Cowan’s Ford Battlefield Site
North Carolina, USA
General Davidson Monument Area, 13525 NC 73, Huntersville, NC 28078, USA
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MONUMENT
VISITOR INFORMATION
Do not treat a roadside marker, dam entrance or shoreline coordinate as the original ford. A commemorative marker could be recorded separately after its present placement is checked. Map point reviewed October 3, 2026: The pin represents the Cowan's Ford / General Davidson memorial near NC 73. It is a monument reference for the 1781 battle, not an exact surviving ford position or a battlefield boundary. Visitor information reviewed October 3, 2026: The visitor reference is the General Davidson memorial area, not the submerged ford. Parking is documented at the monument area. Public restrooms were not verified; nearby EnergyExplorium facilities were not transferred.
Visitor amenities reviewed October 3, 2026: No confirmed information was found for public restrooms. The NO entries reflect unverified provision, rather than confirmed absence. Check locally before relying on facilities.
This outdoor public monument is generally accessible without an admission ticket. Confirm any temporary closures, conservation work and nearby facility hours before making a special trip.
Peak visitation season unconfirmed. No reliable site-specific monthly attendance pattern was established.
April-May or October for the public memorial and historical-context visit in generally milder weather. Confirm the memorial approach; the original ford lies beneath Lake Norman.
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
0
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
About Cowan’s Ford Battlefield Site
Cowan’s Ford was a Catawba River crossing where Cornwallis’s troops fought American militia on February 1, 1781. General William Lee Davidson was killed during the action. The original crossing is now beneath Lake Norman, while a nearby monument preserves the battle’s memory on the modern shore.
The mapped visitor reference is the General Davidson memorial near NC 73 and McGuire Nuclear Station Road. This later monument interprets the event from a separate location; it does not represent an intact ford or the full historical limits of the fighting.
History happened here at Cowan’s Ford Battlefield Site
Cornwallis pursued Greene across North Carolina early in 1781. At the Catawba, British movements toward more than one crossing aimed to confuse the defenders. On February 1, the main British force crossed at Cowan’s Ford against American militia resistance. Davidson, commanding the defense, was killed during the fighting.
The British gained the crossing and continued their pursuit, while the delay helped Greene’s retreat. Later creation of Lake Norman transformed the river corridor and submerged the original site. State historical-marker research and the Davidson memorial preserve the connection between this lost crossing and the campaign that led toward Guilford Courthouse.
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
Research reviewed October 3, 2026. Event IDs 60662163-0b9e-45ea-bc7b-c9af674b6f5a; Events Latest 10PM.csv rows 225.
https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2024/01/12/battle-cowans-ford-l-22
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=127308
Map location reviewed October 3, 2026. The pin represents the Cowan's Ford / General Davidson memorial near NC 73. It is a monument reference for the 1781 battle, not an exact surviving ford position or a battlefield boundary.
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=254527
Visitor classification and amenities reviewed October 3, 2026. Destination: General Davidson Monument Area near NC 73 and McGuire Nuclear Station Road.
Prose batch 3 researched October 3, 2026. Fast pass; proofing pending. State marker research refreshed. Original ford submerged; monument is separate visitor reference. Proof detailed crossing chronology before assigning exact positions.