Walnut Hill Historic District (Knightdale, North Carolina) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Walnut Hill Historic District
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Oaky Grove Methodist Church
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Shotwell, North Carolina |
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| Area | 157 acres (64 ha) |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival, Victorian |
| MPS | Wake County MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001183 |
| Added to NRHP | October 6, 2000 |
The Walnut Hill Historic District is a special area in Shotwell, North Carolina. It has about 40 old homes, farm buildings, and other cool spots. These places are connected to the Walnut Hill Plantation and the Mial-Williamson and Joseph Blake farms. This area shows how much farming grew in Wake County after the Civil War. You can find it mostly along Mial Plantation Road.
The Walnut Hill Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. This list helps protect important historical places. Other nearby places, like the Walnut Hill Cotton Gin and Oaky Grove Plantation, are also on this list.
Contents
Discovering Oaky Grove Methodist Church
Oaky Grove Methodist Church started in the 1830s. It was first located on land that belonged to the Oaky Grove Plantation. The church building you see today was built in 1876. A builder named W. S. Walden used materials from a store in Raleigh.
Church Design and History
The church has cool pointed-arch windows and a front door. This style is called Gothic Revival. It was one of the first churches in the county to use this design. The church has been mostly empty since 1949. That's when its members joined another church in Knightdale.
The Small Cemetery
There is a small cemetery right behind the church. This was not the main burial ground for church members. Instead, it holds the remains of people who moved to the area. They came from Wilkes County, North Carolina in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Exploring Frog Pond Academy
Frog Pond Academy was the fun name kids gave to a small school. They called it this because of all the frogs. These frogs would gather in puddles around the school after it rained.
What the School Looked Like
The school is located near Grove Methodist Church. It is also south of the Mial-Williamson Farm house. The building has two rooms, and each room has its own front door. A big granite chimney is at one end of the school.
Who Built the School?
Alonzo T. Mial built the school in the 1860s. He built it for his own children and other kids nearby. We don't know exactly how long the school was used. For most of the last century, it was used as a home. However, for 12 years, it was an office for a farming research station.
The Historic Joseph Blake House
The Joseph Blake House sits in a clearing with big trees. It is at the corner of Mial Plantation and Smithfield Roads. Joseph Blake built the original house in the 1860s. He was the son of the first pastor of Oaky Grove Methodist Church. He was also the half-brother of Alonzo T. Mial.
Rebuilding the House
Most of the first house burned down in the late 1800s. Only one room was saved. The house you see now was built soon after. It was built on the same foundation. The front porch has special columns called Doric columns. The fancy front door is also very old. People say these parts came from older homes in Raleigh that were being torn down.
Joseph Blake's Office
Besides farming, Joseph Blake also worked as a county surveyor. He did this job for several years starting in 1884. His office was a small, one-room wooden building. It is located northwest of the main house. It was built around 1870. It has a hip roof, a brick chimney, one door, and one window.
Images for kids
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Oaky Grove Methodist Church
