Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel

Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel The Friends of Page-Walker is an all-volunteer, non-profit, membership organization whose mission is
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The Friends are saddened to learn of the death of one of our founding members, Irene Kittinger.  Irene was instrumental ...
09/19/2023

The Friends are saddened to learn of the death of one of our founding members, Irene Kittinger. Irene was instrumental in promoting historic preservation, education, and patriotism in our community. Her obituary reflects the incredible woman she was. We are grateful for her service and extend our deepest sympathy to her family and friends.

Obituary for Irene Olive Kittinger | City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation helps families honor and celebrate the lives of their loved ones every day.

For one day only this Friday September 22, gaze upon some of the state's most significant original documents, including ...
09/19/2023

For one day only this Friday September 22, gaze upon some of the state's most significant original documents, including John Adams’ 1776 letter to delegate William Hooper outlining his thoughts on government, North Carolina’s copy of the 13th Amendment that ended slavery in the United States in 1865, and the 1868 State Constitution. All documents will be on display at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center in Cary from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

https://friendsofpagewalker.wildapricot.org/event-5425194

NCDOT has a tradition of naming its locomotives for towns and cities along the railway corridor. On August 1, 2017, NCDO...
09/15/2023

NCDOT has a tradition of naming its locomotives for towns and cities along the railway corridor. On August 1, 2017, NCDOT locomotive 1871 (the year of Cary’s founding) was christened the “Town of Cary” by North Carolina’s First Lady, Kristin Cooper. The mayor and town council were present to mark the occasion.

Photos courtesy of Brent Miller

For more information, you can read the article written at the time by Brent Miller at https://carycitizenarchive.com/2017/08/04/locomotive-christened-town-of-cary

Railroads played an important role in the development of Cary. In 1868, the Chatham Railroad built a junction with the N...
09/08/2023

Railroads played an important role in the development of Cary. In 1868, the Chatham Railroad built a junction with the North Carolina Railroad in Cary prompting Cary’s founder, Frank Page, to build the Page-Walker as a hotel for passengers traveling on those lines. The town of Cary grew from this stop-over. During the month of September, we’ll be honoring this history with more posts about trains and railways.

(See Byrd, Thomas M. and Jerry Miller, Around and About Cary, 2nd edition, Edward Brothers, Inc., 1994, pp.21-26)

Since 1999, Cary has hosted Dreamfest, an annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Every January, there is a s...
09/02/2023

Since 1999, Cary has hosted Dreamfest, an annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Every January, there is a series of free public programs and events held around the community that recognize the significance of Dr. King’s work and his impact on civil rights throughout our community, our country, and the world.

It's hard to imagine with temperatures in the 90s but Winter is right around the corner. And with it comes the annual NC...
08/31/2023

It's hard to imagine with temperatures in the 90s but Winter is right around the corner. And with it comes the annual NC Chinese Lantern Festival. This will be the 8th year Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre will host this amazing holiday tradition. This year the festival runs from November 17, 2023, through January 14, 2024. There will be over 40 new displays and cultural arts performances will take place each night on the main stage. Don't miss out! https://www.boothamphitheatre.com/events-tickets/events/chinese-lantern-festival/ (photos courtesy of https://www.visitraleigh.com/)

For the past several years, Cary Downtown has been host to the Ritmo Latino Music, Dance, & Art Festival.  It's a free f...
08/29/2023

For the past several years, Cary Downtown has been host to the Ritmo Latino Music, Dance, & Art Festival. It's a free family event that includes live music, vendors, artists, Latin foods, adult dance lessons, and children’s activities. Ritmo Latino’s primary purpose is to provide a place for residents to explore, interact with, and experience Cary’s Latino/Hispanic culture.

Come join us at Lazy Daze today and tomorrow!!
08/26/2023

Come join us at Lazy Daze today and tomorrow!!

Diwali is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, lasting for five days. The name is der...
08/23/2023

Diwali is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, lasting for five days. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning “row of lights.” The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. Diwali encourages artistic expression through vibrant performances, unique exhibits, and colorful decorations. Each October, the non-profit Hum Sub celebrates Diwali by bringing music, dance, theater performances, a handicraft bazaar, Indian food vendors, sponsor booths, an exhibition of Indian art and culture, activities for children, demonstrations, and more to Cary! This year on October 14th, you can join in the festivities. To learn more, please visit https://humsub.org/hum-sub-diwali-2023/

The Children’s Day Festival of Cary celebrates Cary children and their diverse cultures through performances and activit...
08/21/2023

The Children’s Day Festival of Cary celebrates Cary children and their diverse cultures through performances and activities. More than 200 young dancers, actors, and musicians are involved in the festivities. The focus is on the importance of the next generation and helping them to develop an appreciation for the colorful mosaic of area cultures. For more information, please https://www.carync.gov/recreation-enjoyment/events/special-events/children-s-day-festival.

The Gourd Village Garden Club of Cary (now known as the North Carolina Gourd Society) was started right here in Cary, NC...
08/15/2023

The Gourd Village Garden Club of Cary (now known as the North Carolina Gourd Society) was started right here in Cary, NC in 1938. A group of local ladies grew gourds and then crafted lamps, baskets, and birdhouses out of them. They started the Cary Gourd Festival, an annual event that continues today. Early festivals were held in different venues, including Cary High School, a dry cleaners, and a furniture store, before being moved to Jordan Hall and then the Herb Young Community Center. The annual festival was moved to Raleigh in 2001 but is still held every year. The 81st festival is happening November 4-5 this year - https://ncgourdsociety.org/festival/

Progress on the Ivey-Ellington house!
08/13/2023

Progress on the Ivey-Ellington house!



Did you know The Friends of Page-Walker hosts an Herbfest every year? Since 2010,  in May, festival-goers can stroll thr...
08/11/2023

Did you know The Friends of Page-Walker hosts an Herbfest every year? Since 2010, in May, festival-goers can stroll through booths selling a wide variety of plants and herbs, as well as crafts and garden products. Touring the Anne B. Kratzer Educational and Pollinator Garden (with a close-up look at the 1850s Page smokehouse) along with a release of butterflies make this festival popular with all ages.

Friends founder Anne Kratzer recently shared with us these pictures she took of the very historic Lane-Bennett house whe...
08/11/2023

Friends founder Anne Kratzer recently shared with us these pictures she took of the very historic Lane-Bennett house when it stood in its original location in Cary near Regency Park. She also shared her memories of how it was saved:

“In 1974, when we formed the Cary Historical Society [later to become the Friends of the Page-Walker] so that we could preserve the early Cary High School records, one of our first projects was to write a walking tour of Cary. For this, we contacted the NC Dept. of Cultural Resources and had many meetings with Catherine Bishir. She, I believe, was the one who first told us about the existence of the 1775 Lane-Bennett House. We also were in touch with Myrick Howard of Preservation NC, formerly the Historic Preservation Foundation of NC. We did let Jeff Sugg know that we were very concerned about the house. It was literally the only building on acres and acres of land that Jeff owned and that were planned for development (Regency Park.) (Tom Byrd's book “Around and About Cary” states that Jeff bought the land and house from its 95 heirs when he assembled the land for Regency Park.) Jeff didn’t want to destroy the house, and we tried hard to find someone who would move it somewhere in Cary and restore it. But no luck. Thank goodness word spread at the State level and Jeff shared that Ruth Little Stokes had offered to move the house and restore it. So Jeff sold it to her for $1 and it is now looking great at 7408 Ebenezer Church Road, Raleigh. It is one of the oldest buildings in Wake County.”

Thanks to a great crew of helpers, we cleared a mountain of leaves from the historic White Plains Cemetery on Tolliver C...
12/11/2022

Thanks to a great crew of helpers, we cleared a mountain of leaves from the historic White Plains Cemetery on Tolliver Ct. in Cary today!

Green Hope High School Marching Band passing the Friends’ gifting tree at the Cary Christmas parade downtown this aftern...
12/10/2022

Green Hope High School Marching Band passing the Friends’ gifting tree at the Cary Christmas parade downtown this afternoon.

The historic Ivey Ellington House decked out for the holidays perhaps for the last time in its original location before ...
12/10/2022

The historic Ivey Ellington House decked out for the holidays perhaps for the last time in its original location before its move to the old library site next year.

Great History Hike with Mike this morning on the Company Mill Trail!
12/10/2022

Great History Hike with Mike this morning on the Company Mill Trail!

Join us for a History Hike with Mike down to the Company Mill site in Umstead State Park.When:  9:00 -10:30 AM, Saturday...
12/05/2022

Join us for a History Hike with Mike down to the Company Mill site in Umstead State Park.

When: 9:00 -10:30 AM, Saturday, 10 December, 2022

Where: Meet at the North West Corner of the parking lot in Umstead using the Reedy Creek entrance. That is the entrance off Harrison Ave.

All hiking levels are welcome as Friends member Mike Rubes takes you down the Company Mill Trail from the Harrison Parking lot to the old Company Mill site. We will explore the history of the Company Mill and what life was like in the Cedar Fork township before the land became Umstead State Park.

The trail to the old Mill Site is just over 1 mile in length. The NC State Park system rates this trail as “moderate”. It is rocky and rooty in places and can be muddy after a rain.

The Friends were honored yesterday by the Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies as the recipients of the 202...
12/03/2022

The Friends were honored yesterday by the Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies as the recipients of the 2022 Albert Ray Newsome Award for excellence in local history for their work with Cary First Christian Church members to produce a walking tour brochure of the church's historic African American cemetery on Cornwall Rd.

Lots of merry making in downtown Cary tomorrow!  To warm up for the Cary Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the Town Ha...
12/02/2022

Lots of merry making in downtown Cary tomorrow! To warm up for the Cary Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the Town Hall campus at 6 p.m., spend some time at the Page-Walker Victorian Christmas open house from 3 - 6 p.m. Free horse and carriage rides, cider and cookies, carolers, kids crafts, and more are waiting to fill your heart with the holiday spirit! See you rain or shine!

11/20/2022

Thank You Jerry Miller for sitting down with us a second time to tell the story of Lazy Daze. The fact that our on-site interview with you at the actual event in August was drowned out by the sound of crowd noise is a testament to the success of what you started 46 years ago!

Enjoy an old-fashioned Victorian Christmas at Cary's beautiful historic Page-Walker Hotel at 119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, ...
11/16/2022

Enjoy an old-fashioned Victorian Christmas at Cary's beautiful historic Page-Walker Hotel at 119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, NC on Saturday, December 3, 2022 from 3 pm - 6 pm. Events and activities include Victorian carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides, heritage music performances, an activity for children, and refreshments!

Some of the Friends were proud to be in attendance today as fellow Friend and former Town Councilman Ed Yerha was recogn...
11/07/2022

Some of the Friends were proud to be in attendance today as fellow Friend and former Town Councilman Ed Yerha was recognized with the dedication of the sign for a park recently renamed in his honor. Formerly known as White Oak Park, the park is located at 1216 Jenks Carpenter Rd. in Cary.

Got a thing for gourds?  Get yourself to the NC Gourd Arts and Crafts Festival this weekend! Be sure to let everyone kno...
11/03/2022

Got a thing for gourds? Get yourself to the NC Gourd Arts and Crafts Festival this weekend! Be sure to let everyone know this festival started in Cary!

https://ncgourdsociety.org/festival.html

We thoroughly enjoyed leading folks through two historic cemeteries today! What a beautiful day for our inaugural cemete...
10/09/2022

We thoroughly enjoyed leading folks through two historic cemeteries today! What a beautiful day for our inaugural cemetery tours! Hope to do more in the future.

Looks like Sunday is going to be a beautiful day for a guided tour of two of Cary's historic cemeteries!  There's still ...
10/06/2022

Looks like Sunday is going to be a beautiful day for a guided tour of two of Cary's historic cemeteries! There's still time to get tickets. Join us for a ride on an old-time trolley and a walk through Cary First Christian Church Cemetery and Hillcrest Cemetery.

https://friendsofpagewalker.wildapricot.org/event-4982755

Congratulations to Miss Sallie Jones, who tonight, at age 98, received a standing ovation as she was presented with a Ca...
09/26/2022

Congratulations to Miss Sallie Jones, who tonight, at age 98, received a standing ovation as she was presented with a Capital Area Preservation Anthemion Award for her outstanding efforts to preserve the historic Cary First Christian Church Cemetery.

The Town has some special historic cemetery tours coming up in October.  And the Friends will be serving as guides.  Rid...
09/24/2022

The Town has some special historic cemetery tours coming up in October. And the Friends will be serving as guides. Ride along aboard an old-time trolley to two of Cary's historic cemeteries: Hillcrest Cemetery and the African American Cary First Christian Church Cemetery. Stop and walk through each cemetery as our guides share with you stories of people who played a role in shaping Cary going back to the 1800s. The guides will also point out interesting grave markers, including a rare wooden marker. Join us October 9!

https://friendsofpagewalker.wildapricot.org/event-4982755

Cary is 151 years old now.  If you missed this documentary celebrating our 150th anniversary last year, here's your chan...
09/14/2022

Cary is 151 years old now. If you missed this documentary celebrating our 150th anniversary last year, here's your chance to see it on the big screen at The Cary. It's playing for free tomorrow, September 15 at 2:00.

https://thecarytheater.com/event/cary-at-150/

2022 30 minutes Documentary Not Rated English, Not Subtitled From Colonial crossroads to technology super-hub, "Cary at 150" looks for the secret sauce that makes Cary tick. Shot entirely on iPhoneX by two-time Emmy® winner Hal Goodtree, the half-hour documentary examines the history of the town an...

Have you ever wondered about the origins of Cary’s street names? Carla Michaels explains it all in her wonderful present...
09/14/2022

Have you ever wondered about the origins of Cary’s street names? Carla Michaels explains it all in her wonderful presentation, “What’s In A Name?: Cary’s History Told Through Its Street Signs.” Watch this fascinating talk by following this link: https://youtu.be/IGxb16wSF1Q. If you prefer reading to watching, check out her blog post by the same name on the Friends’ webpage https://friendsofpagewalker.wildapricot.org/Cary-Me-Back/10601680. Looking for more great content on Cary history? Check out the Friends of the Page-Walker’s YouTube channel, CaryHistory!

In this video, Carla Michaels from the Friends of the Page-Walker explains the background and history of some of the street names found in downtown Cary.

Tickets are on sale for upcoming trolley tours guided by volunteers from the Friends.  Let us share with you the history...
09/13/2022

Tickets are on sale for upcoming trolley tours guided by volunteers from the Friends. Let us share with you the history of Cary going back to the 1700s! We're not just a bedroom community of Raleigh that sprung up in the 1960s to "contain the relocated yankees!" Tours are running at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 on Sunday, September 25.

https://friendsofpagewalker.wildapricot.org/event-4954087

09/12/2022

Learn what steps have been taken to preserve the historic Nancy Jones House. And keep up to date with what's coming next.

https://www.townofcary.org/projects-initiatives/project-updates/general-government-projects/nancy-jones-house-relocation-and-rehabilitation #!/

Built ca. 1803, the Nancy Jones House is one of four properties in Cary that are individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest known residential structure in Cary. An example of vernacular Federal style architecture, the house was formerly a stagecoach stop and t...

Congratulations to our friends at Cary First Christian Church who are celebrating their Homecoming and 154th Anniversary...
09/09/2022

Congratulations to our friends at Cary First Christian Church who are celebrating their Homecoming and 154th Anniversary this weekend! Cary First Christian Church is one of the oldest churches in Cary. Founded in 1868 under a brush harbor off W. Cornwall Rd., and once located off a dirt road between Kildaire Farm Rd. and Hillcrest Cemetery, the church now resides off Evans Rd.

08/30/2022

The historic Page-Walker Arts & History Center will be closed September 1-5 for scheduled maintenance work. It will reopen at noon on Tuesday, September 6 for public hours.

Come explore the history of the Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival across from the porch of the Page-Walker!
08/27/2022

Come explore the history of the Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival across from the porch of the Page-Walker!

08/27/2022

An interview with festival founder, Jerry Miller, live from the 46th annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival!

08/27/2022

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119 Ambassador Loop
Cary, NC
27513

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Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel

The Friends of The Page-Walker Hotel is a group volunteers dedicated to preserving, documenting and sharing Cary’s rich and unique history and culture. Acting as stewards for the building and grounds of the historic Page-Walker Arts & History Center is only part of our mission. We also work to preserve other historic structures, provide education about Cary history, maintain the Cary Heritage Museum, and promote cultural arts.

We strive to engage the community with Cary’s past by working with local schools, students, artists, theatre troupes, and businesses to connect modern Cary with our historic roots. We host interactive events, historic trolley tours and walking tours, art exhibits, music under the stars, gatherings on the beautiful Page-Walker grounds, and more.

Learn more about our upcoming events, listen to our collection of oral histories, or discover how you can get involved in our programs on the Friends of Page-Walker website.


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https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmazingPlaceProductions/permalink/871399556731186/
Know any junior historians? We will focus on Cary history in the first year of this free club!
Tonight's the night! Please join us for the Informational Session on the original production on the writing of the story of Cary in celebration for its 150th anniversary next year.
We will open with a live welcome from Cary Mayor Weinbrecht, then I will provide some information on the first phase of this project: the crowd-source creation of the script and how you can be involved. Then we will conclude with questions for me, Cary Players Community Theatre Company, or Playwrights' Forum.
We've had great response so far as well as early publicity, but in the World of Zoom, there is ALWAYS room for more. So click "going" so we can look for you!
https://www.facebook.com/events/580891135914121
Thanks for a GREAT Fall Historic Trolley Tour! We went with another couple to celebrate a birthday, and it was very interesting and informative. Despite living in Cary for 29 years, we learned a lot! Barbara and Charlene were great tour guides -- the trolley driver - John I believe - professional and funny. Would highly recommend it.
Here's a $1,000 scholarship opportunity for a Cary-resident high school senior! Please share - spread the word!
Echoes of the past were heard and glimpses of Cary's history were seen when folks visited the Page-Walker Hotel on Sunday afternoon, April 7 and boarded an old-fashioned trolley for a tour of the town's historical sites and buildings. Loving history and being enamoured of the Victorian age, I participated with other "The Friends of Page-Walker Hotel" volunteers "in character" as Miss Rachel Page wearing many late 1800s period-authentic items from my personal collection of vintage clothing and accessories. I love doing these kinds of events!
Tomorrow Night: ARTIST RECEPTION 6-8p Friday, Oct. 26 2018.

"Stones Echo, written on quarry walls"
Fine art photographs, simultaneously representational and metaphorical, weave together a trinity of predominant themes: Mystery, Time, and Elemental Changes, showcased in the theaters of dimension-stone quarry walls.

Page-Walker Arts & History Museum (119 Ambassador Loop, Cary NC)

ChrisOgden.com

also Nanette S Zeller and her art quilts, As Nature Speaks!

Thanks to Kristina Klamer Carmichael, Friends of the Page-Walker Hotel, Town of Cary, NC, and of course, Ivan Click Woodard.
I am ashamed to say that in the past I never paid attention at all to what was happening in my Downtown community as far as historic buildings much less preservation of them. I had no idea any of the challenges that existed until I started working in and around the Ivey-Ellington House and the Saturday Morning Music Series. I fell in love with this house! I started to understand more about the feelings I was having about preservation and making sure that old buildings are not just swept away by progress. We cannot progress unless we remember our past which tells us how far we have come. Many thanks to Mary Collins, Barbara Wetmore and Anne Kratzer whom I know will continue their passion for these beautiful buildings. Humans may build these buildings up but it is these places that help remind all of us to keep our foundation firm.
PAQA-South's (Professional Art Quilter's Alliance-South) 2018 art quilt show, AQpassion, has been hung and is open for viewing at Page-Walker Art and History Center. The passionate display of color can not be appreciated through photographs. You need to visit the gallery to get a closeup view!
Congratulations to our Exhibit Chair, Maria Geary, for such organized leadership. We are also grateful to our volunteer workers: Gwen Brink, Barbara Ingersoll, Debbie Herbst, and Lyric Kinard. A few images from the Display Case by Patricia Arndt and the Upper and Lower Galleries will be published below. The show can be viewed at Page-Walker, but call prior to visiting to make sure the galleries are not reserved for other events. 919-460-4963. 119 Ambassador Loop, Cary NC.
would the FOPW have use of a few vintage typewriters for the museum or display? i have a contact who just moved into Glenaire that has a few amazing pieces...call me 919.467.0707
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