Sheltering a heritage: North Carolina's historic buildings

              h is marked by the three passageways that
pierce the C('ntral groulld level scCtion and
IOll ic pilasters 0 11 the upper "·alls. T he single
Mary wi ngs .lrC lOpped by bal ustr'lded rvofs.
The tower on the hipped roof contains a four·
faced dock that has run accurately since 1838.
."or many )'ears the eI()('k's "'orks were cared. for
by a Fayetteville jeweter whose son. for the !Sum
of 25 cents a week, kept the dock wound and
romg the tower bell. (Open daily, Admission
free.)
OLD SALEM
This well.preserved and restored Moravian
settlement had its beginnings ill the 1700's when
the l\ lora"ians purchased almost lOO.OUU acres
froUl Lord Granville.
The \·ill age itself was planned around a squ;l re
at the center of 20 blocks. Fony of lhe tOWIl 'S
old buildin~ remain ~tanding. In 19~ a 11011
profit group was formed to O\'ersee the preser·
",,,lion and res toration of Ihe village and its
~truCtu res.
The community has digHily ;md :1 warm
character rt'f1ecting the love iu huilders felt for
good malerials and workmanship.
Building.,; of Old Salelll uti lize it HUmber of
unusual architectural trC<ltment5. These incl ude
double-tiered dornll:r windows. a steep pitch in
the gable rCKlf5 with a slight change in the pitch
at the gutter; segmelHal and semi·circular archcd
hoods su pported on handsomely shaped brack­eu.
nat ell iptica l arches O\'er dCKlJ'i and win ·
dows, interesting hardware. and door lalches.
Restoration iududes shops as well as homes.
Except those used for exhibilion. the dwelli ll g'li
a re still used as residellc(''S.
Among the many resl.Orcd hom t~ and bu ild·
ings arc The UTOthers House, Winkler's Uakery.
the T ooocco Shop. 'Vachovi'l Museum, Salem
Tavern. Sisters 1I0use, Home Moravian Church.
Salem Academy and College. (O l>cn 9:30-'1:30
weekdays; Sund;.)· I :30-'1:.'S0 p.m.; AdmiSl;ion 151
to $1.00.)
STATE CAPITOL
Reg<lrded by many as one of the lJIOSt beautiful
public bui ld ings in the nation. the -"ortlt
Carolina Slate Cap itol is an excellent eX<lmple
of Grecian Doric architectu re.
It was authori7.ed u~' lhe General A .. sc mbly
of 1832. And stone for the uuilding was q uarried
<II a site east of Ihe city and tran$ported over
;-..!orth Carolina'5 first railroad. Completed in
1840. the building cost T"r Heel taxpayers
$530.6lH.
Siluated on a beautifully landSl:aJ>cd "square,"
the Capitol is 150 feet long north 10 )outh. 140
fect cast to ,,·est. and 97!1! feet high at the
celli cr. Doric porticOC§ on the casl and west
... in~ <lnd the wealhered green copper roof and
dome provide Ihe dominant exterior architec­tural
motifs.
In thc elltrall ce h;dlw<lys WOTll stairs ;uld
floo ring of uneven slaus of gran ite greet the
visitor. T he prineip"! axis of the llour plan is a
rotunda crowned by " low dOtlle.
The floor of the rotunda al the second story
5
is in the form of 3 gallery <lroUild a I7-IOot
circular wcll . overhanging the lower floor about
nine feet and \.dlhout apparent ~ lJ p port. (Open
Monday lhl'Ough ""riday 9·5. Admission free. )
GOVERNOR'S MANSION
In li9'l. 8urke Square. no"' 210 North Blount
Street in Raleigh. wa.o. ~Uggestl·tI as thc "proper
si tuation for the Go\'ernor'5 hou~e: ' but it was
not until 1885 that the General Assembl)'
au thori1C~d construction of the build ing.
Dbpite the delay. the mansion W3S begun
on Ulount St reet and with the use of con vict
labor ... a,~ comple ted in 18!H .
The bui ld ing was designed by Gustavus
Adolphus Bauer and is considercd 10 be one
of the State's best examples of Victorian arelli­tectural
slyles.
Numcrous gables, a p;,(terned roof. panelled
ch imneys. and lathe-turned porches ... 'ere \lsed
in the design and consl ruetion .
In 1919. the Mansion ullderwent extensive
rCllovatiollS ;l lId redecoration. ' II 19G8, the wife
of Go\ernor Da ll Moore compleled a four·year
program to provide the l1I:1nsioll with fUl'll ish·
ings and ule nsils of historic and cultural signifi.
e mc!: to the State. (Open by appo intmclH on ly.
Admission free.)
CHOWAN COUNTY COURTHOUSE
No betler example of " Georgian public build­ing
exists anywhere than thi~ old courthouse
at Edenton.
At once. the bu ilding procl;l ims the II t'1!d it
was int ended to satisfy. The courtroom occupies
the importalll central sp:lce and on the outside
filH~ brickwork is Irimllled neatly . A graceful
cupola lOp S the building. and 011 the second
floor is some of the most renmrk;.lJtc paneling
in colonial bui ldings.
Architect Thomas \Vaterm.1II described the
buildi ng as "perhaps the fillest Georgian court­house
in the South."
Built in 1767. the building has OcCIl in con·
tinuous \lse C\'er since. A pan o f Historic Eden·
ton TO"·I1. (O~ n Tuesday·Saturday 10-1:30
p.m.; Sunday 2-5: dosed on holidays. Tour Ad­mission
: Ad ul L~ SI.OO. Chi ld ren 25.c. Speci31
rates fo r Khool group~ and city wide 1011I·S.)
J. S. DORTON ARENA
Located on the North Carol ina Stilte Fair­grounds
on Ihe weslern edge of Raleigh. the
J. S. DorIOn Arena ha~ been called "the 1II0st
significant new building in the country" <Inti
"one of the most remarkable b uildin ~ ever
constructed."
The rou nd . glass structure is of parabol ic de­sign
, and iu concave roof is su pported Olt cables
suspended between 9O·fool concrcte archCll.
All ingenious int erior (ICllign includ .. ·s. in
ilddition to the aren:l. upper alltl lower con­courses
suitable for exh ibiu alld displays.
T he huilding is used rcgularly f(lr :1 "aricty
of exhibitions and entertainment C\'CIIlS. (Open
weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.lII. Admission free.)