History

MAKING MONUMENTAL HISTORY

1600s

Saura and Keyauwee Indians call Piedmont region home until about 1710

1767

Presbyterian missionary David Caldwell starts classical academy

1808

General Assembly passes act naming town of Greensborough

1856

First train arrives in city

1892

NC A&M College (today’s A&T) and the State Normal & Industrial College (today’s UNCG) established

1937

White Oak Mill (part of Cone Industries) is world’s largest denim mill

1957

Josephine Boyd, the first African American student to integrate a NC high school, enrolls at Greensboro High School on September 4

1980

College Hill neighborhood designated as city’s first local historic district

1754

NC Society of Friends authorizes Quaker monthly meeting at New Garden in Guilford County

1781

General Nathanael Greene leads rebel troops against Lord Charles Cornwallis and British forces at Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15

1819

Earliest documented Underground Railroad activity in Guilford County, with the escape of John Dimery

1865

Greensboro serves as seat of the Confederate government for a few days beginning April 11

1894

Elm Street pharmacist Lunsford Richardson introduces Vicks VapoRub

1943

World War II training camp opens, later known as Overseas Replacement Depot; more than 330,000 service personnel will be processed there through 1946

1960

NC A&T students launch sit-in movement at F.W. Woolworth's lunch counter on February 1

2022

Greensboro continues to grow with new hotels, restaurants and businesses. Many exciting performances at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts are scheduled. Public Art continues to flourish around the city with goals to complete 500 pieces by 2025.

MILITARY HISTORY

The story of Greensboro is a long, compelling tale filled with courage, ingenuity, and diversity. Come and uncover centuries of historic treasures that may surprise even the most seasoned history buffs.

From the Revolutionary War on, Greensboro has served a part in all of the major wars our country has fought. Whether you’re a lifelong student of military history or looking to pay respect to the sacrifices members of the United States Armed Forces paid to preserve our nation, Greensboro offers a variety of educational and peaceful places to visit. While freedom may not be free, these attractions are.

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

GUILFORD COURTHOUSE NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

A National Park commemorating the Revolutionary War Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Visitors Center offers a museum, battle map program, and a 30-minute-live-action film. Tour the battlefield by vehicle or foot for monuments and exhibits. Junior Ranger program for kids. Hoskins Farmstead Site opens for special events. Battlefield tours available in summer. Park hours: 8:30am-5pm daily. Free. School and group tours require reservation. 2332 New Garden Rd. 336-288-1776. nps.gov/guco

ANNUAL VETERANS DAY PARADE

The Annual Greensboro Veterans Parade takes place in downtown Greensboro in November. The parade honors all veterans, as well as active duty personnel and Gold Star families of Guilford County.

CAROLINA FIELD OF HONOR

The Carolina Field of Honor at Triad Park is a permanent reminder of the sacrifice of our service members, a place to reflect on the freedoms they have secured and a community’s collective way of showing its heartfelt gratitude. The park conducts special ceremonies to commemorate Memorial and Veterans’ Day every year. Funding for the memorial was made possible by The War Memorial Foundation. 9652 W. Market St, Kernersville, NC 27284. 336-703-2500. ncwmf.org

GUILFORD COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL

A tribute to Guilford County residents who served in the military in the 20th century and beyond. Text and maps tell the tales of major conflicts. Memorial bricks and benches provide some history of participants. Open daily during park hours. Free. Located in Country Park off Lawndale Dr. 336-423-8960. GCVeteransMemorial.org

To learn more about Greensboro’s role in wars and civil rights, head downtown to The Greensboro History Museum.

SAVE

THE DATE

ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF GUILFORD COURTHOUSE

The 241th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse is March 12-13 2022. Come and enjoy the battle reenactment and learn more about the major role the Battle of Guilford Courthouse had in the American Revolution. Check their Facebook page for schedule and date of events @GuilfordNPS. FREE.

The Historic Magnolia House

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY

Known as the birthplace of the sit-in movement, Greensboro’s place in African American — and U.S. — history is well-known. But, African American history in Greensboro goes back to the Revolutionary War and continues to shape the Gate City today. The New Garden Woods, now known as the Guilford College Woods, were a known meeting place on the Underground Railroad where Levi and Vestal Coffin assisted runaways going to Indiana from 1819 to 1826. Within these woods remains a champion tulip poplar tree, over 300 years old, known as the Underground Railroad Tree. Today, you can navigate the trail as a simulation of how fugitives seeking freedom navigated the same woods. The trail leads to the tree standing as a silent witness to Underground Railroad activities on the land that served as a crossroad to freedom.

CHARLOTTE HAWKINS BROWN MUSEUM AT HISTORIC PALMER MEMORIAL INSTITUTE

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum interprets the life and work of Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, a prominent educator and advocate for social justice, and her school, Palmer Memorial Institute. Visitors can explore the school’s campus and uncover connections between Dr. Brown and the Civil Rights Movement. Rental spaces available for special events. Year-round hours: Tues. - Sat. 9 am to 5 pm. Free. 6136 Burlington Rd. Gibsonville. 336-449-3310. nchistoricsites.org/chb

THE HISTORIC MAGNOLIA HOUSE

During America’s period of segregation, the Magnolia House Motel accommodated traveling African Americans who were not allowed to share the same facilities as Caucasians. The property was recognized as a highly recommended place to stay in six editions of The Green Book. The Magnolia House hosted many famous guests over the years including Ray Charles, Jackie Robinson, Ike and Tina Turner, Louis Armstrong, James Brown, and James Baldwin. Today, the Magnolia House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of very few Green Book sites to continue to operate within their historic context. Events and dining happen regularly, and boutique hotel rooms available.. Call for availability; groups welcome. 442 Gorrell St. 336-617-3382. thehistoricmagnoliahouse.org

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS CENTER & MUSEUM/ SIT-IN-MOVEMENT, INC. (ICRCM)

One of the Top Ten sites on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail and an International Site of Conscience, the Civil Rights Museum reflects on one of America's most pivotal moments of transformation. The year 2022 marks the 62nd Anniversary of the Sit-In Movement. Visit the original lunch counter and explore the site through guided tours and self-guided experiences. Call or visit website for hours and virtual experiences. Admission Fee. 336-274-9199. sitinmovment.org.

FEBRUARY ONE MONUMENT

A monument dedicated to the four NC A&T freshman who launched the lunch counter sit-in on Feb. 1, 1960 and all those who helped to support the movement. The sculptor of the monument, James Barnhill, was inspired by their courage to challenge the social injustice of Jim Crow laws and how the movement took hold and prevailed. Located in front of the historic Dudley Building on the North Carolina A&T State University campus. Free. 1601 E. Market St. 336-334-7500. ncat.edu

WALKWAY OF HISTORY

Sidewalk markers chronicle six chapters in local African American history ranging from the first fugitive slave on the Underground Railroad to the first African American North Carolina State Supreme Court Justice. Free. Located on S. Elm St. at February One Place.

MORE HISTORICAL LANDMARKS GREENSBORO HISTORY MUSEUM This Smithsonian Affiliate museum shares Greensboro's compelling history through diverse collections, engaging BLANDWOOD MANSION exhibits, educational programs and community dialogue. A National Historic Landmark originally constructed in 1795, 17,000 square feet of award-winning exhibitions, many with Blandwood later served as N.C. Governor John Motley hands-on interactives, highlight stories from precolonial Morehead’s home. Visitors see original architecture and cultures to today’s Gate City. Discover Greensboro’s part in decorative arts, and hear national, state, local, and family the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and its connection to U.S. history. A project of Preservation Greensboro Incorporated. history through transportation, textiles, education, civil rights Hours: Tues.-Sat. 11am-4pm and Sun. 2-5pm. Tours start and much more. This year, in every part of the museum, “Project the top of the hour, with the last tour beginning one hour Democracy 20/20” explores the history of our nation’s ongoing before closing. Admission charged. Advance reservations project, American democracy, and its best tool, the vote. Free. required for groups of 10 or more. Check website for hours during holidays. From Apr - Sept. 2022, Blandwood will host Hours: Tues. - Sat. 10 am-5 pm, Sun. 2-5 pm. 130 Summit Ave. 336-373-2043. GreensboroHistory.org an exhibit of pieces from NC furniture maker Freedman Thomas Day. 447 W. Washington St. GREENSBORO HERITAGE COMMUNITIES Some places in Greensboro are historically significant, 336-272-5003. preservationgreensboro.org but do not meet the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or local Historic District designation. CAROLINA HISTORY AND HAUNTS TOUR Neighborhoods include Warnersville A walking ghost and history tour through the streets of and Guilford College/New Garden. Learn more at downtown Greensboro. In their 90-minute tour, you will hear greensboro-nc.gov/HeritageCommunities stories of local hauntings and see where some of Greensboro’s departed inhabitants still linger. If seeing is believing, come PRESERVATION GREENSBORO INCORPORATED and see for yourself. Reservations are required and can be Local nonprofit Preservation Greensboro Incorporated made via the company’s website or by phone. Call ahead for advocates for historic buildings and sites; contributes to availability and for private tours. Admission fee. 336-905-4060. diverse initiatives such as Architectural Salvage of Greensboro, carolinahistoryandhaunts.com Blandwood Museum and the Annual Tour of Historic Homes & Gardens; organizes neighborhood walking tours, the DAVID AND RACHEL CALDWELL HISTORICAL CENTER Preservation Greensboro Development Fund and other events. David and Rachel Caldwell moved to Guilford County in 1765, preservationgreensboro.org 43 years before Greensboro’s founding in 1808. David Caldwell served the community as a minister of Buffalo and Alamance MILLENNIUM GATE Presbyterian churches, as a physician and as a popular Jim Gallucci and a team of 17 artisans created the 106 icons that political leader. The couple also founded an elite preparatory comprise this sculpture’s surface. Icons representing great ideas, school for young men. The Center, located on former Caldwell inventions, events and people that have made a significant property, shares the couple’s story and displays archaeological difference in the past thousand years complete this interactive finds from the site. Adjacent to Tanger Family Bicentennial and most magnificent sculpture. Free. Gardens. Hours: Tues. & Sat. 10am-5pm. Free. Phil G. McDonald Plaza, 220 S. Greene St. 3211 W. Cornwallis Dr. 336-373-3681.

9/11 MEMORIAL SCULPTURE

Local sculptor Jim Gallucci created this memorial with two of those pieces — steel beams — from the rubble of the Twin Towers. The sculpture serves as a reminder of the terrorists’ attacks on New York, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania. Located on the corner of S. Elm St. and Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Free.