Murray's Mill is easy to find from I-40. The gristmill was built in 1913 and the Murray & Minges…read morestore from the 1890s is also open. When you arrive, find a spot to park on either side of the street. Then go into the Murray & Minges General Store to pay for your self-guided tour. You will receive a binder to read through of the history and photos of the equipment and what it does. You can tour all three levels of the mill as there are stairs to the top floor and stairs to the basement. The mill used the barter system to grind wheat and corn. The water wheel is 28 foot high and 4 foot wide. the buckets on it have rusted so they are raising money for the needed repairs. The water wheel is attached by a shaft to a gear on the wall and powers everything in the mill except the lights. The mill is still operational and grinds on the 3rd Sunday of the month when it is warm enough. The stones weigh 2400 pounds and were used to cut corn and wheat. Leather belts were used and were pieced together to make them long enough. They could make 300 pounds of flour an hour which was much less than what modern mills could produce. 10 sets of pins are needed to make flour and roller mills are used to crush the wheat. Each screen has an elevator and each set basically sifts the flour to get it to where it needs to be. Making flour creates a white dust and that dust is explosive. If you are looking for a historic mill to visit this one is a great one to visit and learn how the mill operated.

A fun historical site, preserved so well & well worth the $7. Remarkable how industrious & sharp…read morethis family was. From a time when attention to detail was valued, all the chutes are made of wood with beveled edges & beadwork because...some of it is furniture quality. Pay your way & get the 3-ring binder of pics/info & step back in time. This is the heartbeat of America. "1965-1966 - Lloyd & brother Ernest run the milling operation by themselves to cut cost. In 1966 Lloyd let Ernest go & ran the whole mill on his own. Ernest went to work for Southern Furniture. 1967 - The mill closes due to government taxing. In 1964, the federal government levied a grain tariff that heavily taxed corn & wheat. Small mills were put out of business by larger industrial mills. Lloyd Murray had been working by himself for the last year, he locked up the mill & went home for the last time. He goes to work for Pinnacle Furniture Company. 1980/81 - With help from NC Preservation Fund & Stewart Family, the Catawba County Historical Assoc. purchases Murray's Mill, the General Store, & the Wheathouse for $68,000. 1982 - John Murray dies one month shy of his 105* birthday. At the time he had 10 children, 20 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, & 3 great-great-grandchildren. 1986 - Murray & Minges General Store reopens to the public. 1988, April 30 - Murray's Mill reopens to the public after a $2M restoration". That's just a taste of the recent info, go get a history lesson...wheel is still in the process of being replaced

I concur w/ other reviewers about the disturbing noise w/i the library on Main Street…read more I even spoke to the library manager and she shrugged it off basically saying that times change, which I suppose means throw out the good and keep most of the bad. Children learn quickly how not to behave in this library, just like the ee's. Like others, I found it difficult to find a place to read or study, which is a big part of what a library is for--or used to be. Also, whoever keeps up the 'historian's' office, needs some organization skills. What a plush, seemingly do-nothing job. The next time you are there take a peek....

I just love the library. I needed to print a copy of something and how can you complain about .10…read morecents for a copy and color no doubt. I needed a temporary card as I was not a library card holder and they gave me a pass. How simple was this? I was impressed and grateful for the polite and courteous staff today. This is a cool library with lots of pumpkins on display right now for a contest. Check it out. And they are adding a new location opening soon on Brawley School road.

The place is filled with bums. There is a shelter nearby, but you can't be drinking or drugging, so…read morethey don't want to go there.There was 8 bums in there when I was there they were not using the library services just bumming on thier phone,talking eating ect this is BS perhaps the police need to be involved the staff is great and helpful but hindered by the bums

I have been a patron of this library since I was a child and in school. I remember being in the…read moreSummer reading program here. I also brought my children here for reading activities when they were young. They have always been accommodating and friendly. I didn't fully understand how blessed our county was to have this library until I began researching my family history. The local history and genealogy room is better than any other I have ever visited. I have visited many. The ladies over this room, Leslie and Denise, are very knowledgeable of local history and are more than willing to assist you in your family research. They work hard to find additional resources to help you break through brick walls that you encounter. They host events and bring in experts and guest speakers. They are simply amazing. The other library employees are eager to assist you in making copies, finding books, and any other need you may have. This library is a great. The parking is not ideal but that is outside the control of the library staff.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg library district offers a number of very nice regional and special…read morelibrary settings: the South Park Regional, South County Regional, and the library collaboration with the Children's Theatre of Charlotte ... ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center on Seventh Street downtown to name just three. Each has specialties that make them individuals. The ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center collaboration between the library district and the Children's Theatre is a hands down wonder. While some libraries specialize in library things (games and toys) to engage kids and others specialize in library materials (books and puzzles), ImaginOn has it all ... including plays and story times. The library itself is free to enter, multi-story, newish, clean and easy to get to, with available parking that is free for 90 minutes with a stamped ticket. This facility absolutely had everything to stimulate kids of all ages ... probably 2 to 12 being the sweet spot. Do make a point of finding your way here for a visit someday ... you'll be glad you did. Highly recommended.

Great place for children. Lots of books and activities and it's all free…read more Very clean and spacious.

I never would've imagined Concord would have such a large, nice library tucked into the upcoming…read morehustle and bustle of their downtown. It meshes perfectly with the other shops and restaurants right along the main drag. Out front the shrubs and green spaces are nicely upkept and featured a sculpture or two. In the library you can find basically anything you'd find in a Charlotte library. The bottom floor features the fiction and nonfiction stacks, plenty of computers for public use and tables for board games, puzzles and Scrabble night. Upstairs is an entire theater where, on the day I visited, a duo was playing guitar, tambourine and singing for a group of kids. Just beside the theater entrance is the children's area for books and things. Both upstairs and downstairs you can find staff at the ready to help you find what you need. It's amazing to me that more people don't take full advantage of the service and resources libraries provide entirely for free in our communities. Though I think that's changing, as this location seems to prove.

Very historical and interesting for sure, lots of older souls to see. Hope you get the same resultread more

We just walked through the cemetery to check it out very hard to read some of the tombstones. Also,…read moreI guess if you go on a tour, you get to know a little bit more information.

I use the library often to do business work when my grandchildren are visiting and something…read moreimportant comes up that needs my attention. I know this sounds bad but there are times you need to find a quite place to focus so about 6 or 7 times per year I go to the Florence S. Shanklin library near my house. Their wifi is fast enough and I have found the place to be very quiet. Not sure when the other reviewer was there but a noisy place has not been my experience. All I can tell my friends and neighbors is go try the place, especially in the spring and fall, the have a beautiful green park surrounding the facility. Great for listening to the birds and relax. Then go in and check out some books, they have a good selection books and staff is very courteous and helpful.

I come here mainly to use the wifi and pickup/checkout books. If you are looking for a quiet place…read moreto read, study, or surf the web, this is DEFINITELY. NOT. IT. Seriously, this is the loudest library I have ever been in, in my entire life. Screaming, unruly children (I thought I just picked a bad time, but this has been an issue every single time I visit), a loud interactive computer in the children's area, adults chatting animatedly on their cell phones while using the computers or browsing the shelves, random people (who are evidently library "celebrities") hovering over my computer/space trying to small talk despite my clearly non-inviting headphones and aversion to eye contact (I'm sure their intentions are good, but I really just want to be left alone), and even the staff chatting incredibly loudly with patrons about their personal lives. It's a small library. And sound travels, I get it. But NO ONE is considerate and evidently "quiet" is a foreign concept. That being said - the selection of books is decent considering it's size, and it is super easy to have books shuttled in from one of the other branch libraries using the online request system. Be aware that the internet DOES have site restrictions - certain sites like YouTube are blocked, which is a major bummer because I do a lot of film/TV research for my job. Their DVD collection has some interesting choices, not a whole lot of new titles at this branch or seemingly at any of the branches. The circulation desk staff are nice and helpful, though there is one who I have witnessed be particularly sassy (on the verge of rude) to select patrons. It's bright and clean. Books? YES Wifi? YES Thinking/Reading/Reflecting/Anything Potentially Calming or Relaxing? NO

Man the ladies here are on point!…read more Super fast, no bs! In and out, make that appointment as well, it helps everyone

We walked straight in to the desk, no waiting, to get a Level 2 license. The staff were all super…read morenice and helpful. We were called back to the station within 2 minutes and my daughter was taking her driving test within 5 minutes of completing the paperwork.