Welcome to the history page of the Librarian's Guide to Guilford County, NC!
This is a region rich in history. We have beautiful old homes, museums, battlefields, libraries and special collections for research, just all sorts of stuff to keep you busy if history is your thing. Whether you're planning your first visit or have long made this region your home, we hope this page of links will prove useful.
Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions.
Historic Homes and Buildings
Adams Inn
This gorgeous Italian Renaissance Revival villa (1108 North Main Street in High Point) was built in 1918 for John Hampton and Elizabeth (Barnes) Adams, textile magnates associated with the Highland Cotton Mills, Piedmont Hosiery Mills, Cloverdale Dyeworks and Adams-Millis Corporation. It was occupied by the Adams family only until 1931, but remained a private residence until taken over by the YMCA (to 1961) and Chapel of Flowers (to 1996). It was subsequently converted into the J. H. Adams Inn--a move which saved the property's demolition and conversion into a Burger King franchise.
Blandwood
Historic Blandwood, a beautiful Italinate style villa which served as the residence of former North Carolina governor John Motley Morehead, is open Tues.-Sat., 11AM-2PM, Feb.-Dec.
Castle McCulloch Gold Mill
This old gold mill, located near Jamestown and established in the early 1830s, is open to the public.
Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum
Celebrate African-American history at the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, located in Sedalia, N.C., between Greensboro and Burlington. It is located on the grounds of the Palmer Memorial Institute, a rural African-American school founded by Ms. Brown in 1902.
David Caldwell Historic Park
Rev. David Caldwell (1725-1824) was long pastor of the Buffalo Presbyterian Church. The park, located in Greensboro, includes a new period-style visitor center.
Haley House
This Flemish bond brick structure was finished in 1786 by a Quaker couple, John and Phebe (Wall) Haley, and is thought to be the oldest surviving structure on its original foundation in Guilford county. Haley was an early sheriff of Guilford County. The home was subsequently owned by the Welch and Wheeler families. The High Point Historical Museum now stands on the grounds.
Hoggatt House
The Joseph Hoggatt family probably constructed the core of this log structure around the turn of the 19th century. A one room log addition was built by Mahlon Hoggatt in 1824. It originally stood at the corner of Phillips Avenue and Rotary Drive but was moved in 1973 to its present location on the High Point Museum grounds. A fire ravaged the building December 2004, but it was restored and reopened within a year.
Jamestown
Settled in 1752, historic Jamestown includes many fine old homes and buildings.
Mendenhall Plantation
This historic Quaker home, built in 1811, is open Tues.-Fri. 11-3, Sat. 1-4, and Sun. 2-4, and includes a small museum.
Pennybyrn
Built by real estate magnate George T. Penny and his wife Lena, this Italian Renaissance Revival structure was designed by Raleigh James Hughes and built at a cost of $126,000 in 1927. The estate (1315 Greensboro Road) originally included 10 acres of woodland and lawns laid out to the taste of Charles Mackintosh. It remains the most opulant private residence in High Point. It was only occupied for five years and subsequently leased by the Penny family until in 1950, it was purchased for the Irish order of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God and now serves as their convent and the site of their nursing facility.
Battlefields and Military History
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
Here, in 1781, militia and regulars under command of Gen. Nathaniel Greene bravely fought the redcoats of Cornwallis and, though defeated, helped to exhaust British hopes of quashing the Rebellion.
Guilford County Veterans Memorial
This monument, located at Country Park and adjacent to the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, honors the lives of Guilford County men who fought from the Spanish-American War to the War in Bosnia.
Guilford Grays
Company B of the 27th NC Regiment, this is the best known of locally mustered units to fight in the Civil War.
John & Isabelle Murphy Confederate Longarms Collection
This collection, a permanent exhibit at the Greensboro Historical Museum, is a must for the Civil War enthusiast.
Railroad History
Atlantic and Yadkin Railway
This line, which operated during the first half of the 20th century, ran southeast to northwest across Guilford County.
Carolina Model Railroaders, Inc.
Though this organization is not dedicated specifically to the preservation of railroad history, many of its members are nonetheless very interested in and knowledgeable of Greensboro's railroad past.
High Point, NC Train Depot
The recently restored train depot is located at 100 West High Street in the heart of downtown High Point.
This depot is in service for Amtrak and is a stop for the Carolinian, Crescent, and Piedmont daily trains.
National Railway Historical Society--Greensboro, NC Chapter
Greensboro Chapter meets at REA Express building at the Depot
3rd Mon 7:00pm
Galyon Transportation Center
234-B East Washington St
Greensboro, NC Washington Street
North Carolina Railroad
Construction began on this line in Greensboro in 1851.
Greensboro Southern Railway Depot
Built in 1927, this station is considered to be one of North Carolina's finest. It has recently been completely renovated.
Historic Churches
Alamance Presbyterian Church
Alamance Presbyterian was formed by Scots-Irish and German immigrants in 1762.
Buffalo Presbyterian Church
Buffalo Presbyterian was the congregation of the venerable Rev. David Caldwell, an important figure in the early history of Guilford County.
Excerpt from History of Buffalo Presbyterian
This is a brief excerpt from an important work on the early history of Guilford County, written by former Buffalo Presbyterian minister, Samuel M. Rankin.
The Clapp Brick Church
This German Reformed Church (in German, "De Klapp Kirche") was founded in 1770.
Coble's Lutheran Church
Coble's Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in 1812 as Zion Lutheran by the Rev. Jacob Sherer. The congregation originally came from Low's (Lau's) Lutheran Church and possibly from Richland Lutheran Church in neighboring Randolph County. The original building was made of logs and erected on land contributed by Valentine Clapp. The meeting house was shared by three different congregations on alternate Sundays from 1820 to 1847: the North Carolina Synod Lutherans (known as "Zion Lutheran Church"), the Tennessee Synod Lutherans (known as "Coble's Lutheran Church"), and the Reformed congregation which later formed Mt. Hope Chruch (1847) (Later, Mt. Hope United Church of Christ). In 1921, the Tennessee and North Carolina Synods were reunited, and the remaining two congregations merged, taking the name "Coble's." There have been three structures on the present site: the first built around 1816, the second in 1876 and the third and present building 1927.
Deep River Friends Meeting
One of the many Quaker meetings in the region, Deep River Friends can trace its history to the 1750s.
Frieden's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Friedens was originally a union church built for both Reformed and Lutheran congregations to use. Tradition has it that the first structure was erected in about 1745 and was known as "Stahaker's Church" or "Shoemaker's Church." There is a great deal of scepticism about the 1745 date, as there were very few settlers of German origin in the area at the time--in fact, very few white settlers of any description. The second building rose in 1771 and included a gallery around three sides and an elevated pulpit with a sounding board. The Church was the site of a memorable incident during the Revolution. In March of 1781, Continental troops under Nathaniel Greene shot a local farmer named Shoemaker because he refused to bring them water shortly after the Battle of Whitesell's Mill. They bore his body off to the cemetery using the front door of the church. The steps and door were reportedly stained with his blood for many years. The records of the church were kept in German until 1830 and English liturgy was first introduced between 1830 and 1840. The third building, made of brick, was dedicated in 1871. It was virtually destroyed by fire in 1939 and only the columns from the third structure are now integrated into the fourth building. The cemetery is a large one and contains markers in natural slate and sandstone, some inscribed in German. It is said that almost 1,000 burials remain unmarked.
Low's (Lau's) Lutheran Church
Low's is probably the oldest church established for Lutheran and Reformed congregations in this area of North Carolina. Synod minutes place its founding in 1771, but it is undoubtedly quite a few years older, for it was visited by the Rev. George Soelle in 1769. At first, it was a so-called "union" church because the original log structure was used by both Reformed and Lutheran congregations until the Reformed split away and built their own structure nearby at Brick Church (Klapp Kirche). The second building was built in 1841. In 1889, a third frame church was constructed and significant additions were made to it in 1934. A recreation center was added in 1950 and in 1971, the fourth and present structure was erected. There are many headstones skillfully made of local stones and with inscriptions etched in German.
New Garden Friends Meeting
This Quaker Meeting was established at present-day Guilford College in 1754.
Museums
The Brock Historical Museum of Greensboro College
This museum documents the history of Greensboro College, founded in 1838.
Greensboro Historical Museum
Established in 1925, the Greensboro Historical Museum includes permanent exhibits on subjects such as O. Henry, civil rights, and Confederate long guns, as well as touring exhibits. It is located in downtown Greensboro, next to Central Library.
High Point Museum
The High Point Museum has permanent exhibits on the City of High Point's history, Jamestown rifles, and furniture production, for which the city is well-known.
International Civil Rights Museum
Though not yet open to the public, the International Civil Rights Museum will perform a vital role in highlighting Greensboro's contribution to the sit-in movement in 1960.
Local Events for the History Buff
Greensboro Bicentennial Commission
Greensboro's Bicentennial Commission, formed in 2005, is planning a whole host of events for Greensboro's 200th anniversary in 2008.
Greensboro Historical Museum
Check out events listed in the Museum's June newsletter.
High Point Sesquicentennial Celebration
2009 marks the 150th year since the acquisition of High Point's charter from the State Legislature. Numerous events are planned to mark this occasion and they will be posted to the linked page as they are announced.
Preservation Greensboro
This calendar chiefly lists events at Blandwood Plantation.
Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
Click above to link to the schedule of events at the Guilford Courthouse battleground.
Historic Preservation
City of High Point's Historic Preservation Commission
An overview of the Commission and its responsibilities.
Greensboro Historic District Manual and Guidelines
A good place to start if you're considering the purchase of an historic property in Greensboro.
Historic Preservation in Greensboro
A brief overview of historic preservation in Greensboro, which marks its beginning with the formation of the Guilford Courthouse Battleground Company in 1887.
Preservation Greensboro, Inc.
Founded in 1966, Preservation Greensboro provides grants, educational programs, awards and more, to foster the preservation of historic properties.
State Historic Preservation Office
This page on the State of North Carolina's Historic Preservation Office website gives an overview of preservation efforts in Greensboro and Guilford County.
Textile Industry History
Ceasar Cone & Cone Mills
Ceasar Cone (1859-1917), a giant in the history of Greensboro textiles, established Proximity Manufacturing Company and White Oak Mills ca. 1900.
A Brief History of Proximity Cotton Mills
An overview of the Cones and area mill history with an emphasis upon the Proximity and Printworks Plants.
A More Detailed History of Cone Mills LLC
An in-depth history of Cone Mills from its inception.
Textile Industry Resources in the North Carolina Collection at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Though not focused exclusively on Greensboro, this is a useful guide to some of the valuable information on North Carolina mill life available to researchers in the NC Collection at Wilson Library, UNC-Chapel Hill.
Famous People
John Coltrane
John Coltrane (1926-1967), an iconic American jazz saxophonist and composer, was born in Hamlet and grew up in High Point. Coltrane developed what is known as “sheets of sound” in improvisation, a method of playing multiple notes at one time.
Nathaniel Greene
Greensboro is named after Gen. Nathaniel Greene (1742-1786), who commanded the patriots at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781.
O. Henry
Born William Sydney Porter at place called Polecat Creek in Guilford County, O. Henry (1862-1910) is Greensboro's best known literary personality.
Greensboro Public Library's O. Henry Portal
Greensboro Public Library has created a website of archival materials relating to O. Henry which can be linked above.
Randall Jarrell
A well-known poet and literary critic, Jarrell (1914-1965) taught for many years at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (then known as the Women's College of the University of North Carolina).
Grave of Randall Jarrell at New Garden Meeting
You can see Randall Jarrell's grave at the New Garden Meeting House cemetery off New Garden Road in Greensboro.
Dolly Madison
Dolly Madison (1768-1849), wife of James Madison, fourth president of the United States, and one of our best known first ladies, was born in the New Garden community.
Edward R. Murrow
Like O. Henry, this immortal of broadcasting history, Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965), was also born near Polecat Creek. His family left Greensboro when he was very young.
George Preddy
Preddy, a Greensboro native, was the top p-51 Mustang ace of World War II. He was tragically killed by friendly fire in 1944.
Historic Cemeteries
Buffalo Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Buffalo Prsbyterian Church Cemetery is the resting place of David Caldwell, as well as many of Guilford's early Scots-Irish families.
First Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Former North Carolina governor John Motley Morehead is buried here, along with veterans of the Revolutionary War and Civil War. The cemetery is located behind the Greensboro Historical Museum.
Green Hill Cemetery
Many prominent Greensboro figures from the late 19th century are buried here, including: Charles Duncan Mc Iver, Robert P. Dick, Cyrus P. Mendenhall, Dr. D.W.C. Benbow, David Schenck, Peter Daub, Dr. Samuel B. Turrentine, Alfred M. Scales, A.W. Mc Alister, John A. Gilmer and many others. The cemetery was established in 1887.
Map of Green Hill Cemetery, Greensboro
This map to Green Hill may prove useful if you know the section you're looking for.
Greensboro City Cemeteries
Several Greensboro cemeteries, including Green Hill, are managed by the City of Greensboro. Others include Forest Lawn, Maplewood and Union cemeteries.
Union Cemetery, Greensboro
Union is an historic African-American cemetery located on S. Elm St. in Greensboro.
Historical Statistics
Guilford County Historical Population
High Point Historical Population
Slavery in Guilford County (Includes information on free persons of color)
Genealogy and Historical Research
Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society
PO Box 36254
Greensboro, NC 27416
The Friends Historical Collection at Hege Library, Guilford College
5800 W. Friendly Ave.
Greensboro, NC 27410
(336) 316-2264
Greensboro Historical Museum Archives
130 Summit Ave.
Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 373-2043
Guilford County Genealogical Society
PO Box 9693
Greensboro, NC 27429
Guilford County Register of Deeds
201 S. Eugene St.
PO Box 3427
Greensboro, NC 27402
High Point Public Library
901 N. Main St.
High Point, NC 27261
(336) 883-3637
The Jamestown Historical Society
603 West Main Street
Jamestown
(336) 454-3819
LDS Family History Center
3719 Pinetop Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27410
(336) 288-0321
Comments (1)
Anonymous said
at 2:57 pm on Jul 22, 2008
Share pictures of Historic Guilford County on the historic Guilford County FlickR Goup: http://www.flickr.com/groups/historicguilfordnc/
You don't have permission to comment on this page.