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

Homegrown Innovations In Retail

— Charlotte Trail of History —

Photographed By Mark Parker, June 13, 2024

1. Homegrown Innovations In Retail Marker (left panel)

Inscription. (left panel)
In 1887, William Henry Belk opened The New York Racket Store in Monroe, NC, which he advertised as "The Cheapest Store on Earth."

Belk pioneered what were considered at the time to be innovative business practices. He set a clear retail price, allowed customers to return undamaged goods, and only accepted cash purchases.

Belk convinced his brother, Dr. John M. Belk, to join the business, and together they opened stores in various towns in South Carolina. The first Charlotte location, called "Belk Brothers' Company", opened in 1895. Eventually, Belk became the largest privately owned department store enterprise in the country.

Belk was a noted leader in numerous religious, civic, educational and charitable organizations. Mr. Belk and his wife, Mary, raised five children in their Charlotte home located on Hawthorne Avenue near Presbyterian hospital."

(captions)
William Henry Belk
The original Belk Brothers store in downtown Monroe, NC
Photos: Courtesy of the Belk Archives and Union County Public Library

(right panel)
In the early years of the business, the Belk store sold "piece goods," a term that refers to fabric sold from the bolt at retail in lengths specified by the customer. Sculptor Amonio Tobias (Toby)

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Mendez, the sculptor of the Belk statue, depicts him standing beside a bolt of fabric, with scissors in hand.

(captions)
First Belk store, Monroe, N.C., circa late 1880s
Typical piece goods store, circa 1900
Photos: Courtesy of the Belk Archives and Union County Public Library and the Interlaken Historical Society

Erected 2015 by Charlotte Trail of History. (Marker Number 15.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.

Location. 35° 12.76′ N, 80° 50.178′ W. Marker is in Charlotte, North Carolina, in Mecklenburg County. Marker can be reached from Metropolitan Avenue south of Charlottetown Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Marker and statue are on the Little Sugar Creek Greenway Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1116 Metropolitan Ave, Charlotte NC 28204, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. On This Site... (a few steps from this marker); Philip Lance Van Every: Shaping Modern Charlotte (within shouting distance of this marker); Thaddeus Lincoln Tate - Business and Civic Leader (within shouting distance of this marker); Lewis Thompson and Pattie Clark Thompson (approx. ¼ mile away); Thompson Orphanage Campus

Homegrown Innovations In Retail Marker (right panel) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Parker, June 13, 2024

2. Homegrown Innovations In Retail Marker (right panel)

(approx. ¼ mile away); Thompson Orphanage (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Thompson Orphanage (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ben Nash (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charlotte.

More about this marker. Marker location is behind Dressler's at the Metropolitan complex. Parking is available at the shopping center.

Also see . . . William Henry Belk. Charlotte Trail of History biography for William Henry Belk

Starting from a small dry goods store in Monroe, North Carolina, William Henry Belk opened retail stores in Charlotte and other communities across the southeastern United States from the end of the nineteenth century through the mid twentieth century. An innovator in retail methods and business partnerships, he led the Charlotte-based Belk stores to become one of the leading retail enterprises in the southeast during the twentieth century. (Submitted on June 21, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Photographed By Mark Parker, June 13, 2024

3. Homegrown Innovations In Retail Marker
Marker and Belk statue are located on opposite sides of large shrubbery.
Photographed By Mark Parker, June 13, 2024

4. Homegrown Innovations In Retail Marker
Photographed By Mark Parker, June 13, 2024

5. William Henry Belk statue

Credits. This page was last revised on June 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 43 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 21, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.