Historic Downtown
The brick-and-magnolia heart of Union County's most charming small town.
Downtown Waxhaw is a railroad town that kept its shape. Chartered in 1889, it still has freight trains running through the middle of Main Street, a pedestrian bridge over the tracks, and a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Waxhaw is the third-oldest town in Union County. The Waxhaw Historic District was added to the National Register on December 6, 1991, and covers parts of Main, Broad, Church, Broome, Providence, Brevard and McKibben streets. Buildings such as the A.W. Heath complex, built in stages from about 1898 to 1910, show how the commercial core grew around the railroad.
The CSX line through town is still an active freight route, so the tracks divide Main Street into North and South Main. The older storefronts now hold restaurants, a brewery, cafés, a gallery and antique and gift shops, and the town uses the streets for its parades and festivals.
A Walking Map
The district is intentionally small — you can walk every storefront, gallery, and patio in a comfortable afternoon. Here's how locals describe its corners.
Main Street runs on both sides of the railroad, split into North Main and South Main. Most of the restaurants, antiques and boutiques sit along these blocks, including Mary O'Neill's on West North Main and Provisions, Capricci's and Maxwell's Tavern on South Main.
The old railroad bridge over the tracks became pedestrian-only in 1941 and was heavily rebuilt in 2008. It links the two halves of Main Street, and visitors still stop on it to watch CSX freight trains pass underneath.
Waxhaw's silver steel water tank dates to 1941 and was the town's main water source into the 1980s. The town acquired it in 2011 and named it a local landmark in 2017; the summer concerts are held beneath it.
The side streets hold some of downtown's best-kept stops — Crossroads Coffee House on North Broome, Stewart's Village Gallery on McDonald Street and Virtuoso Breadworks on Salem Street.
The Brick District
Shopping
Waxhaw's retail mix is the result of a decade-long quiet boom: antique and vintage merchants from Atlanta, Charleston, and the Northeast opened booths here, then storefronts. Interior designers from across the Southeast still treat the district as a one-day sourcing trip.
Dining
The dining scene grew up quickly. Five years ago, downtown had two restaurants worth a destination drive. It now has seven — and the standards have risen with the volume.
Irish pub
A downtown pub at 116 W North Main Street with a full menu and Sunday brunch.
Tavern & restaurant
A restaurant and bar at 112 E South Main Street, open Tuesday through Sunday.
Italian
An Italian restaurant at 109 W South Main Street, taking reservations.
American
A restaurant at 401 E South Main Street offering dining, reservations and catering.
Wine bar & taproom
A wine bar, taproom and restaurant that hosts a regular live-music schedule.
Breakfast & lunch
Breakfast and lunch daily at 107 W South Main Street, with the Brew Lala coffee bar inside.
Pizza
A casual pizza restaurant at 407 E South Main Street.
Coffee, Beer & Spirits
A coffee shop at 112 N Broome Street, a short walk from Main Street.
An artisan bakery at 205 Salem Street with bread, pastries, espresso and drip coffee.
The downtown taproom of Middle James Brewing, which opened at 115 E North Main Street in May 2024.
An ice cream shop at 109 E North Main Street.
Cupcakes and desserts at 201 W South Main Street.
Bubble tea at 318 E South Main Street.
Saturdays in Town
Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon, April through December, at 27283 Waxhaw Parkway — a short drive from Main Street. Local produce, baked goods and crafts; check the market's calendar for special events and season dates.
Annual Calendar
May
The town's downtown festival celebrating Waxhaw's cultural diversity, with music, food and family activities.
Fridays · June–August
Free outdoor concerts downtown under the water tower or at the Downtown Park amphitheater.
July 4
The annual parade along North and South Main Streets.
October
The town's fall festival, with craft vendors, food trucks and carnival attractions.
October
Halloween trick-or-treating at downtown businesses.
Late November
The town tree and downtown lights are switched on with family activities.
December
The annual holiday parade through downtown; the date varies by year.
A Working Town
For homes in the neighborhoods around downtown, this guide's publishers also operate Peters Custom Homes, Emerald & Oak Design, Peters Audio Video, Peters & Associates and The Peters Team (Peters & Associates).