Joel Lane House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Joel Lane House
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 728 W. Hargett St., Raleigh, North Carolina |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000472 |
| Added to NRHP | July 28, 1970 |
The Joel Lane House, also called Wakefield, is a really old house in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was built way back in 1769! Today, it's a special museum where you can see how people lived in the 1700s. It's the oldest house in Wake County and has lots of old items and furniture from that time.
Around the house, there's also another old home from the 1790s, a fancy city garden, and an herb garden filled with plants from that period. The house is named after Joel Lane, who is known as the "Father of Raleigh" and the "Father of Wake County."
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Joel Lane: A Key Figure in North Carolina's History
Joel Lane was a very important person in North Carolina's early days. In the late 1760s, he settled in an area called Wake Cross Roads, which was part of Johnston County at the time. His house and his actions were super important as North Carolina changed from being a British colony to a state. He also played a big part in making Raleigh the state's capital city.
Lane's Influence and His Plantation Home
Joel Lane's large plantation house sat on a small hill, looking over the land where Raleigh would later be built. He owned thousands of acres of land, which gave him a lot of power and influence in politics.
Creating Wake County
Lane was a member of the colonial General Assembly, which was like the government back then. He worked hard to create Wake County in 1770. At that time, it was mostly wild land with very few people. The county was named "Wake" to honor Margaret Wake, who was the wife of the colonial Governor, William Tryon.
A Hub for Important Meetings
In 1771, it's believed that Wake County's first court meeting happened right at Joel Lane's home. Lane was chosen to be a member of this court and stayed in that job until he passed away. During the Revolutionary War, which was when America fought for its freedom, Joel Lane's home was a place for many important government meetings.
For example, in 1776, he hosted the colony's Council of Safety. The next year, he even got a license to run a small inn at his home. From May to June in 1781, the state's General Assembly met at his property. Lane also served in the state Senate for many years, from 1782 to 1794. He was also a delegate, or representative, at a big meeting in Halifax in 1789. At this meeting, they approved the United States Constitution, which is the main law of the U.S.
The Birth of Raleigh: North Carolina's Capital
Joel Lane was directly involved in the decision to make Wake County the permanent capital of North Carolina. In 1792, the government decided to buy 1,000 acres (about 4 square kilometers) of his land. On this land, they built the city of "Raleigh" to be the new center of the state government. The western edge of the new city was just east of Lane's house, and a street in Raleigh was named after him to honor his contributions.
The House After Lane's Death
After Joel Lane died in 1795, his house had several different owners. In 1818, a businessman named William Boylan bought it. The house, along with another nearby home called Montfort Hall, stayed in the Boylan family until 1909. Over these years, the city of Raleigh grew bigger and bigger, eventually surrounding the house. Lane's old plantation land became the site of new streets, homes, and businesses.
In 1911, the house was moved a short distance from its original spot. Then, in 1927, a group called the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in North Carolina bought the house. They wanted to make sure this important piece of history was saved. This organization still runs the Joel Lane House today as a museum, which is a special Raleigh Historic Landmark.
Recent Restoration Work
In 2019, to celebrate the house's 250th birthday, a team worked to restore it. They carefully removed 26 layers of old paint to fix the wood underneath. After the repairs, the house was painted back to its original color: a beautiful garnet red.
Gallery
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See also
