Moving a Monument
The Relocation of Raleigh’s Merrimon-Wynne House
On Saturday movers will relocate the historic Merrimon-Wynne House to a site about two blocks from where it has rested for more than 130 years. This will be the largest structure in Raleigh to be moved since the 3-story, solid brick Raleigh and Gaston (later, Seaboard) Railroad office building made a similar trip in 1976. (The Seaboard building was relocated to accommodate construction of the Halifax Mall — but that is another story.)
Although it had been awkwardly sitting up on blocks for the past few weeks, the boldly-ornamented Italianate villa still maintained a grand presence over the surrounding area. When it was originally built in the early 1870s the Merrimon House commanded the entire block and presented itself as a symbol of gracious Southern living. Even as Blount Street developed into a neighborhood of large, stylish Victorian homes during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Merrimon House continued to exert its elegant prominence.
The Merrimon-Wynne House as it appeared in1968, in its original setting under a canopy of magnificent oaks.
The Merrimon House will join two other historic Raleigh landmarks that were moved to Blount Street when the entire neighborhood between Wilmington and Salisbury was cleared for the state government Mall (Again, — another story!) These are the antebellum Lewis-Smith House (ca 1855) and the fanciful Queen Anne-styled Capehart House (1898). At their original sites, the Lewis-Smith House and Merrimon House faced each other across Wilmington Street, and the Capehart House was just up the block. There is a certain irony here, for after more than 30 years of separation, these three architectural jewels will once again be neighbors. I just hope the magnificent oaks that remain in the Merrimon House yard can be preserved, as they certainly can’t be moved, too!
The Lewis-Smith House, being moved to Blount Street in 1974.
A view of the Merrimon House, across the street from the just-moved Lewis-Smith House. You can see the remains of its stone foundation in the foreground.
The Capehart House at its original location on Wilmington Street. This view is from about 1972.
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John Morris
Raleigh Boy
Devin McKim
Sid Fowler
uliveandyouburn
Adrienne Taylor
Ian F.G. Dunn
Ben Spiker
Paul Friedrich
08/21/2008
“symbol of gracious Southern living”
That is evident not only from the back in the day shots, but from today as well. I would be proud to live in a house like that today.
08/22/2008
National Geographic will be there to record the event:
(from downtownraleigh.com)
Two Historic Homes Moving! in Blount Street Commons – Corner of N. Blount and Peace St.
Saturday, August 23
Watch history “move” to a new address – two of Raleigh’s grandest HistoriccHomes move this Saturday at 8:30am!
Plans for Blount Street Commons began with a vision to integrate 25 historic homes with contemporary ideas in ome design and urban living. See this vision take shape on Saturday as two historic homes move to a new address in downtown Raleigh. Be part of the audience as National Geographic films these two monumental house moves to be featured on the hit show, Monster Moves.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a part of Raleigh’s history in the (re)making!
08/22/2008
“Be part of the audience as National Geographic films these two monumental house moves to be featured on the hit show, Monster Moves.”
I’ve actually seen an episode of this show before where they moved another old house in NC. I think it was near Charlotte.
08/25/2008
I think The Principal Tower is the biggest structure ever moved. The Principal Tower, currently located at 801 Grand, has 45 floors and stands 192 meters at its highest point. It is estimated to weigh 379,083 tons. Completed in 1991, the HOK-designed building has dominated the Des Moines skyline for 17 years
I Moved my house . The building was of 1946 construction and remains 55’ long by 34’ wide. The structure weighed some 225 tons (450,000#), roughly half a million pounds, the two story, brick veneer structure had to be moved some 165’ from its original lot to another contiguous property and raised some 20’ higher than it had been. It was under the supervision of Wolfe.
08/26/2008
Awesome. How was the move? I wasn’t able to see it. Any idea of the air date of the show?
08/26/2008
It was pretty amazing but sloooow going. The house would truck along at a right smart clip for 20-30 feet, then stop; truck, then stop; truck ,then stop. One highlight came when a tire on the platform blew >> now that was unexpected. John Dancy-Jones over at Raleigh Rambles has some pretty good photos of the move + an account of the blown tire.
http://raleighrambles.wordpress.com/2008/08/23/flat-tire-delays-blount-street-move/
Here’s WRAL’s account of the event, with video of the tire mishap.
http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/3423859/
Here’s the N&O account. According to this article the air date on National Geographic’s “Mega Moves” will be in late November
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/sunday/city_state/story/1191399.html
10/23/2008
After reading ‘Seekthesummit’s quotes…
(Plans for Blount Street Commons began with a vision to integrate 25 historic homes with contemporary ideas in ome design and urban living. See this vision take shape on Saturday as two historic homes move to a new address in downtown Raleigh)
…I realize that Raleigh will continue to be what it has been in the last 4 decades.An aesthetic and cultural crime unfolding in real time.The only positive thing about this is that unlike the totally obstreperous and asinine ‘redevelopments of the 50s,60s,70,and 80s when any house would just be bulldozed.At least now they are ‘moved’.
As I only am too capable of imagining the reality of a statement like the former by Seekthesummit I can just imagine how out of sync Blount street will be culturally and aesthetically with polyglot polymorphous architectural contradictions.
Score…Developers 1,000,001- Heritage 13
Let’s hear it,for the true ‘Raleigh way’… “Development Über Alles.”