The Town of Wake Forest NC has begun it’s local campaign for “This Place Matters” and you can join in by sharing the historic places in Wake Forest NC that matter to YOU!  How can you participatte?  It’s easy – all you have to do is visit the Wake Forest NC This Place Matters campaign site and download your free “This Place Matters” sign.  Take a digital photo of yourself holding the sign at local residences, landmarks or other significant locations throughout Wake Forest NC that matter to you.  Submit your photo along with a short story as to why the location is important and meaningful to you to thisplacematters@wakeforestnc.gov.   All photo submissions with then be displayed in a slide show at http://www.wakeforestnc.gov/thisplacematters_photos.aspx

For more information regarding the local “This Place Matters” campaign you can contact Agnes Wanman at (919) 435-9516 or AWanman@wakeforestnc.gov.  For information on the National “This Place Matters” please visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

If you are interested in exploring some of the historic homes for sale in Wake Forest NC you can check out a few of the offerings at the end of this post.  Also, for more information on the Historic Guidelines, historic home rehabilitation or Tax Credits that may be available I would like to point you to “What’s YOUR Circa?“.  There you can find a bevy of information to help you decide if a historic home is right for you!  You can easily search for information via the Categories on the right hand side of the blog and, as always, you can certainly email me with any questions that you may have!  Again, that link is What’s YOUR Circa?

In the meantime, here is a quick video with some examples of what you can find by way of historic homes in Wake Forest NC.  Don’t forget to peek below the video for some great historic homes for sale in Wake Forest NC!

• circa 1901: 1350 sf, 3bd/1ba, $55,000.00
• circa 1910: 1600 sf, 1bd/2.5ba $59,999.00
• circa 1901: 714 sf, 1bd/1ba $70,000.00
• circa 1909: 1158 sf, 3bd/1.5ba $113,900.00
• circa 1901: 3822 sf, 4bd/6ba $225,000.00
• circa 1840: 3870 sf, 5bd/4ba $275,000.00
• circa 1920: 2827 sf, 3bd/2ba $397,000.00
  

What is a Certificate of Appropriateness?  A Certificate of Appropriateness is a permit that allows you physically alter exterior surfaces and areas within a Historic District.  A COA will most likely be issued when it has been determined that the proposed improvements conform with the overall historic character of the District.  You must obtain a COA PRIOR TO any work beginning.  A COA will have specific quidelines set forth to determine how the work will be done as well as set parameters to operate within.

For instance,  you want to paint your white historic home in Wake Forest NC a different color that perhaps you think will evoke a more Victorian “feel”.  Before you can do so you must apply for and receive a Certificate of Appropriateness.  Should you want to paint your home the SAME color then you would not need a COA.  (Always better to be safe though and call your local Historic Preservation Committee)

Some additional examples of what MAY not need a COA are:

• Interior renovations or remodels that do not affect the exterior of the home.
• Planting of shrubs, flower, trees

What is most important though are the types of work that DO need a Certificate of Appropriateness.  Here are a few examples:

• Moving of a structure
• Demolition of a structure
• Conversion to handicap accessible
• Fences, pools, tennis courts
• ANY change to the roof line of the structure
• any addition of an outlying building such as a shed or garage

Keep in mind that even if the scope of your future project does not entail a Building Permit you still need a Certificate of Appropriateness.

Again, for any specific questions regarding your City or Town it would be best to contact your Historic Preservation Committee.

While purchasing and owning a historic home is a wonderful achievement and a life long dream for many – it is best to remember that historic homeownership can be drastically different from that of non-historic homeownership.  Due to the delicate nature of these properties and their significant contribution to history they have to be handled with care which is why there are so many safeguards in place to ensure that they continue their legacy.

If you are currently searching for historic homes in Wake Forest NC please let me know!  There are quite a few currently listed and I would be happy to share their history with you.  You can reach me at 919.649.6128 or simply send me an email!  To discover more that Wake Forest NC has to offer you can visit:

Life in Wake Forest NC

Discover Wake Forest NC

Wake Forest House Chick

RALEIGH (WTVD) — A downtown Raleigh landmark that has been in service continually for nearly 135 years is set to be shutdown.

The Century Post Office at the Federal Building on Fayetteville Street has been in operation since 1878 — it was actually the first post office built in the south following the Civil War.

Now, the US Postal Service says it wants to close the office in mid-July, citing a 20 percent decline in mail volume and lost revenue of $8.5 billion in the last two years.

You can read the full story here.    What are your thoughts on the potential closing of such a significant historic landmark here in Raleigh NC?

Wake Forest Farmers’ Market
Saturday, March 19; 10 am – noon
Depot Parking Lot, 110 S. White St.
The Wake Forest Farmers’ Market is open from 10 am to noon on the first and third Saturdays in March. Beginning April 2 through Nov. 19 the market will be open every Saturday from 8 am to noon. The market offers pasture-raised beef, pork, lamb and chicken, as well as fresh produce, eggs, honey, baked goods, handmade soaps and lotions, art and crafts. For more information call (919) 556-2284 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (919) 556-2284 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (919) 556-2284      end_of_the_skype_highlighting      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit www.wakeforestmarket.org.

Sweethearts Dance
Saturday, March 19; 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Kerr Family YMCA Gym
Gentlemen, don’t let this opportunity pass you by to spend precious one-on-one time with your little girls. Enjoy crafts and refreshments, stop by our chocolate fountain, take a picture in your Sunday best, and most of all, make a memory that she’ll never forget. Register at the Welcome Center of the Kerr or Factory YMCA. For more information, contact Jon Gutekunst at (919) 562-9605 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (919) 562-9605 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (919) 562-9605      end_of_the_skype_highlighting      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or jon.gutekunst@ymcatriangle.org.

Eagle Project Pancake Breakfast
Sunday, March 20; 8 to noon
Walter E. Cole Post 187, 225 E. Holding Ave.
The American Legion Hall will host an “Eagle Project Pancake Breakfast” on Sunday, March 20, from 8 am to noon at Walter E. Cole Post 187, 225 East Holding Ave. The breakfast will feature the American Legion’s usual favorites – pancakes, sausage, orange juice and coffee. The proceeds from this breakfast will be used to purchase handicapped and senior-friendly picnic tables for an outside eating area for an Eagle project at the American Legion. Donations for the Eagle project can be made at the door or you may contact Vik Mukherjee at (919) 570-3235 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (919) 570-3235      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

“An Irish Music Celebration” — Virginia Tull Music & Art Series
Sunday, March 20; 3 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Church, 107 E. South Ave.
Featuring Wake Forest’s finest: Dr. Jeanine Skinner, David Fitzgerald and WFBC Artist in Residence Jennifer Paschal. All three musical artists claim Scotch-Irish ancestry and a love for Irish music. The program will include vocal, piano and organ selections. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact David Fitzgerald, Minister of Music at Wake Forest Baptist Church davidfitzgerald@ncrrbiz.com.

Wake Forest Historical Association Meeting
Sunday, March 20; 3-5 pm
Wake Forest Historical Museum
The Wake Forest Historical Association will sponsor a meeting about Dr. B.W. Wells Sunday, March 20, from 3 to 5 p.m. The speaker will be Jimmy Ray, who grew up on the Wells’ Rockcliff Farm in the Stony Hill area. Ray knew Wells and his wife as Uncle Bert and Aunt Maud. The free meeting at the Wake Forest Historical Museum behind the Calvin Jones House is open to everyone, and we would like area people who knew the Wellses to come and share their memories. There will be refreshments, and we will accept $10 memberships for 2011.

UNC TAR HEELS!

Basketball:

The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill boasts one of the finest Men’s Basketball teams in the nation!  A few of the accolades to mention are:

• The 1957 National Championship game versus Kansas was the only triple overtime contest in championship history.
• The Tar Heels have only reached the Final Four four times without winning the ACC Tournament (1993, 1995, 2000, 2005).
• UNC has appeared in 39 NCAA Tournaments, which ties them for second most all-time with UCLA behind Kentucky (48).
• UNC has been the number one seed in the NCAA Tournament 11 times, the latest being in 2007 (most #1 seeds all-time).
• UNC has been in the Sweet Sixteen 27 times, the latest being in 2007. The 27 appearances is the all-time NCAA record.
• UNC has been to the Final Four 16 times (2nd all-time). 
• UNC has been ranked in the top 25 616 times (1st all-time).
• UNC has the most consecutive 20-win seasons, with 31.
• Brendan Haywood recorded the first triple-double in UNC History against the University of Miami December 4, 2001 with a 18 point, 14 rebound, and 10 blocks (also a UNC record) in the contest.

There have been quite a few basketball players from the Tar Heels that have gone on to shine well beyond their college years.  You may have heard of one or two….

• Michael Jordan – ever hear of him?  Does anyone know if he needs a new house?
• Larry Brown
• Walter Davis
• Brad Daugherty
• Matt Doherty
• Rick Fox
• James Worthy

Football:

A mention of UNC Chapel Hill must also include the The North Carolina Tar Heels football team.  While the football team might not be quite as prominent as their basketball team it is most definitely a contender in the ACC Conference.  The Tar Heels have participated in 25 Bowl Games and have won 5 Conference Championships.  A few of the most notable notables include:

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the first college team to use the forward pass in 1895
• The Tar Heels received 20 letters of intent on National Signing Day, February 7, 2007. Three student athletes had already enrolled before National Signing Day making this class relatively large with 23 commitments.
• At the beginning of the 4th quarter, AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” is played and students hold up four fingers indicating the quarter.

A few of the prominent players to go on and makes waves after the college years are:

• Lawrence Taylor
• Jeff Saturday
• Alge Crumpler
• Willie Parker
• Greg Ellis
• Dre Bly
• Julius Peppers

In 2007, the team got an enormous boost in the form of former Miami Hurricanes and Cleveland Browns Head Coach, Butch Davis.  Optimism is at an all time high!  In addition, the school pledged to fund the football program on a level equivalent to that of the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams.   The winds of change are in the air……

Stayed tuned for Part II – North Carolina State Wolfpack!

Way, way back in February of 1834 (told you it was way back) the very first class enrolled in what was then called the Wake Forest College.  When the Civil War started all the students but 5 were obligated to the Confederate Army.  That huge loss of student body forced the school to close in 1862. The school reopened in 1866 and thrived over the next 40 years.  The campus expanded dramatically, the student enrollment increased, endowment flowed and shortly afterwards the law and medical schools were created.

Sadly, during World War I the enrollment dipped again but the impact had no where near the effect of the Civil War.  Shortly after the war conflict enrollment increased once again.

In 1934 the school celebrated it centennial! Again, war disrupted campus life (World War II) and enrollment dropped.  To counter balace the sudden loss of student body the school altered it’s admission policy and starting enrolling women for the very first time.  Life around campus was changed forever!

Shortly after the war the school was approached with an offer from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation to partially fund the school only if it moved to Winston-Salem, NC.  After consideration the offer was accepted to move Wake Forest College.  The current campus was then sold to the Convention to establish the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary which still exists today and thrives in Wake Forest.

Planning and construction then began on the new 23 acre campus in Winston-Salem, NC for the new home of the Wake Forest College.  The groundbreaking ceremony took place in 1951.

Spring of 1956 was a very sad time for the residents on Wake Forest, NC as they watched the moving vans leaving and the migration to Wake Forest’s College new home in Winston-Salem, NC had finally come.  A wonderful society was formed (Wake Forest Garden Club) and they spearheaded the efforts to save the Calvin Jones house which was the original birthplace of the Wake Forest College.  It still stands today having been preserved through various efforts and is a reminder of our rich, educational past.   While the college may no longer reside here in Wake Forest the legacy remains!  The original home which housed the college has been preserved and is open for visitors as the Wake Forest Museum.  The Wake Forest Museum is dedicated to preserving the Wake Forest College history prior to its move and just a few of the items available for viewing are an impressive collection of photos, books, college publications, furniture, documents, professors’ writings, and medical, law and sports memorabilia.  The Museum is open Tues.-Fri. from 10am-Noon and 1:30pm-4:30pm.  On Sundays it is open from 3pm-5pm.  Admission is FREE!

As a resident of Wake Forest I can honestly say that the town has retained much of it’s historic past!  This is one of a handful of towns that have retained their heritage and promoted preservation.  While we do have modern stores and restaurants in the Wake Forest area the heart of downtown Wake Forest has survived the encroachment through the tremendous efforts of the The Birthplace Society’s Board, Historic Preservation Commission, and The Planning Board.

I hope that you take the time to explore Wake Forest and all that it has to offer!

Why is it that when you buy a bag of nuts in the store there are never any cashews yet when you buy mixed nuts in a can they are in there?  I know, doesn’t bother many of you but it did me!  Well, had to research and come to find out – cashew shells are highly caustic – the oil can and does burn your skin.  There ya go….. 

Now, on to the post…..

In doing all of this research for the College teams around here I learned a great deal.  Have you heard the song Tobacco Road?  It was originally recorded by John Loudermilk.  Since the original version there have been re-recordings by numerous artists such as Lou Rawls, Jefferson Airplane, Edgar Winter, Bobby Gentry and MANY others.  In 2006 it was featured in the finale of the hit television show American Idol, and was performed on the show by contestant Phil Stacey in 2007 (remember, the bald one with the BIG eyes and sultry voice) and Syesha Mercado in 2008.  The songs original intention was autobiographical in that it told the story of growing up in the rough East Durham area of Durham.  (Folks, before ANYONE decides to come down on me for that comment – I make peace!  This was back in the 60s and I am certainly not making a statement about Durham!)

WELL – Tobacco Road also refers to Interstate 40 which traverses the country from east to west.  From Wikipedia here is a little tid-bit that YOU can throw out at the next party…..

Tobacco Road refers to the tobacco-producing area of North Carolina and is often used when referring to sports (particularly basketball) played among rival North Carolina universities. The phrase actually originated as the title of a novel set in Georgia, but it naturally migrated to North Carolina because of the state’s primacy in tobacco production.

The usual universities referred to by the moniker “Tobacco Road” are the following:

• Duke University (Blue Devils)
• North Carolina State University (Wolfpack)
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Tar Heels)
• Wake Forest University (Demon Deacons)

All of these schools are separated by no more than 25 miles from any of the others with the exception of Wake Forest, which lies an hour and a half drive away via Interstate 40. In fact, all four are no more than six miles from Interstate 40, so the road is sometimes informally known as the “Tobacco Road”. The proximity of these schools to one another and the membership of each school in the Atlantic Coast Conference have created a natural rivalry among students and alumni.

Wake Forest University used to be in Wake Forest, North Carolina, just a few miles north of Raleigh, until it moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, about 100 miles west of the Triangle. Since Wake Forest University is in North Carolina, and in the same city as the headquarters of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, a member of the ACC and still near the other three schools, Wake remains in the “Tobacco Road” group. These four universities are also known in the state as the “Big Four”.