Settlers Cemetery

This cemetery is often mistakenly thought to belong to First Presbyterian Church, which is across the street. The cemetery has very early settlers of Charlotte and is just a short distance from the Square, the historic and current center of Charlotte's business district. According to the plaque, which was erected on 3-29-1939, and is shown in the 2nd photo, the cemetery was used between 1774-1878. It has recently undergone major renovation. However, many of the old stones have been broken or removed. According to Violet G. Alexander, it is one of the oldest cemeteries in North Carolina. It was used as the primary town cemetery until Elmwood opened. There is no complete record of all those that have been buried in the cemetery. Some bodies have also been removed through the years and placed in other cemeteries. The north and east corner of the cemetery was reserved for the slaves of the families buried in the cemetery.

Some of the family names in this cemetery are Alexander, Davidson, Graham, Witherspoon, Polk, Irwin, Carson, Orr, Harty, Clayton, Houston, Berryhill, Blair, Caldwell, Dunlap, Watson, Lowrie, Wilson, Gillespie, Elms, Trotter, Ray, Woodruff, Britton, McLelland, Howell, Sloan, Morrow, Cook, Lemmuel, Badger, Sterling, Jones, Owens, Thomas, McRee, Tredinick, Kearney, Caruth, Asbury, Hoskins, Boyd, Springs, Laurey, Meacham, Dixon, McCombs, Edwards, Howie, Wheeler and Dinkins. The Old Cemetery, Charlotte, NC: Some Unusual Notations Concerning This Ancient Burial Place, Which Holds the Dust of Many Patriots of Fame in North Carolina, by Violet G. Alexander, from the North Carolina Booklet, published by the North Carolina Society of the Daughters of the Revolution, Raleigh, NC, January, 1917; Vol. VXI, #3. The cemetery is easily viewed from Church, 5th, or Poplar. It is enclosed by an iron fence. There are several metal plaques that can be read along the sidewalk that tell the story of the city and its early cemetery.