Inside the 1879 Massey-Clark House on Matthews’ Trade Street, the Matthews Heritage Museum keeps the memory of the town Charlotte grew around. When cotton was king and the railroad made Matthews a trading post, this house watched it all — and its rooms now tell the story with period furnishings, photographs and a lovingly detailed model of old Matthews.
Exhibits trace the town from Catawba trading paths to cotton gin prosperity to today’s beloved suburb, with rotating shows on schools, churches and the families of Tank Town. Walking tours of the historic district start at the museum’s door, past the old depot and the town’s famous food-truck-ready green.
Small museums are a region’s conscience. Matthews’ is kept with unusual care — go on a Saturday and pair it with the farmers market across the tracks.
