There are many unsung cities, places and people that can claim the monicker BLACK WALL STREET…read moreDurham, NC is one of them. It was home to Mechanics and Farmers Bank and North Carolina Mutual. At a time when it was difficult for Blacks to own businesses, homes or pay for services and good. Several of North Carolinas citizens including two African-American entrepreneurs: John Merrick and Charles Spaulding worked toward the goal of generational wealth. These innovative Black citizens used their resources from their smaller businesses such as a barber shop to create North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance and others. Although this initiative received support from the wealthy Duke family (tobacco) with its growing success in the community it soon faced opposition. Several businesses and buildings were vandalized. On March 2, 1902, a group of whites burned down an office owned by North Carolina Mutual. Black Wall Street Historic Parrish Street had several businesses throughout out four blocks. Pictures, a historic building and historical marker stands to depict the history of HISTORIC PARRISH STREET DURHAM, NC.

Well, the more you know. I was unfamiliar with this bit of history as I'm not a Durham native. The…read moremarker helped me learn something and perhaps you'll learn something too. Erected in 2004 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, marker G-116 has the same text on both sides. It reads, "In the early decades of the 1900s, Durham acquired national reputation for entrepreneurship. Businesses owned by African Americans lined Parrish Street. Among them were N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co. (moved to Parrish, 1906), led by John Merrick, Dr. Aaron Moore, & C. C. Spaulding, and Mechanics and Farmers Bank (1907), led by R. B. Fitzgerald and W. G. Pearson." Online, there is more information. The essay on the state's web page explains how Parrish Street's rise was driven by a network of ambitious Black business leaders whose companies expanded into insurance, banking, real estate, and textiles, creating a nationally noted hub of economic strength. It highlights the praise Durham received from figures like Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, who contrasted the city's unusually supportive racial climate with harsher conditions elsewhere in the South. It concludes by noting that mid-century urban renewal severely damaged the surrounding Hayti community and accelerated the decline of the district's once-thriving business ecosystem. I would also encourage you to read Leah's review that details the much less positive side of the hisstory. [Review 1162 of 2026 - 4811 in North Carolina - 26341 overall]

The Henderson County Heritage Museum is located inside the Historic Henderson County Courthouse in…read moredowntown Hendersonville, NC. The building was constructed in 1904 and is a classic revival style. Admission to the museum is free, but they do collect donations. I only explored the first level of the building, but there may be more exhibits on the upper floors. More signage would be helpful. The museum covers local history and military history. They have artifacts and uniforms of all the wars. One room is dedicated to the area's railroad history. The model trains were not working when I was there, though. There is a memorial to "Big Jim", the world's largest pig. Back in 1941, the pig weighed 2415 pounds and was four feet 8 inches tall and ten feet 8 inches long. If you are in Downtown Hendersonville, this museum is worth a visit. There is a small gift shop as well.

Cute museum that was very clean and had a inviting staff plus nice restrooms! The information they…read morehad displayed was great and my whole family enjoyed it. It's free and a nice change from the shopping on main st.

Zipping around Durham these days, it might slip your mind that it wasn't always this open and…read moreaccessible. That there were dark times in American's recent past. I mean, this is the South and they were different back then. Thankfully, it's changed. Marker G-123 was erected in 2008 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. It has the same text on both sides, "Segregation protest at an ice cream parlor on this site, June 23, 1957, led to court case testing dual racial facilities." The 1957 protest at Durham's Royal Ice Cream Company involved seven young African Americans who deliberately sat in the whites‑only section to challenge segregation. Their arrest for trespassing led to a series of court cases that tested the legality of racially divided facilities in North Carolina. Despite mixed media coverage and appeals reaching the state's highest court, every ruling upheld the segregation laws of the time. The case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear it, leaving the convictions in place. [Review 1158 of 2026 - 4807 in North Carolina - 26337 overall]

This marker is located along a busy street near the center of Durham. It points out the history of…read morea local citizen who did great things and should be remembered. The marker reads, "First African American female Episcopal priest; lawyer, activist, poet, & human rights champion. Wrote Proud Shoes, 1956. Childhood home 1/4 mile south." Online, there is more information. "Anna Pauline (Pauli) Murray, lawyer, professor, writer, outspoken civil and gender rights activist, and Episcopal priest, was born in Baltimore. When she was three years old, her mother died and, as her father was confined to a state hospital, she went to live with her aunt, and namesake, Pauline Fitzgerald Dame of Durham. She graduated at sixteen from segregated Hillside High School as valedictorian. "Murray enrolled at Richmond Hill High School in New York, the only black student, to complete high school. Determined to attend an integrated college, but unable to meet stringent requirements, academic and financial, at Barnard, she matriculated at Hunter College. She worked briefly at Camp Tera, a New Deal work project, there meeting Eleanor Roosevelt, who would be a guiding force in her life. "In 1938 she applied to the University of North Carolina to study sociology. Her application, against state law which required "separate but equal" institutions, garnered national attention. Her unsuccessful campaign for admission was the first time that she experienced what she would later summarize in saying that one woman with a typewriter constitutes a movement. "Despite having served jail time for refusing to sit at the back of a bus in Virginia, Murray was admitted to Howard Law School in 1941 where she experienced discrimination due to her gender rather than her race. When awarded a fellowship to pursue advanced legal education, she was rejected by Harvard, again, because of her gender. She went to California to study for a master's in law. Later she would wonder which was the bigger obstacle to her legal career, race or gender. "Murray published State's Laws on Race and Color in 1951. Thurgood Marshall called the work "the Bible for civil rights lawyers." Her second book, a biographical account, was Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family (1956). In 1960 she travelled to Ghana to teach law at the University of Ghana and later authored the first English-language textbook on law in Africa. "Murray worked for civil rights and women's organizations, helped found the National Organization of Women (NOW), and was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to the Committee on Civil and Political Rights within his Commission on the Status of Women. She remained critical of the lack of leadership roles for women in many of the organizations. She published a volume of poetry, Dark Testament, in 1970. "In 1977 Murray became the first African American female Episcopal priest in the United States, and held her first Eucharist at the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, where her grandmother had been baptized as a slave. About the special day she wrote, "All the strands of my life had come together." Pauli Murray died on July 1, 1985, in Pittsburgh. She is buried in Cypress Hill Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. Her autobiography, Song in a Weary Throat: An American Pilgrimage, was published in 1987." [Review 63 of 2025 - 4038 in North Carolina - 23631 overall]

Awesome place, awesome people! Love seeing the veterans together, and doing what's right for them!read more

My 12-year-old daughter and I have been taking art classes, and we absolutely love it! The…read moreinstructors are incredibly talented, patient, and passionate about teaching. They introduce a wide variety of techniques, color combinations, and artistic styles, making every class exciting and inspiring. The lessons are well-structured, easy to follow, and encourage creativity while helping students build strong artistic skills. There is always something new to explore, and the supportive environment makes learning enjoyable for both children and adults. We have seen a noticeable improvement in our confidence and painting skills, and we always look forward to each class. I highly recommend Painter's Garden to anyone looking to learn, improve their artistic abilities, or simply enjoy the creative process!

Truly lovely place for my children's first experience with art classes. My 12 year old has always…read morebeen interested in art and graphics design and I wanted to expose her to many types of art and mediums. Tania and Diana have taught her skills and exposed her to new methods. My son (10) started lessons as well and is enjoying the classes and gaining skills. What a wonderful gem to have Painter's Garden in the community!

Early evening in Pittsboro, it was neat to walk from the restored 1881 courthouse (now the Chatham…read moreHistorical Museum) straight across the street to the modern Chatham County Justice Center and see the sharp contrast in styles. The new courthouse was built from 2011 to 2013 in a Modern architectural design, a three-story brick and concrete structure with a projecting central section and tall vertical columns rising across the facade. It sits just south of the historic courthouse on landscaped grounds, and the clean lines, wide pediment, and contemporary symmetry make it feel purpose-built for a growing county. Seeing the two buildings back to back really drives home how courthouse architecture has evolved. The old courthouse is all Victorian ornament and cupola drama, while the Justice Center is streamlines, efficient, and clearly designed for modern court operations. Even with the building closed for the weekend, it was easy to appreciate how thoughtfullt it was laid out and how in complements, rather than competes with, the historic landmark across the circle. [Review 1152 of 2026 - 4802 in North Carolina - 26331 overall]

Never thought I'd be writing a review about a courthouse but here we are…read more I had the privilege of sitting in the courtroom of Judge Pendergrass for a traffic violation. With everything going on in the world and people losing faith in our justice system my experience today gave me a little faith in humanity. Judge Pendergrass is the kindest, most disarming and fair judge I have ever seen, onscreen or off. Many in the room were nervous, tense before walking up to the podium. Even if they were handed heavy fines or judgement, they walked away relieved. He speaks to everyone with kindness and asks about their lives. One man had a one year old son and he talked to him about how exciting it must be sharing their first Christmas. He gave him extra time to pay off his ticket so he could get something nice for his son. At a stressful moment in everyone's lives, the demeanor of this judge is hopeful and heartwarming. Thanks for reinstalling some faith in our justice system. Judge Pendergrass truly is honorable.

Located at a busy intersection so it gets plenty of traffic, this marker points out the history of…read morea local Colonial-era resident. There is a space nearby to stop and read the marker. It has the same text on both sides, reading "Regulator leader. Outlawed after Battle of Alamance, 1771. Nearby house was burned by Gov. Tryon's troops." Online, there is more information. "Two James Hunters--one most noteworthy as a Regulator and the other a legislator--were prominent in North Carolina during the late colonial and Revolutionary periods." "James Hunter, the Regulator, was born around 1735, probably in Pennsylvania... Active in local affairs and displaying some degree of education, Hunter was at the forefront of the Regulator movement in the backcountry. He is believed to have helped write the "advertisements" and petitions, and was entrusted to deliver some of them. While he did not consider himself a military leader and is even said to have refused to assume command at the Battle of Alamance in 1771, Hunter later became known as "the General of the Regulators." "James Hunter, like many of the Regulators, sided with the King during the early days of the Revolution. He went to Cross Creek to join other Loyalists in February 1776, and then proceeded to New Hanover County. Hunter was captured at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge and paroled a few months later. He took the Oath of Allegiance on September 6, 1776, and was accepted as a "free citizen" of North Carolina." Proving that yes, people can change. [Review 19950 overall - 3437 in North Carolina - 924 of 2023.]