Matthews North Carolina

Looking for a home in the friendly town of Matthews NC.

The Town of Matthews is located in Mecklenburg County about 10 miles southeast of downtown Charlotte. Matthews covers 17.18 square miles and is comprised of mainly low-density single family housing. A quaint downtown, attractive neighborhoods, a variety of churches, quality schools and an outstanding hospital and medical facilities make for a full-service community.

Premiere Matthews NC Real Estate Agents

	Specializing in relocation to and from the Charlotte metro area; first-time home buyers; luxury properties; town homes and condominiums; and new construction. Licensed in North and South Carolina. Nina Hollander - Carolinas Realty Partners Cell 704-602-6698 Office: 704-602-6698 www.NinaHollander.com
	"You Are My Priority!" I listen to you. Charlotte Metro Luxury properties, first time buyers, investment, relocation in and out of NC & SC. Barry Sklar - Bulldog Realty Charlotte Cell: 704.578.4300 - Office:888.487.1472 www.bulldogrealtycharlotte.com
	Specializing in relocation to from the greater Charlotte metro area: new construction, first-time home buyers, luxury properties, land sales, urban living, town homes and golf course communities. Christopher Rybicki, NC/SC Broker, E-Pro Cell: 704-516-6323 Office: 704-545-2540 www.FirstStopRealty.net

The population is approximately 25,000. People feel safe and secure in Matthews. Streets exude a small town charm and small parks and natural areas dot the community. The town strives to maintain a healthy balance of quality residential development and compatible commercial development making it a desirable place to live.

Matthews began as a small farming community in the 1800s. Cotton farmers completely cleared the land, leaving tree stumps in every direction; thus, the first name for the community became Stumptown. In 1825, the name changed to Fullwood for John Fullwood who operated Stagecoach Inn and became the first postmaster for this area. Nearby residents received mail at the inn, and the stagecoach made regular stops on its way from Charlotte to Monroe.

In 1874, the Carolina Central Railway Company built a railroad through the town as part of the line from Wilmington, North Carolina to Tennessee.

The first train rolled into the community on December 15, 1874 and people from miles around came to see the "Iron Horse." The name of the town was changed to Matthews in honor of Watson Matthews, a director of the railroad. The town was incorporated in 1879 and the first census in 1880 showed a population of 191. When originally surveyed, the Town of Matthews was laid out to include a one mile radius from what is now the town square at the intersection of John and Trade Streets. Election records of 1886 show that 51 people voted for the mayor -- Wilson T. Carpenter, 24 years old, a teacher and a registered pharmacist. Mr. (or Doctor as he was sometimes addressed ) Carpenter was born March 22, 1855 and is buried in the Matthews Cemetery. T. M. Chambers was the first Marshall of the town and, like his counterparts in the wild west, dispensed justice with a gun slung on his hip.

As cotton farming covered the South, around the turn of the century, small towns flourished as suppliers for the farmers' needs. The railroad became the lifeline of Matthews. Five passenger trains and eight freight trains came through town each day and the Depot did thousands of dollars in business. By 1901 Matthews' downtown boasted two cotton gins, three general stores, a bank, two doctors, a pharmacy, a grist mill, a blacksmith shop, a livery stable and a hotel.

Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches were organized around 1877. The churches at first operated private schools until 1895 when a three-room public school was built in Carpenter's Grove, where Stumptown Park now stands. All too soon, the little wooden schoolhouse was filled to bursting and in 1906 a modern brick building was erected at the cost of $14,000. The property was purchased by the Town of Matthews in 1984, and is now known as the Matthews Community Center. It is recognized as a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Property and renovations to the structure are under way.

Dr. Selma Burke, world-renowned sculptress and creator of the image of President Roosevelt on the dime, has her roots in Matthews. She credits the "good Matthews mud" as the beginning of her artistic endeavors. Dr. Burke donated an outdoor sculpture entitled "Family" to the Fullwood Trace neighborhood which is proudly displayed in front of a resident's home.

Johnny Crowell, the only North Carolinian ever inducted into the aviation hall of fame, was a Matthews native. He was the parade marshall of the Stumptown Festival in 1977.

After World War II, the farming community began to change. As Charlotte's booming growth spread, the Matthews community became filled with businesses, housing developments, and thousands of people. Large corporations founded their headquarters in Matthews. In 1994 a 240,000 square foot hospital facility was built and annexation for further growth spread Matthews' boundaries. Construction of the I-485 outer beltway connects Matthews directly with major interstate highways I-77 and I-85, to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, and increases its accessibility to regional and national commerce.

As Matthews NC moves forward into its second century, it continues to be one of the state's most affluent and desirable communities, while at the same time it retains the quaint, small-town atmosphere which has attracted thousands of visitors and families who have chosen to live and work here.

Source: Matthews NC