This marker is located on the corner where Salisbury Avenue switches from North to South. There is…read morea gas station where I was able to park and read the marker. It is number L-60 and it was erected in 1959 by the North Carolina Archives and Highway Departments. It has the same text on both sides and reads, "Built 1766 by Michael Braun. One of the few remaining Pennsylvania German stone houses in North Carolina. Stands 1/2 mile northeast." If you'll go to check out the house, you'll learn about the life of an immigrant who arrived in the colonies as a young tradesman and eventually became a prominent Rowan County landowner, businessman and public official. Its preservation as a museum highlights both the architectural significance of the structure and Michael Braun's deep involvement in the region's early civic and economic development, from his work as a wheelwright and printer to his roles as magistrate, justice of the peace, and property speculator. The house's long family occupancy, its ties to local Revolutionary War tradition, and the complex arc of Braun's life all contribute to its value as a surviving link to the area's eighteenth-century German heritage. [Review 659 of 2026 - 4747 in North Carolina - 25840 overall]

This marker is located at the corner of 7th Street and Hawthorne Lane, adjacent to Independence…read morePark. It points out the history of a participant in the fight for Civil Rights. The marker reads, "Harry Golden. 1902-1981. Nationally known writer, humorist, & civil rights advocate. Published The Carolina Israelite, 1944-1968. Lived 1 block northeast." There is more information online. "Harry Golden achieved fame as publisher of The Carolina Israelite, which he issued from 1944 to 1968 from Charlotte to an international audience. According to Robin Brabham, retired UNC-Charlotte archivist, "At the height of his appeal, he had two books on the bestseller list at the same time; his life was depicted in a Broadway play; he appeared frequently on television talk shows, including Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person; and he testified before Congress on civil rights legislation."" "Golden used humor and satire to oppose Southern racial and political practices. Martin Luther King Jr. recognized his significance by identifying him as one of "our white brothers who have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it." "Golden was born Herschel Goldhirsch in the Ukraine, then part of Austria-Hungary. In 1904 his father and his oldest brother immigrated and soon after sent for the rest of the family. Golden grew up in a tenement on New York City's Lower East Side and attended City College. He married Genevieve Gallagher in 1926, and they had four sons. "Failed business ventures led to his guilty plea to mail fraud in October 1929. Sentenced to five years in federal prison, he was released in 1933. In 1941, he moved south, first to Norfolk, then to Charlotte where he worked for the Charlotte Labor Journal, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. Golden issued the first regular number of The Carolina Israelite in February 1944. The monthly magazine initially carried the subtitle, "A Monthly Review of Jewish Affairs, Dedicated to Interfaith Amity." "In 1955 Golden addressed the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association on "The Jewish People of North Carolina." He came to national attention in 1956 after he testified before the Pearsall Commission that white Southerners did not seem to mind standing with African Americans: "It is only when the Negro 'sets' that the fur begins to fly." Thus, he suggested, public schools could be painlessly integrated by providing desks but no seats. He went on to suggest sixteen more plans that mocked Southern racial mores. "Wide circulation of his "Vertical Negro Plan" soon generated interest in his writing and in 1958 a compilation of his columns, Only in America, appeared on the best seller list. He advised Robert Kennedy in his 1964 and 1968 campaigns for the U. S. Senate and the Democratic presidential nomination. He continued to publish the Israelite until 1968 when he closed the paper. In 1979 he received the North Carolina Award for Literature. He is buried in Hebrew Cemetery in Charlotte." There is brief parking across the way at the pizza place. [Review 11 of 2025 - 4013 in North Carolina - 23584 overall]

Located along Cabarrus Avenue and in front of the college that is still standing, this marker gives…read moresome background on the founding of this educational institution. The marker reads, "Presbyterian. Est. 1867 by Luke Dorland to educate Negro women, Scotia Seminary merged in 1930 with Barber Memorial Institute. Coed since 1954." It is marker number L-102 and it was erected in 2001 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. The institution that became Barber-Scotia College began as a parochial school modeled on Mount Holyoke and dedicated to training Black women as teachers and social workers. It grew steadily after its 1870 charter, adding land, buildings, and enrollment, evolved into a women's college in the early twentieth century, merged with Barber Memorial Institute in 1930, achieved junior-college accreditation in 1934, advanced to a four-year college with its first bachelor's degrees awarded in 1945, and later opened its doors to all students while maintaining its historic church affiliation despite significant financial and accreditation challenges in recent decades. There is parking across the street and of course, you can park on the campus too. [Review 670 of 2026 - 4756 in North Carolina - 25851 overall]

The Declaration of Independence is nice and all that but did you know that Mecklenburg, North…read moreCarolina declared independence over a year earlier? The marker reads, "Bold set of anti-British resolutions, adopted on May 31, 1775, in meeting 50 yards S.W. organized by Thomas Polk, fired spirit of independence." It is marker number L-115 and it was erected in 2015 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. Aadopted here in Charlotte, North Carolina, just weeks after the battles of Lexington and Concord and drafted by the Mecklenburg County Committee of Safety, the Resolves declared that all laws and commissions originating from the British Crown or Parliament were null and void, effectively ending British authority in the region. While not a formal declaration of independence, the Resolves laid out a framework for self-governance, including the establishment of local judicial and military structures. They also called on other colonies to form their own governments, signaling a significant shift toward autonomy. Though they left open the possibility of reconciliation if Britain rescinded its oppressive policies, the Resolves marked one of the earliest organized rejections of British rule in the colonies and helped ignite the spirit of independence in the American South. [Review 1425 of 2025 - 4496 in North Carolina - 24976 overall]

I came to Rural Hill for the Amazing Maize Maze. Rural Hill is a beautiful place tucked away in…read moreHuntersville. The Maze had a high production value! Not only are you trying to navigate through the large twisting and turning space, but you're also trying to find a series of clues that have a theme. This was definitely one of the more difficult mazes that I've ever done. I went on Halloween and was also pleasantly surprised by the buckets of candy placed throughout the maze During COVID, they did a good job at managing crowds by having people buy tickets for certain time slots. The staff was wearing masks and asked people to wear masks during the beginning and end of the maze.

Whether it's from the maddening crowds of an expansive metropolis, or the pressures of a career,…read moreRural Hill is a pleasant place in which to escape. It's a quaint, restored throwback to the era when the Scots and the Davidsons timbered forests, tilling them into fields and farms. Eventually, the area was established and is known by their name. The Davidson family cemetery is prominently lined with a beautiful stone wall and is open most days. Trails exists for walking but not many use them (which is why I like going). There is an old dirt road that eventaually dead ends at a small shelter overlooking a pond--I think it leaves many disappointed. There's not much to see once you arrive and ALL the land is a County preserve with trespassing not allowed (yep, they got trail cams so if fishing is your plan, you've been warned). The magic, really, is the road itself. It winds through the woodlands for a couple miles with little traffic. I often park and walk portions with my binoculars. I grew up on such a road in Upstate New York. Fond memories rekindle. I am reminded of how happy was my childhood. Sometimes I see turkeys, deer, ospreys, and coyotes. Looking for a leisurely way to spend some time away? I say "give it a whirl." Breath it all in!

This marker is on a tall pole outside the guard's shack that is at the entrance to the university…read more There is no parking here but I was able to briefly stop to read the marker and the guard didn't mind though he probably thought I was crazy. Like most North Carolina markers, the text on the marker is brief. It reads, "Est. in 1867 as Biddle Memorial Institute for freedmen. Became a university, 1877. Present name adopted in 1923." Online, there is more information. "Established in 1867 by the Presbyterian Church, modern-day Johnson C. Smith University was known from that year until 1876 as Biddle Memorial Institute. Samuel C. Alexander, minister at Steele Creek Presbyterian Church, took a lead role in the establishment of a school "for the education of preachers and teachers among the ex-slaves, realizing that only in this way could they be fitted for Christian citizenship." Around 3,000 former slaves lived in Mecklenburg County in 1867. Stephen Mattoon was the first president, presiding over the school for fourteen years. "Mary D. Biddle of Philadelphia raised $1,400 for the new school and selected the name to honor her late husband, Major Henry Biddle. W. R. Myers, a wealthy Charlotte businessman, donated the first eight acres of land on Beatties Ford Road for the campus. In 1876 the state legislature formally chartered the school at which time the name was changed to Biddle University. Biddle Hall, the centerpiece of the campus, was completed in 1884. The first African American president was Daniel Sanders, who served in the position from 1891 until his death in 1907. "In 1921 and 1922, Jane Berry Smith of Pittsburgh donated funds for a theological dormitory, science building, teachers' cottage, and memorial gate. In addition she established an endowment in memory of her late husband, Johnson C. Smith. In recognition of her gifts, trustees voted to rename the institution. Consequently, the charter was amended to reflect the new name in 1923. James B. Duke, the tobacco magnate, included the school as a beneficiary of the Duke Endowment, created in 1924, putting in place an affiliation that has benefitted the university greatly over the years. "In 1932 women first enrolled at JCSU. Today the school retains its affiliation with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, reporting to its General Assembly through the Board of Christian Education. Since 1944 JCSU has been associated with the United Negro College Fund." This is marker number L-101 and it was erected in 2022 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. [Review 2551 of 2024 - 4003 in North Carolina - 23562 overall]

This is the prettiest small park with this statue in the middle. Benches surround the area, with…read morelots of shady trees. We stopped here and had lunch and it was lovely. The entire area is relaxing and peaceful. There's a lot of history in the area and this is a nice place to stop and take a break.

We were in the Concord downtown area and this popped up on my Yelp. It was super close to where we…read morewere so we walked over. We are not Nascar fans, but Dale was an interesting guy. Good netflix documentary on him... anyway it was dark and there are no lights on the statue.. So that was a bit of a bummer. We were there a few minutes and moved on... maybe go back in the daylight if you really want to see it.

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.]

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