Tucked into the heart of Charlotte’s Fourth Ward Historic District is one of our favorite urban-located cemeteries. Established in the late 18th century, Old Settlers Cemetery stands as the city’s first municipal burial ground. Its graves span from 1776 to 1884, holding the remains of notable figures including Thomas Polk, Charlotte’s founding father and great-uncle of President James K. Polk, along with Governor Nathaniel Alexander and congressman Greene Washington Caldwell. Serving as Charlotte’s sole city cemetery until 1854, the grounds fell into disrepair by the 1940s before historian Julia McGehee Alexander championed their preservation. A $500,000 restoration transformed the site into a serene, park-like space with towering oaks and brick pathways.
