features a Confederate flag, while the east and west faces depict crossed rifles and crossed cavalry sabers, respectively. The monument was installed in 1910 by the Monroe Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. There has been some discussion about removing it and at this time, it is surrounded by chain link fence to prevent damage or vandalism. I suspect that it will be removed at some point soon so stop by while you still can. [Review 15439 overall, 943 of 2021, number 2986 in North Carolina.]

I love the markers, Statues, the history I love the city of Charlotte, I want to go back.read more

Many not be aware of the city of Charlotte's history during the Revolutionary War. You know, the…read moreone with the British when we fought for independence? Well, right here in Uptown, a battle was fought with those British and caused the general to write in a letter back to London that Charlotte was "a hornet's nest of rebellion activity." The marker reads: "Cornwallis's army captured Charlotte after a fight here with Davie's troops, Sept. 26, 1780." Much more information is in the link above.

If you've spent time driving around Charlotte, you recognize both names "Grier" and "Rea." Read…read moreRoad extends though some of the most established and high end parts of South Charlotte from where it becomes Colony Road in the Old Providence neighborhood and extending past the massive Calvary Church and Piper Glen before it continues through Blakely and becomes Marcin School Road. Isaac Grier was born in 1776 and arrived in the Charlotte area in 1804 to serve the Sardis and Providence Associate Reformed Presbyterian churches. In 1808 he married Isabella Harris of the Steele Creek community. Soon afterward he purchased roughly 102 acres along what is now Rea Road and built the Federal‑style house that survives today as the Grier‑Rea House, located near Providence Road. The home was positioned between the two churches he served, and it became the center of a growing farm that expanded to nearly 400 acres by the 1840s. The property was worked by enslaved laborers; the 1820 census recorded seven enslaved people, and his 1843 will bequeathed more than a dozen to family members. The Grier‑Rea House itself carries its own historical recognition. A state marker notes that it was built around 1815 by Isaac and Isabella Grier and later purchased by the Rea family in 1872. It stands today as one of the oldest surviving structures in the Providence corridor and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Grier died in 1843 and is buried at Sardis Presbyterian Church. His tombstone describes him as a faithful minister who served the united congregations of Sardis and Steele Creek from 1804 until shortly before his death. His son, Robert Calvin Grier, inherited the homestead and followed him into the ministry, eventually becoming president of Erskine College. The home is private property and the sign is on a busy stretch of Providence Road that is without a safe place to stop. [Review 179 of 2026 - 4564 in North Carolina - 25368 overall]

Located at the entrance of Elizabeth Park, this bronze statue is dedicated to a local hero that…read moremost Americans will not be familiar with. That person is Captain James Jack. He delivered the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence to Congress in Philadephia. This document declaring independence from Great Britain was signed by citizens of Mecklenburg County (a county that includes Charlotte and nearby cities) on May 20, 1775. Notice that this predates the more well known 1776 Declaration of Independence signed by the 13 colonies. It's a nice statue and I learned an interesting bit of history by stumbling upon it.

No, it's not Paul Revere. It's Captain James Jack!…read more According to local legend, a band of local patriots met on May 19, 1775 and drafted a set of Resolves that outlined the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. The documents declared that the actions of the British government were intolerable and that Mecklenburg County was no longer under British rule. You'll note that this was BEFORE July 4, 1776. At the time, he was a tavern owner but Captain Jack courageously volunteered to take these powerful documents on the journey from Charlotte to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. His actions were a risk to everything, all for the rights and protections that we take for granted today. If he'd been captured, the documents would certainly have led to his death as a traitor. But he made it and this was no doubt a part of the impetus towards the famous Declaration of Independence that all those other people signed. This statue is in Elizabeth Park, at the corner of Kings Drive and 4th Street, not far from Uptown Charlotte. And the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery on South Tryon has a beer named in his honor. Try it, it's tasty stuff! Round number review! #6400!

This little landmark sits right in front of the Visitors Center and Museum, just steps from the…read moreMatthews Town Hall, and it quietly anchors the story of how this community grew up around the railroad. Standing here, you can almost picture the original depot as a practical outpost on a line that connected small farming settlements to the wider region, long before Matthews became the busy suburban town it is today. The marker makes the point succinctly: "Established by 1875 on Carolina Central Railway. Incorporated as Town of Matthews in 1879. Depot later served Seaboard Air Line RR. Closed by 1967." It is number 35 and was erected in 2024 by the William C. Pomeroy Foundation, part of their effort to highlight the transportation roots that shaped towns like this. What makes the spot appealing is how easy it is to take it in at your own pace. The museum and town offices give the area a civic calm, and the marker feels like a small reminder that Matthews didn't begin with boutiques and restaurants but with a rail line that made the place viable in the first place, a simple wooden depot that helped define the town's early identity. There is parking nearby, so it's an easy stop whether you're exploring downtown or just passing through, and it adds a nice bit of context to the streets that have grown up around it. While the depot itself is now a museum, coincidentally a freight train went by as I was visiting. That was fun to watch. [Review 165 of 2026 - 4553 in North Carolina - 25355 overall]

This marker by the side of the road next to a condo development reminds us of North Carolina's…read moreslave days. The marker is in good condition but there isn't much space here to stop and read. It says, "W.T. Alexander Plantation (1824-1865) Slave Cemetery. Mecklenburg County's largest known surviving slave cemetery including the graves of Solomon and Violet Alexander who lived and worked on Alexander's 19th century cotton plantation. Located approximately 800 feet south." I'm not sure where the referenced cemetery is located - it's all houses around here. [Review 12975 overall, 291 of 2020.]

Nice place too visit too know mike tyson and america todayread more

It's been a while since I spotted a North Carolina historical marker and I really have to give…read moreprops to the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Sure, the sign is quite limited in the information it provides but the website has an entire essay of explanation. The marker reads, "Congressman from North Carolina, 1811-1817. Moved to Alabama where he was governor, 1821-1825, and United States Senator. Born 2 miles southwest." Online, there is much more information. "Israel Pickens was one amongst the stream of North Carolinians who migrated to the newly opened Alabama and Mississippi territories in the 1810s and 1820s. With experience as a legislator and congressman in his native state, Pickens quickly rose to political prominence in Alabama, serving as the state's governor from 1821 to 1825." "Pickens was Alabama's third governor. During his tenure he completed the organization of state government initiated by his predecessors... In February 1826, a few months after leaving the governor's seat, Pickens was appointed to the U.S. Senate, where he served until November." Quite the public servant, Mister Pickens. Thank you. There is parking in the adjacent gas station if you want to try to see the marker close up. [Review 17308 overall - 3295 in North Carolina - 826 of 2022.]

Lovely sculpture. Well done. Love the lighting at night. Thank you for investing in public art.read more

I've been to loads of art museums. I've seen some strange scupltures. Some, I "got" and some…read moreremained a complete puzzle. Grandiflora falls into the latter category. Two large round loops that look like stirrups at the intersection of Wendover and Randolph. What's the point? Do I feel more arty after stopping at this traffic light and looking over at the sculpture? Maybe the horn honking at me caused me to lose the imagery. I don't know. It's art. But it's weird.