Davidson Historical Society

Mayor Rusty Knox cut a ribbon to mark the dedication of the newly renovated historic Davidson School gymnasium Saturday, June 20. With him were town staff, several town commissioners and county commissioner Leigh Altman as well as representatives from the construction company Balfour Beatty. Residents then got to see the renovations up close and shoot a few baskets. For more about the $4M project see our story and podcast at DavidsonHistoricalSociety.org (via )

BUT…WHAT ABOUT THE HORSE???

On our tours we often tell the story of General William Lee Davidson who was shot and killed right off his horse at the Battle of Cowan’s Ford on Feb 1, 1781.

I often get asked if the horse lived. I found the answer today! The horse Gen Davidson rode into battle that day belonged to his cousin, Major John Davidson of Rural Hill. After the General’s death, the riderless horse found his way back home and may be the reason we still have Gen Davidson’s pistols today (I’m holding one here!)

The British had stolen everything off the General’s body, including his clothes and wallet. However, he had a special double holster for his two pistols that was made to fit in front of the horse’s saddle. He was shot before he had time to draw his pistols and therefore more than likely the weapons were carried back to Rural Hill by the horse.

The pistols, holster and a sword belonging to General Davidson now live at the Davidson College Archives and were displayed for public viewing today. Thank you to the Archives & Special Collections and Davidson Historical Society for today’s presentation.

The has finished a $4 million restoration of the historic Davidson School gymnasium. There's a dedication this Saturday morning. For more about the project as well as a few memories, we turned to project manager Doug Wright. He not only oversaw the work, but he also attended the school and played in the gym years ago. A floor-to-ceiling climbing rope? Read more or listen to the latest podcast on the website, DavidsonHistoricalSociety.org . You can also listen wherever you find podcasts.

Don’t forget to join us this Thursday to explore artifacts of the Revolutionary era from the Davidson College archives’ collections. Free and open to the public!

Drop-in between 2 and 4pm in Davidson College’s Alvarez Student Union 900 Room on Thursday June 18th.

Attendees will have the unique opportunity to see a curation of artifacts across several themes, from the personal pistols of General William Lee Davidson to the satin facsimiles of the mysterious Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, or more fondly, the “Meck Dec.”

RSVP at www.davidsonhistoricalsociety.org

How did Sherrills Ford get its name?
David Beard helps us travel back to 1747 and discover the story of Adam Sherrill, the Catawba Nation and the crossing that started it all. LKNConnect/LakeNorman: https://bit.ly/4uYPtat The Village at Sherrills Ford Lake Norman, NC

In 1936 the Board of Education applied to the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (FEA) for funding for a gymnasium behind the existing Davidson School building. The gym was one of three projects assigned to architect Willard G. Rogers (1863-1947) in northern Mecklenburg County in 1937 (Rogers also designed and oversaw construction of the classroom building at the Ada Jenkins Center).

For the Davidson School, Rogers designed a classically inspired gymnasium building with arched windows and solid masonry walls, large enough for basketball, the main floor surrounded on three sides with built-in wooden bleachers. The Gym is a local historic landmark currently being renovated as the Town’s first indoor recreation center, set to open in June 2026.

Join the Davidson College Archives and Special Collections with co-sponsor Davidson Historical Society to commemorate the U.S. Semiquincentennial!

We invite the public and campus community to explore artifacts of the Revolutionary era from the archives’ collections.

Drop-in between 2 and 4pm in Davidson College’s Alvarez Student Union 900 Room on Thursday June 18th. We will host a short introductory presentation at 2pm before we transition to the self-guided, drop-in portion of the program. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to see a curation of artifacts across several themes, from the personal pistols of General William Lee Davidson to the satin facsimiles of the mysterious Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, or more fondly, the “Meck Dec.”

RSVP at www.davidsonhistoricalsociety.org

Don’t forget to RSVP for our FREE program, TheReal Story of the Battle of Cowan’s Ford, this Saturday, May 16th, 4pm at Davidson Town Hall (251 South St.)

Author, historian and Revolutionary War reenactor John E. Ferguson Misenheimer II will tell the story of the 1781 battle from the unique perspectives of both Major General Nathanael Greene and his brother-in-arms, Brigadier General William Lee Davidson.

Real Story of the Battle of Cowan’s Ford | Davidson Historical Society Local actor and historian, John Misenheimer, presents the “Real Story of the Battle of Cowan’s Ford” from the perspective of both General Nathanael Greene and his “Brother in Arms” General William Lee Davidson.

Davidson’s newest locally designated historic landmark is Armour Street Theatre, also known as the Davidson Baptist Chapel. Designated in October 2025, the Chapel is significant as an extant representation of the “town and gown” class divide which once characterized the Town. Davidson was divided by the railroad both physically and socioeconomically. The eastern section was connected with Davidson College and home to the Town’s upper- and middle-class residents as well as the business district. The western section developed in the early twentieth century around cotton mills and the associated mill villages. The 1960s construction of Lake Norman and increased development from the 1980s onward have resulted in the loss of many of the buildings that represent this important aspect of Davidson’s history. The building is currently utilized by Davidson Community Players, who have plans for future theatre improvements.

Do you pass an interesting building on your daily walk or commute to work? Consider adding it to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission Study List! Any building, structure, site, area, or object within Mecklenburg County that is at least 50 years old can be nominated by anyone for the Study List. Fill out the Study List application at www.landmarkscommission.org/applications

May is National Preservation Month. To celebrate, we’ll be posting preservation related content each week in the month of May. 

We’d like to kick off Preservation Month by highlightingthe Davidson Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) with a mission to promote an understanding and appreciation of the history of Davidson and the surrounding area. The Society’s’ largest function through the years has been offering educational programs four to six times per year. These programs have been in the form of lectures, tours of historic properties, walking tours, etc. These programs offer both members and non-members opportunities to learn about local history.  

Learn more about Davidson Historical Society’s work and upcoming programs at https://www.davidsonhistoricalsociety.org/