Originally named Stumptown for the stumps left after clearing the land for cotton mills, Matthews was renamed in 1875 in honor of Edward Matthews, director of the Central Carolina Railroad. This small town is mostly in Mecklenburg county, however there is a small portion that extends into Union County.
Family Dollar, Harris Teeter and Porkertec all have headquarters here. Matthews is only 25 minutes from Uptown Charlotte and the Charlotte Douglas airport, 15 minutes to the Ballantyne and Southpark areas of Charlotte known for its shopping and office parks. There is a variety of homes in Matthews. Matthews offers 55+ communities, low maintenance homes, townhomes, single family homes and larger luxury homes with large lots. The medium home price is $495k.
Matthews has a historic downtown area where buildings have been preserved and are now occupied by shops, restaurants and offices. There are 10 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Renfrow’s Hardware store, a 120 year old old fashioned hardware store, anchors the downtown area. There is a renovated train station and caboose next to the Town Hall. The Town Hall is a 2 story colonial building in the heart of downtown Matthews. The first floor is a library with cozy seating for reading and even a fireplace! The Reid House was built in 1890 and is one of the few Victorian houses left in the area. It is available to rent for special occasions such as weddings, parties and showers. Visit the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, open Spring through Fall every weekend and every other Saturday in the winter. Produce from less than 50 miles away is offered here as well as local artisans wares.
There are several parks in the Matthews area. Stumptown Park is located downtown and hosts festivals throughout the year. Matthews Alive, BeachFest and music and movie nights are all hosted at this park. The Matthews Greenway is a 2 mile paved path along Four Mile Creek for walkers, joggers and bikers. Squirrel Lake Park is a 36 acre park with open fields and woods and a lake in the middle. Enjoy fishing, picnics or a round of disc golf here. The Sportsplex at Matthews has playing fields for soccer, rugby, lacrosse, football and field hockey. There are 11 fields, a 2700 seat grass stadium, locker rooms and a conference room.
Enjoy a good festival? Matthews has several! Matthews Alive is the largest Labor Day celebration in the southeast. Enjoy the parade, stroll the Arts and Crafts Pavilion, enjoy outdoor performances or see classic cars and motorcycles. There is also the May BeachFest and the Fine Art and Master Craft Show. The Charlotte Symphony performs a concert in June. Of course special holiday events happen at times throughout the year.
