Chavis Park carousel today, photo by John Morris

Having lived in Raleigh for about ten years now, I feel sheepish to admit that my first visit to Chavis Park occurred about a week ago. Originally conceived as part of the Works Progress Administration, the Park opened in 1937 during segregation for Raleigh’s African American citizens. Named after John Chavis, a prominent black preacher and teacher alive in the late 18th and early 19^th centuries, the Park provided a destination spot for black families from all over the state.

Easily accessible from Martin Luther King Blvd., the 37-acre park is equipped with a swimming pool for the summer, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, picnic areas, a playground, expanses of fields for soccer and other sports, and of course, the original Chavis Park Carousel.

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Perhaps the most quiet block of Hillsborough Street is also one of the closest to the core of Downtown Raleigh: the 500 block. Within the past few weeks it became a bit more colorful as one of its tenants joined the ranks of those businesses that decorate their storefront display with muppets.

Ernie of Bert and Ernie fame is now in the window, having fun with a “hole punch o’ matic”.

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After approximately 60 years in operation, the U.S. Post Office across the street from the state’s largest university is winding down operations. At the end of 2010, the doors will be shut for good.

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