Museum of the Waxhaws

History:

Senator Aaron Plyer attended meetings with citizens from the Waxhaw area in the latter part of 1979,during which the possibility of establishing a memorial to President Andrew Jackson was discussed, and he presented the idea to Governor James B. Hunt. Subsequently, in early 1980, Governor Hunt created the Andrew Jackson Historic Memorial Committee, a committee formed to assist the Division of Archives and History, Department of Cultural Resources, in "determining the need for a permanent memorial to honor Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States." The first meeting of the Committee was held on May 18, 1980, in Waxhaw, with Dr. William S. Price, Jr., Director of the Division of Archives and History in attendance. Original Committee members were Charles McGee, Chairman; Sid Hart; Jack Hernig; Gladys Kerr; Wiley Neal; and John Thomas Wilson.

The group toured local historic sites, including property owned by the Waxhaws Historical Festival and Drama Association, the birthplace of Andrew Jackson, the South Carolina Andrew Jackson Park, the Howie Gold Mine, JAARS, and the 1818 Old North Cornerstone, marking the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina. The need to select a site for the memorial was discussed.