The building of Charlestown was brought about by a lawsuit between two Landlords - Charles Strickland and Colonel Knox. This dispute took place in the year eighteen hundred and forty three. At this time Charlestown was unknown not having yet been built and the fairs and markets were held in Bellaghy. Charles Strickland offered sixty acres of land at a shilling an acre to the first person that would build a house on this plot. He also offered a reward that if this person called the town after his name his house would be free of rates and rent. The first house to be built there was what is now the Imperial Hotel. A weighing scale was set up on the square and this took a good deal of trade from the markets of Bellaghy. The most of the houses in Bellaghy were tenement houses and this also added to its disadvantage. As houses went up the Landlord became very severe. He ordered every house to be put up according to his design and anybody that did not abide by these orders his house was taken from him and he finally was banished to the surrounding