Retired Nomads: Mordecai Historical Park & Raleigh Trolley

Saturday Sep 23rd we drove to Raleigh to take the Trolley Tour & visit Mordecai Historical Park. We had hoped to get on the 11:00 Trolley, but it was full so we scheduled the one at 1:00.

Mordecai Historic Park is the site of the former Mordecai Plantation. Today, several of Raleigh’s neighborhoods including historic Oakwood and Hayes-Barton are on Mordecai land. The Park preserves the birthplace of Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States. Built in 1785, the Mordecai House is the oldest in the city still standing on its original foundation.

Mordecai House - 1785

back of the house

St. Mark's Chapel - 1847

Old Office Building - 1847

Andrew Johnson Birthplace - 17th President of the U.S.

Badger-Iredell Law Office - 1810

Ellen Mordecai Garden

Allen Kitchen - 1842

Plantation Office - 1826

Smokehouse - 1826

We went for a walk about the area taking in the huge mansion style homes. We went in search of a place to have lunch and found a chocolate shop for our afternoon snack later in the day.

newer homes in the area

this garden is 1 acre in the city for people to garden

milkweed

We walked through the campus of William Peace University

William Peace statue & bench

Standard Foods Restaurant & Grocery looked like an unassuming place in a strip center, but it was gourmet food and really yummy!

Meatball Sandwich - both came with Potato Salad - Potato, Garlic Scapes, Dill, Parsley, Aïoli, Bread Crumb

French Dip - Roast Beef, Gouda, Tobacco Onion, Radish Creme Faiche, Jus

It was time to meet for the Trolley and we found a picnic table in the shade and waited. The Historic Raleigh Trolley is a one-hour narrated tour of the city's historic sites. While it was very informative it was hard to really see any of the houses and other sites on the tour due to tinted windows and it was an enclosed trolley instead of an open one.

there was a motorcycle show in town

Kelsey Montague Mural is a depiction of a large oak tree

After the tour we did a self walking tour of Blount Street where many of the historical homes are.

Home of Josiah W. Bailey U.S. Senator 1031 - 1946 - a Baptist leader & editor of "The Biblical Recorder"

Home of Leonidas L Polk President of National Farmers' Alliance 1889 - 1892 began Progressive Farmer & Meredith College

Merrimon-Wynne House - Built in 1876 - used for private functions

Capehart-Crocker House - 1898

Heck-Andrews House - Fannie E. S. Heck 1862 - 1915 Social Activist Led Baptist Woman's Missionary Union after 1892 - Andrews - Railroad builder - VP of Southern Railroad - superintendent NC Railroad