This marker is along NC 150. There isn't quite room to stop but it was quiet enough that I was able…read moreto pull over safely. The marker reads, "Also called Rockingham Springs. Council of State met here, 1790. Owned by John Lenox, Archibald D. Murphey, & Thomas Ruffin. Famous health resort." Online, there is more information. "Formed in 1785, Rockingham County was well known to many colonists for its beautiful environs and healthful environment. By 1790, Moravians from Salem and other nearby communities had discovered a mineral springs in the area that provided medicinal benefits for visitors and began to regularly send their ailing members to the springs. Other early visitors to the spring included Governor Alexander Martin who called a session of the Council of State to be held there in June, 1790. Because of the prevalence of sulphur springs, the area became known as Rockingham Springs and was identified as such on the 1808 Price-Strother map of the state." This is marker number J-59. It was erected in 1970 by the Department of Archives and History. [Review 2481 of 2024 - 3935 in North Carolina - 23493 overall]

While hunting for a parking space, I spotted this marker and stopped to check it out. It is located…read morein downtown Greensboro and is easily legible. The marker reads, "First steam-powered cotton mill in North Carolina Operated circa 1834-50 in large brick building that stood 2 blocks north." Online, there is more information. "In her 1925 book Bettie Caldwell referred to the Mount Hecla Steam Cotton Mill as "long the pride of old Greensboro." Completed by 1834 in the center of the city by Henry Humphreys (1787-1840), the mill was the first in North Carolina powered by steam. Eventually the steam mode of operation would become the standard (by 1905 sixty-seven percent of the cotton mills in the South were steam-powered) but at the time it represented an innovation. Textile entrepreneurs, among them Edwin M. Holt, consulted with Humphreys on steam technology. "Humphreys got his start in the mercantile business and soon profited to the point that in 1822 he could purchase the Greensboro mansion (later owned by John Motley Morehead) known as "Blandwood" The first Mount Hecla cotton mill, only the third built in the state (after Schenck-Warlick and Rocky Mount) was a typical waterpower driven operation opened in 1818 on the outskirts on Greensboro. By 1828 Humphreys had closed this mill and purchased a lot at the corner of Bellemeade and Greene Streets. He purchased machinery from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and brought down James Danforth to design and equip the mill. The masonry building was four stories tall with a basement, 150 feet long by 50 feet wide, working 2500 spindles and 75 looms. "An advertisement in July 1834 indicated that the mill was "in the full tide of successful operating." Initially employing a mixed workforce of slaves and whites, Humphreys soon moved to whites only (100 in 1840 produced 3000 pounds per week), supplying "employment for numerous hands hitherto doing nothing for the community, and but little for themselves." He issued scrip currency in 50 cents, $1, and $3 denominations featuring an illustration of the mill. Humphreys died in 1840 and was succeeded by his son-in-law Thomas R. Tate as operator of the mill. An ad in 1843 indicated that the mill was shipping "immense quantities" to distant markets but by 1850 it had relocated to the Catawba River in Gaston County and returned to traditional waterpower." This is marker number J-104 and it was erected in 2001 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. [Review 2494 of 2024 - 3947 in North Carolina - 23506 overall]

Blandwood Mansion is a privately owned museum in Downtown Greensboro. The museum opened in 1984…read moreafter Preservation Greensboro acquired the property in 1966 as it was going to be demolished. After preserving the building and reconstructing out buildings that had been torn down. The museum offers tours on the hour. The house was the home of NC Governor John Motley Morehead. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. In 1988 it was named at National Historic Landmark because of its architecture. It is the oldest Italianate architecture in the country. Governor Morehead was the 28th Governor on North Carolina and served two terms from 1841 to 1845. He had eight children that were raised at Blandwood. Eight women and nine men were enslaved at the home. The Blandwood Mansion is Italianate architecture. The current house is the original house and two additions. The original farmhouse was built in 1795 and the first addition was made in 1822. The second expansion was in the 1844-1846 in the Italianate style by AJ Davis. The house is decorated as it would have been when Governor Morehead lived there. The house is in great condition and contains original items of the Moreheads that were donated back to the museum by descendants. The kitchen is not original but one of the reconstructed buildings according to the plans they found during a dig. The kitchen also houses the gift shop. The museum does not have a parking area but you can park on a nearby street. I was charged $8 admission to take the guided tour throughout the house. Masks are required to tour the museum. Hand sanitizer was also available inside. I arrived on the half hour but was allowed to join a tour in progress and then complete the first half afterwards. I expected that I'd need to wait until the next tour so was pleasantly surprised. I also bought items in a gift shop and when a bag wasn't available the tour docent offered up his bag for me to use which was very thoughtful. After my tour I realized that I need to learn more about this house and Governor Morehead and his family. I highly recommend this tour to other history buffs.

Had an amazing tour guided by Thomas! Best historical tour I've ever experienced. He went, what…read morefelt like was, above and beyond to make our experience unique and memorable. His knowledge of the family and grounds had me in awe. Would recommend this incredible experience to anyone visiting or passing through this area. Blandwood Museum is lucky to have someone who cares so much about the building and history guiding visitors through the beautiful grounds!!

Located along Main Street and in front of the actual school, this marker provides some context and…read morehistory of this prestigious institution. There is not much room to stop to read the marker, which says, "Est. 1963; opened 1965. First state-supported school for performing arts in U.S. A campus of The University of North Carolina since 1971." Online, there is much more information. "In 1963 the General Assembly of North Carolina, during the governorship of Terry Sanford, designated funds "to create and provide for a training center for instruction in the performing arts." As a result the North Carolina School of the Arts, which opened in September 1965, became the first such state-supported school. In 1971 it became one of the sixteen constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina." "The School of the Arts enrolls over 700 students in secondary school and college programs in dance, drama, film, music, design and production, and visual arts. They are led by over 100 faculty members, most of whom are artists who continue to perform in their fields. Admission to the school is by audition or portfolio." Just another gem in the crown that is the Tarheel State. Welcome to North Carolina! [Review 19947 overall - 3434 in North Carolina - 921 of 2023.]

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]

Cool Landmark to see here. We were walking around this city and checking out their public art…read more Winston Salem has many cool Murals all around the place. This is another cool example of the public art scene in Winston Salem. I enjoy all the colors and the design of this public art mural. Go check it out in this cool city.

There are no donuts here unless you brought your own. The sweet history of Krispy Kreme began in…read more1937 when its inventor, Vernon Rudolph, rented space in a small warehouse on South Main Street in the center of Historic Old Salem, Winston-Salem. Rudolph first supplied his yeast-raised doughnuts to nearby supermarkets, but as the bakery's enticing aroma attracted people to the door, he decided to make a hole in the wall and sell hot doughnuts to customers directly. The flagship store has since relocated across town to Stratford Road. Other well-known culinary businesses, such as Garner Foods, which produces Texas Pete hot sauce and Green Mountain Gringo salsa, which has been spicing up kitchens since 1929, are based in Winston-Salem. There is some parking here. The Winston-Salem State University is nearby so it may be a busy area on some days. [Review 953 of 2025 - 4350 in North Carolina - 24508 overall]

For any fan of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, this stop is an interesting one. It was the original…read morelocation for Krispy Kreme before the building got demolished. I visited on a Saturday afternoon and there weren't many people around. I was able to find free street parking. The actual flagship store is about 5-6 min driving away.

First and foremost: this is a private home in a quiet neighborhood and not a public museum /…read moreproperty. If you visit, please make sure to not enter the property / knock on the front door / disturb the family who lives there in any way. Respectful, okay? Okay, cool. That all being said -- this place is a historical landmark for Winston Salem and humanity as a whole. It was the home of writer/actress/director/activist Dr. Maya Angelou from 1994 until her death in 2014, when she passed away inside this home. Dr. Angelou once wrote a lovely little essay called "In the Valley of Humility" (published in the collection "Letter to My Daughter") about how and why she decided to make Winston-Salem her home. She decided on Winston-Salem in part because of the warmth and kindness she felt from the community at Wake Forest University, and decided to accept the position of lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies there in 1981. This came after a divorce when she was looking for a "soft place to land". Anyone who has spent time in the Wake Forest part of Winston-Salem can certainly understand the appeal for her in that moment. Whenever I feel the need for a spiritual moment or reset, I like to quietly drive by her former home on Bartram. I take in the trees, how green and peaceful everything is. I pull out of the neighborhood and drive the few minutes down to the Wake Forest campus -- the same drive that Dr. Angelou likely made when she was heading over to speak or teach. It's really easy to understand why she picked Winston-Salem as her haven. Whenever I have visitors in from out of town, this is one of the first places I recommend that they visit. She may not live there anymore, and the house may now be painted deep blue instead of sunshine yellow, but driving by this house and down these streets -- especially after reading "In the Valley of Humility" -- allows so much in-depth insight into the day-to-day existence of one of the most cherished Southern writers of our time.