Greensboro & Guilford Courthouse Battlefield

[giradman]

Just a short thread for those who may be passing through North Carolina and are interested in the American Revolutionary War.

In the food thread, I mentioned that Susan & I had an anniversary celebration, i.e. an overnight in a nice hotel w/ a dinner at the Green Valley Grill a few days ago in Greensboro - well, on the way in (just a 45 minute drive from our home) we visited the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park which is now in Greensboro - mainly went to see the excellent film about the battle and also walk the grounds for some exercise (below a map of the trails & paths in the park).

In the late 1770s, the American Revolutionary War was stalemated in the north, so a British Southern Campaign was initiated in 1778 w/ the capture of Savannah, GA, followed by Charleston, SC in early 1780; through 1780 into 1781, a number of battles were fought in the Carolinas (see map below - I've added the dates) - Nathaniel Greene was the Major General in charge of the Americans (which included regulars of the Continental Army & local militia from a number of states); Lord Charles Cornwallis led the British.

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was the largest and most important in this campaign - a technical victory for Cornwallis, BUT he lost a quarter of his army (killed, injured, or captured); the Americans came out unscathed. The British dragged themselves into Wilmington, NC to recover, and then advanced north to Yorktown, VA - the delay needed by Cornwallis to rebuild his force was enough for George Washington to bring his army from the north to Yorktown and for the French forces (largely their fleet) to get into position - a siege ensued and on October 19, 1781, the British surrender to the 'allied' forces - the Paris Peace Treaty was not negotiated until 1783 but the war was over at Yorktown. Dave

 

[scifan57]

Another great post giradman! I've learned a lot about American history by reading your excellent posts. Thank you.

 

[giradman]

At the time of the battle described in the opening post, Guilford Courthouse was just a small community, i.e. Greensboro did NOT exist, but was established in the early 19th century (see quote below from HERE); of course, the town was named after Nathaniel Greene, and is now the third largest city in North Carolina (w/ our town, Winston-Salem, the fourth - Charlotte & Raleigh are the top two in that order).

In the military park along many of those paths & trails are plaques to read and monuments - the largest one is of Nathaniel Greene on a horse (my pic below); another is of Joseph Winston who was a militia officer from Stokes County - he fought bravely in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, and his last name is the Winston-Salem in our city moniker; Salem was the larger of the Moravian communities (founded in the 1760s) in the area - the two towns merged in 1913 w/ the hyphenated name.

North Carolina now has over 120 wineries and about 100 breweries w/ some excellent beer producers in the Piedmont Triad - one of my favorites is Natty Greene (named after you now know who!) - love their Buckshot - Dave

In 1808, Greensborough (the spelling before 1895) was planned around a central courthouse square to succeed the nearby town of Guilford Court House as the county seat. This act moved the county courts closer to the geographical center of the county, a location more easily reached by the majority of the county's citizens.

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[cecilrwilliams]

I live in High Point, Greensboro neighbor. Great parks; however, budgets cuts are hurting all parks. Public donations may be their only hope.

 

[giradman]

Another great post giradman! I've learned a lot about American history by reading your excellent posts. Thank you.

Thanks Scifan.. - well, a lot of that information was at my fingertips, just had to check on the exact dates - I've dragged Susan to all of those places on the one map w/ the dates (and even additional ones in NC). Dave

 

[giradman]

I live in High Point, Greensboro neighbor. Great parks; however, budgets cuts are hurting all parks. Public donations may be their only hope.

Hello from Winston-Salem - yep, I here you - for those not aware of some of these issues, check this CNN article from last year - Dave

 

[giradman]

Greensboro Hotels - O.Henry & Proximity

Boy, I did not take this travelogue along, just mentioned Guilford Courthouse Battlefield.

But Greensboro in the Triad Area of North Carolina offers much and is just a 40 minute drive from our house in Winston-Salem - when there are happenings in Greensboro, e.g. traveling art exhibit, entertainment event, or a quick holiday get-away, we might do an overnight stay at one of the two hotels above which are just blocks from each other and are run by the same company, but the properties have entirely different personalities and excellent restaurants.

Yesterday, Susan & I went to the O.Henry Hotel and dined for Thanksgiving at the Green Valley Grill - both of these hotels and their respective restaurants are fairly new establishments and are near the Friendly Shopping Center, which has the Triad's only Apple Store! The O.Henry has an 'old age' appearance w/ a lot of beautiful wood - views below of the outside entrance, the lobby, bar, and the restaurant; a nice self-serve continental breakfast is included in your stay.

At the Green Valley Grill, a small salad w/ a light homemade dressing is included; Susan had the main course described in the quote below. I had the seafood special, an amberjack grilled fish moderately spiced w/ an avocado salsa, polenta, an baby green beans. Also for me, a glass each of two Alsatian white wines (their single glass wine menu is superb and varied - wines that I had described in the quote); for dessert, we always share the Nutty Irishman (see quote below) - really to 'die for' looking at the pic!

The Proximity Hotel is more art deco decor w/ exposed pipes & ducts - a completely different visual feeling which I like (Susan loves the woodiness of the O.Henry); their restaurant is the Print Works Bistro, which is a treat also (but they do not offer the 'Nutty Irishman' for dessert); some images below.

SO, for those visiting Greensboro, North Carolina and need a 4-diamond place to stay near an Apple Store, then my obvious recommendation would be one of these hotels - also, need to add some more posts to this thread discussing the many attractions in our 'sister town' - Dave

*Jägerschnitzel, crispy herb-breaded, bone-in veal scaloppini with mushroom-bacon sauce and truffled fries.

Alsace
Pinot Blanc, Château D’Orschwihr ’13
Pinot Gris, Schlumberger “Les Princes Abbés” ’13

Frozen Nutty Irishman, chocolate cake layered with Irish cream mousse and crushed English toffee, finished with crème anglaise and chocolate sauce

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[giradman]

O.Henry Hotel - What does that Period Mean?

Not sure if anyone is wondering why the O.Henry Hotel is spelled w/ a period between the O & the Henry (or if one cares - )?

But O.Henry was an American short story writer who was born in Greensboro, NC - his real name was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910) - first quote below from his Wiki Article - his short stories were a RAGE at the times - I've not read any since my teen days, but some looking at this post may be familiar w/ his writings. The origin of his 'pen name' is uncertain, but a possibility is given in the second quote (same source). Dave

William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. O. Henry's short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and surprise endings.

William Sidney Porter was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He changed the spelling of his middle name to Sydney in 1898. His parents were Dr. Algernon Sidney Porter (1825–88), a physician, and Mary Jane Virginia Swaim Porter (1833–65). William's parents had married on April 20, 1858. When William was three, his mother died from tuberculosis, and he and his father moved into the home of his paternal grandmother. As a child, Porter was always reading, everything from classics to dime novels; his favorite works were Lane's translation of One Thousand and One Nights, and Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy.[2]

Porter was a heavy drinker, and his health deteriorated markedly in 1908, which affected his writing. In 1909, Sarah left him, and he died on June 5, 1910, of cirrhosis of the liver, complications of diabetes, and an enlarged heart. After funeral services in New York City, he was buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina. His daughter, Margaret Worth Porter, had a short writing career from 1913 to 1916. She married cartoonist Oscar Cesare of New York in 1916; they were divorced four years later. She died of tuberculosis in 1927 and is buried next to her father.

Porter gave various explanations for the origin of his pen name.[8] In 1909 he gave an interview to The New York Times, in which he gave an account of it:

It was during these New Orleans days that I adopted my pen name of O. Henry. I said to a friend: "I'm going to send out some stuff. I don't know if it amounts to much, so I want to get a literary alias. Help me pick out a good one." He suggested that we get a newspaper and pick a name from the first list of notables that we found in it. In the society columns we found the account of a fashionable ball. "Here we have our notables," said he. We looked down the list and my eye lighted on the name Henry, "That'll do for a last name," said I. "Now for a first name. I want something short. None of your three-syllable names for me." "Why don’t you use a plain initial letter, then?" asked my friend. "Good," said I, "O is about the easiest letter written, and O it is."

A newspaper once wrote and asked me what the O stands for. I replied, "O stands for Olivier, the French for Oliver." And several of my stories accordingly appeared in that paper under the name Olivier Henry.[9]

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[giradman]

Oh Henry! Candy Bar

Well, just one last story possibly (but likely not) related to the writer O. Henry - the wonderful chocolate/peanut bar below (some history in the quote) which I consumed many times as a kid eludes to our Greensboro native - probably no relationship, but who knows? If you're reading this post, have you eaten an Oh Henry bar? Dave

Oh Henry! is a candy bar containing peanuts, caramel, and fudge coated in chocolate. It was first introduced in 1920 by the Williamson Candy Company of Chicago, Illinois.

According to legend, Oh Henry! was originally named after a boy who frequented the Williamson company, flirting with the girls who made the candy. The name is also said to be an homage to American writer O. Henry. However, there is no definitive explanation as to the exact origin of the name.(Source)

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[giradman]

Title Change to the Tread w/ Greensboro Emphasized!

I've changed the title to this thread w/ Greensboro as the lead name - I'd like to continue periodically adding posts about this Triad city - there are many attractions for those who may be visiting the area - Dave

 

[giradman]

Greensboro Historical Museum & Blandwood Mansion

Greensboro has a number of excellent museums and historical sites - the Greensboro Historical Museum is located in several historic buildings as described in the first quote below - inside are permanent and rotating exhibits - a walking exhibit of various types of walk-in stores, school room, and past events is excellent; there are also dedications to two natives of the town/area, i.e. Dolley Madison & O.Henry (her portrait & his outside statue shown below; the other pics illustrate many of the inside exhibits).

John Motley Morehead is buried in the First Presbyterian Church cemetery (grave shown below) - he is arguably one of the most influential of North Carolina governors - his bust is in the Old State Capitol Building (see my Raleigh travelogue, if interested) - quoted below a brief summary of his life; he lived at the Blandwood Mansion (see third quote and last pic) which is now in downtown Greensboro and was saved from destruction in the early 1960s - we did a tour last year which was well done w/ an excellent young guide - Morehead's office is off to the side of the main building, and I was amazed at how many state & railroad business issues and decisions occurred there in the pre-Civil War period. Dave

P.S. the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill (discussed in my Raleigh travelogue) is named after him.

The Greensboro Historical Museum, consisting of the former First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro and Smith Memorial Building, is a historic museum building located at 130 Summit Ave. in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina. The former Presbyterian church was built in 1892, and is a Romanesque Revival style brick building with a cross gable roof and tower. The semi-circular, 11 bay, Smith Memorial Building was built in 1903. It features four octagonal sides and a tower. The memorial building was designed by the noted architect Charles Christian Hook(1870-1938). The church and memorial building were connected and the older structures modified and renovated in 1938. Also located on the property is the First Presbyterian Church cemetery, established in 1812. The church vacated the property in 1929, and in 1937-1938 it was renovated and enlarged as the Richardson Civic Center and donated to the city of Greensboro. It subsequently housed the Greensboro Public Library, the Greensboro Historical Museum, and the Greensboro Art Center.[2] The historic building functions as one part of the current, larger Greenboro Historical Museum.(Source)

John Motley Morehead (1796 – 1866) was the 29th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolinafrom 1841 to 1845. He is known as "the Father of Modern North Carolina." Morehead graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1817. He served in the North Carolina General Assembly for several sessions and was the first governor inaugurated in the new State Capitol.

During his term in office, Morehead supported the new public school system, the extension of railroad lines, the improvement of rivers and harbors, and the construction of waterways and turnpikes. Morehead was instrumental in raising private funds for a railroad line to accompany $2 million provided by the legislature. The terminus of the railroad, Morehead City, North Carolina, was named after him. For his efforts, Morehead was also elected president of the North Carolina Railroad.

After his term, he returned to his home, Blandwood, in Greensboro, North Carolina, designed by New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis. There, Morehead entertained numerous politicians and personalities of the day, including Dorothea Dix. In 1861, he represented the state at a conference to avoid war. With the failure of the conference and the secession of North Carolina, Morehead served in the Confederate Congress. Morehead is buried in the Old First Presbyterian Church Cemetery located at the Greensboro Historical Museum in Greensboro.(Source)

Blandwood Mansion, originally built as a four room Federal style farmhouse in 1795, is the restored home of two-term North Carolina governor John Motley Morehead (1841-1844) in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. It is believed to be the oldest extant example of the Italian Villa Style of architecture in the United States.[1][2] In creating the design at Blandwood, Davis produced a popular prototype for American house designs in the Italianate style: a central tower projecting from the main facade.[2] Saved from demolition in 1964 by preservation-minded Greensboro citizens, the house was opened as a museum in 1976 and remains open to the public today.(Source)

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[scifan57]

Greensboro Historical Museum & Blandwood Mansion

Greensboro has a number of excellent museums and historical sites - the Greensboro Historical Museum is located in several historic buildings as described in the first quote below - inside are permanent and rotating exhibits - a walking exhibit of various types of walk-in stores, school room, and past events is excellent; there are also dedications to two natives of the town/area, i.e. Dolley Madison & O.Henry (her portrait & his outside statue shown below; the other pics illustrate many of the inside exhibits).

John Motley Morehead is buried in the First Presbyterian Church cemetery (grave shown below) - he is arguably one of the most influential of North Carolina governors - his bust is in the Old State Capitol Building (see my Raleigh travelogue, if interested) - quoted below a brief summary of his life; he lived at the Blandwood Mansion (see third quote and last pic) which is now in downtown Greensboro and was saved from destruction in the early 1960s - we did a tour last year which was well done w/ an excellent young guide - Morehead's office is off to the side of the main building, and I was amazed at how many state & railroad business issues and decisions occurred there in the pre-Civil War period. Dave

P.S. the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill (discussed in my Raleigh travelogue) is named after him.






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Another excellent travel story. I'm glad they were able to save the Blandwood Mansion. Too many fine old buildings are destroyed for no good purpose.

 

[giradman]

Another excellent travel story. I'm glad they were able to save the Blandwood Mansion. Too many fine old buildings are destroyed for no good purpose.

Hi Scifan.. - the Blandwood Mansion is special and the original building was constructed in 1795 before Greensboro existed so the city's downtown was erected around this property which could have easily become a parking lot/deck? Some more information quoted below (from the same Wiki source in my previous post).

The tour includes both the older portion of the house and the several additions. Pics added below from an excellent blog by a visitor to the mansion (Source). The woodwork is mainly 'faux painting' on pine to simulate mahogany and other materials. The artifacts are period pieces - I cannot remember the percentage that might have been original to the structure (guess I'll need to go back again!) - the kitchen is in an out-building (of course, common back then to prevent your house from burning down) which now serves in part as a small gift shop. The portion of the tour in the law office was enlightening, especially regarding Morehead's role in expanding the railroad system in North Carolina - the expansion to the coast terminated at Morehead City (named for him) near Beaufort and Atlantic Beach (another great place to visit). Dave

Initially constructed as a two-story, four-room frame farmhouse in 1795, Blandwood likely took the name of its first occupant and builder, Charles Bland. Bland and his wife Catherine farmed the surrounding 100 acres until 1800, when the property was sold to Joseph Thornburg for his son Joseph Thornburg, Jr.[3] The property was purchased by industrialist Henry Humphries in 1822 for $50. Humphries founded the Mt. Hecla Cotton Mill in 1818, which was reconstituted in 1826 as the first steam-powered cotton mill in North Carolina.[4]

Governor Morehead lived in the house from 1827 until his death in 1866. As a political leader, Morehead hosted numerous intellectuals of the day including social activist Dorothea Dix and architect Alexander Jackson Davis. During the Civil War, the house served as quarters for Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard, and after the fall of the Confederacy the house was temporary headquarters for Union Generals Jacob Dolson Cox and John Schofield. North Carolina Governor Zebulon B. Vance surrendered himself to Cox and Schofield in the main parlor of Blandwood on May 2, 1865.

Blandwood had two additions. The first in 1822 expanded the frame farmhouse from four to six rooms and continued the Federal architecture period details of the initial house. The second addition was extensive and designed in 1844 by New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis. This addition more than doubled the square footage of the house within a "Tuscan Villa" style wing. The Davis addition makes Blandwood the oldest standing example of Tuscan Villa (a subtype of Italianate architecture) in the United States. Construction of the masonry expansion was executed by William and Joseph Conrad, building contractors from nearby Lexington, North Carolina The grounds of Blandwood were influenced by landscape architect Andrew Jackson Downing, who used an illustration of Blandwood in his publications to depict appropriate landscaping.

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[giradman]

Greensboro Four & Civil Rights Sit-Ins

"On Feb. 1, 1960 four black freshmen at North Carolina A&T State University, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair, Jr., and David Richmond, took seats at the segregated lunch counter of F. W. Woolworth's in Greensboro, N.C. They were refused service and sat peacefully until the store closed."

The opening statement above describes an event in early 1960 that had an important impact on the Civil Rights movement at that time - quoted below, further discussion of the sit-in which occurred in downtown Greensboro at the lunch counter of the Woolworth store (Source). The building is now the International Civil Rights Center & Museum - pic below from their website, along w/ images of the four men who participated in the sit-in - they were students at North Carolina A&T State University in the city. There is a statue of the four now on the campus of the same university.

An excellent permanent exhibit can be visited along w/ traveling exhibits - the institution has had some financial issues recently, unfortunately - Susan & I need to return - for those visiting Greensboro, a definite recommendation. Dave

The Greensboro sit-ins were a series of nonviolent protests in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960,[1] which led to the Woolworth department store chain removing its policy of racial segregation in the Southern United States.[2] While not the first sit-ins of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, the Greensboro sit-ins were an instrumental action, and also the most well-known sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement, these sit-ins lead to increased national sentiment at a crucial period in US history.[3] The primary event took place at the Greensboro, North Carolina, Woolworth store, now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

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[scifan57]

Greensboro Four & Civil Rights Sit-Ins

"On Feb. 1, 1960 four black freshmen at North Carolina A&T State University, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair, Jr., and David Richmond, took seats at the segregated lunch counter of F. W. Woolworth's in Greensboro, N.C. They were refused service and sat peacefully until the store closed."

The opening statement above describes an event in early 1960 that had an important impact on the Civil Rights movement at that time - quoted below, further discussion of the sit-in which occurred in downtown Greensboro at the lunch counter of the Woolworth store (Source). The building is now the International Civil Rights Center & Museum - pic below from their website, along w/ images of the four men who participated in the sit-in - they were students at North Carolina A&T State University in the city. There is a statue of the four now on the campus of the same university.

An excellent permanent exhibit can be visited along w/ traveling exhibits - the institution has had some financial issues recently, unfortunately - Susan & I need to return - for those visiting Greensboro, a definite recommendation. Dave


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Thanks for some very interesting early history of the civil rights movement.