As rapidly as things are changing in Raleigh, one new endeavor will help preserve its past. The City of Raleigh, in partnership with the Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association and the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, designated the Fourth Ward Entertainment District in downtown Raleigh. The newly recognized district spans from South Street to Cabarrus Street and from Dawson Street to Wilmington Street.
The designation is part of a broader effort to honor and preserve the history of Raleigh’s Fourth Ward Neighborhood. The Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts is hosting the The Magic of the Fourth Ward: A Journey Through Time and Culture exhibit. The City of Raleigh’s Fourth Ward Historic Tour and the Fourth Ward Oral History Project are collaborations with the Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association, local organizers, activists, and graduate students at N.C. State that protect the history and fabric of the district.
“We’re so excited to have our own Fourth Ward Entertainment District,” said Rosa Rand, president of the Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association. “It’s everything that we hoped for.”
Kerry Painter, executive director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, underscored the significance of the moment.
“We’re humbled and excited by the opportunity to be a part of commemorating and remembering the rich history of this neighborhood,” she said. “We’re grateful to work with Fourth Ward community leaders to put up these placemaking visual markers and remind everyone who comes through the neighborhood where they are and why it’s so important.”
Stroll through the neighborhood and you will see the commemorative street signs that are being installed along its boundaries. The sign designs are a collaboration between the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex and the Fourth Ward Neighborhood Association.
The new district highlights the cultural importance of the Fourth Ward and strengthens community efforts to celebrate its legacy for future generations.
