President George Washington spent the night of May 28th in Charlotte. While on a tour of the southern states in 1791, he was entertained by Col. Thomas Polk at his house at the square and stayed at Cook’s Inn, across the street from this location.

When Washington departed the next morning he left behind a box of white wig powder. For many years afterwards Mrs. Cook would put this powder on children’s hair telling them to always remember that they had President Washington’s powder on their hair.