History Blount Street was developed between 1870 and 1920, near Historic Oakwood , in what is now downtown Raleigh. [ 1] It became one of the most fashionable neighborhoods for Raleigh's wealthy white residence between the Civil War and World War I , namely local industrialists, railroad executives, politicians, planters , and former Confederate officers. [ 1] [ 2] Prior to the Civil War, the area included several large Antebellum villas, such as the Greev Revival mansion known as the Lewis-Smith House (built in 1855) at 515 North Blount Street. [ 1] William Peace University , then a girls school known as Peace Institute, was built here in 1858. [ 1] Many large, ornate mansions were constructed here following the war in the Queen Anne , Italianate , and Second Empire styles that rose in popularity during the Victorian period . [ 1] These homes include Gilded Age mansions like the Heck-Andrews House (built in 1870) at 310 North Blount Street, and the Merrimon-Wynne House (built 1875) at 500 North Blount Street, and the Hawkins-Hartness House (built in 1882) at 310 North Blount Street. [ 1] The North Carolina Executive Mansion , the official residence of the Governor of North Carolina , was built in the neighborhood in 1891. [ 1]
Houses along the 200 block of North Blount Street in 1910. With the development of other suburban developments like Hayes Barton , Cameron Park , and Boylan Heights , the expansion of Blount Street neighborhood diminished. [ 1] In late 1960s, the State Property Office began purchasing houses and converting them into state offices, including the Hawkins-Hartness House which became the official office of the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina , and the Norris-Heartt House , which became the offices of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina State Office of Archaeology . [ 3] [ 4] Eventually, government offices were moved out into newer buildings, with the exception of the Lieutenant Governor's office, and the neighborhood became residential again. [ 1]
While some of the buildings within the district are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places , Blount Street is not listed. [ 2] The National Park Service certified that Blount Street Historic District meets the National Register requirements of a historic district for the purpose of receiving tax credits for historic preservation and rehabilitation programs. [ 2]
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