A History as Old as Charlotte

From early in Charlotte's history, East Charlotte has played a part in the city's growth.

The oldest house in the county -- the Hezekiah Alexander home -- sits near the intersection of Shamrock Drive and Eastway Drive. Not far away are the historic Sugah Creek church and Historic Rosedale plantation (on Tryon Street near Sugar Creek Road).

Early records show that settlers traveling to South Carolina from Salisbury fequently turned southeast from the Great Wagon Road (Tryon Street) onto an Indian path that became a road called Potter Road. It led directly into the South Carolina Low Country and to Charleston, instead of veering southwest through the small village of Charlotte. The road was also a primary route for early settlers like Hezekiah Alexander who traveled to the larger town of Salisbury for supplies.

Maps, letters and early records show that East Charlotte also has become home to repeated waves of new settlers - immigrants - who arrived seeking the promising future this city offered.

For more information, visit the Charlotte Museum of History.