Historic Grier House Set for Demolition as Charlotte Airport Grows

On June 5, Charlotte Douglas International Airport received approval to demolish the 196-year-old William Grier House. Built in 1828, this Federal-style structure will make way for a new logistics center.

The clock ticks down on this historic building. Officials must remove the structure within six months. The city bought the property in 2014, nine years after it gained landmark status in 1978. It stands as one of the last plantation structures still intact in Mecklenburg County.

"Here we are, again, about to lose another piece of history in Steele Creek for manufacturing and logistics. We aren't against growth ... But it just seems the airport is ripping apart history and the neighborhood for the sake of development," said Stephanie Lanse to The Charlotte Observer.

This news follows recent changes in the area. Last year saw the destruction of the century-old Steele Creek Presbyterian Manse and parts of its church. The airport's expansion plans have led to buying more than 330 properties in its southern section, making room for the CLT South Development District.

Brian Clarke, who serves as vice chair of the county landmarks commission, saw early promise in talks with airport officials about keeping historic sites. Plans to move the Grier House and build a historic district fell through. "The airport isn't in the business of preservation," Clarke told Aviation Pros.

The changes reflect Charlotte Douglas's status as a major transit hub. It now ranks sixth worldwide for planes taking off and landing. In 2023, it added $40 billion to the Carolinas' economic strength.

Airport leaders point to their work with the Federal Aviation Administration and North Carolina Historic Preservation Office to limit damage to historic sites. They spent a decade trying to save the Grier House, including recent talks with Preservation North Carolina about moving it.

Two more historic sites sit in the airport's sights: the Spratt-Grier Farmhouse and Byrum-Croft House. While not landmarks yet, both hold deep ties to local history.

Not all historic structures face removal. She Built This City, a construction training group, will take over the church's main building. The John Douglas House will stay standing where it is.

The new hub might take two decades to finish. "The way it was explained to me is that it's a line on a map right now," Lanse said. "There are no existing plans. It's just a thought on paper, but every project begins with one line on a piece of paper, right?"