Cherry (Charlotte neighborhood) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cherry
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Photograph of "Historic Cherry Neighborhood" sign
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| County | Mecklenburg County |
| City | Charlotte |
| Council District | 1 |
| Founded | 1891 |
| Annexed | 1907 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Zip Code |
28204, 28207
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| Area code(s) | 704, 980 |
Cherry is a historic African-American neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's known for its important history, especially for African Americans. Cherry is located right next to Uptown Charlotte, which is the city's downtown area. It's surrounded by places like Little Sugar Creek and major roads.
Contents
A Look Back at Cherry's History
Cherry started in a special way back in 1891. A man named John Myers owned a huge cotton farm. He decided to use some of his land to create a new neighborhood. His goal was to build a community especially for Black families. He wanted them to have modern homes and a comfortable place to live. Myers hoped this would help create strong, hardworking, and well-behaved citizens.
Cherry became a home for many Black workers, both skilled and unskilled, around the early 1900s. People could either rent or buy houses. The community grew with city features like a city park, a school, churches, and streets lined with trees.
Growing Homeownership
More and more people in Cherry bought their own homes over time. In 1905, about 26% of homes were owned by residents. By 1925, this number jumped to 65%. The Myers family sold land lots for $40 to $100. This was much cheaper than lots in other areas, which could cost $300 to $600.
John Myers also sold land for churches to be built. Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and a Lutheran church (which later became Mount Zion Church of Holiness) were built there. In 1919, the Myers family gave land for the Myers Chapel A.M.E Zion Church.
The family also set aside land for a community park. This park, first called Morgan Park, was started in 1927. It was later renamed Cherry Park on July 18, 2006.
Changes Over Time
John and Mary Myers passed control of their Cherry properties to their children. Between the 1930s and 1940s, homes in Cherry were improved. They got indoor restrooms and general updates. More Black families bought property in the 1950s.
Because of this growth, John Dwelle and Brevard Myers started buying more land in Cherry. Cherry was one of the few neighborhoods that avoided a big city project called Urban Renewal. Other neighborhoods like Brooklyn and Greenville were greatly changed by it. In the 1960s, the Cherry Community Development Association was formed to help the neighborhood.
This organization bought property from the city. They fixed up homes using city-sponsored low-interest loans. They also collected rent from other properties they owned.
What is Gentrification?
Over time, Cherry has seen a lot of changes. This is due to something called gentrification. This happens when a neighborhood becomes popular and more expensive. Developers build new, fancy apartment buildings and costly homes. This makes it harder for people who have lived there for a long time to afford to stay.
Cherry is very attractive to buyers and developers. It's only about a mile southeast of Charlotte's Uptown area. Because of this, many original residents have had to move out. In the 1990s, about 66% of Cherry's residents were African-American. By 2019, about 57% were white. Easier access to public transportation has also helped with these changes.
Neighborhood Areas
Cherry has one main area called Midtown. This area includes shopping centers like the Metropolitan and Midtown Crossing. It also has the Little Sugar Creek Greenway and Midtown Park.
This area was once home to the Charlottetown Mall. This was the first fully-enclosed shopping center in the Southeast. It was also the fourth major indoor mall in the United States. It was open from 1959 to 2003 and was torn down in 2005.
