Items of interest

Items of interest–phase 2

The former site of Flora McDonald’s home is located at the start of Phase 2, which is the corner of Bow and Green Streets. Flora McDonald, the famous Scottish heroine and her family lived from 1774-1775 on the banks of Cross Creek.

Located at the center of Cross Creek Park is a statue of Fayetteville’s namesake, General Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman and hero of the American Revolution. Fayetteville was the first city in the United States named for Lafayette and the only one named for him that he visited during his lifetime.

Cross Creek runs behind St. John’s Episcopal Church which was built in 1817 and destroyed in the Fire of 1831. The church was rebuilt on its original walls and was completed by 1832. This church is a wonderful example of Gothic revival architecture and features ten pyramidal spires and beautiful stained glass windows made in Munich, Germany.

As Cross Creek meanders through the downtown historic district, it runs behind First Presbyterian Church, which was organized in 1800, with it’s first structure burning in the Great Fire of 1831. They also rebuilt on the original walls and the present church was completed by 1832. The building’s most significant feature is the wooded truss roof designed by nationally renowned architect A.J. Davis after a patented truss system of Ithiel Town. It is the only one of its kind in North Carolina.

Cool Spring is a natural spring which flows from the bank of Cross Creek beside Fayetteville’s oldest surviving structure, Cool Spring Tavern. The spring served as a public water source from the late 18th century until the early 20th century.

· The Cool Spring Tavern built in 1788, was the place of lodging for some of the delegates that ratified the United States Constitution in 1789. This handsome Federal style building features a double-story engaged porch supported by square Doric posts.

· Cross Creek runs behind the Evans Metropolitan AME Zion Church and Parsonage. In the late 1780’s Henry Evans, an African American Methodist minister began preaching to the people of his race. He was soon ministering to a congregation of both blacks and whites. This was the beginning of Methodism in Fayetteville. This church building is the fourth on this site and was built in 1893-1894 in the Gothic Revival style. Henry Evans grave is located in the basement under the area of the alter.

· On the banks of Cross Creek, at the corner of Cool Spring and Meeting Streets is the old parade grounds and birth place of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry which was organized in 1793. Buried on the parade grounds is Isaac Hammond, an African American veteran of the American Revolution and fifer for the F.I.L.I.

Cross Creek Linear Park