History and ghosts in Raleigh.

Constructed by Joel Lane himself, the Joel Lane House Museum is the oldest building in Raleigh.

When I arrived at the home, it was pouring rain and I wasn’t sure if the place would be open. I made a mad dash for the home and stuck my head in the door and asked if they were open. One of the nice volunteers said "sure," and my guide would give me a tour in a few minutes.

Within a few minutes, out comes my guide in historic dress, ready to take me on my tour. He apologizes for not being completely in costume. But before my arrival he had fallen trying to fix something on the house. I told him as bad as the weather was, I was surprised they were even giving tours. Chuck Jacobs is the curator of the house and is from Ohio. He has his MFA in Museum Studies from Syracuse University. He is also an author and a great tour guide.

The home was built in 1760. It was home to Colonel Joel Lane. He was son of Joseph Lane and his wife Patience McKinnie Lane, both from prominent Southern families. He lived here with his wife, Martha Hinton. She died rather young so he married her sister, Mary Hinton, in 1772. Both Martha and Mary were daughters of Colonel John Hinton and his wife, Grizelle, also a prominent family. Joel served as a Johnson Country representative to the Colonial Assembly in the then-capital of New Bern. In 1770, he introduced a bill for the creation of Wake County, thus giving him the title of "Father of Wake County". He also deeded land to develop the city known today as Raleigh. So he is also known as the "Father of Raleigh".

The two-story home is minimal by today’s standards, but at the time was considered a mansion. Most of the interior woodwork and floors are original. The home has been immaculately restored to the period of 1790-1795, which was when Joel had remodeled the home. Part of the earliest home design can be seen by the garble roof, rather than a gambrel roof, and the porch that extends across the front of the home. The chimney is made from handmade bricks and the roof has hand-hewn and shaped shingles.

You start your tour in the kitchen area of the home. Homes in these days would have been manned by slaves and several of the slaves most likely slept here in order to keep the fire in the fireplace going. Most homes in the 18th and 19th century featured detached kitchens. In the summer, the fires would have made the home unbearably hot and it was also easier for your kitchen to go up in flames instead of your whole house. The furnishings are correct for the time period and most are made by American craftsmen. Some of the pieces are thought to come from the Lane family.

The home was moved about a mile from its original site in 1927 and was purchased by the National Society of Colonial Dames. It was finally restored to the way you see it today in the 1970s. Today the home is run by The Joel Lane House Inc. The gardens have been designed by Donald S. Parker of Colonial Williamsburg. Unfortunately, since it was a downpour I only looked at the gardens from the house. The residence is on the National Register of Historic Places. Throughout the year, they do have a number of special events, including a Colonial Christmas open house in December. The home can also be rented out for special occasions. They do have a gift shop and restroom on the premises. The building is not handicapped accessible.

Hours/info/admission

Hours:

Wensday-Friday Tours given on the hour from 10am-1pm
Saturday Tours given on the hour from 1-3pm
Closed Sunday, Monday, and holidays.

Admission:

$5 (a)
$4 (s)
$3 (c) under 6 free.

Website: www.joellane.org.

Book recommendation: What else? Bob Vila’s Guide to Historic Homes of the South by handyman extraordinaire Bob Vila. The book is out of print so check Amazon, Ebay, or your favorite used book seller.

The Joel Lane home is a treat for history buffs, and Chuck, with all his knowledge, brought the home to life for me. So much so that even the rain didn't put a damper on my history lesson.

Very highly recommended

Most of the pre-Civil War antebellum plantation homes that we think of when we think of the Southern plantation homes did not start to appear until the 19th century. The Mordecai House is one exception to the rule.

This grand home was built in 1785 for Henry and Polly Lane. They, too, came from prominent Southern families as their families were part of the originators of Wake County and connected to the Joel Lane family. It is the home's second owner, where the home acquired its name. Moses Mordica moved into the estate after marrying Joel Lane’s daughter, Margaret. Moses was one of the few Jews to relocate to Raleigh. The home originally sat on over 1000 acres of land and was the largest plantation home at the time.

When it was first built, it was a smaller home. Eventually, architect William Nicolas, who had also remodeled the State House, added on to the home. He would add five more rooms to the front of the home and the northern face was given an additional story. The front features Ionic columns to support the second story portico, which gives it its Greek revival appearance. You first walk into the double door to the entryway to the receiving room where guests would have been met in the time of the original owners. You walk down a very long hall way and through five rooms on the lower level. One of the first things that catches your eye when you arrive in the home is the beautiful grand staircase. In 1842, an outdoor kitchen garden was added and has been reintroduced to the home. In 1907, as Raleigh was expending, portions of the home had to be sold. The home features exquisite antiques, many of which belonged to the family. In additions to furnishings, visitors can see paintings, portraits, photos, china, book, and personal items belonging to the family. About 75% of the furnishings here belong to the family. The home remained in the family until 1968. Today, the home is owned by the city of Raleigh. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The park also features several other buildings. One such building was built in 1795. This home was where our 17th president, Andrew Johnson was born. The building was the kitchen for the tavern his parents worked at and the president was born upstairs. The home sat for many years in the yard of Peter Casso’s Inn where Johnson’s parents were employed. It was subsequently moved to the park in 1975 where it has been restored to its original appearance. There is also a simple yet beautiful St. Mark’s Chapel built in 1847 by slaves. There is a small one-room Badger-Iredell law office that would house two US Senators. The Allen kitchen is also part of the village.


Now, given the long history of the family, it wouldn’t be unusual that some former residents have been seen around here. Indeed the home is considered to be quite haunted. In fact Jason, Grant, and the crew from TV’s Ghost Hunter’s were here. Read my separate entry on the haunting of this place!

The home does have a gift shop and restrooms. Given the age of the home, it is not handicapped accessible. Through the year there are a number of events held through the year including cooking demonstrations, High Tea, and holiday celebrations. The park is also available for rentals and the St. Mark’s chapel is one of the most popular places for local brides. There is free parking available. You can take photos inside.

Hours/admission/info

Hours:

Tuesday-Saturday 9am to 4pm
Sunday 1-4pm.
Tours are given on the hour and last tickets sold at 3pm, but should it be pouring outside like when I arrived, go on in when you arrive. I got here about 1:40pm and was going to wait around until 2 for the next tour. I saw one family make a mad dash for the entrance. I waited a few more minutes and went on in. They had already started the family on the tour. They just got me to the group and went back and took me through what I had missed. I guess they figured on such a horrible day they would take people on the tour as the come. Also, normally the outbuildings are open, but they weren’t on this day. I did take the time to walk down through the village and look around, but was not able to go in.

On Saturdays, from March to December, ride the Historic Raleigh Tour. The tour operates from 11am to 3pm. The tour is one hour and runs throughout downtown. Tickets are $8 (a) $4 (c). Under six free. Departs from Mordecai Park.

Admission:

$5 (a)
$3 (c/s)
Under 6 free.

Website: www.raleighnc.gov/mordecai

My two most trusted resources:

Bob Vila’s Guide to Historic Homes of the South by Bob Vila . Out of print so look at Ebay. Amazon, or your favorite used book seller.

Marvelous Old Mansions by Sylvia Higginbotham . Available from your favorite bookstore or directly from the publisher at www.blairpub.com.

This home is a fascinating look at one of the oldest and most beautiful homes in Raleigh. History lovers should make sure to stop when in town.

Very highly recommended

Given the fact the home is over 200 years old, it would come as no surprise that a few former tenets have decided they like their old homestead and, by golly, they ain’t leaving!

So what the heck is going on here at the home? Well, a variety of things seem to be happening. Staffers and guests have reported hearing a piano play in the parlor when no one is around. Many people have encountered a woman dressed in period costume. When visitors give a description, it seems to match that of one of the owners, Mary Mordecai Turk. She has been roaming the house and often just disappears into a room. One housekeeper in the 1970s saw the spirit walk right past her and she just disappears into a room. Should you make a disarming remark about Mary’s "beauty", then the photo falls of the wall. Staffers have had their hair played with in an upstairs restroom. A child on a school field trip all of a sudden became inconsolable and had to be taken to the van outside. He just kept talking about the man with the scar scarring him. Many visitors and staff members have a foreboding feeling when they step into the Andrew Johnson home. Several of the staff members reportedly do not go into that home alone. Late one night, an employee left for the day and when she turned near the Johnson home, she noticed a lighted candle that seemed to be held by in invisible hand on the first floor and within seconds the candle was upstairs. A person could not have moved that fast.

The house has been investigated several times and the staff often opens up the home at Halloween time hoping to invoke the spirits.

Haunted NC has investigated the home twice. One member felt drawn to one of the rooms, which was later revealed to be Mary’s room. Batteries quickly drained and a flashlight quit working in Mary’s room, orbs appear, and one picture seems to capture the appearance of women in historic dress. Members Jim and David seem to think that may have been a light trick, but people have reported walking past windows and being startled to see what appeared to be a woman not of this period in the window!

The home was almost investigated by Jason, Grant (who work as Roto-Rooter plumbers by day), and the crew from Taps as well as members of Haunted NC, Jim and David. The show "The Ghost Hunters" is an original show from the Sci-Fi channel and can currently be seen Wednesday night at 9pm (EST) with a repeat again at 11pm. It has become one of the channel's most popular shows. The episode can be seen on Season 2, Disk 2 and the series is available on DVD.

Unlike a lot of other investigators, the guys from TAPS and Haunted NC do not go in trying to prove the place is haunted. In fact the opposite, they try to disprove claims made and see if they can find any natural causes for reports of the paranormal. Now, in their fourth season, Jason and Grant have investigated the Queen Mary, The Eastern State Penitentiary, Tombstone, AZ, the Myrtles Plantation, and spent all of Halloween night at the Stanley Hotel (which inspired Steven King’s The Shining). They were due to come to NC to investigate the home. They arrived in pretty much the same weather I had to deal with and set up their equipment. Just as the investigation started, apparently the food they consumed at a local eatery decided to play havoc on them and they had to call off the investigation. They had already committed to going to Wilmington, NC, to investigate the Battleship North Carolina. This massive vessel is also reportedly haunted and after the TAPS crew investigated the ship, they, too, concluded there was something unnatural happening on the ship.

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to investigate the Mordecai home. The staffers I talked with said they were very grateful to the guys for coming though since it has helped bring people to the historical gem. They say they can always tell when the episode airs since people start coming in and asking questions about the investigation. If you’re looking for a great show to watch in a sea of summer reruns, you can’t go wrong with the "The Ghost Hunters"

So, is the place really haunted? Well the staff and plenty of others visitors seem to think so. On my visit, I didn’t feel anything but wet. If there are spirits here though, for the most part, it just seems the former owner of the home is looking out for her beloved family home. I guess since she is still around and peaceful, then she must be pleased with the fact that 200+ years later visitors to this grand estate are haunted by its beauty. Which, may very well be the best way to be haunted.

You can go to the home's website at www.raleighnc.gov/mordecai. Be on the lookout on the events page to see when they offer up another night of frightingly good fun.

To visit the TAPS or Haunted NC web site and see what they are up to go to:

www.scifi.com and you can click on and get episode information and go the TAPS website. Oh and through September you can see how to try out to do a ghost hunt with Jason and Grant.

www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com. The official TAPS website.

www.hauntednc.com. Jim and David’s website.

Since I don’t have the best memory in the world, most things from my childhood are fuzzy memories at best. Especially at age three. But one thing I do remember is April 4th, 1968.

I remember that date because I can still recall my mom screaming when she found out Dr. King had been assassinated. My parents were great admirers of the late civil rights leader.

I grew up in the turbulent '60s and '70s when civil rights were on the conscience of all Americans. I grew up, however, in a military environment surrounded by people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds and never thought much about it. Thankfully, my parents always encouraged me to look inside a person and not to worry about the outside. After all, the heart and soul of a person can’t been seen on the outside.

Dr. Martin Luther King was, of course, a great civil rights activist. He fought hard and, ultimately, gave his life for the rights of African-Americans. Because this one man was on the planet, he untimely changed the way of life for not only African-Americas, but for all people. He is well known for his tirelessness and for his determination and his eloquent speeches. His most famous being of course I Have A Dream:

"And when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and hamlet, from every state and city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children-black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Catholics and Protestants-will be ale to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last ".

Dr. Martin Luther King. 1963

That emotionally stirring speech was delivered on August 28th, 1963, at the March on Washington. It was delivered to thousand of Dr. King’s followers of all races on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Every since I was a little girl, I have always admired this great man. What he fought for was more than just the rights of African-Americans. If it were not for Dr. King's tireless crusades I wonder how life would be today. Prior to Dr. King's protests, African-Americans were second class citizens. Today, I am very grateful everyday for the things Dr. King did.

I am thankful for the friends in my life such as my friends Tonya, Shelia, Mai, and Dennis. Before Dr. King I certainly would not been able to have African-American friends.

I am thankful when I go to the movies and see some of my favorite actors such as Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, and the lovely Queen Latifa. I am thankful when I turn on the TV and watch all my favorite TV shows which feature African-American actors. I am especially thankful on Friday night when I watch Law & Order with one of my favorite people, Jessie L. Martin, on Wednesday night when I watch Criminal Minds with the smokin’ hot Shemar Moore, and Thursday when I watch Shark with the yummy Henry Simmons . Before Dr. King African-Americans would have rarely ever been a major star on TV or in the movies.

I am thankful when I go see The Alvin Ailey Dance Company, the Dance Theater of Harlem, or Savion Glover, as African-Americans would have never been major dancers. And I am very grateful when I go see the prominently African-American cast of the Lion King, which was choreographed by Garth Fagan.

I am grateful when I go see performers such as Tina Turner or when I saw the late Luther Vandross, when I am laughing myself silly at Wanda Sykes or Sinbad, or when I go out for a night of beach music and shagging.

So imagine how shocked I was when I turned onto Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. and discovered that the Dr. King Memorial Park consisted of a beautiful statue of the late civil-rights activist, some trees, flowers, and a fountain dedicated to other activists. Yet, it still should not be missed.

The one-acre park consists of a life-sized bronze statue of Dr. King. It is thought to be the only statue of King that depicts him in his Doctorate clerical robe. There is a 12-ton granite water monument dedicated to other pioneers in the civil rights movement. The park is surrounded by over 5,000 trees, shrubs, and flowers. There is a memorial wall that lists the name of 2,500 individual donors, businesses, and churches that helped make the park a dream. The park was built in 1989 and is the first public park to honor the late leader.

There is an adjacent parking lot. The park is open 24 hours a day and there is no fee to visit. It is handicapped-accessible. There are benches in the area offering visitors a chance to sit and reflect in the life of this great man. There are plans to expand the park from one acre to four and include such expansions as a playground, interactive display of King’s life, picnic benches, and restrooms.

While this garden isn’t huge, it is still a somber place to come and remember a man who did so much for the world. Surely, a man who helped change the world deserves a huge botanical garden to help bring peace and beauty into the world. For more information, please go to www.king-raleigh.org.

Highly recommended

One of the most beautiful places in the major city has to be the scrumptious Pullen Park, located only about 15 minutes away from the busy center city.

The idea for the park began in 1887 with a land donation from Richard Stanhope Pullen. In 1888, Wiley A. Howell was hired as the first park keeper and the park was on its way. In 1891, Mr. Pullen had the city’s first swimming pool built at the park, but it was strictly for men. By 1895, he had a second pool built, but this time open for both sexes. More than a hundred years later, this stunning park is still going strong and the park continues to expand and add more features for visitors. The park is the 14th-oldest park in the world.

In 1900, the park acquired a carousel built by the legendary Dentzel Carousal Company. The intricately carved animals were restored to their original appearance in the 1970s and the ride was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The ride is only one of 23 of the Dentzel carousels still operating and only one of 14 Dentzel menageries. It is a ride that brings back memories for many and offers future memories for many more.

This lovely park covers over 70 acres. It features blossoming and superb gardens, gazebos, picture perfect bridges, playgrounds, and a man-made lake. Visitors can ride the historic carousal, take a ride on a miniature train, or paddle around the park via one of the paddle boats.

In addition to the historical carousal, the park also features another treasure. The TV Land statue of Andy and Opie. In 2003, the network unveiled the statue of NC’s most famous resident, Andy Taylor. The statue depicts the characters of Sheriff Andy Taylor and his son, Opie, featured in the still popular The Andy Griffith Show. The characters were played by Griffith himself and a young man who would later go on to be one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and Oscar-wining directors, Ron Howard. The statue depicts Andy and Opie on their way to their favorite fishing hole as seen at the opening of the show. This is one of three statues dedicated to TV’s most beloved timeless shows. The other two are Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards in the classic TV show The Mary Tyler Moore Show which was dedicated in Minneapolis in 2002. The first was dedicated in 2000 in NYC and honored Jackie Gleason as everybody’s favorite cranky bus driver, Ralph Kramden, in The Honeymooners.

The park offers a concession stand, restrooms, and picnic tables for guests to use. In addition there are nine picnic shelters as well as a patio that can be rented out. The park is handicapped accessible.

Even crappy weather shouldn’t deter visitors to the park as the place takes on a hazy beauty. The raindrops hitting the lake made it sound peaceful and allowed you to just sit mesmerized and gather your thoughts. But if you prefer to be inside when it is raining, then head on over to the Pullen Aquatic Center. The center offers year-round swimming. They have recreational swimming, swim teams, and lessons. Or you could check out the Pullen Arts Center. The park is also host to the popular Theater in the Park.

Hours/admissions/info

The park its self is open from sunrise to sunset. Hours change seasonally for the rides and indoor venues.

There is no admission for the park. Rides, swimming, and some events carry an admission.

The park hosts a wide array of opportunities through the your for the whole family. Concerts, classes, and many events are held in the park.

Website; www.raleighnc.gov. Then click on parks and rec. Also try www.parkgeeks.com for great parks all over the country.

When looking for a place that offers something for the whole family, Pullen Park is the perfect choice.

Highly recommended