Hezekiah Alexander North Carolina Backcountry Patriot, Charlotte
This life-size statue represents in bronze the spirit and commitment of Revolutionary statesman Hezekiah Alexander. Sitting atop a low masonry stone base, Alexander is depicted standing with his feet planted squarely on the ground beneath him, displaying an energy from within, and with a thoughtful but resolute gaze. In his hands he holds a book, reflecting his commitment to his church, the education of ministers, and to public education. The statue also symbolically honors all North Carolina patriots who supported the cause of independence.
Charlotte Museum of History
October 21, 2001
35.233250 , -80.766050
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Lilliard, Stewart. 2006. "Liberty Hall," NCpedia.org, (accessed July 28, 2013) Link
Preyer, Norris. 1979. "Alexander, Hezekiah," NCpedia.org, (accessed May 16, 2013) Link
The Charlotte Museum of History. "1774 Alexander Homesite," charlottemuseum.org, (accessed May 12, 2023) Link
Waymarking.com "Hezekiah Alexander NC Backcountry Patriot," Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com, (accessed May 16, 2013) Link
Wheeler, John; and Mecklenburg Historical Society. "The lives and characters of the signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence of the 20th of May, 1775," (Charlotte, NC: Observer and Job Power Press Print, 1875), (accessed July 28, 2013) Link
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Bronze statue, stone masonry base
The statue represents the many qualities and accomplishments of the Scots-Irish Alexander in his role as a patriot and provincial statesman. Born in Cecil County, Maryland in 1722 or 1728, he eventually brought his family to the Catawba River area after living on the frontier in Pennsylvania until the French and Indian War. Originally a blacksmith, he rose to prominence in Mecklenburg County both as an elder in the Presbyterian Church and following appointment as a county magistrate by Governor Tryon. Committed to education, he was instrumental in the founding of Queens College, and during the state constitutional congress at the Halifax Convention of 1776, he, along with Waightstill Avery, pushed for provision for a system of public education in the state constitution. A year later in 1777, the state General Assembly passed a bill to create Liberty Hall which was located in Charlotte.
Supporting the cause of liberty for the American colonists, he is believed to have been a participant in the Mecklenburg Resolves and a signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration. He oversaw the administration and support of the patriot militia and was a representative at the state constitutional convention at Halifax in 1776. The Alexander home is believed to be the oldest residence in Mecklenburg County.
[Additional information from NCpedia editors at the State Library of North Carolina: This person enslaved and owned other people. Many Black and African people, their descendants, and some others were enslaved in the United States until the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in 1865. It was common for wealthy landowners, entrepreneurs, politicians, institutions, and others to enslave people and use enslaved labor during this period. To read more about the enslavement and transportation of African people to North Carolina, visit https://aahc.nc.gov/programs/africa-carolina-0. To read more about slavery and its history in North Carolina, visit https://www.ncpedia.org/slavery. - Government and Heritage Library, 2023.]
David Dowdy is a North Carolina sculptor.
The statue is located on the grounds of the Hezekiah Alexander home at the Charlotte Museum of History on Shamrock Drive in Charlotte, NC.
The statue stands amongst ferns and other plantings next to a walkway at the historic site. The area is wooded with many mature shade trees.
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