Documenting the American South

Doc South header logo Home
Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
Commemorative Landscapes banner

Source:  Cleveland County World War II Memorial, Shelby. Photo by Rusty Long

  • Monument Name

    Cleveland County World War II Memorial, Shelby

  • Type

    Marker

  • Subjects

    World War II

  • City

    Shelby

  • County

    Cleveland

  • Description

    The World War Memorial is an archtop granite tablestone on a single base with a large bronze plaque filling most of the front face. In relief above the inscription is an eagle with spread wings and clutching an olive branch. Two small Veterans of Foreign Wars logos bracket the sponsor inscription near the bottom.

    Images: Plaque | Side view

  • Inscription

    1941 [Eagle depiction] 1945 / IN HONOR OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED / FROM CLEVELAND COUNTY AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY, / FROM A GRATEFUL PEOPLE, OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES / IN WORLD WAR II. / IN MEMORIAM /
    [Three columns with 64 names each] /MAY LIBERTY, FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOREVER BE THE GUIDE OF OUR PEOPLE. / SPONSORED BY THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS / DEDICATED BY THE PEOPLE OF CLEVELAND COUNTY

  • Custodian

    Cleveland County, Earl Scruggs Center

  • Dedication Date

    Circa 1950

  • Decade

    1950s

  • Geographic Coordinates

    35.290940 , -81.539650 View in Geobrowsemap pin

  • Supporting Sources

      “Cleveland County World War II Memorial --- Shelby in Cleveland County, North Carolina,” Waymarking.com, (accessed December 13, 2016) Link

      “Cleveland County World War II Memorial, 1941-1945,” The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org, (accessed November 26, 2016) Link

  • Public Site

    Yes

  • Materials & Techniques

    Bronze, granite

  • Sponsors

    Veterans of Foreign Wars

  • Location

    The monument stands on the West Warren Street side of the Old Cleveland County Courthouse in Shelby, NC. The old courthouse now houses the Earl Scruggs Center which is an interpretive center on the life of the legendary banjo master and the historical and cultural traditions of the region. The Confederate Monument is on the S. Lafayette Side of the building and the Korean and Vietnam Wars memorial on the W. Marion Street side. The Cleveland County World War I Plaque is mounted on the exterior wall (S. Lafayette Street side) of the courthouse building.

  • Landscape

    The memorial stands on a paved walkway under shady mature trees.

  • Post Dedication Use

    The Cleveland County Veteran Advisory Council hosts an annual Veterans Day Program at the historic court square in Shelby.

Icon for reporting missing/incorrect information Know anything else about this monument that isn't mentioned here? If you have additional information on this or any other monument in our collection fill out the form at the Contact Us link in the footer. Thank you.