Go give the Charlotte Liberty Walk a spin
An easy way to get your nerd on while educating yourself about Charlotte history is by taking the Charlotte Liberty Walk: the ultimate interactive historical experience. The walk is a series of historical markers that string together Charlotte’s revolutionary history for a self-guided tour through uptown.
Not as pumped as I am about your status as Queen/King Geek? Use the Liberty Walk as a way to fool your parents into at least thinking you’re #CharlotteSmart. Because, let’s face it, a few beers with your friends at a local brewery is usually awesome, while a few beers with the parental units at a local brewery is usually a recipe for potential disaster.
I’ll highlight non-historical points of interest (read: bars and restaurants) along the Liberty Walk for you too.
Get your map here, lace up some comfy shoes and let’s get started, class.
For those hungry historians, here are a few suggestions for stops along the Liberty Walk. Mosey through the historic Latta Arcade and adjacent Brevard Court where you’ll find:
https://instagram.com/p/20tTwEq4Gr/
If you get hungry (or thirsty) along the way, there is also:
–5Church (get the Viper cocktail)
…but, let’s not be dramatic, the walk is less than a mile so no one is dying of thirst or starvation.
The Liberty Walk includes some of Charlotte’s important Revolution-era historic sites spanning 1775-1780. I suggest doing the entire tour, but I’ll highlight my favorite parts here.
Stops 1 and 2
Your first and second stops are on the site of Liberty Hall, originally known as Queen’s College, the first tax-supported college in the Carolinas which stood near the present-day intersection of South Tryon and Third Streets. Before you start rewriting history, Queens University is related in name only.
Stop 5
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence (or Meck Dec) is a big part of many of your stops along the Liberty Walk. Mecklenburg County became the first political entity to declare itself independent of Great Britain and you can see a copy of the text at stop No. 5 on South Tryon near Trade Street.
Stop 8
One of my favorite dudes in Charlotte’s early history is Captain James Jack, whose home stood near West Trade and South Church streets (stop No. 8). J.J. volunteered to deliver the Meck Dec to Philadelphia to present the document to Congress. His ride is the subject of the Spirit of Mecklenburg statue that stands on the Sugar Creek Greenway, across from CPCC.
As far as informative bang for your buck, the Liberty Walk is where it’s at (although, technically, it’s free). You can do it as quickly or as leisurely as you’d like and pick up more than just fun facts along the way. Doing this tour gave me a greater pride and appreciation for the history of our city. You could easily overlook this little gem uptown — a lesson for all of us to stop and smell the history.
Photos: Abbi O’Leary/Charlotte Observer, meckdec.org/Charlotte Observer, Nicole Brantley
This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Go give the Charlotte Liberty Walk a spin."