Here’s a YouTube clip visiting the current site and some background history of NASCAR’s early days…
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I can’t say that I’m sad that Raleigh doesn’t have NASCAR today.
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One more nugget about Raleigh’s dabble with NASCAR. Particularly, the Black Saturday crash and its aftermath.
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very interesting read!
Fascinating indeed!
And not even a memorial or fountain anywhere to honor/commemorate such a fascinating historical event. I feel like Raleigh has missed many opportunities to capitalize on interesting history. Where’s the replica of Isaac Hunter’s Tavern and museum? I swear Yates Mill Pond is the most interesting local history I have found and it was thankfully recreated with NC State’s help after hurricane Fran blew it out.
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I think this quite seriously, that local leaders try to downplay and ignore local history because it’d get in the way of development. There was a surge in the 70’s that kept Oakwood intact, caused 4 buildings to be moved/saved from the State Government footprint, a handful of other large houses were saved by private citizens (couple by Gringo, couple more by and including All Saints Chapel). As with the current council, officials down’t like their plans being thwarted by a bunch of ornery citizens. The Capital City Trail is a weak self guided walk about that nobody knows where to get guide books for. The interesting things abound though. Civil War stuff could include a map of the entrenchments around the City. Point out the site of the Lt Walsh hanging. Noting that Gen Grant came to Raleigh likely through the Seaboard Building. Mills were everywhere. Company Mill and Yates are all anyone talks about but they were all over. Even just a good smattering of ‘what used to be here’ plaques around downtown with old pictures on them so you can what the block used to look like. I am sure Ian Dunn or others would happily accept a contract to make and install those around town.
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I was married at All Saints Chapel! My wife’s parents (strict Southern Baptist) and their preacher insisted we get married in a church so we tricked them and chose this place! Ceremony and reception!
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@evan.j.bost, I absolutely agree that Raleigh misses a lot of opportunities to celebrate or at least note interesting history. There are a few nods here and there, but could definitely be a lot more.
The Midtown Exchange project is proposed for the site of Isaac Hunter’s tavern and is supposedly going to have a speakeasy honoring it. Who knows what the status of that project is though.
And agreed that the NASCAR story @dbearhugnc shared is fascinating and should be more widely known.
I sometimes feel Raleigh is a bit lacking in sense of place, and I have learned about lots of interesting things that have occurred here, a lot of them just aren’t widely advertised.
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Hopefully Dix Park capitalizes on lots of interesting history. Sherman’s army camped in Dix Campus for a night and barely decided not to burn Raleigh to the ground. Interesting history in the Dix Legacy Report
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Cool spot. I have been a guest at a wedding there. Can’t believe it was going to be torn down by the freakin’ church that owned it. Craftmanship is appreciated in so few places in Raleigh. The woodwork in there is more valuable than any 50 story tower in my eyes. Irreplaceable.
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One Corps (~20,000 troops) was there for several weeks and a contingent stayed around for much longer than that.
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Yes, there are some stories in that Dix legacy report of soldiers interacting with the asylum. Interesting history for sure!
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The whole history of Dix is interesting - born of the great reform movements of the 2nd Great Awakening, inspired by Dorothea herself! You could do a museum on the treatment of mental illness there. From the horrors of the 18th century (see the movie Amadeus) to caring institutionalization, to warehousing, to the closing and de-institutionalization of most creating many of the problems we face now.
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We’ve had a wealth of Old Raleigh stories pop up recently. This is one from WRAL about Bloomsbury Park…
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Wow. That is super fascinating! I’m wondering if somebody might know how to drop in a camera to get a pic of the old dance pavilion.
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Well, for starters, I found a map of the site plan…
First, one had to first ride one of Carolina Power & Light’s trolleys out to the park…
(Interurban Line Trolley, Lexington, Kentucky Vicinity (Previously "Trolley to Bloomsbury Park c. 1913). An interurban trolley car is seen traveling away from camera beside a dirt road between two corn fields. This photo was previously identified as “Trolley to Bloomsbury Park, Raleigh, NC c. 1913” However, it is thought to have been taken between Paris and Lexington, Kentucky and used by CP&L as a reference for possible plans to use this type of trolley in Raleigh or the surrounding area. Reference material is included with file. c. 1909 there remains some controversy about this picture actually being from Florence, KY)
The remains of the Bloomsbury Park trolley stop is purportedly still extant as part of the driveway of a current residence on Scotland…
Here’s the bridge over Beaverdam Creek which led into the park from the trolley stop (note the sign ‘This Way To Boats’. They were located all the way over to the bank of Crabtree Creek which was above Lassiter Mill dam/pond)…
Then, enjoy the park with all of it’s attractions (trees)…
Here’s the structure housing the ‘Carrouselle’ (which is now at Pullen Park) …
There was the Bloomsbury Park ‘Curler’ roller coaster (also sometimes referred to as a ‘scenic railway’)…
Another view of the coaster (‘scenic railway’)…
And, the Davie Hall dance pavilion where many first loves met…
[All historical images are either from the H. H. Brimley negative collection at the North Carolina State Archives, or the Durwood Barbour Collection of North Carolina Postcards, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, The Wilson Library, UNC-Chapel Hill]
A postscript from the Roller Coaster Data Base…
Owner / Operator
N. Webb Allreade was announced as the new park manager in 1915, but was no longer connected with the park in 1916.
Operating schedule
A local 1917 item about robberies at the park suggests that it was open that year. The article also mentions thefts of electrical transmission wire in its vicinity.
A 1918 item describes soldiers bivouacking at the (apparently closed) park – they brought in a field generator to provide electrical power.
An October, 1920, newspaper item (on authorization to buy the carousel and move it to Pullen Park) notes “The scenic railway at Bloomsbury Park is still there though the amusement place has been abandoned for about three years.”
BTW: WTVD also covered this in 2018…
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The park was located off of what is now White Oak and Saint Mary’s, if one uses the dam for the Country Club as a reference. And, Bloomsbury Park Drive…
And, that would mean that the trolley line would have headed out Glenwood, turned up Saint Mary’s Street, then left on what is now Scotland Street to reach it’s terminus.
WakeGov iMaps to the rescue…
Rotate it 90 degrees to the right, and now we have something better to work with…
And, then a little imagination…
Visual reference of a remnant…
Here’s the info regarding the property where the dancing pavilion ruin is located…
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There is a small state office building behind the farmers’ market and while it’s not really open to the public, they have a few displays on the walls of Civil War artifacts that were found during some past construction project(s).
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Up to mid 70’s area where the Dix soccer fields are along western blvd was the Raleigh city dump. Great smell driving by on hot summer days.
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