This marker is located along busy Wendover Avenue but there is room to pull over and park on the…read morecross street to be able to read the marker. It points the way to a manufacturing facility that no longer exists. Marker J-96 was erected in 1991 by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History and it has faded quite a bit since then. It reads, "Moses and Ceasar Cone pioneered marketing of textiles; manufactured denim & flannel. Their first mill, Proximity, 1895, was 1/4 mile northeast." There is more information online. Moses and Ceasar Cone began as Baltimore grocery partners before shifting into textile marketing, convincing most Southern mill owners to let them handle sales. After moving their headquarters to Greensboro in 1893, they built a series of major mills - Proximity, Revolution, and White Oak - that became national leaders in flannel and denim production. Moses focused on vision and planning while Ceasar handled operations and detail. Their success funded major local institutions and personal estates, including Moses's large Blowing Rock property and the Greensboro hospital established through his bequest. The Cone enterprise marked its centennial in 1991, reflecting the long-lasting impact of the brothers' industrial legacy. Cone Denim still exists, but as a globally integrated denim manufacturer rather than the old Greensboro‑centered mill empire. [Review 1170 of 2026 - 4819 in North Carolina - 26349 overall]

This marker is located along US-70 (Wendover Ave) and points the way to the nearby historic…read moregovernment offices that were a new thing back in the day. Marker J-89 was erected by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. It has the same text on both sides and reads, "Established in 1911, it was the first county health department in North Carolina and second in United States Now two blocks north." There is an adjacent parking lot where you can stop and read the marker. There is more information online. The county health movement grew out of early twentieth‑century campaigns against hookworm, typhoid, and other diseases, and Jefferson County, Kentucky, created the nation's first county health department in 1908. North Carolina authorized county boards of health in 1911, and Guilford County became the first in the state and the second in the nation to establish a full county health department that same year. The commissioners hired Dr. G. F. Ross on May 1, 1911, after citizens requested a physician who would devote his entire time to county health work. Robeson County followed in 1912, and although the movement expanded steadily, all 100 North Carolina counties did not have health departments until 1949. [Review 1173 of 2026 - 4822 in North Carolina - 26352 overall]

I had just come from the Museum of Rockingham County in the old 1907 courthouse so walking up to…read morethe Rockingham County Judicial Center felt like stepping from one chapter of the county's story straight into the next. Rockingham County was formed in 1785 and named for Charles Watson Wentworth, the second Marquess of Rockingham. He was a British statesman who supported American independence, and Reidsville itself takes its name from Reuben Reid, a local innkeeper whose family became deeply tied to the area's early civic life. The Judicial Center leans into that long arc of county history with a modern civic design that feels intentional without trying to compete with the older courthouse architecture I had just left behind. On a Saturday morning, the building was completely closed, which actually made it a great time to walk the perimeter and take everything in without any foot traffic. It was easy to get clean photos of the building with no one wandering into the frame and without anyone giving me that sideways look that sometimes comes when you point a camera at a government building, not that it should be an issue but you know how people get. The quiet made the place feel even more rooted in the long county history I had just experienced at the museum and the modern lines of the Judicial Center stood out nicely against the still morning light. Don't miss the Charters of Freedom installation in front. There are many of these at other courthouses, but it's worth checking out here if you've not seen that before. [Review 635 of 2026 - 4723 in North Carolina - 25816 overall]

In town for the first time to attend a women's lacrosse game at Greensboro College, we wanted to…read moresee some things nearby rather than risk a late arrival. My niece encouraged us to check out Blandwood Museum, based on comments she'd heard, though she'd never been there herself. It was a great suggestion. When we arrived, late morning, we were the only ones there. The docent, a history major, essentially gave us a private tour. She explained that currently the museum was in the process of changing some of the exhibits so a few areas we could go to were temporarily closed. She seemed to have lots of information about Thomas Day an African American furniture maker, several of whose pieces were now on display. She was excellent about asking if we noticed differences/similarities in various furnishings and seemed pleased that we had at least some of the correct answers. While we didn't take photos, I wish now I had taken at least a few. I think I was so absorbed in her tour, it seemed like a private home tour with a good friend, that it would have seemed overly intrusive. Our guide shared a lot of details, seemly a great judge of when to keep talking and when to stop. I regret not knowing her name as 75 minutes went by exceedingly quickly. If we return to Greensboro again, it would interesting to see it again.

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.

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]

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]

A fun roadside attraction! It's much bigger than I expected…read moreit to be but also don't expect a full-blown village. Lots of structures to look at with significant detail. Take your time and enjoy this special roadside attraction. Don't forget to sign the guest book in the mailbox.

Shangri-La Stone Village is in Prospect Hill, NC. It is near the volunteer fire department, so if…read moreyou can find that, you will see Shangri-La. Admission is free and there was not anywhere to leave a donation but they do have a notebook that you can sign in and share your thoughts. The notebook in the box was from April and there have been many visitors since then. The Village was created with stone from a local quarry. He quarried the stone himself. Henry Warren created this village when he was 72 back in 1968. He was battling cancer at the time. He was a retired tobacco farmer and created 27 buildings that are pretty tall, I'd guess 4-6 feet tall, out of stone. He selected each piece and constructed it all himself. He used white flint rock, quartz, brick, and cement to create this masterpiece. I like that he used other items in his work like door knobs, table legs, ceramic and glass. The art in the designs is remarkable. His workmanship needs to be applauded as his work is still standing after decades. The Village has a mill with water wheel, a school, a church, a theater, a water tower, a farmhouse, a doghouse, an outhouse, a motel, a general store, a jail, a library, a liquor store, and City Hall. He was working on the hospital when he died and his family completed that for him. He finished in 1972 and put up a plaque in the front that says, "Let me live in the house by the side of the road and be a friend to man." Visitors are welcome to tour his creation at any time and for free. Children who came to visit would leave toys to enjoy the village so it was fun to see who was living in the village. Warren died at 84 years old back in 1977 but left behind his work of love for all of us to still enjoy. So if you get a chance, stop by and enjoy his work and take in the whimsy and feel the magic.

This is a great walking trail in the heart of rockingham county, Wentworth. It's right next door to…read morethe old Chinqua Penn mansion, which is now closed. The parking lot is semi well lighted but they do close the trail at night. Not officially like with a gate or anything, but I wouldn'r stay out there after dark because there is no lighting on the trail. During the walk, you'll get to see a pond, koi pond, cows, water fall and most likely a lot of critters. Dogs are always welcome there leashed. We take our German Shepherd on walks there and she loves it. We let her play in the creek during the hike. I believe it's 1.5 miles total. I wouldn't say it's a hard hike by any means, but there are some hills throughout. They do have benches in case you need to take a break. Very pretty and a great place to relax and get some steps in.

Talk about a hidden gem in Reidsville! This trail was absolutely beautiful. Over a mile and a half…read morewalk that completes the trail. We stumbled across some birds and cows. Everything appeared well maintained and clean which was lovely. There are benches throughout the pathway where you may enjoy some sightseeing. Do stay hydrated during the hotter days, there are no shortcuts back to the parking lot. It is one way in and one way out that loops for roughly 1.6 miles. Overall a great experience. Dog-friendliness: Doggies are allowed.