On May 12th, the newest addition to North Carolina’s historical marker army was unveiled for the world to see. This particular one will give pedestrians, and yes drivers too, a brief history lesson about the Executive Mansion that sits on Burke Square. The marker reads:
Official residence, N.C. governors, it was completed 1891 on Burke Square using prison labor. Architects, A.G. Bauer & Samuel Sloan.
The marker isn’t that exciting, not for me anyway, but with this news I can bring up one of my favorite historical facts that anyone can see around the Executive Mansion.
Prison labor, referenced on the marker, was used to build the executive mansion, including the brick sidewalk on the edges of Burke Square. Gang leaders left their names on bricks used in construction of the sidewalk and you can still see the names today. Here is an example of one on the block’s north sidewalk.
See more examples in an old RalCon post in 2008.
Similar Posts:
- Prisoner Names Surround The Executive Mansion | February 10, 2013
- Worth Bagley Statue | May 16, 2010
- Buried Tracks In The Warehouse District | February 25, 2010
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I always wondered about those bricks! Thanks for clearing up the mystery!
I’m glad to see my family contributed free labor to the executive mansion.
Oooo how interesting!
For a detailed look at this marker, see:
http://www.ncmarkers.com/print_marker.aspx?id=H-117
I always wondered about those bricks! Thanks for clearing up the mystery!