A portion of SouthEnd could be getting a new name.
A 46-acre area bordered by South Church Street, Morehead Street, West Summit Avenue and Graham Street contains the remnants of the Rudisill and St. Catherine gold mines. These mines were the gold-mining center of the country in the first half of the 19th century and were significant in the growth of Charlotte as an economic region. Now, though, their shafts have long been covered and neither has any historical marker.
Architect Stephen Overcash and commercial real estate broker Caren Castellaneta Wingate are leading a group of local businesspeople who want to use the mines’ histories to rebrand 13 blocks in South End. They’d like the area to be known as “The Gold District.” The goal is to keep existing businesses and architecturally significant buildings while adding retail space and a museum of sorts.
What do you think about The Gold District? Will it add to the area? Or will a part of SouthEnd be lost?
