Free living history event at Uptown Charlotte cemeteries: Voices from the Past

Interested in meeting some local Charlotte residents from the past? The Mecklenburg Historical Association Docents are presenting Voices from the Past, on Saturday, May 14th, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The event will be held in Settlers’ and Elmwood/Pinewood Cemeteries where many of the “residents” will come to life for the afternoon and visit with you. Portrayers will portray familiar characters from our local history, and a few you may never have heard of.

The event will be going on for the whole three hours and you can drop in and wander around the two cemeteries in whatever order you’d like.

Settlers’ Cemetery is at 200 West 5th Street and Elmwood/Pinewood Cemetery is at 700 West 6th Street.

The event is free and free parking is available as well. There are parking meters on several streets surrounding Settlers’; metered spaces are free all day on Saturdays.

Enter Elmwood Cemetery at the 245 N. Cedar St. gate for plenty of FREE parking. The 6th Street entrance will be open for foot traffic only.

FREE shuttle service between Settlers’ and Elmwood/Pinewood cemeteries will run every 15 minutes, beginning at 1 o’clock and ending at 4:30. Pickup/Drop Offs are at the corner of W. 5th St and Poplar and at the 6th St. Elmwood entrance. NEW this year, Johnson C. Smith University is providing an air conditioned van.

Inside Elmwood and Pinewood Cemeteries watch for FREE golf cart rides provided by Carolina Golf Cars . Hop on – hop off . Simply wave them down and volunteer drivers will shuttle you from one area to another. This service is very helpful for visitors that may have difficulty walking around the cemeteries.

For more information please visit https://voicesfromthepastcharlotte and Facebook.com/voicesfromthepastcharlotte.

Some of the characters who participated in the past:

When Col. Thomas Polk isn’t busy reading the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence at the square on May 20th, you’ll find him at Settlers’ telling of founding our fair city and his Revolutionary War exploits.
You will meet Mary, the wife of Joel Baldwin the hatter; his is the oldest grave in the cemetery.
Don’t miss the northeast corner of Settlers’ that was reserved for “our servants”, a euphemism for slaves. None of those graves are marked, and most never were. There you’ll encounter Aggie and Cherry who were enslaved at Rosedale.
At Elmwood you’ll see Dr. Annie Alexander, the South’s first licensed female physician; a former mayor named for the Swamp Fox and a circus trainer mauled to death by his elephant.
If you’re familiar with the bold and colorful collages of Romare Bearden, you’ll want to meet his great-grandmother who inspired him.
Some portrayers will appear as their own ancestors telling stories they learned firsthand.
Meet the Victorian funeral director. He and his wife can help you plan your own funeral in the romanticized way of that time.