Nightclub that served black community on endangered list

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina nightclub that served the black community during the era of segregation is now on a list of the nation’s 11 most endangered historic places.

The Charlotte Observer reports the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed The Excelsior Club in Charlotte on the list, making it the first property in North Carolina to make the list. It’s also designated as a historic landmark by the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Historic Landmarks Commission.

Musicians like Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong performed there. Bill Clinton and Al Gore campaigned there, and locals went to the club to celebrate Barack Obama’s election as the first African American president.

The club, which opened in 1944, closed in 2016. State Rep. Carla Cunningham, who owns the building, has filed paperwork to have it demolished.

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Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com