Confederate Laboratory

The Confederate laboratory, located two miles south of Lincolnton in Lincoln County, was one of at least five laboratories established by the Confederate States of America to manufacture drugs from indigenous plants. The other known facilities were located in Tyler, Tex.; Augusta and Macon, Ga.; and Columbia, S.C. Although the actual date of construction is unknown, the Lincoln County laboratory was in operation by 24 Aug. 1863. The original building was an oblong brick structure that stood on the banks of the South Fork River.

Strict secrecy was maintained at the facility, and an aura of mystery surrounded it. Lt. A. P. James and the men of Company A, McCorkle's Battalion, North Carolina Senior Reserves, were assigned to provide security for the site. Because of the tight security and the local availability of saltpeter and charcoal, some historians have speculated that the Lincoln County laboratory may also have been used for the production of gunpowder.

Laboratory, a small community south of Lincolnton, took its name from the facility.