Named after Gen. George Monck, one of the Lord Proprietors of Carolina, Albemarle is the county seat of Stanly County, located amidst the rolling hills of the North Carolina Piedmont. The influential Hearne family donated 51 acres to the first Commissioners of Stanly County and Albemarle was incorporated in 1857. At its founding, Albemarle had a Methodist church and two saloons. With the onslaught of the Civil War, approximately 500 local men left to fight for the Confederate cause. After the austere post-war years, the economy grew with the coming of the railroad to Albemarle in the 1890s....

Known for its charming communities and picturesque landscapes, a colorful patchwork quilt of farms, fields, and small towns, Stanly County possesses a rich Southern heritage, one forged by its dedication to agricultural development and small-town life. As urban sprawl rapidly encroaches on North Carolina's Piedmont region, it is vital that we remember and preserve our county's history, providing present and future generations a chance to connect to their ancestors' past, one that is truly special with the people of the Tar Heel State. This volume takes you on a visual journey into the Stanly...