Huntersville in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Visit the Store & Take a Tour

Visit the Store and Take a Tour Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 29, 2026

1. Visit the Store and Take a Tour Marker

Inscription. Built around 1779, the home of Hugh Torance also served as a store from 1804 to 1825. The bustling mercantile shop, which even housed a tavern for a short time, served early area residents before falling into disrepair. 20th-century descendant of Hugh Torance, Dick Banks recognized the significance of the long neglected structure hidden in the woods. From 1977 to 1989, the Store underwent a heartfelt restoration led by architect Jack Boyte and made possible by the commitment and generosity of community members.

Today, the Hugh Torance House and Store functions as a private, non-profit historic site. The store is open on Sundays for docent-led tours and features a delightful range of artisan gifts, books, local honey, and more, ensuring there is always something special to find!

With the backing of HEARTS members, donations, grants, and community partnerships, we are enthusiastic about broadening our impact, sharing our story, and connecting more intimately with the history of our region. You can help this special historic place by becoming a HEARTS Circle Member Learn how you can give life to new places and visit:

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S is for Store = Sustainability

The "S" in HEARTS stands for Store, representing a sustainable future for this and other local historic sites. With tours, events, and sales taking place at the Store, this site now has the means to continue sharing its rich history as the oldest standing store in North Carolina.

To reserve your spot at a docent-led tour or an upcoming event, visit Events at heartsco.org

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Volunteer opportunities at the Hugh Torance House and Store. To learn more, email [email protected].

Historic artifacts share stories from the past, take a tour to learn more!

"Hugh Torance House and Store in 1938 as a tenant home. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress, Frances Benjamin Johnston.

Local artisan goods, crafts, sundries, books, snacks, drinks, and more to be found in the Store! All proceeds support the ongoing preservation of this very spacial historic landmark.

Erected 2026 by HEARTS Collaborative Inc.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1779.

Location. 35° 24.417′ N, 80° 53.18′ W.

Marker at the driveway at Hugh Torance House and Store image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 29, 2026

2. Marker at the driveway at Hugh Torance House and Store

Marker is in Huntersville, North Carolina, in Mecklenburg County. It can be reached from Gilead Road 0.1 miles west of Old Store Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8231 Gilead Rd, Huntersville NC 28078, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont

and in Greater Charlotte.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Hugh Torance House & Store c. 1779 (here, next to this marker); Hugh Torance (within shouting distance of this marker); The Kitchen Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); The Enslaved of Torrance Plantation (within shouting distance of this marker); Gen. William Lee Davidson Was Killed

Hugh Torance House and Store image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, July 29, 2026

3. Hugh Torance House and Store

(approx. 2.1 miles away); The First Sermon of Hopewell Presbyterian Church (approx. 2.3 miles away); The Tanner (approx. 2.3 miles away); Richard Barry (approx. 2.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huntersville.

Also see . . .
1. Hugh Torance House and Store. (Submitted on August 4, 2026.)
2. Hearts - New life for old places. (Submitted on August 4, 2026.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 2, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.