Cellphone Diaries
Found this on You Tube while I was searching for content for my website RaleighCulture.com. Chavis Park in Raleigh, NC is my favorite park in Raleigh. A segregated park which attracted black families from all the towns surrounding Raleigh. It was one of the first public parks built for our Black community in the state of NC. Started in the 1935 it was completed in 1937 just in time for July 4. Considered a major accomplishment by the WPA who oversaw the project, Chavis Park sits on the former 26 acre site of the NC School for the "Negro Blind".
Chavis Park was given its name in 1938 and was named for John Chavis. A free man, Revolutionary War veteran, Chavis received private tutoring from John Witherspoon as Chavis prepared to become a Presbyterian preacher. Educated at the college which became Washington and Lee. Chavis went onto become a Circut missionary for the Presbyterian church and eventually settled in Raleigh, NC where he opened a school in his home.
His small school in his home was soon considered the best in the state and he educated the most prominent young men from Raleigh's white families. He remained close friends throughout his life with his student who became NC Senator Willie P. Mangum. After the slave revolt of Nat Turner, the slave holding states passed laws against free blacks preaching or educating which forced John Chavis to give up his school.
A true gem of a city park sits accused of being neglected by a suburban city which just noticed its core. What was once the downtown of the small black city with its central park being Chavis park has become Raleigh, NC. It is a perfect little English walking park with a stone bridge and gothic stone staircases. Large WPA hand cut, mule lifted log shelters stand to remind the neighborhood the city does make changes to this park often. A history of neglect was sparkled by new projects and new buildings in the 1960's. Changes have come to Chavis park in spurts and it now host Raleigh's memorial art sculpture dedicated to the Tuskegee Airmen. While the renovations of the 1930's carousel still linger historical documents mention a Chavis park train which rode park passengers around the park. A similar train still runs in Chavis's segregated mirror image which was Pullen Park located a few miles west on Martin Luther Drive.
In a perfect world we would have two of everything, in a segregated world we almost did. There is nothing which can be achieved through segregation but it would be nice to have a park train which still runs through Chavis Park. If you are visiting Raleigh, NC then Chavis Park is a must see. It offers the best views of our city skyline and our best walking track which has offered a solid left turn to native Olympic gold medalist... Chavis park is a Historic Raleigh destination
