The City has some cool parks, a cemetery, and other spots that are important to the African American community. Here are a few that have made it onto the local, state, and national historic registers.
John Chavis Memorial Park and Carousel
505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27601
Back in 1937, the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped create Chavis Park to give black families the same fun opportunities as white families. It was a big hit, drawing black families from all over North Carolina from the late 1930s to the late 1940s. The carousel, one of the main attractions, is still spinning today, making it one of the few vintage carousels still in action. The park is named after John Chavis, a black Revolutionary War soldier who later started a school in Raleigh, teaching white students during the day and black students at night. He also became a Presbyterian minister in 1799. Check out more about Chavis Park’s history.
John P “Top” Greene Community Center
401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27601
This center is named after Mr. John P. “Top” Greene, a community activist and resident of South Park. It showcases historical exhibits and displays that tell the story and culture of the South Park and East Raleigh neighborhoods.
Latta University Historic Park
1001 Parker Street, Raleigh, NC 27607
Rev. Morgan London Latta, a freed enslaved person and teacher, founded Latta University in 1892. At its height, Latta had 26 buildings and 1,400 students, including orphaned children of former enslaved people. The university ran for 30 years. Sadly, the Latta residence was the only structure left on the site, but it was lost in a fire in 2007. The City recently finished a master plan for the park and is working on Phase I implementation. Check out more about Latta House’s history.
120 Prospect Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27603
Mt. Hope, established in 1872, is one of the first municipal cemeteries for African Americans in North Carolina. While most towns in the state opened suburban cemeteries for whites after the Civil War, few set up municipal cemeteries for freed enslaved people. Several notable residents are buried there, including Rev. G.A. Mial, former enslaved person and educator Lucille M. Hunter, James E. Hamlin, owner of Hamlin Drugstore, and Dr. Manassa T. Pope, the first black mayoral candidate in Raleigh. Check out more about Mt. Hope’s history.
Pioneers Building at Method Community Park
514 Method Road, Raleigh, NC 27607
The Pioneers Building used to be the old Agricultural Building of Berry O’Kelly High School, the first fully accredited and largest rural high school in North Carolina for African Americans. Check out more about the Pioneers Building.
511 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
As the only African American house museum in North Carolina, the Pope House gives you a peek into the life of one of Raleigh’s most fascinating citizens, Dr. Manassa Thomas Pope, who was the only African-American man to run for mayor of a southern capital during the Jim Crow Era. Check out more about Pope House’s history.
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