Stop 46 — Old Settlers Cemetery

Location: North Church Street & West 5th Street Years in use: 1776–1867 Notable: Charlotte's first municipal burial ground

Old Settlers Cemetery at the corner of North Church and West 5th Streets is Charlotte's first municipal burial ground, in use from 1776 until 1867. Per Friends of Fourth Ward, the cemetery contains the earthly remains of many of the most prominent citizens of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Extensive grave reconstruction and historical research was conducted in the late 1990s.

The bronze plaques

Per FOFW, visitors should note the bronze plaques on the 5th Street side. These plaques are the product of the 1990s research effort and document specific individuals buried in the cemetery.

Context

The 1776 start date places Old Settlers Cemetery at the founding of the city — the earliest recorded burials pre-date the American Revolution. The 1867 end of active burial use aligns with the post-Civil War transition period that shaped so much of Fourth Ward's 19th-century history: the neighborhood's older domestic survivors (Sloan-Davidson House 1820, stop 27; McCausland-Taylor 1850, stop 32; Lyles-Sims 1867, stop 26) roughly span the same century during which this cemetery was in active use.

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Source: Friends of Fourth Ward, Self-Walking Tour (2016). Retrieved April 24, 2026.