Joshua Beam House

Asha Jaquilla Degree (AY-shuh; born August 5, 1990) went missing at the age of nine from Shelby, North Carolina, United States. In the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, for reasons unknown, she packed her bookbag, left her family home north of the city and began walking along nearby North Carolina Highway 18 despite heavy rain and wind. Several passing motorists saw her; when one turned around at a point 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from her home and began to approach her, she left the roadside and ran into a wooded area. In the morning, her parents discovered her missing from her bedroom. No one has seen her since.An intensive search that began that day led to the location of some of her personal effects near where she was last seen. A year and a half later, her bookbag, still packed, was unearthed from a construction site along Highway 18 north of Shelby in Morganton. At the point where she ran into the woods, a billboard now stands appealing for help finding her. Her family hosts an annual walk from their home to the billboard to draw attention to the case. While the circumstances of Degree's disappearance at first seemed to suggest she was running away from home, investigators could not find a clear reason she might have done so, and she was younger than most children who do. Years after her disappearance, it was concluded by authorities that Degree had been abducted following her leaving the home. The case has drawn national media attention. In 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) joined state and county authorities in a reopened investigation, offering a reward for information that could help solve the case.

George Sperling House and Outbuildings is a historic home and farm located near Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina. The house was built in 1927, and is a two-story, Classical Revival style yellow brick dwelling. The contributing outbuildings were built between about 1909 and 1920 and include: a two-story, gambrel roof mule barn with German siding; corn crib; hog pen; wood house; two-story granary; smokehouse; generator house; and a tack house. Also on the property is the barn, built in 1927.This historic site was renovated and is currently the offices for the legal team of Teddy, Meekins, & Talbert. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Waco is a town in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 321 at the 2010 census.

Light Oak is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Cleveland County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 691 at the 2010 census.

Cleveland Community College is a public community college located in Cleveland County, North Carolina. It was established in 1965 as the Cleveland County Industrial and Adult Education Center with its first classes consisting of a Licensed Practical Nurse program, two extension classes, and adult basic education classes for adults who had not completed high school. The school's name was changed first to Cleveland County Industrial Center and later to Cleveland County Technical Institute. The Cleveland County Technical Institute moved into the old county home buildings in 1969. That site serves as the location of today's campus. The college took on its current name in 1980. It now provides associate degrees, diplomas, and certificate programs, as well as other vocational and general courses. The college holds accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the North Carolina Community College System.

Cleveland County Training School was a historic school for African-Americans in Shelby, North Carolina. It was included in National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

Double Shoals Cotton Mill is a historic post-Civil War textile mill located at Cleveland County, North Carolina. It is a 2 1/2-story, brick building with a shallow-pitched, side-gable-roof and Italianate style design elements. Also on the property are a contributing mill race and dam, built about 1880.

The James Heyward Hull House is a historic home located at Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina. It was built c. 1874 and extensively remodeled in 1907. The remodeling added the Classical Revival style semi-elliptical monumental portico with fluted Corinthian order columns and pilasters. It is a two-story, square-in-plan main block with a central hall, triple pile floor plan and a hip roof. A two-story rear wing was added in the 1940s.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Cleveland County is a county located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the western Piedmont, on the southern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 99,519. Its county seat is Shelby. Cleveland County comprises the Shelby-Kings Mountain, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area.

The Banker's House is a historic home located at 319 N. Lafayette St. in Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina. It was designed by architect G.S.H. Appleget, and was built in 1874–1875. It is a 2+1⁄2-story, T-shaped, stuccoed brick house in the Second Empire style. It features a 3+1⁄2-story tower, with mansard roofs on the tower and main block. Also on the property is a contributing wellhouse and a one-story brick outbuilding.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

The Historic Campbell Building is a former department store in Shelby, North Carolina. Completed in 1927, the building's grand opening as The Campbell's Department Store took place on March 9, 1928. The building is significant for its type of brick and steel construction, finishing, unique craftsmanship, and history with local families. The building was rehabilitated between October 2015 and June 2018

Dr. Victor McBrayer House, also known as Owen House, is a historic home located near Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina. It was built in 1893, and is a 1+1⁄2-story, modified "U"-plan, eclectic frame dwelling with Italianate, Gothic Revival, and Queen Anne style design elements. It features a rich array of sawn and turned ornament.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.