Comments on: Horse Track Alley

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:10:22 +0000

Not sure if this has been brought up somewhere else, or even part of this, but are ya’ll aware the street (Gardner & Pougue) that circles around the Rose Garden was part of the track that was part of the old fairgrounds?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:34:00 +0000

I live on Chamberlain Street… from looking at old city maps, the fairgrounds was right there. I have a picture of my house when it was under construction in 1924, and the high wooden fence mentioned in a previous comment is clearly visible there.

I also happened to be around the day before the sign got put up. There was a new ticket-writer and he was running around frustrated because he didn’t know what to write on the citation.

By: Raleigh Boy

Raleigh Boy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:57:00 +0000

The recent appearance of this street sign was a suprise to me, too. I’m guessing that some genius down at the city planning department got cute and came up with the name as a nod to the old fairgrounds race track, which was located nearby. I do know, however, that when the state fairgrounds occupied the site (mid 1870s – mid 1920s, along Hillsboro St. between (now) Brooks Ave and “Racetrack Alley”), a high board fence surrounded the site so as to keep out nonpaying “visitors.” The alley ran alongside this section of fence, which defined the eastern edge of the fairgrounds. It continued across presentday Clark Ave (which of course didn’t exist then), northward along what is now Chamberlain St.

By: RaleighRob

RaleighRob — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:13:00 +0000

tony – that’s interesting about College Crest Alley. I’ve been here 13 years and never knew that.
They probably ought to put a sign on that one…I’d bet it’s the most-used alley in the entire city (since Chamberlain turns one-way and people don’t have room to turn around).

By: John

John — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:42:00 +0000

ton b,

thanks for the info. now that you say it, it makes sense. horse track alley is very near fairmont methodist church which got it's name for being on the second site of the NC fair grounds. There are very old brick foundations and concrete blocks covered with ivy and grass, giving hints as to it's distant past. I'm sure they have nothing to do with the horse track, but interesting nonetheless.

By: Tony B

Tony B — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:31:00 +0000

Sorry, it’s College Crest Alley. You can see it on the Wake Co IMAPS.

By: Tony B

Tony B — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:28:00 +0000

I believe that before the fairgrounds moved to what is currently the Rose Garden area, the horse track was farther east. It would have been close to the north end of Horse Track Alley.

Also, there's probably not a sign, but Horse Track Alley's south end runs into College View Alley, which runs west-east from the side of the Post office to behind El Rodeo.

I think.

By: RaleighRob

RaleighRob — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:12:00 +0000

I too was surprised to see that sign pop up. Strange.

Cameron Park neighborhood has tons of alleys but I don't recall any signage on any of them.

There is a Stronachs Alley downtown (runs between Wilmington and Blount Streets). It is on google maps as a one-way street...however the map vs the satellite view has it several feet off.

When I was in downtown Asheville last week, I saw several alleys marked with street signs. They do it more than Raleigh apparently.