The inscription on the marker reads:

First NC State Fair sponsored by the state agricultural society the fair was held here, October 18-21, 1853. New Bern Avenue and corner of Tarboro Road on site of Dept. of Motor Vehicles. The state fair, with its large racetrack, was two blocks south, between Hargett, Tarboro, and Davie Streets. It operated from 1853 to 1872, with exception of Civil War years, when it served as a millitary training camp. The “Fairgrounds Hospital”, the first millitary hospital in North Carolina, was established here in 1861.

This is the second sidewalk marker covered on this blog. The first was Raleigh At Four Hundred Acres. The second location of the North Carolina state fair was located on the present day location of Fairmont Methodist Church and Horse Track Alley.

The old NC School Book Depository building is located at 811 West Hargett Street. The particular part of W. Hargett Street that it occupies is a bit of an anomoly, as it exists for about two blocks before it turns in to Snow Ave., before turning back in to W. Hargett Street.
This building is now home to BFE Architects. Sadly, they don’t have a web site. You can find them on the web at http://bfe-architecture.com.

View Larger Map

Artspace is a non-profit visual art center dedicated to presenting quality exhibitions and educational programs within an open-studio environment. Since 1986, Artspace has been inspiring creative energy by bringing artists and the public together to experience the creative process in a very real and personal way

The Artspace building, located at 201 East Davie Street, has always been a center of activity and a community focal point. The 30,000 square foot building was built in 1911 as Raleigh’s city livery. At that time Raleigh businesses were located around Capitol Square. Fayetteville Street was the main street of commerce and the City Market area focused on bringing county residents into town to sell produce and goods for markets around the city.

The next owner of the building was the Sanders Ford Car Dealership, which at the time was one of the largest dealerships in North Carolina. In 1969, urban sprawl forced the Sanders Ford Dealership to move from the downtown area, leaving the building empty for several years.

Raleigh began to refocus its efforts on downtown revitalization, and with that mission in mind, Artspace was the perfect solution to enhance and rejuvenate the City Market and Moore Square Areas.

Artspace officially opened its doors and invited the public to experience the art making process in November of 1986. At that time, the City Market area suffered from problems relating to urban decay and was in need of revitalization. In many ways Artspace and its founders were pioneers in downtown Raleigh, convincing arts organizations and artists to join them in creating this new visual art center and bringing visitors to a then blighted area.

Artspace Visual Art Center

201 E Davie St
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 821-2787
Get directions