Stop 46: Old Settlers Cemetery
Location: North Church Street & West 5th Street (200 W. 5th St.) Years in use: sources differ; see below Owner: City of Charlotte
Old Settlers Cemetery at the corner of North Church and West 5th Streets is Charlotte's earliest burial ground. 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.
When it was in use
The sources do not agree on the dates, so here is each one:
- The City of Charlotte, which owns the cemetery, dates it to about 1768 and says burials began before the town was established that year. The city says it took burials for more than 100 years, until Elmwood Cemetery was created.
- Friends of Fourth Ward's current cemeteries page says the graves date from 1776 through 1884.
- The Friends of Fourth Ward Self-Walking Tour (2016) gives 1776 to 1867 and calls it Charlotte's first municipal burial ground.
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.
Visiting today: rules, parking and who is buried here are in our guide to the historic cemeteries.
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Sources: Friends of Fourth Ward, Self-Walking Tour (2016). Retrieved April 24, 2026. City of Charlotte, "Settlers' Cemetery (ca. 1768)," charlottenc.gov. Read October 3, 2026. Friends of Fourth Ward, "The Historic Cemeteries (Settlers, Elmwood, Pinewood)," fourthwardclt.org. Read October 3, 2026.