Charlotte Club Ranked Among Most Endangered Historic Places In US

CHARLOTTE, NC — A historic African American social club in Charlotte is one of the most endangered historical places in the nation, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Excelsior Club, located at 921 Beatties Ford Road, is one of 11 properties around the U.S. considered to be important to the nation’s heritage that are considered at risk in 2019, due to irreparable damage or destruction, according to the trust.

“Listed in the Green Book, the Excelsior Club was a leading private African American social club in the Southeast, hosting artists like Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong during its heyday,” the trust said. “The Art Moderne building needs significant investment. The property is currently listed for sale for $1.5 million, but even if a buyer is found, a reuse plan and significant investments are necessary to ensure a strong future.”

The club opened as a private club in 1944 by a African American bartender in Charlotte and became one of the largest private social clubs along the East Coast.

Today, however, the property is in need of at least $400,000 in repairs due to years of deferred maintenance. Nearly one year ago, the property was given a one-year protection as a local landmark after its current owner filed a permit to demolish the building. That year of protection, however, expires June 12.

“Losing this property, with the history and uniqueness that it has—it would be noticed,” says Michael Sullivan, co-founder of the preservation group Preserve Mecklenburg and a local realtor told the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We’ve lost so many relics of our past, and I think the African American community in particular [has suffered].”

Also included on the 2019 list of the most endangered historic places in the U.S.:

• Tenth Street Historic District, Dallas, Texas
• Nashville’s Music Row
• James R. Thompson Center, Chicago, Illinois
• Industrial Trust Company Building, Providence, Rhode Island
• Ancestral Places of Southeast Utah
• National Mall Tidal Basin, Washington, D.C.
• Hacienda Los Torres, Lares, Puerto Rico
• Willert Park Courts, Buffalo, New York
• Mount Vernon Arsenal and Searcy Hospital, Mount Vernon, Alabama
• Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota

You can read more about the list here.