After outgrowing its original store,
the owners of Briggs Hardware, Thomas H. Briggs and James Dodd, began
construction on a new building. Work was completed in 1874, and the new edifice
was deemed Raleigh’s first skyscraper. After Dodd retired from the company, the
hardware store remained in the Briggs family for generations. However, the
upper floors of the building changed purposes many times over the years,
serving as the city’s first Y.M.C.A, the Raleigh Little Theatre, and the State
Museum. In 1994, the Briggs family decided to move their business. The A.J. Fletcher
Foundation and Preservation North Carolina purchased and restored the building
from 1997 to 1998. Today, the Raleigh City Museum resides in the first and
lower floors of the building while private offices occupy the top floors.

The museum is located in the historic Briggs Hardware building, constructed in 1874. 

The museum opened its first exhibit in 1993 and moved to the Briggs building in 1998. 

Mary Cates advocated on behalf of the museum, both as a member of the City Council, and as a leading citizen who led a group of volunteers that established the museum. She was inducted to the Raleigh Hall of Fame in 2012.

Website

More information from the City of Raleigh website

More Info

The City of Raleigh Museum dates back to 1993 when the Raleigh City Museum presented its first exhibit. The museum was the brainchild of local historian Beth Crabtree, who noticed that the city had no repository for its historical artifacts. After her death, Mary Cates and other volunteers continued to work on the project. In 1998, the museum moved to its current location, the former Briggs Hardware Store (built in 1874). The City of Raleigh took over operations of the museum in July 2012. Today, the City of Raleigh Museum continues to showcase permanent and temporary exhibits in addition to offering educational programming.

The City of Raleigh Museum

This walking tour begins at some of the city's historic homes and includes several museums and landmark buildings including the North Carolina State Capitol. This tour is a work in progress and more buildings, monuments, and historical markers are being added by area organizations and local historians.

The home’s original owners were Lucy Catherine Capehart and her second husband B.A. “Baldy” Capehart. Lucy inherited wealth from both her father and her first husband, Peyton Henry, who was a leading physician in Raleigh&nbsp;during the late 19th century. Baldy died in 1899, shortly after the couple moved into their home. Lucy continued to live here until her death nine years later. Sheriff H. H. Crocker then resided in the house until 1947. At that time, the structure was divided into apartments. In 1971, state offices moved into the building. In 1979, the neighborhood around the Capehart house was being demolished for the construction of the state capitol complex. Thanks to preservationists and others, the Capehart House was saved and transported to its current location on Blount Street.

One of the oldest Queen Anne-style houses in Raleigh, the Capehart House was completed in 1898. The historic home is adorned with dormers, turrets, and towers as well as tan brick, ornate woodwork, and stained glass. The home was originally located at 403 North Wilmington Street and was designed by architect Adolphus G. Bauer. Today, the Capehart House is located on Raleigh's Blount Street and is home to the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina.

The Capehart House

Henry Clay was born in Virginia
on April 12, 1777. After starting his law practice in Lexington, Kentucky, Clay
was elected to elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1803. He continued
to serve as a Congressmen (at times in the Senate and at times in the House)
until 1811. From that year until 1825, Clay served alternatively as a U.S.
Representative and as Speaker of the House. When the War of 1812 broke out, Clay
became a member of the anti-British War Hawks group in Congress. The first
major act of compromise in his career was the negotiations that ended the war
in 1815. He was on the path to earning himself the nickname the “Great
Compromiser.”

In 1820, Clay proposed the
Missouri Compromise. At the time, there were eleven slave states and eleven
free states in the U.S. If Missouri were to be admitted to the Union as a slave
state, the equilibrium in the Senate would be thrown off, so the free Northern
states opposed it. Then, when Maine applied for statehood as a free state, the
pro-slavery Southern states planned not to approve it. Instead, Clay suggested
that Missouri join the United States as a slave state, and Main as a free
state, preserving the balance. The compromise also put into place the Missouri
Compromise line, which separated territories that would become free states if
they joined the U.S. and those that would become slave states.

Henry Clay first ran for
president in 1824, but the election ended with none of the five candidates
earning enough Electoral College votes to win. Clay then threw his support
behind John Quincy Adams, who won. Though this move was considered
controversial in Clay’s home state of Kentucky, it earned him the role of
Secretary of State from 1825 to 1829. During this time, Clay worked on twelve
commercial treaties, more than any Secretary of State before him. Three years after
his tenor as Secretary of State, Clay ran for president again. This time, he was
up against President Andrew Jackson. After losing the election, he returned to the
Senate, where he remained until 1842. 

One last attempt to claim the
presidency came in 1844, the same year he penned the “Raleigh Letter.” Clay
went back to the Senate in 1849 and continued in his work until 1852. In the
meantime, he laid the groundwork for another famous compromise, the Compromise
of 1850, which admitted California into the Union as a free state and allowed
New Mexico and Utah to vote on whether they would permit slavery. It also gave
New Mexico some of Texas’s land in exchange for ten million dollars from the federal
government. The Great Compromiser died from tuberculosis just two years later
in 1852.

The “Henry Clay Oak” possibly predates than the city of Raleigh itself, which was founded in 1792. The white oak eventually grew to be over 100-feet tall with a 100-foot spread. It was made famous when Whig presidential candidate Henry Clay wrote his famous “Raleigh letter” while sitting under the shade of the tree. In the letter, Clay denounced the annexation of Texas, believing that the move would cause a war with Mexico. This moment in history was memorialized in a bronze marker that was positioned near the tree in 1939. On October 9, 1991, the tree was purposefully destroyed after having been damaged by weather and disease. An acorn from the tree was placed in a time capsule the following year.

Henry Clay Oak Marker

The Hawkins-Hartness House was
built in 1882. Dr. Alexander B. Hawkins purchased the frame house that once
stood on Raleigh city lot 267 in October of 1881 because his wife had been fond
of it. Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins returned to Florida but asked Dr. Hawkins’s
brother, Dr. William J. Hawkins, to have the house renovated while they were
away. Upon their return, however, Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins discovered that William
had removed the frame house and had replaced it with a house of his own design.
According to legend, Mrs. Hawkins had the verandah added in order to lessen the
severity of the house’s exterior. Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins lived in the house for
the rest of their lives.

One of the most interesting
features of the old Hawkins-Hartness House was the water system that Dr.
Hawkins had installed. In the late 1800s, Raleigh did not yet have a city-wide
water system, so Dr. Hawkins installed a windmill to pump well water into the
attic to use for utilities. He also erected a 6,000 gallon rainwater cistern in
the north garden for use as drinking water. Dr. Hawkins shared this drinking water
with the governor’s mansion, regardless of who was in office. Thus the
Hawkins-Hartness House had close ties to the governorship in the late 1800s as
it does today.

The Hawkins-Hartness House changed
hands a few times in the early 20th century. Dr. Hawkins conveyed the house to
his sister-in-law, Martha H. Bailey, who had been living with Mr. and Mrs.
Hawkins for quite some time. In 1922, Miss Bailey sold the house to William and
Sadie Erwin. However, the Erwins never lived in the house. They sold the house
in 1928 to James and Annie Hartness. James A. Hartness was the North Carolina
Secretary of State from 1929-1931. Mr. and Mrs. Hartness lived in the house for
the rest of their lives.

Upon Mrs. Hartness’s death in 1969,
the state of North Carolina acquired the Hawkins-Hartness House. The house was
converted into offices, which were first used by the State Department of Local
Affairs. It was also used by the Department of Historical Preservation for a
time. In 1988, the Hawkins-Hartness House became the office of the lieutenant
governor, and it has served this purpose ever since.

In 2013, the Hawkins-Hartness House
received a much needed face-lift. Newly elected Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest,
an architect by trade, undertook a large scale renovation to restore the
Victorian to her former glory. Mr. Forest secured donations from several local
businesses to complete the six month renovation at no cost to the State. The
history of the house was preserved as much as possible. For example, the
original dining room table is still in use now as a conference table. However,
some contemporary-style furniture has been put into use upstairs making this
unique house even more eclectic.

The Hawkins-Hartness House is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated Raleigh
Historic Landmark. Visitors are welcome to tour the home and are encouraged to
call ahead to schedule a time.

Built in 1882, the Hawkins-Hartness House is rich with local history. The house was originally built for Alexander B. Hawkins and his wife. The only other family that occupied the house for a significant period of time was the Hartness family, James A. Hartness and Annie Hartness. James Hartness was North Carolina's Secretary of State for three years. In 1969, the state of North Carolina acquired the house and has used it as offices ever since. Currently, the Hawkins-Hartness House is home to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

Hawkins-Hartness House

The original gubernatorial residence was a brick house on Fayetteville Street built in 1814. During the Civil War, the structure was abandoned due to previous years of neglect and damage. For the next few decades, North Carolina’s governors stayed in their own homes or in hotels in Raleigh. In the 1870s, Governor Zebulon B. Vance began planning a new executive mansion. Architect Samuel Sloan and his assistant Adolphus Bauer drew up the plans for the house, which was to be built in Burke Square. Colonel W. G. Hicks, the superintendent of the state prison, oversaw the convicts who built the house. Governor Daniel G. Fowle was the first governor to enjoy the home after he moved in on January 5, 1891.

Just two years later, Governor Elias Carr began making improvements on the house such as reworking the landscaping and installing telephones and gas lamps. In 1910, Governor Kitchin purchased fine furniture, silver, and china for the mansion. Despite additional updates in 1917, the executive mansion was in a sorry state in 1925. Governor Angus McLean then ordered repairs to the floors, walls, kitchen, and bathrooms as well as a complete redecoration inside. Since then, governors have added an elevator, air conditioning, and a bomb shelter to keep the mansion up with the times.

North Carolina Governor's mansion was completed in 1890. Since 1891, when Governor Daniel Fowle moved into the mansion, this residence has served as the home of each of North Carolina's governors. Between 1865 and the completion of this mansion, the state's governors lived in a variety of rented homes or hotels. Contrary to what many might assume, the abandonment of the antebellum governor's mansion (built in 1814 and located on Fayetteville Street) was the not the result of the Civil War, but rather decades of neglect that led to the previous governor's mansion being declared unfit for use.  

North Carolina Executive Mansion

Although the library was established in 1812, its primary function was to serve the needs of the state legislature. The public was allowed access to the reference section beginning in 1845 and open circulation was in effect from the 1870s-1880s. It was not until 1909, with the establishment of the North Carolina Library Commission, that the state began to take the lead on establishing a statewide library system. The State Library and the Commission merged in 1945 to create the current State Library agency.&nbsp;

Founded in 1812, the State Library of North Carolina is the primary repository for all state publications. It is a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and also contains numerous other state-related materials including genealogical records, general publications and records (biographies, fiction, children's books, and others related to the state), newspapers, rare books, reference materials, and DVDs and videos. The library also contains Federal records, as it is a part of the Federal Depository Library Program. Another important function of the library is to serve the blind and physically handicapped, providing them with books, magazines and other publications in braille, large print or audio books.

The building also houses the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, which was established in 1903. Its mission is to collect and preserve state-related historical materials, publish scholarly works using its collection, and protect and identify historic sites and properties. The Archives is comprised of four departments: collection services, government records, digital services, and special collections. It contains over 50,000 linear feet of material, the oldest of which dates back to Colonial times. 

State Library of North Carolina

Samuel A ‘Court Ashe was one of two driving forces behind the creation of the North Carolina Museum of History. Ashe had been impressed by the city of Boston’s efforts to preserve its history during a visit in the 1880s. He brought home a desire to do the same for the state of North Carolina’s history. Ashe’s colleague at the Raleigh News and Observer, Frederick Augustus Olds, became interested in local history after being gifted a key that supposedly unlocked the state’s first capital burning, which had previously burnt down. He then published an article requesting the opportunity to buy any local curiosities.

After leaving the newspaper in 1886, Olds continued to collect artifacts and became the chairman of the Committee of Historical Museums. Olds then put some of his collection on display in the State Museum. In 1898, a whole gallery in the museum was dedicated to the state’s history. Olds’s private collection and the State Museum’s holdings were officially merged and exhibited to the public in the “Hall of History’ on December 5, 1902. Items on display included the skeleton of a Native American man, Confederate battle flags, and a tea caddy from the Edenton Tea Party (a protest against the British tax on tea held in Edenton, North Carolina). The North Carolina Historical Commission was established to support the Hall of History, which quickly outgrew its one room in the State Museum.

The North Carolina Historical Commission, led by R. D. W. Connor, took over the Hall of History completely in 1914. The museum then moved into the State Administrative Building, now called the Ruffin Building. However, not even the two large halls in this building were enough to contain the museum. So, Olds and Connor began campaigning for a building constructed especially for the museum. Meanwhile, Olds continued his search for any important artifacts throughout the state, further increasing the museum’s collections. His successor as director of the museum project, Joseph Carlyle Sitterson, took over in 1934 and began working on a better documentation system for the museum’s holdings. Five years later, the museum moved into the Education Building for more room. The Historical Commission then started to hire employees such as curators and administrators who could classify and organize the items in the museum. The Commission then shifted its focus to improving the space and creating educational programs.

The Hall of History had expanded so much by 1965 that on July 1 of that year, it was renamed the North Carolina Museum of History to better reflect its size. Three years later, the museum moved into a new location: a three-million-dollar building on 109 East Jones Street. Its mezzanine exhibits opened to the public in late 1973. Two years later, the North Carolina Museum of History Associates group was founded to support the museum. In 1985, the museum staff began planning a new museum that would be custom built. In 1994, work on the museum’s very own building was completed. The edifice featured classrooms, an auditorium, and a research library in addition to exhibit space. Since then, the museum has spawned satellite museums in the cities of Fayetteville. Elizabeth City, and Old Fort.

Established in 1902 as a simple exhibit known as "The Hall of History, this state history museum has grown to 55,000 square feet of exhibit space and is one of only a small number of Smithsonian affiliates in the region. In addition to permanent and special exhibits that change throughout the year, the museum offers a number of classroom spaces for lectures and other events. The museum is also home to a research library that is open to the public.  

North Carolina Museum of History

This historic buidling was completed in 1840, but it was not the first Capitol building the state had constructed, nor was Raleigh the first capital city of North Carolina. North Carolina was without a capital city for much of the colonial period. During this period, the government was migratory as the Assembly moved from place to place. In 1722, in an attempt to rectify this slight, the General Assembly chose Edenton to be the state capitol. However, this city was seemingly “capital” in name only.Following the migration of the government after the establishment of a capital at Edenton, several efforts were made to establish a capital elsewhere, with New Bern being labeled the new capital in 1776. However, like its predecessor, New Bern’s status as the capital of North Carolina was short lived. Due to the “turmoil of the Revolutionary War-along with mounting demands for a more geographically centered location-...the General Assembly [was prompted] to move the capital from coastal New Bern in 1778.”(NC Historic Sites). &nbsp;The government again became migratory until 1788, when, in the midst of debate over the ratification of the Constitution, “a State Convention voted to fix the capital within ten miles of Isaac Hunter’s plantation [my research has indicated that while Isaac Hunter was indeed a planter, the “plantation” the web page refers to was a tavern that was a popular lodging place for government officials] in Wake County.”(NC Historic Sites). The Assembly purchased one thousand acres of Colonel Joel Lane’s plantation, and plans were drawn for Raleigh modeled after the city of Philadelphia. Construction of a “State House” began in 1792, effectively cementing &nbsp;Raleigh’s status as the capital of North Carolina..			History of the Capitol BuildingMuch like North Carolina’s various capital cities, the physical representation of the capital also underwent many transformations. Following the establishment of Raleigh as the state capital and permanent seat of government in 1792, &nbsp;the first incarnation of the capitol building was constructed. This building, named the State House, was a “simple, two-story brick building” built on Union Square and completed in 1796. Over the next twenty-eight years, the State House was remodeled, with the addition of a third floor and eastern and western wings. However, much like the government’s quest for a capital, their attempts to have a physical capital were hindered by outside events. The State House was destroyed by fire in 1831, and the “General Assembly of 1832-33 ordered a new Capitol be built as an enlarged version of the old State House-that is, a cross shaped building featuring a central, domed rotunda.”(NC Historic Sites). This new Capitol’s features were patterned after Greek architecture: moldings, ornamental plasterwork, and the honeysuckle crown atop the dome of the rotunda all possessed Greek features. Additionally, the new Capitol featured many statues and portraits of George Washington, an example of which can be found in the photos posted here. The building was completed in 1840, at a total cost of $532, 682,34. After its completion, the Capitol served as a meeting place for the government of the state: it housed “all of North Carolina’s state government [including the State Library and Supreme court, as well as the House and the Senate] until 1888.”(NC Historic Sites). The Supreme Court and the Library moved into a separate building that year, and the General Assembly moved into the State Legislature building in 1963.Today, the Capitol serves a drastically different purpose than its original one. Instead of housing all of the State’s government, it merely houses the offices of a few officials: the governor and lieutenant governor, as well as their staff. Instead of acting as a private place for government functions, the Capitol is now a museum of sorts where individuals can come to learn about the history of the building as well as the capital city.

Completed in 1840, the North Carolina State Capitol is the fifth home of the state government. The first headquarters of the colonial government was in Edenton, but when the population shifted southward and westward, New Bern was selected as the headquarters of the colony. The first headquarters was constructed between 1767 and 1771. In 1788, a state convention decided to move the capital to Raleigh and model it after the building that served as the national capital Philadelphia. The original capital in Raleigh burned in 1831 and a statue of George Washington was destroyed beyond repair. The current building was placed upon the site of the burned building and it was completed in 1840.

This building held the governor's offices, legislative, and supreme court at its completion. The Supreme Court moved to a separate building in 1888. The legislative moved in 1963 and today the Capitol now holds the governor's office and holds plaques of famous North Carolinians around the rotunda.

North Carolina State Capitol Building

John Haywood was born in Edgecombe County, North Carolina in 1755. After fighting in the Revolutionary War, Haywood served as a clerk at multiple North Carolina congressional sessions. In 1787, he became State Treasurer. Haywood was also the first mayor of Raleigh and a co-founder of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Raleigh Academy, and Raleigh’s Christ Church. He participated in the running of these organizations even during his forty years as State Treasurer.

North Carolina legislature passed a law in 1792 requiring all state officials to live in Raleigh, the new capital, during their time in office. Haywood then bought a parcel of land and began construction on Haywood Hall in 1799 or 1800 (sources differ). The house was designed to look like Haywood’s childhood home. The two-story building features a symmetrical floor plan, detailed woodwork, and a roof cornice typical of the Federal architectural style. During the one-year construction, Haywood lived in a small cottage on the same lot. He later used the cottage as office space, and it was adjoined to Haywood Hall sometime after 1900.

John Haywood died in 1827. His son, Dr. Edmund Burke Haywood, then bought Haywood Hall. Dr. Haywood was later appointed Chairman of the Board of Public Charities in 1890. His son Ernest inherited the house after Dr. Haywood’s death, and Haywood Hall was kept in the family until it was donated to the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of North Carolina in 1977. As per the will of Haywood Hall’s last individual owner Mary Fowle Haywood Stearns, the house is now used for the “enjoyment of the community” as a museum, complete with many of the home’s original furnishings.

Haywood Hall was completed in 1801 for the family of Revolutionary War veteran and North Carolina State Treasurer John Haywood and his wife Eliza. The house has undergone very few renovations over the years, making it a prime example of Federalist architecture. John and Eliza Haywood had twelve children and the home was passed down to family members until the death of Mary Fowles Haywood in 1977. In her will, Mary Fowles Haywood left the house to a local society with the intention that it serve the community in some way. Since then, Haywood Hall and its adjoining structures (such as a kitchen, smokehouse, and gardener’s shed) have served the community as a museum.

Haywood Hall and Gardens, Raleigh 

Imagine cobblestone streets covered with farmers setting up their produce into booths; fishermen bringing in the fresh catch of the day; housewives decorating their booths with homemade cakes and pies. It is October 1, 1914 in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, at the opening of the City Market. The hustle and bustle of the city has not always been the way of life here. Suburbanization did not go into full swing until the 1940s and 1950s, after the return of thousands of soldiers from war. Locals were able to venture into the market to purchase produce, poultry, seafood, flowers, and homemade goods.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[1]</a>Upon the opening of the new State Farmer’s Market in 1957 along with the opening up of several supermarkets, the need for a market in the downtown area lessened. The city had little use for the building anymore, forcing it to close its doors in June 1957. In 1959, the city sold the market building to a private owner who used it as a furniture store. Later, in 1980, after the property began to deteriorate, the City Council received funding to study the architecture surrounding Moore Square, located adjacent to Martin Street. Soon, the City Market was recognized by the National Register of Historical Places and listed as a Raleigh Historic Landmark.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>During the 1990s, a private investor purchased the space and revamped the buildings, encouraging a community of businesses to utilize the area. The space is now occupied with several different private businesses including boutiques, art spaces, professional services, restaurants, and bars. Market Hall, located in the main building, is an event hall that hosts weddings, socials, corporate and other events.<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>&nbsp;City Market also participates in First Friday, an event that takes place every month targeted to “art-seeking enthusiasts”<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[4]</a>&nbsp;It is a free-flowing event, allowing attendees to guide themselves around several local art galleries, art studios, and museums and take advantage of specials offered by local restaurants.The term ‘City Market’ refers to the space located across from Moore Square, between Person Street, East Davie Street, Blount Street, and Martin Street.<div> </div><div><div></div></div>

The City Market is located in downtown Raleigh and refers to the space located across from Moore Square, between Person Street, East Davie Street, Blount Street, and Martin Street. The space has served multiple purposes over the years, transitioning from a farmer's market, to a furniture store, to its current purpose as a cultural hot spot hosting several businesses, restaurants, and bars.

City Market

Briggs family tradition claims that Thomas H. Briggs traded his Confederate money for gold in the 1860s and kept it buried for most of the Civil War. In 1864, he unearthed it to invest in a new hardware store. The store opened in 1865, with Thomas H. Briggs and James Dodd as partners. Dodd left the business in 1868, and it became known as Thomas H. Briggs &amp; Sons. In 1872, construction of a new Briggs Hardware building began. When work was completed two years later, the four-story “skyscraper” became the tallest building in Raleigh, a title it would hold for another thirty-three years.

Since its construction, the upper story of the building, with its cornices and parapet, have remained unchanged, though the first floor has been renovated many times over the years. Inside, however, the upper levels housed a variety of businesses and organizations. The floors were used by the Oak City Guard in the 1890s for drill practice. The city’s first YMCA later moved in. After that, the space was used by a Catholic congregation, the Raleigh Little Theater, and a number of insurance and law offices.

In 1995, the Briggs family, who was still operating the hardware store, decided to move the business. The Briggs Hardware building then passed into the hands of a non-profit coalition. After extensive renovations, the upper floors now serve as offices, and the downstairs is home to the City of Raleigh Museum. Meanwhile, Briggs Hardware was forced to close in July 2015. However, the following month, Briggs family member Evelyn Murray reopened the store at its present location.

Briggs Hardware Store is one of the longest-operating family businesses in Raleigh. Established by Thomas H. Briggs and James Dodd in 1865, Dodd left the company three years later. Briggs then brought in his two sons, James and Thomas H. Jr. The original hardware building was replaced by Raleigh’s first skyscraper in 1874. After residing in the building for over one-hundred years, the Briggs family sold it in 1995 and moved to a new location on Atlantic Avenue. Twenty years later, hard times forced Briggs Hardware to close. However, the store reopened at this location in August 2015.

Briggs Hardware

The Raleigh Times was
a rival newspaper to the News and Observer during the 20th century, until they
bought it out during the second half of the 1900s. Their last issue was in the
year&nbsp;1989. Although the newspaper may have been
in the past, the memory is alive and well within the walls of the Raleigh Times
Bar and Restaurant in downtown Raleigh. It has been renovated back to its
former glory, to include parts of the printing press and the original
architectural staircase in order to enhance its features. Operating now as a
popular night life spot, its walls are covered in newspaper clippings from the
most memorable years of its publications. Although the newspaper was only
housed here from 1906-1925, it has many memories and historical implications
that are long withstanding.&nbsp; 
The
Raleigh Times was originally housed here, but after it had up and left, the
building went through many changes. After the newspaper left in 1925, a jewelry
store moved in. This caused the most architectural changes in the building,
because they built an entire new store front that they considered modern. It
was made of aluminum, and later was torn down in order to restore this building
that housed the Raleigh Times back to its original state and former glory.&nbsp;When
they restored the building, they were able to uncover the original floors, some
pieces of the printing press that they used, and many other original features.
While the restaurant and bar has many original pieces, it also has a lot of new
pieces. For example, they added in the bar and the kitchen in order to serve
food, which was a nice face lift for the building. They also needed to expand
seating in order to continuously seat their growing crowd of customers.
Therefore, they put patio seating outside on the sidewalk to help accommodate that
crowd. Recently, that proved not to be enough seating as well. They began to
add rooftop seating to accommodate the overflow and help in order to get more
people in and out of the restaurant or enjoy a beer on the rooftop.

When active and in
print, the Raleigh Times Issue was extremely successful. They began in the late
1800’s and were able to survive many big issues in order to continue to be a
read newspaper. For example, they were able to survive the Great Depression and
stay afloat. They also were around to cover that event, along with other major
news worthy items, such as World War One, World War Two, the Great Depression
and Stock Market Crash, most of the Cold War, the Vietnam War, Korea, and many
other events as well that are not listed. The restaurant, which is decorated
with some of these most famous articles which were sold at a flea market, helps
to showcase all the hard work they put into the newspaper. The hard work from
the newspaper transfers over into the hard work of the people who own and run
the restaurant, as it is a great place to catch a great meal and learn some history
at the same time. &nbsp;

The Raleigh Times is a popular night life spot in downtown Raleigh for a wide variety of bar foods and beers. However, it began as the location for the Raleigh Times Newspaper, which was in this location from 1906-1925. Not only was the building completely renovated, but it was restored to much of its former glory. Now covered in newspaper clippings highlighting its major events, it functions as a bar and restaurant that serves thousands of people.

The Raleigh Times

Josephus Daniels and General Albert Cox founded the Capital Construction Company in 1923 to build a large hotel that could attract guests and conventions to Raleigh. The project turned into the Sir Walter Hotel, which was completed in 1924 at a total cost of $750,000. B. H. Griffin, who owned the nearby Yarborough House hotel, became a part-owner of the hotel and oversaw its operations. The hotel soon became a success and earned the nickname of North Carolina’s “third house of government” because of the many political meetings that took place there. The hotel also hosted weddings, debutante balls, and the Sphinx Club meetings.

It has been estimated that by 1925, the majority of North Carolina’s legislators rented rooms in the Sir Walter Hotel. In the following decades, legislators, lobbyists, newspapermen, and other important people of Raleigh frequented the hotel, hoping to be “in the know.” But, in 1934, the Great Depression led to the hotel’s bankruptcy. It was sold to the North State Hotel Company later that year. After renovations and expansions, the Sir Walter Hotel became the biggest hotel in the state. The building<a rel="nofollow"></a> also became the unofficial headquarters of the state’s Democratic Party. Democratic presidents Harry Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson both stayed in the hotel during their time in office.

In 1964, the Sir Walter Hotel was sold to another corporation. One of its partners, John A. Williams, bought out the others in 1967 and donated the building to the state of North Carolina. Two years later, the state sold it to Plaza Associates, who subsequently traded it for land owned by Kidd Brewer. In the late 1970s, the Sir Walter Hotel was turned into an apartment building for seniors. Recently, plans to turn the Sir Walter back into a hotel were set aside, and it seems that the building will remain affordable housing for seniors.

The Sir Walter Hotel is the oldest surviving hotel building in downtown Raleigh. Built in the early 1920s, the hotel was an immediate hit with Northern tourists. The hotel was also popular with legislators who convened in Raleigh and later became the unofficial headquarters of the Democratic Party in North Carolina. After suburbanization led to hard times for the downtown area, the hotel changed hands several times in the 1960s. In 1979, the Sir Walter Hotel became an apartment building for seniors, a role it continues to play today.

Sir Walter Hotel

Pope was an important figure in North Carolina's history in the years after Reconstruction and into the 20th century. Along with three classmates, Pope established the Old North State Medical Society in 1887, when they were not allowed to join the entirely white North Carolina Medical Society. Pope's Old North State Medical Society, active across the state, worked to improve healthcare for African Americans, simultaneously working against discrimination and segregation. It remains active today.Pope also participated in politics at a time when many Southern whites were working to limit Black political activity. In 1900, the Democratic North Carolina state legislature added a "suffrage" amendment to the state constitution, designed to remove the right to vote from Black men who had only recently been granted it. This amendment required voters to pass a literacy test. To help illiterate white men get around this requirement, it also included a provision exempting from the test people whose fathers or grandfathers were able to vote before 1867. In practice, these changes excluded most Black men from voting. Only seven men of color in the entire city of Raleigh were able to vote--one of whom was Dr. Pope.The house itself is a testament to Pope's success. The two-story row house originally had a one-story porch with a gable roof adorned with millwork. The interior featured darkly-finished woodwork, a grand staircase, and a stained-glass window in the hall. Dr. Pope also installed the latest in technology, such as gas and electric fixtures, running water, and a telephone. When Dr. Pope married Delia Haywood Phillips in 1907, the couple made the first alterations to their home. Sometime between 1909 and 1914, they constructed a garage to store their new automobile. That same decade, the remaining gas fixtures were replaced with electricity. They also replaced the front porch in the 1920s. In the 1940s, the new porch was enclosed with brick, the kitchen was remodeled, and a half-bath was added downstairs.Dr. and Mrs. Pope’s two daughters looked after the family house after their parents’ deaths, though they both lived outside of Raleigh. Meanwhile, in the 1980s and 1990s, the surrounding neighborhood saw the replacement of old houses with skyscrapers. The Raleigh Civic Center was built directly across the street from the Pope House. Wanting to protect the Pope House from such changes, the Pope sisters established the Evelyn B. and Ruth P. Charitable Foundation, a trust that would provide for the house.Initially, the plan was to disperse the contents of the home and turn it into office space after the sisters’ deaths. When a pipe burst on the second floor in 1998, workers installed new plumbing, wiring, telephone lines, and HVAC. During this process, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The trustees of the Pope Charitable Foundation then decided to turn the house into a museum. At first, tours were only available by appointment only. But, the Pope House Museum Foundation sold the property to the City of Raleigh in 2011. The museum is now open to the public for tours every Saturday.Details regarding the exterior and interior of the house, as well as the surrounding areas:           Dr. Pope’s house is constructed of brick, more specifically historians speculate that the bricks for the house were re-used from a warehouse that was demolished on site prior to the construction of the house. Features from the Pope House are also seen in other houses in neighboring districts in Raleigh during the same period. The house was also in close proximity to Shaw University where Dr. Pope attended, as well as his office on East Hargett St., and the First Baptist Church where the family attended. The house also stood beside the McCauley Private Hospital that was built in 1923, the hospital aimed to serve the African American community, primarily women and children.           The architectural design of the two-story structure is that of a row house, something uncommon in Raleigh. In the 1920’s a two-story front porch was added, the second floor portion being a “sun parlor”, modifications were made to the porch in 1940. There are two one-story shed additions on the back, one was apart of the original structure, the other added in 1940. All windows of the house are basic, with the exception of the six-pane stained glass “petal” window that can be seen on the north façade. This window held great significance, because it was representative of the Pope family’s wealth as it was most uncommon for a residential building to have stained glass.           The interior design of the house is that of a side-hall on both floors. The first floor includes a kitchen, two large rooms on the right side of the hallway, and a patient examination area that is located in the side hallway. The upstairs is essentially identical, two large rooms right of the hallway and a bathroom. The interior of the house went through renovations in the 1940’s and restorations in 1998. The woodwork used to construct the interior was the best available at the time, and the house was wired and piped for electricity and gas, again this was another sign of the family’s wealth. The house now stands as the last surviving structure from its time, and is now in the heart of Raleigh’s commercial district.

Dr. Manassa Thomas Pope, his wife Delia, and their children lived in this two-story brick house on the border of Raleigh's Fourth Ward, which in Pope's day was a prospering African-American community, home to many other Black professionals and middle-class families. Pope earned a degree in medicine from Raleigh's Shaw University in 1885, co-founded Queen City Drug Company, and served as a surgeon and officer in the Spanish American War. In 1899, he moved to Raleigh, where he ran for mayor two decades later. Though he lost the race, his run increased Black participation in politics and constituted a protest against increased voter restrictions targeting African Americans. 

Dr. M.T. Pope House Museum

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Today, Lincoln Theatre is one of Raleigh’s most established
music venues featuring top acts from around the world.1 Located in downtown
Raleigh on East Cabarrus St., Lincoln Theatre has served multiple uses to the
public since its establishment in 1939.&nbsp;After emerging from an old nightclub,
the theatre was opened as a movie theatre and named “Lincoln” Theatre to help
give the space a new sense of class and dignity after being seen as a “dirty”
nightclub.2 The movie theatre catered primarily to the African-American
community during segregation and was operated by the Bijou Amusement Company,
one of the first African-American theatre chains in the South.3&nbsp;Bijou Amusement
Company’s Ed Haley4 bought the theatre and it became the second Lincoln Theatre
owned by Bijou with the first being in Nashville, Tennessee.5 Raleigh’s Lincoln
theatre was one of many movie theaters in Raleigh that operated successfully
during the golden age of cinema. The Royal Theatre was located across the
street from the Lightner Hotel and was called the “Rat Box” by the locals
because it was infamous for its rat infestation.6 The Ambassador and the State
Theatres catered to the Raleigh’s white population and the former was located
just south of the State’s capital while the latter was located where the Police
Department currently has their offices.7


















&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On February
10, 1964, Lincoln theatre’s manager, H.E. Sharpe, suffered a bullet wound in
his leg when an attempted robbery was made on the theatre. According to a
newspaper account, “a bandit shot the manager of Lincoln Theatre here Monday
night and threatened the projectionist before running from the second-floor
offics and disappearing”8.&nbsp;Roosevelt Ruben Wright Jr., a 20-year old from
Elizabeth City, was identified as the culprit when he came back to the theatre
to watch a movie less than a month after the shooting. He was subsequently
charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill the theatre’s
manager.9

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; H.E. Sharpe
also faced picketers at the Lincoln Theatre in 1968 when some Shaw University
students and other members of the local African-American community gathered
outside of the theatre on May 21 with demands that the theatre be renovated.10
The picketers argued that the theatre manager was sent a petition of complaint
about the poor shape of the theatre and its general need for a “physical
uplifting” two weeks before the picket lines were formed.11 Manager H.E. Sharped
told reporters that he planned on succumbing to the demands of the picketers
and that a general renovation was planned with fresh paint already being
applied to the inside of the theatre. After a few weeks of picketing, one of the
picket leaders, Marvin Brock, declared that picketing will continue unless the
theatre is closed for renovations or closed permanently.12

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;It
appeared that Marvin Brock obtained his wish when Lincoln theatre was closed as
a movie theatre in 197513 and remained empty and unused for years until 1991 when
Pat Dickenson and partners bought the theatre for just $45,000.14&nbsp;The theatre
served as a bar called Gillies for a number of years before being transformed
for a short time into an internet café, and then finally, assumed its original
name “Lincoln Theatre” in the early 2000’s to become the popular live music
venue that it is today. Renovations were made in 2005 to increase the theatre’s
original capacity of about 600 to 900 and today,15&nbsp;the theatre continues to
feature some of the best national, regional, and local acts.16 The music venue
has eagerly embraced its original name and is easily identified by a humorous mural
of President Abraham Lincoln driving a Lincoln on the side of the building.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Lincoln Theatre is one of Raleigh's most established music venues featuring top acts from around the world. Built in 1939, the theatre served originally as a movie theatre that catered primarily to the African-American community during segregation. The popular theatre was owned by Bijou Amusement Company, one of the first African-American theatre chains in the South, and faced an armed robbery and picketers during the 1960s. The theatre was closed in 1975 and reopened in 1991 as a bar and then an internet cafe, before assuming its original name and becoming the popular music venue it is today. 

Lincoln Theatre

Shaw University was founded in 1865 by Henry Martin Tupper and classes originally met in rented rooms. The oldest Black university in the state of North Carolina, Shaw University grew thanks to donations from Black and white donors, including philanthropist Elizah Shaw for whom the university was named when it received its official charter in 1875. from 1866 to 1870, the school was known as the Raleigh Institute. In 1885, Shaw became the first school in the South to train Black doctors and pharmacists. Shaw University in 1960 was the location establishment of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), one of the most influential civil rights organizations in American history. SNCC focused on issues from political rights to basic civil rights, with members participating in voter registration drives and sit-in demonstrations despite many threats of violence.&nbsp;

The oldest remaining building on the historic Shaw University campus, Estey Hall was completed in 1873 and is named in honor of donor and businessman Jacob Estey. The building deteriorated over the years and was nearly demolished in the early 1970s but was saved and restored thanks to the effort of alumni and supporters of historic preservation and the university. 

Estey Hall, Shaw University 

On February 1, 1960, a sit-in took place in Greensboro, North Carolina. The sit-in involved four college students (the A&amp;T Four) who devised a plan to go to a local store/diner and request service at the lunch counter. The story of the student protest spread and within weeks, there were similar demonstrations near universities throughout North Carolina. By the end of February 1960, a few business owners had integrated their stores.&nbsp;SNCC helped coordinate efforts by civil rights leaders over the next decade. Some of the most influential civil rights leaders became active in SNCC, such as the future Congressman John Lewis and future NAACP chairman, Julian Bond. Future Washington DC mayor Marion Barry also got his political beginnings in the organization.

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee also helped organize the Freedom Rides and demonstrations against the exclusion of African Americans at the polls. SNCC was also one of six civil rights organizations that planned the March on Washington&nbsp;with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.&nbsp;

This historical marker commemorates the April 1960 meeting of student civil rights leaders at Shaw University that led to the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The meeting was a response by students under the leadership of Ella Baker in response to the Greensboro Sit-In that began on February 1, 1960. With the success of this sit-in, which eventually led to an end to the Woolworth's lunch counter's policy of racial discrimination, other protests spread throughout North Carolina and other Border South communities. Many of the students who participated in the formation of SNCC became leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. 

Walking Tour of Historic Raleigh, North Carolina

The City of Raleigh Museum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information