Decorated for Christmas and included live music in the rotunda!…read more Impressive building and well worth a visit. Amazing architecture. Symbols of our state and our country including the portrait of George Washington are impressive.

Was in Raleigh for work and went walking around and saw the State House. Had no clue Raleigh was…read morethe capital more knew anything about it really. As I walked by snagging some pictures I saw an inviting sign so decided to walk in. Free to the public and did the self-guided tour. It was such a nice detour and so glad I did. The old Library inside, rotunda, and old Senate chambers were especially cool to see. I tried imagine of what it was like in those halls in the mid-1800's. I would recommend stopping in and check it out.

Late on a Friday night with the museum closed, the old Chatham County Courthouse* still delivers a…read morefull architectural show from the center of Pittsboro's traffic circle. Completed in 1881 in a Late Victorian style with a classical portico and a three stage cupola, the building was designed as a sturdy two-story brick landmark that immediately became the county's civic anchor. Pittsboro has always been the county seat, and the county itself was named for William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham, a British statesman admired by the colonies. Walking around the exterior, you get that rare unencumbered 360-degree view that reminds you that they truly do not make them like this anymore. After a devastating fire in 2010, the courthouse was restored and reopened in 2013, with the first floor becoming the Chatham Historical Museum and the second floor returning to courtroom use. The result is a tremendous blend of preservation and resilience. It's a historic structure that still commands the center of town with all its original presence. [Round number review 4800 in North Carolina - 1150 of 2026 - 26329 overall] * My 83rd North Carolina courthouse on my quest to visit all 100!

The Chatham Historical Museum focuses on Chatham County's history. The museum is located in the…read moreChatham County Courthouse. The courthouse had a massive fire in 2010 and the bricks were the only thing that could be salvaged. There are photos documenting the rebuilding process. The museum has free admission. The museum is mostly in one room but there is a gallery in another room and a gift shop. The museum tells about the people from Chatham County. There is a section that deals with the land and the agriculture of the area. Another section focuses on education and an old school. Veterans are also given a section of the museum and a tribute. Volunteers run the exhibit and are happy to answer and questions you have. The hours the museum is open are limited but if it is open when you are in Downtown Pittsboro it is worth a stop.

I got the opportunity to attend a Juneteenth event at the governor's mansion & governor Josh Stein…read morespoke & presented a proclamation to honor the day. There were also dancers, a singer, food, and vendors at the event. All of the employees that we engaged with were pleasant. We also had the opportunity to tour the first floor of the mansion while at the event. It was a great event to start my day.

Christmas time at our (North Carolinians) house. Wonderfully decorated and impressive home…read more Security, volunteers, and staff were all super friendly. The whole event was well organized with choirs, too! Kudos!

The Mordecai House was opened this past weekend for the annual Holiday Open House. With COVID, it…read morewas a little different than usual. Names and phone numbers were taken as well as a temperature check and the typical questions asked about being ill and travel. Masks were required and hand sanitizer was available. The chapel and visitor's center were open too so they provided a wrist band after you were checked so you didn't need to be checked again. I was very impressed how well planned they were for this. The number in the house and each room were limited too. Volunteers were inside in each room to provide some history. The rooms were also decorated for different periods of time over 235 years from Victorian to the Civil War to The house is the oldest house in Raleigh on its original foundation. A lot of the original items are still in the home. Besides the house, the park has a garden, law office, kitchen, chapel so there is plenty to see or have a picnic in the park.

Quaint area in downtown Raleigh with historic homes and buildings that have been preserved in their…read moreoriginal state. Unfortunately we arrived too late in the day to partake in the guided tour, but it was still interesting to walk around and read about the buildings. I would not make a special trip for just the Mordecai Historic Park, but it's definitely worth adding to your Itinerary if you're planning a trip to Raleigh.

I attended a wedding at the Horace Williams House last weekend. What a beautiful venue! I loved the…read moreold home and the art inside. All of the staff were very welcoming and pleasant. The side yard was a wonderful place for a ceremony and the back yard was an excellent reception space. I hope I get to attend another event at the Horace Williams House.

I am in a wheelchair and was interested in seeing an artist's show at the Horace Williams House and…read morecalled in advance and was told they were 100% handicapped accessible. Upon arriving I did find one handicapped parking space in a gravel driveway but no ramp to lead to the walkway so a friend had to take me up a grassy hill to get me to the walk way. Once there I could find no way into the house. Someone finally told me I had to enter through the service entrance, which was very narrow and cramped. Then I had to go through a narrow and cramped kitchen. The wheelchair just made it past the doorways within 1/4". I was then told that there were three steps to the art gallery so I drove 45 minutes and went through all that to get inside the house just to find out that I wouldn't be able to see the art at all. Luckily the artist was there and she brought out each individual piece for me to see or the trip would have been a complete waste of time. She will not be there for the rest of the month. I was just lucky to be attending the reception. This gives one pause when being assured that a place is handicapped accessible to begin with. I have the impression that they are just handicapped accessible enough to comply with local laws and full disclosure should have been given to me at the time of my call. I would not visit again or suggest that any handicapped person visit.

There are many unsung cities, places and people that can claim the monicker BLACK WALL STREET…read moreDurham, NC is one of them. It was home to Mechanics and Farmers Bank and North Carolina Mutual. At a time when it was difficult for Blacks to own businesses, homes or pay for services and good. Several of North Carolinas citizens including two African-American entrepreneurs: John Merrick and Charles Spaulding worked toward the goal of generational wealth. These innovative Black citizens used their resources from their smaller businesses such as a barber shop to create North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance and others. Although this initiative received support from the wealthy Duke family (tobacco) with its growing success in the community it soon faced opposition. Several businesses and buildings were vandalized. On March 2, 1902, a group of whites burned down an office owned by North Carolina Mutual. Black Wall Street Historic Parrish Street had several businesses throughout out four blocks. Pictures, a historic building and historical marker stands to depict the history of HISTORIC PARRISH STREET DURHAM, NC.

Well, the more you know. I was unfamiliar with this bit of history as I'm not a Durham native. The…read moremarker helped me learn something and perhaps you'll learn something too. Erected in 2004 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, marker G-116 has the same text on both sides. It reads, "In the early decades of the 1900s, Durham acquired national reputation for entrepreneurship. Businesses owned by African Americans lined Parrish Street. Among them were N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co. (moved to Parrish, 1906), led by John Merrick, Dr. Aaron Moore, & C. C. Spaulding, and Mechanics and Farmers Bank (1907), led by R. B. Fitzgerald and W. G. Pearson." Online, there is more information. The essay on the state's web page explains how Parrish Street's rise was driven by a network of ambitious Black business leaders whose companies expanded into insurance, banking, real estate, and textiles, creating a nationally noted hub of economic strength. It highlights the praise Durham received from figures like Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, who contrasted the city's unusually supportive racial climate with harsher conditions elsewhere in the South. It concludes by noting that mid-century urban renewal severely damaged the surrounding Hayti community and accelerated the decline of the district's once-thriving business ecosystem. I would also encourage you to read Leah's review that details the much less positive side of the hisstory. [Review 1162 of 2026 - 4811 in North Carolina - 26341 overall]

This brief marker in south Raleigh is in front of the Dorothea Dix Hospital. It reads, "Authorized…read more1849, largely through work of Dorothea L. Dix, crusader for better care of the mentally ill. 500 yards southwest." Online, more information.... Dorothea Dix Hospital is a monument to the constant efforts of Dorothea Dix, who worked to accommodate the needs of the mentally ill within American society. Dix's proposal for a mental asylum in North Carolina took root after her success in establishing hospitals in other states, including Tennessee. The first patient arrived in February 1856 and by the beginning of the Civil War, there were 193 patients on the premises. Today, the hospital accommodates 682 patients and a staff of 1300. [Review 12192 overall, 1976 of 2019.]

If you are curious about one of Raleigh's badasses, make sure to stop at the Fannie Heck historical…read moremarker, located outside of the Heck-Andrews House in Downtown Raleigh on Blount Street. She was a force of nature in North Carolina's history. Fannie Exile Scudder Heck was born during the Civil War in Virginia while her family was literally in "exile", fleeing from West Virginia. She carried that middle name as a badge of her family's resilience through the war. She changed the role of women's organizations in the south. She served as president of the Women's Missionary Union for 15 years. In 1900, she was a delegate to the first Ecumenical Conference in New York. She was a speaker at the Baptist World Alliance in 1911, representing Southern women on a global stage. She changed the way missionary work was thought of and changed the focus from religious teachings to social services. She wanted to help the sick, orphans and underprivileged members of the community. Under her leadership in North Carolina, the number of missionary societies grew from 14 to 1,200. Missionary work was a way for women to enter the male-dominated world of politics and get outside of the home and church. She used the WMU to create a "shadow" power structure. Her "missions" were a way to engage in social activism without the patriarchal gatekeepers. Besides helping the poor and sick, she built large, female-led bureaucratic machines that managed their own finances, published literature and directed global policy. She played a large role in Meredith College. Besides donating money, she spearheaded a fundraiser to finish the original buildings so that the college could open back in 1899. The "Good Women's Movement, raised $6,000. She founded the Associated Charities and the Raleigh Women's Club and served as president to both organizations. She changed social services from being a charity to advocacy work. She was a supporter of the YWCA. Besides her advocacy for women, she was also a writer of many books. She wrote hymns as well. One is said to still be used at Baptist services today. "The Woman's Hymn" ("Come, Women, Wide Proclaim"). Her historical marker stands outside the house she once lived in. Her home is where she conducted activities and coordinated these national movements from her parlor. The Heck-Andrews House was one of the first major homes built in Raleigh after the Civil War (it was completed in 1870). It is a stunning example of Second Empire style, featuring a dramatic central tower and a patterned slate mansard roof. She wasn't just a "lady of the house"; she was the CEO of a global organization of over 100,000 women

Limited text on this marker near downtown Raleigh but the name of the person celebrated gave me a…read moregiggle. "Social activist; writer. Led the Baptist Woman's Missionary Union after 1892. A benefactor of present Meredith College. Lived in this house." Online, we learn "Fannie Heck devoted her life to religious work. Born in Virginia to Mattie and Jonathan Heck, a Confederate lieutenant colonel, she was given the inauspicious middle name of Exile. She later adopted the name Scudder. After the war her family settled in Raleigh and built the manor now known as the Heck-Andrews House. She joined the First Baptist Church, engaging in her first mission work, and attended Hollins Institute." Stop by and pay tribute to this great woman. [Review 11677 overall, 1459 of 2019.]