Charlotte, NC

Historic AME Zion Church
DESCRIPTION: Fornmerly home to the Afro-American Cultural Center; Dr. Mary Harper and Dr. Bertha Maxwell established the Cultural Center here in 1974 as an outgrowth of the Black Studies Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; in 1976 the AACC opened in Spirit Square Center for the Arts; in 1986 the Cultural Center moved to this facility; AACC featured feature two restored "shotgun" houses that date back to the 1890s -- this type of home was the most common type of housing in Charlotte's African American neighborhoods during the first half of the 20th century; AACC buildings are listed on the National Register for Historic Places
DAYS & HOURS: Tue-Sat 10a-6p
ADDRESS: 403 North Myers Street  MAP

United House Of Prayer For All People Founding Site
DESCRIPTION: The charismatic and sometimes controversial, Sweet Daddy Grace founded the original United House Of Prayer For All People at this site in 1925; the church, and most other structures in the Brooklyn community, was torn down in 1970 as part of urban renewal

ADDRESS: was located on McDowell Street in Marshall Park  MAP

Cherry Community
DESCRIPTION: Established in the late 1800s to quarter domestic workers for nearby affluent European Americans of Myers Park; as a result, a number of Black businesses, services and churches setup in the area

ADDRESS: southeast of Center City  MAP

Biddleville Community
DESCRIPTION: Oldest surviving Black community began in the late 1800s; professors and students at Biddle Institute (which later became Johnson C. Smith University) lived in this area; initially an unincorporated area Biddleville was absorbed into Charlotte in the early 1900s

ADDRESS: next to Johnson C. Smith University  MAP

Historic AME Zion Publishing House
DESCRIPTION: Not the original structure, but it is the original site of one of the largest Black-owned publishers in the country; the new, larger publishing house is in the suburbs; the site currently serves the expanded NASCAR Hall of Fame

ADDRESS: 2nd Street (MLK) at South Brevard Street  MAP

Mecklenburg Investment Company
DESCRIPTION: The group formed in 1921 by several of Charlotte's leading Black citizens; their charter was to build this 3-story brick building, completed in 1922, in order to rent office space to local businesses and professionals; as a result the building became the focal point of Brooklyn's Black community; today it is a National Historic Landmark

ADDRESS: 233 South Brevard Street  MAP

Huntersville, NC

Latta Plantation
DESCRIPTION: This historic (circa 1800) plantation home, costumed interpreters and historic farm animals  take you back to the early 1800s Catawba River home of merchant/planter/ slaveholder James Latta; the house is original with antiques ranging from 1790 to 1840; there are 13 outbuildings; Latta Plantation Nature Center has free admission with live native animals on exhibit

ADDRESS: 5225 Sample Road  MAP

PHONE: 704-875-2312

WEBSITE: http://www.lattaplantation.org

Rock Hill, SC

McCrory's Five & Dime
DESCRIPTION: Home to McCrory's Five & Dime from 1937-97, this Old Town Bistro was a key point in the Civil Rights Movement on 12 February 1960 when Black students from Friendship Junior College in Rock Hill were denied service at McCrory's lunch counter; 10 refused to leave and were arrested, 9 served jail time for refusing to pay for bail; these brave soldiers kicked-off the "Jail No Bail" protests that lasted for more than a year and ultimately de-segregated the town and filled up the jail cells; these were the first Civil Rights sit-ins in South Carolina; now you can enjoy a meal like everyone else

ADDRESS: 135 East Main Street   MAP

McConnells, SC

Brattonsville Plantation
DESCRIPTION: Revolutionary War veterans Robert and James Bratton, built this home and defeated the British advance on these premises; this state hisotric site now features costumed Living History interpreters, a cotton field and farm animals; though there have been renovations, the plantation best showcases its heritage when Bratton and Cathcart slave descendants return for their shared family reunion

ADMISSION: Adults $6, Age 60+ $5, Age 4-17 $3

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sat 10a-5p

ADDRESS: 1444 Brattonsville Road  MAP

PHONE: 803-684-2327

WEBSITE: http://chmuseums.org/brattonsville