Welcome to the Davidson Historical Society

The DHS promotes an understanding and appreciation of the history of Davidson, North Carolina and its surrounding area.

The town of Davidson was founded with the establishment of Davidson College in 1837. In 1835, when the Concord Presbytery sought a site for a Presbyterian men’s college, churchman and planter William Lee Davidson II sold them 469 acres on a high and healthy ridge between the Catawba and Yadkin rivers. The college was named for his father, General William Lee Davidson who was killed fighting the British at the Battle of Cowan’s Ford in 1781.

Click here for a timeline of town history.