I was awake and up before everyone else on the morning of Tuesday, July 28, 2009. I quietly got ready and departed the Links condo in Myrtle Beach at about 7:15 in the morning. I drove the white van whilst blaring the new Panic at the Disco CD some 75 miles north into North Carolina, using the GPS (with printed plans as backup) to arrive at the lakefront home of my friend Ashleigh Heath’s grandfather. Fortunately, Ashleigh was there too. This had been a carefully planned excursion that Ash and I had been discussing for quite some time.
We kicked off the morning with a greeting and an introduction to her Grandpa and then we took a short walk down to the woodsy creek area that met the lake, where she had spent a lot of time when she was younger. The warnings about snakes and alligators being rampant only alarmed me slightly. Afterall, she was there to protect me and she knew these parts…I guess.
Should I be concerned that there is an alligator right there on the State Park sign?
Ashleigh and the dam, the lake in the background, and the entrance to her childhood creek
In short order, we headed further north, this time in her car even further north toward the North Carolina capitol city of Raleigh. But before we got too far, we stopped off for a very early lunch in the neat little nearby Whiteville. It is common in the south for folks to rise before the sun, do their chores, and eat lunch when most of the world is eating breakfast. Having grown up in the area, Ashleigh knew all the great spots to eat. In fact, she had it down to such an exact science that we got our burgers in one place, while pre-ordering the fries from another, and then picking them up.
10am hot dog and burgers from Ward’s
Only What-a-Burger could supply the kind of fries that we needed on this fine morning
We went to a very quaint spot to have a makeshift breakfast/lunch picnic, sitting outside a private chapel known as the Swampwood Hill Prayer Chapel, which was actually located on someone’s private property, but was open to all who wanted to come worship. Any day that starts off with burgers, fries, a Sun Drop beverage, a picnic in a woodsy area, and Ashleigh Heath, was going to be a good day.
Tuesday morning picnic in Whiteville
Ashleigh relishes the good eats and Sun Drop
Ashleigh and I then headed toward her current hometown in Raleigh on a two-hour journey across North Carolina. The heat made us try and absorb every last drop of the car air conditioning, but it was still a pleasing drive as we chatted up a storm. Mostly I just listened contentedly as Ashleigh spewed forth her wealth of knowledge about North Carolina history and her involvement with the area.
We arrived at her house on Martin Street about 12:30 to drop off my bags and make acquaintance with her dog Wednesday and pet chicken Honey Pie, both of whom I had heard so much about, then we headed out.
There were two major goals that I had while visiting Raleigh (besides seeing Ashleigh herself). The first one was to visit the sites relevant to the birthplace of President Andrew Johnson. These included the kitchen in which he was born, the actual building having been moved to Mordecai park, and the location in which it originally stood. So Mordecai was first. We met the lovely Kimberly there, who took us on a brief tour of the kitchen and living quarters where Johnson (most likely) first came in to the world. The detail of all of the Johnson birthsites can be found here.
(Incidentally, President Obama was scheduled to give a talk in Raleigh the next morning – right across the street from Ashleigh’s old house – and our new friend Kimberly was going to be attending. She wasn’t buying the old ‘hospitality to out of towners’ bit in our bid to get me a ticket and escort to see the President).
Ashleigh outside the Johnson birthplace kitchen. My photo is at the top of the posting. More can be seen in the Andrew Johnson posting.
We then drove back to Ashleigh’s house and headed out on foot, discarding the notion of bicycling for fear of me wiping out in a strange city. The second location on my agenda was the North Carolina State Capitol building – my sixth state capitol of the year, eleventh overall. Ashleigh had the good idea to make sure we hit all of the ‘indoor’ activities while they were open and waiting until everything had closed (and it was cooler) before I took my photos of the exterior of the capitol – so we went inside first.
This was the most unusual state capitol building that I have visited to date, in that it was the only one in which the State House of Representatives and Senate do not currently meet. Only Governor Beverly Purdue and her staff and the Lieutenant Governor occupy the building. In fact, the Governor was actually there in her office while we toured the facility, but for some reason she refused to come out and greet me.
The construction of this building was completed in 1840, housed the entire North Carolina government until 1888, and then the General Assembly until 1963. They were then moved to a nearby location known as the North Carolina State Legislative Building, which we would visit after we toured the capitol. There was no organized tour going on at the time, so we were free to roam the building.
It was a nice facility with many historical aspects. We checked out the Senate gallery, the House of Representatives, the State Library, and believe it or not, a Geologist’s office that had been put in place by the Governor in 1842 in an effort to scope out and analyze the natural resources of North Carolina.
The former House of Representatives chambers. The Washington painting was by Thomas Sully (circa 1818), copied from Gilbert’s Stuart’s famous painting. It had been saved by the fire in the capitol in 1831 and has hung here since 1840.
The Senate chambers
Birds-eye view of Ashleigh harassing the guard in the rotunda
Ashleigh indicates one of her ancestors William Blount
With the plaque honoring the three North Carolina signers of the U.S. Constitution: William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, and Hugh Williamson
With the plaque indicating the North Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, and John Penn
In the rotunda was an interesting interpretation honoring George Washington. Created by Italian artist Antonio Canova in 1820, modeled after a Greek God, the statue was destroyed in the capitol fire in 1831. In 1970 it was replicated by Romano Vio.
Just to make sure I covered all of the bases, I requested that we venture over to the much-less-inspiring North Carolina State Legislative Building, where the North Carolina General Assembly currently meet. In fact, the House of Representatives was currently in session and the Senate was just clearing out. We sat in on the House for few minutes and explored some of the nice displays inside the building. Built in 1963, this was the most modern-looking seat-of-government facility that I had ever seen.
Outside the North Carolina State Legislative Building
On the North Carolina State Seal outside the Legislative Building. Esse Quam Videri means To Be Rather Than To Seem.
Ashleigh, whom I had nicknamed Trashleigh back during our unruly junior high years, has been instrumental in getting trash receptacles throughout downtown Raleigh (and was even highlighted in the local news for it). Here she proudly poses by receptacles inside the Legislative Building
Inside the elaborate Legislative building
On the balcony of the Legislative Building, looking back toward downtown Raleigh and the Capitol Building
We then stopped briefly in the North Carolina Museum of History. We looked around briefly, but most importantly I picked up a magnet in the gift shop and was asked for the first of many times whether I had attended Harvard Medical School.
In the North Carolina Museum of History
Ashleigh celebrates her Native American ancestry by posting with this short statue
Ashleigh still wanted to continue some of our ‘indoor’ touring before we got our photos and explored the exterior of the State Capitol. And this was all before we were temporarily diverted by the great cupcake quest. But all of this will be covered in the next posting. We would eventually get back to the Capitol.
Raleigh will continue…
So DID you attend Harvard Medical School?
Heidi
October 4th, 2009
You may recall that we saw Canova’s monument in the Frari in Venice. It was the huge pyramid with an open door in it. You probably also saw Canova’s Psyche Revived by Love’s Kiss in the Louvre.
Chris
October 5th, 2009
Man, I can’t believe that’s it’s been almost a year since your visit and I haven’t left you a comment yet.
Ashleigh Heath
July 18th, 2010