The blacksmith who built Charlotte’s longest-lasting home
Plus: Top news of the week — SNAP benefits at risk — SoFi expands to Charlotte — Ex-Hornets star charged in betting scheme — American pauses growth at CLT — LendingTree CEO Doug Lebda's funeral
Good morning! Today is Saturday, October 25, 2025. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger’s Weekend Edition.
Need to subscribe — or upgrade your Ledger e-newsletter subscription? Details here.
Today’s Charlotte Ledger is sponsored by VIA Health Partners, which delivers compassionate and comprehensive care to patients with serious illnesses. As the Carolinas’ largest independent non-profit hospice and palliative care provider, we serve over 5,000 patients daily, spanning 38 counties.
Historical Heavyweights: Hezekiah Alexander built a sturdy stone house — and Charlotte’s civic foundations
Editor’s note: You see their names on street signs or parks, but who were some of the big-name people from decades ago who shaped Charlotte? They have fascinating stories, and for the next few Saturdays, we’re sharing them with you.
by John Short
Hezekiah Alexander was like many Scots-Irish migrants of the mid-18th century in the new world — restless, resourceful and in search of land, opportunity and the freedom to worship as he wanted.
A blacksmith by trade and a farmer by necessity, Alexander followed the Great Wagon Road southwest from Maryland through Pennsylvania and Delaware into the Carolina backcountry. There, on the edge of a thinly settled wilderness, he became one of Mecklenburg County’s founding fathers and left a legacy that is still seen in Charlotte today.
When Mecklenburg County was established in 1762, its population was just under 800. That number grew over the years, as thousands of wagons rolled into the Carolina Piedmont, increasing the region’s population to more than 1,600 by 1767. Among these arrivals was Alexander, who purchased 300 acres in 1766 and another 300 in 1769, assembling a plantation of 600 acres along Sugar Creek.
The land he claimed was far from gentle farmland. The Piedmont of the mid-1700s was a dense patchwork of oak, chestnut and pine forest cut through by meandering creeks. Clearing this land was grueling work, with difficult-to-remove tree stumps remaining in fields for years. Families lived miles apart from one another. The few public spaces — taverns, smithies and especially Presbyterian churches — served as spiritual, educational and political lifelines for scattered settlers.
Alexander quickly rose to prominence as a leader in his small but growing community. In 1768, British Governor William Tryon appointed him to be a county magistrate for life, establishing him as one of the most powerful figures in the region. He also served as an elder at Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church, where the fiery minister Alexander Craighead railed weekly about the tyranny of British authority.
Alexander was also instrumental in the founding of Queens College, the first college chartered south of Virginia and a rare institution for training Presbyterian ministers in the colonies. (It later changed its name and moved to Salisbury, so it’s a different school than the modern-day Queens University of Charlotte.)
The 1774 Hezekiah Alexander Rock House — Mecklenburg County’s oldest surviving home — still stands on the grounds of the Charlotte Museum of History. (Photo courtesy of the Charlotte Museum of History)
In addition to these leadership roles, in 1774, Alexander built what became his most enduring contribution to his burgeoning community: a stone house. At nearly 5,000 square feet, the two-story Georgian vernacular structure dwarfed the modest log cabins of his neighbors.
Its walls — two feet thick, shaped and stacked by hand, through the labor of enslaved people — were quarried from his own land. At a time when permanence was rare, the Rock House symbolized wealth, ambition and stability.
It remains Mecklenburg County’s oldest surviving home to this day. It’s part of the Charlotte Museum of History in east Charlotte, off Shamrock Drive, just down the street from another local (but more modern) landmark: Vietnamese restaurant Lang Van.
Alexander’s political career continued to blossom even after his architectural statement. He served on Mecklenburg’s Committee of Safety, the “shadow government” of patriots who seized power from colonial officials in the run-up to the Revolutionary War. He sat in North Carolina’s provincial congresses, which drafted the state’s 1776 constitution and bill of rights.
Locally, he was linked to the “Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence,” the document that proclaimed freedom from Britain more than a year before Jefferson put pen to paper. Whether or not Alexander chaired that fateful May 1775 meeting, he was deeply involved in the debates that pushed the backcountry closer toward revolution.
Following the Revolution, Alexander remained a steady presence — serving in his role as magistrate until 1794; raising 10 children with his wife, Mary Sample; and continuing to manage a plantation worked by both family and enslaved laborers. Hezekiah Alexander died in 1801, but by then he had thoroughly contributed to Mecklenburg County’s religious, civic and political foundations.
The Rock House became the most tangible part of his legacy. While nearly every other 18th-century dwelling in Charlotte rotted away or was replaced, its thick stone walls endured. In the 20th century, preservationists, led by the Daughters of the American Revolution, saved the house and later entrusted it to the Charlotte Museum of History. Today, the homesite includes reconstructed outbuildings, gardens and interpretations of the lives of both the Alexander family and the 17 enslaved people who lived and worked there.
That preservation effort continues to this day. In 2024, the National Park Service awarded the Charlotte Museum of History $444,500 through its Semiquincentennial Grant Program to renovate the site, preparing it to tell Charlotte’s Revolutionary story as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026.
The Hezekiah Alexander House, preserved by the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Charlotte Museum of History, has survived wars, weather and Charlotte’s growth. (Photo courtesy of the Charlotte Museum of History)
Charlotte is no longer a frontier settlement of 1,600 people. Glass towers now rise where cornfields once stood. But the Rock House remains, a rare survivor from the city’s earliest days.
It reminds us that Charlotte’s prosperity rests on generations who carved farms from forests, built churches and schools, debated liberty and government — and whose labor, both free and enslaved, created the foundations of our city.
John Short is a freelance writer and co-host of The Charlotte Podcast who loves digging up Charlotte’s past and pondering its future. Say hey when you see him on the streetcar.
Today’s Ledger is sponsored by VIA Health Partners, which delivers compassionate and comprehensive care to patients with serious illnesses. As the Carolinas’ largest independent non-profit hospice and palliative care provider, we serve over 5,000 patients daily, spanning 38 counties.
This week in Charlotte: Chess prodigy dies; Bar-B-Q King to close Nov. 1; Police shoot and kill murder suspect; Charlotte leaders press Atrium on housing commitments; NCDOT says I-485 toll lanes to open in ‘early 2026’
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
CMS pay: (Charlotte Business Journal, subscriber-only) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has 427 employees earning six-figure salaries — up from 352 last year — with top district leaders all making over $205,000 and Superintendent Crystal Hill’s pay rising 6% to $318,270.
Davidson pauses hiring for visa holders: (The Davidsonian) Davidson College has halted tenure-track hiring for international faculty after a new $100,000 H-1B visa fee took effect, leaving applicants and current visa holders uncertain about the policy’s impact.
Politics
Election Hub expands voter resources: Early voting is underway, and The Election Hub now offers nonpartisan guides for every Mecklenburg County race — plus new coverage of Gaston County elections through a partnership with the Gaston Business Association.
N.C. Senate advances GOP-leaning map: (WRAL) The Republican-controlled General Assembly approved a new congressional map that would likely shift a northeastern N.C. district held by Democrat Don Davis to Republicans. The GOP would be favored in 11 of 14 congressional districts, up from 10.
Judge Louis Trosch to retire after 27 years: (WFAE) Mecklenburg County’s longest-serving judge says he won’t seek reelection in 2026 and plans to return to private practice with his family’s Charlotte law firm.
Local news
Police shoot and kill murder suspect: (WSOC) Police shot and killed a suspect Thursday in west Charlotte after a chase that followed a fatal shooting and kidnapping. Authorities said the suspect fired at officers near West Morehead Street and Freedom Drive before being killed.
SNAP benefits at risk: (Ledger 🔒) Mecklenburg County is warning 130,000 residents that federal food-assistance payments could be disrupted starting Nov. 1 if Congress fails to pass a budget.
The end of a BBQ era: (Ledger, WCNC) After 66 years on Wilkinson Boulevard, Charlotte’s iconic Bar-B-Q King will serve its last meals on Nov. 1, following the sale of its property.
Charlotte chess prodigy dies: Charlotte chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, a top-ranked player known for his viral blindfolded matches and role at the Charlotte Chess Center, died unexpectedly at age 29, the center shared in a post on Tuesday.
Business
SoFi announces expansion to Charlotte: (WCNC) Digital financial services company SoFi is expanding its regional operations in Charlotte, adding 225 jobs with an average salary of $108,436 and investing $3M in Mecklenburg County — a move expected to generate more than $24M in annual payroll.
Leaders seek answers on Pearl housing promises: (Ledger/NC Health News) City officials are demanding accountability after reports showed Atrium Health’s $75M deal for The Pearl medical district doesn’t legally require its pledged affordable housing. City and county leaders say they’ll push for timelines and oversight to ensure the commitments are fulfilled.
Publix-anchored Colony project eyes 2026 start: (Ledger 🔒) Developers say construction on The Colony’s next commercial phase, including a Publix, 341 apartments and four restaurants, could begin in the first half of next year if lease talks stay on track.
Sports
Ex-Hornets star charged in betting scheme: (Ledger 🔒) Former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier was indicted for allegedly faking an injury during a 2023 game so associates could profit from bets on his underperformance.
Panthers’ winning season: (WFAE) The Carolina Panthers beat the New York Jets to improve to 4-3, marking the first time that the team has had a winning record since 2021.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Remembering Doug Lebda. Plus: Bar-B-Q King could be next longtime restaurant to close; Election Hub features candidate info; Podcast on finding purpose after retirement; Thousands rally in uptown; State fair gastronomy
Wednesday (🔒)
Charlotte leaders press for answers on Atrium’s housing commitments. Plus: Food-assistance benefits imperiled; Remembering WSOC’s Cullen Ferguson; Progress on SouthPark Publix?; Local jeweler designs Taylor Swift-inspired ring
Friday (🔒)
Former Hornets star accused of faking injury for gambling. Plus: American Airlines slows growth at CLT; NCDOT draws closer to opening I-485 toll lanes; 2 neighborhood groups come out against transit plan
Ways of Life (🔒)
In memoriam: Cullen Ferguson, more a friend than a TV personality. Also remembered: A noted volunteer with CMS; executive who helped form the city’s first comprehensive emergency response system for hazardous materials; a longtime Navy chaplain
Why prime land sits undeveloped. Plus: Progress on SouthPark Publix?; 110 East is filling up, with 2 new tenants including uptown law firm; County program aims to encourage eco-friendly upgrades
A ‘Zaha’ moment hinders playoff opener: Charlotte FC star Wilfried Zaha, who’s been both brilliant and volatile this season, will miss the team’s playoff opener after earning a red card in the final minutes of Saturday’s regular-season finale.
Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 6 of our local newsletters:
The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
◼️ About The Ledger • Our Team • Website
◼️ Newsletters • Podcast • Newcomer Guide • A Better You email series
◼️ Subscribe • Sponsor • Events Board • Merch Store • Manage Your Account
◼️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn