The town of Cheraw is a true gem for anyone interested in antebellum southern houses. The town grew…read moreup in the 18th century as a prosperous trading center. By 1780, it was one of only 7 town's in South Carolina shown on maps. It continued to grow and a district of beautiful large houses was built before the Civil War. The story goes that when Sherman came through, he was so charmed by the town's beauty that he decided not to allow looting and ordered the town not to be burnt down, as he had done with nearby Chesterfield. According to the story posted at the Lyceum Museum (on Market, get the key at the Chamber of Commerce), the truth is that having heard what happened to Chesterfield, the town fathers greeted the advancing Union forces with a flag of truce and the town's surrender. In any case, Sherman based his headquarters in a lovely home on McIver Street for most of March. The town has a great walking tour of the historic central district. The Chamber of Commerce office has a map that includes addresses and information on more than 40 significant homes and buildings. Many of the houses have signs with a phone number to call for an audio guide to the building. Mary's Restaurant on lower Market Street is a great place to enjoy a meal before or after you walk the tour. Mary's been serving good family cooking in town for 39 years - the last 33 years at the current site! Open from 6am till 2pm everyday but Sunday. And a visit to Cheraw isn't complete without going down to the Great Pee Dee river. There is a nice park on river just past the St. johns Church off Front Street. Founded in the 1760s as the last colonial parish, the church held services until 1916. Many generations of locals are buried in its graveyard. Keys to visit inside the church are also available at the Chamber of Commerce office.

I read about this place in my AAA book, and it really is a worthwhile side trip to see streets…read morelined with beautiful antebellum houses surrounded by shady trees and manicured landscaping. Even better, the town has posted signs with a number on them in front of numerous homes. Dial the number on your cell phone, and get a recorded story that is quite interesting. If you are a history buff, this place is a must. Old time Main Street, and lovely river park add to its charm.

Of course, I've heard of the Edinburgh medical school but I never knew that there was an…read moreEdenborough Medical College. It closed a century and a half ago but still. This marker is at the intersection of Laurinburg Road and Harris Avenue opposite an ABC store. The marker reads, "Early medical school, chartered 1867, conducted by Dr. Hector McLean. Closed circa 1877. Stood one-half mile south." Online, there is more information. "In the late 1860s Dr. Hector McLean opened Edenborough Medical College in the backwoods of what was then Robeson County, half a mile south of present-day Raeford. Born to Scottish immigrants in 1818, Hector McLean graduated with a degree in medicine from the University of Louisville about 1840. At a time when medical doctors were scarce and medical schools even more rare, McLean developed an extensive medical and surgical practice." "The General Assembly officially chartered Edenborough Medical College in 1867 making it North Carolina's first medical college. There were no entrance requirements, with respect to age or previous education, for students interested in attending Edenborough Medical College. There were never more that eight students enrolled at one time. The building that housed the medical college was a two-story, 40 by 80 foot frame building. Students lived in the second story and attended lectures in the four rooms on the lower floor." "In 1876 the Medical Society of North Carolina appointed a committee to investigate the operation of the school. In May 1877, the committee advised the General Assembly to revoke the school's charter because they did not consider Dr. McLean qualified to oversee all aspects of the students' medical education as he had been doing for the past ten years as the school's sole faculty member. However, Dr. McLean's death on December 1, 1877, ended the operation of the school before its charter could be rescinded." [Review 15021 overall, 523 of 2021, number 2882 in North Carolina.]

This community was named for Blenheim Palace in England, home of the Duke of Marlborough, for whom…read moreMarlboro County is said to have been named. Formerly called Mineral Spring or Spring Hill for the mineral springs 1/2 mile east, Blenheim traces its origin to wealthy planters who built summer homes in this healthy locality during the ante-bellum period.

There is a line under this agency's Google listing that says, "Department of motor vehicles…read moreoffering fast, friendly, and efficient service." I pressed the three little dots and reported it as inaccurate--because it absolutely is. I've visited this location multiple times over the years to renew my registration, and each time, I've been met with the same cold, dismissive demeanor. There's no "Hello," no "We'll be right with you," no basic courtesy. Just stares and a sense that kindness is reserved only for a select few. To the person on Google who left a five-star review claiming that if people simply brought the correct documents they'd receive the same friendly service--please sit down. That's not just dismissive, it's enabling. Proper paperwork has nothing to do with basic decency, and rude behavior is never justified. As a Black woman, I want to name something that's often danced around: the unmistakable feeling of not being welcome. It's subtle, but it's real. When I walk in, I'm met with stone-faced silence, even when eye contact is made. But I've watched the same employees turn on the charm and carry on cheerful conversations with white customers--"Southern hospitality" in full display for some, and indifference for others. It's clear that how you're treated here depends on who you are. The customer service isn't universally poor--it's selective. That's what makes it even more glaring. They can be kind; they just choose not to be to everyone. The racial undertone isn't just an isolated perception. It's reinforced by the repeated experiences of myself and others who've left reviews. While they aren't openly hostile, their energy speaks volumes--especially when attempts at small talk are met with blank stares and robotic responses. This agency doesn't need to be shut down. It needs a shift in mindset. Every person walking through those doors deserves respect and decent service, regardless of their race or background. Unfortunately, that's not what you'll find here. I no longer expect warmth or kindness from this place. I simply get in and get out. It's a shame that a public service office in this community chooses to operate this way. They're doing a real disservice not just to non-white residents, but to the very spirit of professionalism itself. Every customer, regardless of their race or identity, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. But instead, this blatant racism stares me--and others who look like me--square in the face every time we come here to conduct routine business. It's unpleasant at best, and discriminatory at worst. Either way, it's disgusting and frankly, unacceptable.

These ladies were nice and greeted me with a smile. I didn't have to wait long. They had three…read moreladies working the line and they keep it moving. The office was clean and they're implementing social distancing. So be sure to wear your mask. They don't have touch less pay set up.

Completed faded on one side and the other is starting to fade, this marker along US-74 Business…read morepoints out the rail history of Hamlet. There is parking in a neighboring lot so that you can stop to read this marker. It has the same on both sides, reading "Built in 1900 to serve Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Depot was major stop for passengers on east-west & north-south rail lines. About 2 blocks east." There is more information online. Hamlet became a key southeastern rail hub where major north-south and east-west lines converged, shaping its growth and identity. Incorporated in 1897, the town was defined by five rail spurs linking it to Richmond, Wilmington, Atlanta/Birmingham, Savannah/Charleston, and Columbia. In 1900, Seaboard Air Line Railroad built a grand passenger depot--among the finest in North Carolina--on land donated by founder Frank Shortridge. Seaboard expanded in 1954 with a state-of-the-art pump-retarder yard handling up to 5,000 cars, though passenger service waned with the rise of automobiles and air travel. The depot was repurposed as the National Railroad Museum. This is marker number K-46 and it was erected in 1973 by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. [Review 1334 of 2025 - 4453 in North Carolina - 24886 overall]

This marker is alongside a busy highway and there is a spot at the intersection to stop. It is of…read morecourse not near the actual subject but it's probably as close as anyone really gets. The marker reads, "Samuel Spencer. Jurist & Antifederalist leader. Member of court which in 1787 issued the first reported precedent for judicial review. His home stood 3 miles northeast." Online, there is more information. "Samuel Spencer, superior court justice and university trustee, was born in East Haddam, Connecticut, in 1734, the son of Samuel and Jerusha Spencer. Descended from highly respected and wealthy New England families, Spencer attended the College of New Jersey, where he graduated in 1759. It remains unclear as to when or why he moved to North Carolina. He was living in Anson County by October 1765 when he was appointed county clerk." "From 1766 to 1768 he represented Anson County in the Colonial Assembly. During the War of Regulation he served as an officer in William Tryon's army and participated in the campaign leading to the Battle of Alamance. However, his allegiance to the Crown waned in the early 1770's and he served as Anson County's representative to the first three provincial congresses of 1774-1776." "In 1787, Spencer and his fellow Superior Court judges John Williams and Samuel Ashe oversaw a landmark case in legal history. When Elizabeth Cornell Bayard attempted to overturn the confiscation and purchase of the properties of her father, a noted Loyalist, by Spyers Singleton, the court agreed with her that the confiscation acts of 1785 had violated the Fourteenth Article of the 1776 state constitution which ensured all citizens a trial by jury in cases that could result in a loss of property. The case, Bayard v. Singleton, set a precedent for judicial review. The North Carolina case preceded the more famous court case Marbury v. Madison, often credited with such establishment, by more than sixteen years." "Spencer retired to his plantation along Smith's Creek near Wadesboro. He became a founding trustee of the University of North Carolina in 1789. Married in 1776 to Phillipa Pegues, Spencer was the father of four children." [Review 15027 overall, 529 of 2021, number 2888 in North Carolina.]

We were driving trough and decided to do the walking tour of this impressive little town. If…read moreAntebellum houses are of interest, you must visit Cheraw! Within an easy walking distance, you see an impressive collection of dozens of 1780 to 1860 houses and grounds. The Chamber of Commerce has prepared a great walking guide that gives a little story for the most significant houses. They have also set up a call in system where you use your cell phone to access a more detailed history of the most important houses on the tour. Everyone at the Chamber offices were great. You can check out the keys to the town's Lyceum, a delightful little museum of local history and arcana that was charming! The keys also let you tour the historic St Johns church, which is a short drive from the downtown and was in use from 1780s to 1916.

Okay first off- south of the border has a lot of billboard hype. We get our kids all pumped for our…read moretrips going in that direction. With that being said, it looks old and run down. This pantry is a great spot to grab snacks and drinks, go to the restroom and fill up on gas. It's the perfect quick stop to get what you need.

I know South of the Border is dated and everywhere looks like it has not seen cleaning products in…read moredecades but I think this shop is the worst that I have been into on the property. I have been in this particular store on the property several times throughout my visits to South of the Border. Almost every time I visited this store, there were at least ten people on line, waiting to pay. You can pay for gas, get snacks and drinks, souvenirs, and I believe lotto and cigarettes. The store is really not that enticing. It is dirty. The flooring is super old. There is dust on many of the items. The freezer items have like an inch of ice on them. The most recent visit into this store, I was looking for ice cream. It was after midnight and not much was open. I thought maybe they would have something decent in the freezer but I was wrong. I browsed a little and saw nothing that caught my eye so I left. If you are looking for decent quality, I would head to another store on the property.