Charles Bruce Cemetery
Historical Marker – 7506 Summerfield Road
Marker Installed: 1930s by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
Refurbished: Spring 2021 by the Summerfield History Committee
Just beyond the marker lies the Charles Bruce Family Cemetery, where both Charles Bruce and James Gillies are buried. The headstone of Charles Bruce remains visible within the wrought-iron fence, while Gillies rests nearby without a marker.
The community now known as Summerfield traces its origins to 1769, when Charles Bruce purchased 640 acres in what is today the center of town. During the American Revolutionary War, the Bruce home served as both the birthplace and muster site for a local group of patriots called the Friends of Liberty. As a recruiting officer, Charles Bruce played an active role in supporting the American cause, helping to organize resistance against British troops and local Loyalists.
Several skirmishes took place in the surrounding area leading up to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse (1781). During one of these encounters, James Gillies, a bugler serving under General “Light Horse Harry” Lee, was killed by British Dragoons. A separate roadside marker and monument on Oak Ridge Road commemorates the location where Gillies fell in 1781.
Bruce and Gillies Memorial
A large granite monument stands in front of Summerfield Elementary School, serving as a memorial to Charles Bruce and Gillies. The monument consists of a squat granite shaft set on a stone and masonry base, rising approximately six feet tall and displaying three bronze tablets.
The central and largest tablet highlights Charles Bruce’s political career during the American Revolution and the early years of the Republic. A smaller plaque on the left honors Gillies, while another on the right recognizes Joseph Hoskins for donating nearly an acre of land—now Bruce Park—to the Guilford Battle Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
Although the memorial bears the date 1922, persistent rain delayed the dedication several times. It was finally held on September 29, 1923. Both Bruce and Gillies are buried in a small cemetery located across the street from the monument.
In 2009, the site underwent a full restoration. New cobblestone pavers were installed around the monument, along with benches, landscaping, and three flagpoles—flying the United States flag, the North Carolina flag, and a replica of the Guilford Courthouse flag, carried during the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in March 1781. The memorial was rededicated on September 26, 2009.
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