Charlotte's Historical Buildings Tour (Self Guided), Charlotte

Liddell-McNinch House is a historic home located at Charlotte. It was built between 1891 and 1893, and is a 2 1/2-story, Queen Anne / Shingle Style frame dwelling. The house has a highly complex roofline of projections, gables, porches, and spreading eaves, and wall surfaces of weatherboards, shingles, broken planes, swells, and cavities. It features a wraparound porch and a recessed porch on the second level. President William Howard Taft visited the McNinch House in 1909.

The house is named for two of its previous owners, Vinton Liddell, and Charlotte mayor Samuel S. McNinch. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Today it houses one of the city’s best restaurants, The McNinch House.

John W. Sheppard was one of the first university-trained pharmacists in the United States. He was one of the founders of the popular Woodall and Sheppard Drugstore.

The John W. Sheppard Home was completed for him in 1899 in the Free Classic, Queen Anne architectural style. It remained in the Sheppard family through 1961. It was well maintained over the years, which has allowed much of the home's original interiors and exteriors to remain intact. In 1991, it was converted into a bed and breakfast.

The house is located in Charlotte's Historic Fourth Ward. It is within easy walking distance of a number of historic homes and must-see sites in Charlotte.

Another historic highlight in the Fourth Ward district is the Eastlake Victorian Cottage. This beautiful light-blue building is an Eastlake style cottage, which was typical of middle-class Victorian homes of the period. It features a wonderful decorative porch.

The Newcomb-Berryhill House is located on 9th Street in Charlotte's Historic Fourth Ward. It was built in 1884 by John H. Newcomb and his wife, Gussie. It represents the Victorian Italianate architectural style.

The Newcombs were important members of society in Charlotte. John, along with his brother, operated a bellows factory that quickly grew and expanded to include windows and sashes. Gussie, along with her sister, owned a very successful millinery.

The Newcomb's daughter, also named Gussie, married local grocer Earnest Berryhill. The two lived in the house at 9th Street, which is why it is referred to as the Newcomb-Berryhill House today. After the deaths of the Newcombs and Berryhills, the home was turned into an apartment complex. It declined over the years and was ultimately slated for demolition until the Junior League of Charlotte chose to purchase and restore it in 1975.

The home is now owned and preserved by Berryhill Preservation, Inc.

Alexander Michael's is a tavern in the Historic Fourth Ward of Charlotte. Visitors can stop by the tavern for lunch any day of the week. While they are there, they should take a moment to appreciate the history of the building.

The tavern is held in a building that is known by locals as the Crowell-Berryhill Store. It was originally a market. In fact, it is the only turn-of-the-century grocery store that is still standing in uptown Charlotte. The store opened in 1897 as part of the Star Mill Grocery Company, a grit and mill feed producer. It changed hands a number of times until it was eventually purchased by Earnest Berryhill in 1907. The store remained in use through the mid-20th century, and then went vacant and began to decline.

Luckily, an investment group chose to purchase the land and restore the property to its previous glory. Today, visitors can stop by to appreciate the restored craftsmanship while having a drink and a bite to eat.

Overcarsh House is a historic home located at Charlotte. It was built between 1879 and 1898, and is a two-story, rectangular Queen Anne style frame dwelling. It is sheathed in weatherboard, sits on a brick foundation, and has a hipped roof on the main block. It features extended gable-roofed bays, a conical-roofed tower, shallow entrance but unusually large porch, and decorative gables. Its builder, Elias Overcarsh, was a prominent Methodist minister. The Overcarsh family owned the house until 1966.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The Bagley-Mullen House is a majestic brick mansion located at Poplar and 5th Streets in Charlotte. It was built by Edward Andrews, who was somewhat known for erected impressive homes in the city.

The home is the only example of French Chateauesque architecture in the city. The Revivalist architecture of the house was inspired by Loire Valley chateaux. It is reminiscent of such august residences as Meillant and Courtalain.

The original occupant of the house was Andrew Bagley who quickly sold the house to Hornet's Nest Liniment inventor Walter Mullen. Today, the house is the location of a tattoo parlor. Prior to this it functioned as a day spa. The historic building remains intact for anyone who wants to stop by and see the beautiful architecture.

The Bagley-Mullen House is located within easy walking distance of Discovery Place, St. Peter's Episcopal Church and a large number of historic buildings in the Fourth Ward.