Located in the same area as the Forsyth County Courthouse and around the corner, the equestrian…read morestatue of RJ Reynolds, this marker points out the original home of one of the city's core businesses. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "The Little Red Factory, also known as the Old Red Factory, was built in 1875 by Richard Joshua (R.J.) Reynolds as the first home of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Situated on land purchased from the Moravian town of Salem, this modest two-story structure was strategically located at the nexus of two key commercial advantages: the thriving flue-cured tobacco market and a newly constructed railroad line. R.J. Reynolds emerged as a prominent figure in the community, and the Reynolds family played a pivotal role in shaping the history and growth of Winston-Salem." Winston-Salem's growth is tightly linked to the rise of R.J. Reynolds, who arrived in 1874 and launched his business in the Little Red Factory, a small bright‑red building that quickly expanded as demand for tobacco surged. By the 1890s, Reynolds had built Factory Number 256 over the original site, absorbed most local competitors, and turned his company into a national powerhouse with brands like Prince Albert, Camel, Winston, and Salem, while also reshaping the city's skyline with projects such as the 1929 Reynolds Building. The company became one of the region's largest employers through the mid‑20th century, but later faced mounting health‑related scrutiny, regulatory pressure, and declining cigarette consumption, eventually merging with Nabisco in 1989 and relocating its headquarters to Atlanta in 1999. Although Factory Number 256 was destroyed in a major 1998 fire, the legacy of R.J. Reynolds remains deeply embedded in Winston-Salem's industrial, economic, and architectural history. [Review 617 of 2026 - 4705 in North Carolina - 25798 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]

Just east of the Shallowford Road bridge (that itself is south of US-421), this marker has the same…read moretext on both sides and points out a Revolutionary War site. It reads, "Colonial route across Yadkin River. Scene of Tory defeat by Whigs, 1780. Crossing used in 1781 by army of Lord Cornwallis. 600 yards south." Online there is more information. Shallow Ford on the Yadkin River served as a major eighteenth‑century wagon crossing on the Great Wagon Road and became a focal point for travel and settlement in western North Carolina. It witnessed multiple military actions, including a 1780 Patriot victory over Surry County Loyalists, Cornwallis's 1781 pursuit of Greene across the river, and a brief clash during Stoneman's Raid in 1865. Its long use and repeated strategic importance made it one of the Piedmont's most historically significant river fords. There is a spot here to stop to read the marker. There is also a path down to the riverbank on the west side of the bridge. [Review 608 of 2026 - 4696 in North Carolina - 25789 overall]

At the top of this hill next to a service station and near a diner, this marker points out a local…read morehero who was honored when the county was formed. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Officer in the War of 1812. Mortally wounded in Canada, 1814. Forsyth County named for him. Home stood a few feet north of this spot." This is marker number J-12 and it was erected in 1957 by the North Carolina Archives and Highway Departments. There is room to pull over and read the marker. There is more information online. Benjamin Forsyth emerged from relative obscurity to become one of North Carolina's most celebrated frontier soldiers, known for bold raids that made him a legend among his men. Before the war he had already built a substantial life in Stokes County, serving in the General Assembly and amassing significant landholdings. His death in 1814 and the later loss of his only son gave his story a tragic arc, but his reputation endured strongly enough that the state honored him decades later by naming a new county after him. [Review 624 of 2026 - 4712 in North Carolina - 25805 overall]

Between Madison and Wentworth, this roadside marker points out the home of one of North Carolina's…read morefirst governors who was an important figure in the early days of one of the original colonies. There is room to pull over to view the marker and perhaps look around. It is marker number J-15 and it was erected in 1993 by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. It reads, "Alexander Martin, 1738-1807. Governor, 1782-85 and 1789-92, officer in the Revolution, member Federal Convention of 1787, United States Senator. Home stood 1/2 mile north." Alexander Martin, born around 1739 in New Jersey and educated at the College of New Jersey, built a prominent political career after settling in North Carolina around 1760. Rising from merchant and lawyer to legislator, Revolutionary War officer, and eventually governor, he served multiple terms and steered a moderate political course while helping guide the state through the end of the Revolution, the State of Franklin crisis, the founding of the University of North Carolina, and the establishment of Raleigh as the capital. Though his military record was blemished by a court‑martial from which he was acquitted, he remained influential, later serving in the U.S. Senate before returning home to Rockingham County, where he died in 1807. [Review 649 of 2026 - 4737 in North Carolina - 25830 overall]

In downtown Winston-Salem, historical marker 34 was erected by the city to recognize the founding…read moreof the Winston-Salem Rotary Club and standing beside it under the city's tall buildings, you can feel how much civic ambition once pulsed through this corner of Second and Main. The marker reads, "On November 9, 1915, the first organizational meeting of the Winston-Salem Rotary Club, the Piedmont Triad's first Rotary club, was held in the Zinzendorf Hotel at the northeast corner of North Main and West Second Streets. The 24 founding members joined the growing Rotary organization that had been founded in Chicago in 1905. Under the visionary leadership of the Winston-Salem club's first president, Owen Norvell, the club received its charter on February 1, 1916, and quickly grew to become one of the community's most respected civic organizations. Over its first 100 years, Rotary international grew to become an organization of 1.2 million members in over 27,000 Rotary clubs in 150 countries throughout the world." The online entry provides much more information. This Rotary Club helped create the City County Planning Board, supported the preservation of Old Salem, encouraged the relocation of Wake Forest College and the development of the North Carolina Baptist Medical Center. The Rotary Club's influence shows up in places locals pass every day. There is metered parking here but it gets busy on weekdays with the courthouses and the county offices nearby. [Review 614 of 2026 - 4702 in North Carolina - 25795 overall]

George Henry Black was a master brickmaker whose handmade bricks shaped some of Winston-Salem's…read moremost recognizable homes, churches, factories and civic buildings. Born in 1879 to parents who had been enslaved, he came to the city as a child and eventually built his own brickyard, gaining a national reputation for the quality and durability of his traditional hand-pressed bricks. His work appeared everywhere, from local mansions to the original North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Salem College and even restoration projects in Colonial Williamsburg. This statue in front of the Forsyth County Courthouse honors that legacy, recognizing a craftsman whose bricks literally built the community and whose century-long life reflected both skill and perseverance. The memorial includes examples of his original bricks and stands near buildings that used them, making it a fitting tribute to someone whose work helped define the city's architectural character. There is metered street parking in the area but it will be quite busy during the week with the courthouses and city offices nearby. [Review 616 of 2026 - 4704 in North Carolina - 25797 overall]

I've never thought much about the RJ Reynolds Company, not being a smoker these days. Of course,…read morethe company is named for the man who founded it but who really thinks about that? But now you can impress your friends and acquaintances that you know the founder's full name: Richard Joshua Reynolds. The sculpture in downtown Winston-Salem honors him and the industry that was key to this city's development. The caption at the base reads, "In 1875, this young Virginian, aged 24, rode into Winston in search of a town in which to build his first tobacco factory. Through the generosity of the citizens of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, this memorial has been erected to honor a successful businessman and public benefactor." The sculpture was completed by artist Earline Heath King and dedicated on June 25, 1979. It shows R. J. Reynolds turning slightly to his right as if taking in the city he helped shape. The bronze figure is detailed and shows Reynolds in a long coat, reins in one hand, hat relaxed at his side, while the horse stands alert with one rear leg lifted as though about to stamp. [Round number review 4700 in North Carolina - 612 of 2026 - 25793 overall]