John Chavis Memorial Park: Past to Present

History of John Chavis Memorial Park

Historic image of people at Chavis park dedication on stage with American flags — 1938 dedication of John Chavis Memorial Park (Courtesy of *The News & Observer* and the State Archives of North Carolina)

Learn more about the full history of John Chavis Memorial Park. View the chronological history here.

Oral History

Women dancing in field with hands in the air — Community members attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest soul train. (Courtesy of Bob Karp and *Walter* magazine)

Listen to the "Community Memories of John Chavis Memorial Park" oral history audio track and read the transcript.

Exhibit

Key Things to Know

Visit: The outdoor exhibit is located by the historic carousel house and playgrounds at John Chavis Memorial Park. It is open for view every day from dusk to dawn.
Lighting: The exhibit features an internal LED lighting system for legibility during the day and at night.
Exhibit Exterior: A detailed timeline of events impacting the development of the park from Reverend John Chavis’ arrival to Raleigh in 1809 through to the park's latest improvements in 2021. View PDF of Exhibit Exterior.
Exhibit Interior: Features full-color images and text highlighting stories and events that happened inside the park from 1937 up until today in 2021. View PDF of Exhibit Interior.

Black and white historic image of old carousel house with people in line to ride — The original carousel house (Courtesy of the South Park-East Raleigh Neighborhood Association)

Project History

The John Chavis Memorial Park Cultural Heritage Interpretive Plan creates a framework that will guide future investments and efforts related to interpretation at John Chavis Memorial Park. The plan organizes interpretive stories into a series of key messages including John Chavis, A Legacy of Service, A Place to Gather and Celebrate, Athletics and Athletes, Nature in my Neighborhood, and finally, Past to Present.

The key message of John Chavis Memorial Park: Past to Present is that the park stands as a symbol of African American agency and identity and remains a place of power and civic engagement for the local, regional, and even national Black community.