Union County Real Estate Talk

Matthews NC to Become Community Wildlife Habitat

The Town of Matthews NC is about to embark on campaign to become one of only thirty-five municipalities nationwide that are certified Community Wildlife Habitats.  This certification is earned from the National Wildlife Federation.  The Matthews campaign will be called “Matthews Naturally”.

The “Matthews Naturally” campaign will be led by HAWK, the local chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.  The entire town, including town government, schools, churches, businesses and homeowners, will work to preserve wildlife and give the animals places for living and raising their young.

Matthews NC will become certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat by earning 450 points toward goals that include a certain number of homeowner Backyard Wildlife Habitats, Schoolyard Wildlife Habitats, educational programs, environmental projects and environmental websites.  HAWK members note that the town already has earned a number of points toward the certification as there are a number of homeowners who have Backyard Wildlife Habitats already.

Learn more about environmental activities and parks in Matthews NC.

Matthews NC Wildlife Advocates are HAWKs

Squirrel Lake Park in Matthews NC is Perfect Getaway

Downtown Matthews NC—Farmers Market Opens for the Season

Copyright 2010.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Matthews NC to Become Community Wildlife Habitat*

Squirrel Lake Park in Matthews NC is Perfect for Quiet Getaway

Squirrel Lake Park near downtown Matthews NC is the perfect spot for walking, fishing and just enjoying wooded views.  This 29-acre park is tucked away between two Matthews neighborhoods on Pleasant Plains Road.  Eventually, it will provide a pedestrian connection between the neighborhoods along Pleasant Plains Road and the new Four Mile Creek Greenway, where construction is just beginning.

The Squirrel Lake Park entrance reminds you of a drive down a country lane where open fields and surrounding woods invite you to explore.  Once you reach the middle of the park, you'll find a pretty view of the lake where benches invite you to relax and enjoy the quiet activity around the lake.  Or you can bring your pole and tackle for fishing in the lake.  A picnic shelter also overlooks the lake.

Not all activities at Squirrel Lake Park are passive.  The park includes a 12-hole disc golf course and a small playground for children.  A master plan developed for the park in January 2009 proposes to add another picnic shelter, horseshoe pits, a fishing pier and expand the playground.

HAWK, the Habitat and Wildlife Keepers chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, maintains habitat gardens of native plants in Squirrel Lake Park.  HAWK often sponsors wildlife activities there, including hummingbird seminars and a butterfly garden where milkweed will be planted to provide a way station for monarch butterflies.

Read more about parks in Matthews NC.

Stumptown Park is Matthews NC Community Hub

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Real Estate.  *Squirrel Lake Park in Matthews NC is Perfect for Quiet Getaway*

Downtown Matthews NC Will Be Filled With Artwork This Weekend

People fill downtown Matthews NC streets and parks for a variety of festivals throughout the year.  The last weekend in September is reserved for the annual ArtFest of Matthews.  Presented by the Matthews Chamber of Commerce, the 24th annual ArtFest can be found this year at the Village Green in front of the Town Hall/Library on Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th.  The ArtFest is a juried show of some of the finest artists from the Southeast.  Rising seniors from area high schools will also compete in the 17th annual YouthArt Scholarship Competition.  The YouthArt Competition offers $3500 in scholarship money.

You may view and purchase art from the artists at their booths on the Village Green.  The YouthArt entries are displayed in the Train Depot on the Green.  A children's art area allows youngsters to create their own art.  The Gazebo will have musicians throughout the event.

Enjoy photographs from last year's ArtFest in Matthews NC:  Works of Art in Downtown Matthews NC.

Learn more about Matthews NC, one of Charlotte NC's best small towns.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Real Estate.  *Downtown Matthews NC Will Be Filled With Artwork This Weekend*

Stumptown Park is Matthews NC Community Hub

Labor Day weekend brings hundreds of thousands of people to Matthews NC every year.  They come for the Matthews Alive Festival, the southeast's largest Labor Day festival.  Stumptown Park in downtown Matthews NC is the center of activity for this festival, which spills over into S. Trade Street in front of the park and the nearby Matthews Community Center.  The festival starts at 6:30pm on Friday September 4th this year with an "All You Can Ride" armband night, continues on Saturday morning with a Labor Day Parade at 10am plus musical entertainment and an arts and crafts show all day long.  The food, rides, music and crafts continue all weekend until 5pm on Monday September 7th.

Here is a photo blog about last year's Matthews Alive Festival at Stumptown Park in Matthews NC.

Top Ten Things to Do in Matthews NC on Labor Day Weekend

Stumptown Park in Matthews NC Full of Community Activity All Year Long

While the Matthews Alive Festival brings the most people to the park, Stumptown Park is a genuine treasure for Matthews residents who attend community events there during the year.  The park, enclosed on three sides with a decorative brick wall and wrought iron fencing, has a large open space for lawn seating, an attractive band shell, a small playground, and a Veterans Memorial tucked into one landscaped corner.  It's located near the main intersection of downtown Matthews and is within walking distance of shops, restaurants, the farmers market and the library.

What are some of the events that Matthews residents could have attended in Stumptown Park over the past year?

• In May, Stumptown Park was the scene of the first ever Matthews Beachfest with sand sculpture and shagging contests.
• Every Saturday evening from May through July, the park hosted either a PG film for families to attend or a music concert.  The park was filled in mid-June for a performance of the Charlotte Symphony.

• A chili cook-off and blue grass festival at the park were part of the Veterans Day celebration last November.

Matthews residents are very fortunate to have Stumptown Park as a place for community celebrations and events.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Stumptown Park is Matthews NC Community Hub*

Renfrow Hardware in Matthews NC

You can truly step back in time at Renfrow Hardware in Matthews NC. Inside Renfrow Hardware, you'll find well-worn wood floors and walls stocked floor to ceiling with an assortment of hardware items, seed and gardening products, and general merchandise that are not found in the typical big box store.  If you are looking for canning supplies, cast iron cookware, bulk seed of all types, odd and hard-to-find keys, feed for wild birds, poultry and rabbits, and live bait, you'll find them at Renfrow. 

In the winter, spend some time by the pot-bellied stove at Renfrow Hardware in Matthews NC and think about the many customers who have gathered there since the Renfrow Hardware and General Merchandise Store opened in 1900.  Established by Thomas Jefferson Renfrow, the store has been in continuous operation at this location since then.  In 1909, the store was expanded with three more sections making it the size it is today.  At various times during its history, the building housed other businesses as well, including a post office, a furniture and casket business, a cannery and a Chevrolet dealer.  In recent years, Renfrow Hardware acquired the adjoining small frame building known as Pop's Grill.  Operated as a restaurant from the 1960s to the 1980s and then as an antique shop, this building is now the Renfrow Hardware Annex.  Both buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Saturday mornings are the best time to enjoy the little piece of Matthews NC history that can be found at Renfrow Hardware.  Stop by the Matthews Farmers Market, which is sponsored by Renfrow's and is located next to the hardware.  Here you'll find locally grown produce, meats and cheeses, plants and flowers. Chefs give cooking demonstrations using that day's produce and local musicians provide entertainment.  After you're finished shopping, take a stroll through Renfrow Hardware to see what unique items you can discover.  I'll bet that it's the only place in Matthews or the surrounding area where you can buy lady bugs!

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Renfrow Hardware in Matthews NC*

Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC

Have you thought that it would be great to "go green" in caring for your lawn and landscaping but don't know where to start?  Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC is the perfect place to begin.  When you stop at their store/warehouse in Matthews NC, Billy Styles, Alan Talbert and their employees will give you a worksheet that looks like a placemat and design an on-going program that will meet the needs of your particular yard.  The worksheet will outline which products are important for each month or season of the year and give you a guide to follow to reduce your reliance on synthetic fertilizers in favor of organics.

Billy Styles at Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC explains why organic products are so important to the long-term health of your yard.  Synthetic fertilizers are salt-based, which leads to soil dehydration and soil compaction.  Over time, this weakens the plants and leaves them prone to disease.  The products at Organic Plant Health are designed to create and maintain a healthy soil as the basic building block of a healthy landscape.  These products contain natural sources of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, the three nutrients that all plants need.  In addition, the products contain a variety of beneficial bacteria to increase soil porosity and certain fungi that establish a relationship with plant roots to bring water and nutrients for the plant from outside the root zone.

The owners of Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC believe that ultimately organic care of your lawn can increase drought tolerance and reduce watering by up to 75%.  Reduced watering is a huge benefit for Piedmont North Carolina homeowners and gardeners as the area is subject to drought and watering restrictions are common.  If going green in your landscape appeals to you, stop by the Organic Plant Health store at 626 W. Charles Street in downtown Matthews NC and let Billy and his employees get you started.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Organic Plant Health in Matthews NC*

Outlaw BBQ Shack in Matthews NC

We're serious about our barbecue here in the Carolinas.  We can discuss endlessly the virtues of the different sauces and which makes the best barbecue:  tomato-based sauce in piedmont North Carolina, vinegar-based sauce down in eastern North Carolina, or mustard-based sauce from Columbia, South Carolina.  What I can add to the debate is that my favorite barbecue is found in downtown Matthews NC at the Outlaw BBQ Shack.  Owned by Steven and Lynn Colombo, the Outlaw BBQ Shack is tucked away behind an Italian restaurant that is next to the Matthews Post Office.  You have to drive around the Italian restaurant to find the little storefront but the hunt is well worth your effort.

The menu at Outlaw BBQ Shack in Matthews NC is not limited to the pork that Carolinians consider the true meat for barbecue.  Whole fresh chickens rubbed with herbs and spices and whole marinated beef briskets are cooked slowly over a hickory fire to add variety to the menu.  Of course, pulled pork from Boston butt and pork ribs are the stars of the menu.  Cover these tender slow-cooked meats with the Outlaw BBQ Shack's special sauce and you have the best barbecue you've ever eaten.  And don't forget to top off your meal with their homemade banana pudding.

You might wonder how the Outlaw BBQ Shack got its name.  Steven, an attorney, and Lynn Colombo ran law offices in Charlotte and Raleigh for a number of years.  In 2003, they decided to enter a barbecue competition in Charlotte and to their surprise, beat most of their competition.  After that win, they entered the Barbecue Competition circuit and never looked back.  In 2006, they opened the Outlaw BBQ Shack to get out-of-law.  They still compete on the Barbecue Circuit and call themselves the Counselors of Q!

Don't miss the Outlaw BBQ Shack in Matthews NC the next time you crave tender, juicy barbecue.  It is carry-out only with a couple of tables out front.  You'll find it at 131-B East John Street in Matthews behind Delmonico's Italian Restaurant.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  Allen Tate Realtors.  *Outlaw BBQ Shack in Matthews NC*

The 2009 Home and Garden Tour was the perfect opportunity to visit historic homes in Matthews NC.  Warm sunny weather allowed visitors to walk from one historic house to another in downtown Matthews.  The names of the homes reflect the names of the families who were the early inhabitants and community builders of Matthews.  At each of the homes, docents related stories of the Lemmonds, the Reids, the Funderburks, the Renfrows, and the Furrs, who were the first owners of the properties.  Some descendents of the families who lived in these historic homes in Matthews NC visited during the tour and added their memories to the lore of the homes.

I hope you enjoy the stories of these historic homes in Matthews NC as much as I did when I toured them.

The Funderburk-Johnson House

This beautiful home has just been fully restored.  It is a Queen Anne Style Colonial Revival house built by B.D. Funderburk in 1880.  It was expanded in 1904 into a three-story home and a Victorian curvilinear porch was added.  Mr. Funderburk and his brothers ran a general store in Matthews as well as the Bank of Matthews and a livery stable.

The Lemmond-Clayton House

This home also has been recently restored.  It was built in the early 1900s as a single story home and a second story was added in the 1920s.  It was unoccupied from 1984 until 1997 when the Claytons purchased the home.  The Claytons plan to open the house soon as a bed and breakfast.

The Furr-Jamison House

One of the oldest homes in Matthews, this house was built in 1877 by Julius Grier so that his eight children could attend school in Matthews.  After the school year was over, the Grier family would move to their farm on Providence Road.  The Furr family bought the home, added five rooms and turned it into a boarding house.  The home today houses two businesses.

The Renfrow-Lemmond House

John Renfrow built this Arts and Crafts or Craftsman-style home in 1924.  It was purchased by Rea Lemmond in the 1930s and occupied by the Lemmond family until 2004.  It was restored in 2005 and is now used as commercial office space.

The Reid House

The most famous of the historic homes in Matthews NC is the Reid House built in 1890.  It is owned by the Matthews Historical Foundation and is available for meetings and special events.  Click here to learn more about the Reid House. 

Read more about downtown Matthews NC:

Downtown Matthews NC Farmers Market

Downtown Matthews NC Walkable Neighborhoods

Works of Art in Downtown Matthews 

Visit www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving to learn more about buying and selling homes in Matthews NC.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  *Historic Homes in Matthews NC*

Saturday mornings in downtown Matthews NC are a lot of fun.  The fun begins at 7:30 am when the Matthews Farmers Market opens and continues all morning as area chefs, families and neighbors visit the stalls and participate in the activities.  Last Saturday, a beautiful and sunny day, brought many people out to enjoy the opening day of the spring-summer-fall season.

The Matthews Farmers Market is located in downtown Matthews NC beside Renfrow Hardware on North Trade Street.  This is the market's eighteenth year of operation and it sells only goods produced within 50 miles of Matthews.  Visiting the market is an event.  A cooking demonstration by a chef of an area restaurant begins at 8:30 am.  These demonstrations are usually crowded and end with free samples for everyone.  This year, an Ask-A-Chef table will be staffed from 7:30am to 8:30 am.  Music is provided by local musicians and a local artisan demonstrates a farm craft.  Then, of course, there are the food vendors from local farms.

Saturday's market didn't have much produce as the season is too early for most vegetables.  If you wandered the booths, however, you could find some interesting wares.  Two booths that I enjoyed were selling artisanal goat cheese and chocolate.

Bosky Acres Goat Cheese

Bosky Acres is a family run goat farm located in Waxhaw NC.  They make a fresh unripened goat cheese called Chevre.  They sell the cheese at three farmers markets, to area restaurants, and whole/fine foods markets.  If you visit their website, you'll see that they love their goats.

The Secret Chocolatier

Robin and Andy Ciordia manned the Secret Chocolatier booth on Saturday.  They sell artisanal chocolate made by Bill Dietz, Robin's father.  The booth was filled with mouthwatering delicacies for the Easter holiday.  Just reading their blog makes my mouth water.

Any visit to downtown Matthews NC should include a stop at Renfrow Hardware.  Where else would you be able to buy lady bugs?  Renfrow Hardware opened in 1900 and still has the original hardwood flooring and pot-bellied wood stove.

I hope to include the Matthews Farmers Market in my Saturday morning plans during April.  Next week, you can go on a chef's tour of the market itself where you will learn about the individual market farmers and the produce they grow.  April 25th is Biscuit Day at the market.  You can make your favorite biscuit to enter into the biscuit contest or sample the entries and vote for your favorites in a "People's Choice" category.

Learn more about downtown Matthews NC and living in the Matthews area.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  *Downtown Matthews NC--Matthews Farmers Market Opens for the Season* 

Matthews NC wildlife advocates can be found in abundance every month at the HAWK meeting held at the Matthews Community Center.  HAWK is the Habitat and Wildlife Keepers chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.  According to their web site, the group is committed to preserving, protecting and restoring wildlife habitat in the southeast section of the Charlotte NC area, which includes Matthews.  Although HAWK lists only 32 members on their site, their monthly meetings attract 50 to 90 people.

I've attended two of their meetings this year and highly recommend their programs to anyone interested in Matthews NC wildlife conservation.  The January meeting included a presentation about the Carolina Thread Trail, a proposed network of greenways and trails that would cover fifteen counties in the Charlotte region.  Another presentation discussed the Wildlife Action Plan of the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission.  In February, attendees, young and old, learned the basics of bird identification and broke into groups for a bird identification challenge.

HAWK's March and April programs teach the elements needed to create a backyard wildlife habitat.  The fundamentals of food, water, shelter and places for raising young were discussed in early March.  On April 7, the program will feature a landscape designer who will teach site analysis and plant selection for your own backyard.  Hummingbirds are HAWK's May topic.  All programs are free and open to the public.

Learn more about Matthews NC wildlife conservation and Charlotte NC nature preserves.

About the author:  Carol Fox of Allen Tate Realtors is a veteran agent who has helped people buy beautiful backyards in Matthews NC for over twenty years.

Copyright 2009.  Carol Fox.  *Matthews NC Wildlife Advocates are HAWKs*