Save a house, save a part of the history of Apex...

Save a house, save a part of the history of Apex...

Historic Cash Home in Downtown Apex NC

The Apex Baptist Church has decided that having a few more parking spaces is more important that saving a historic home located at 112 S Salem Street in Apex. The home in these photos is the 1910 Cash House located next door to the church building. It is one of the oldest homes in the Town of Apex and was built in the very early years of the town.

The church Deacons say that additional parking spaces are much more important now than continuing to have the historic home available for Church activities or to remain a part of Historic Downtown Apex. The Deacon group also refuses to listen to the many community and church members that want the home kept for the church and community. Since the home was sold to the church in 1985, it has been used for classroom space and other church activities and outreach ministries. As of this writing a decision has been made to destroy the home and a demolition permit has already been obtained from Town of Apex.

1910 Cash Home in Historic Downtown Apex

If you want a historic home to restore, or have a friend or acquaintance that might, please call the church as soon as possible and ask if they will give or sell it to you and wait to allow you time to have it moved. The word on the street is that they have tried to find someone that would move the house but have failed to do so and say they do not have a place to move it to or can afford to do so.

The town is widely known for its "small town look and feel" and has been named one of the best places to live in 2013. One of numerous features of the town is having a number of preserved historical homes, many of which are on the Apex Historical Society annual home tour in each December. Seems like the new, younger Deacons in the church do not have the same values the town is known for and are willing to tear down this home that has been part of the Historic Downtown Apex district since 1910.

Even if you do not have a place to have the home moved to, demand that the church keep the church until a new owner can be found and it can be moved to a new site.

Call the church today (919-362-6176) and ask them to save the home and keep it protected and preserved for all of Apex. Tell the church and Deacons that the home is a part of the culture of the town and must be preserved for future generations.

Old Apex family estate to be destroyed by builder

1945 John Amos Pearson Home

Interested in having a beautiful town park along North Salem Street in Apex?

Save the North Salem Street corridor - build a community park instead of packing 80 townhomes into the area and adding some 500 cars a day to the street...

Tell the Town Council and Planning Board and Planning Director (see below to send email to the Town Council, Planning Board and Planning Director) to acquire the Dr. J K Pearson estate at 1015 N Salem Street and establish a new park for the community and fund it in the new budget. 

A builder has currently placed the property under contract (March-April 2013) and plans to tear down the 1945 family home of John Amos Pearson and build a sea of 80 town-homes on the property. This will destroy forever one of the largest parcels of wooded land along North Salem Street in Apex. This land was built by John Amos Pearson in 1945 to be his homeplace and was later passed down to his son, Dr J K Pearson.  Dr Pearson passed away in January, 2010, and ownership passed to his wife and his three grown children. After his wife, the last family resident,  moved out it was listed for sale. John Amos Pearson was one of five siblings born and raised in the Maynard-Pearson House on Olive Chapel road. After growing up in a home built in 1870 Amos built the home shown above on North Salem Street and lived there with his wife. This was his second and final home on North Salem. 

Unfortunately the 1015 N Salem Street property was never listed as a historic site and the Town has taken the view that it will not stop the builder from destroying the home and building on the property as long as the construction meets the Town's building code. An ironic twist to this dilemma is that two homes adjacent to this property at the corner of Salem and Peakway ARE registered as historic homes and are also under contract by the builder. The town will not stop destruction of those two historic homes but can require the builder to wait four years to build on those two sites just next to this one because they were listed as historic sites. One of those homes (The old Hunt house on North Salem) is a historic site dating back to 1910.  

Magnolia Lane
1015 North Salem Street, Apex, NC

The Pearson property is surrounded by new and old homes and making it into a neighborhood park would preserve a part of that area for the community and the town. Allowing it to be developed as a large townhome project will destroy the beauty of the property and forever alter the character of the Salem Street corridor. 

The Town of Apex has previously declared the Salem Street corridor as a protected area in order to preserve the "look and feel" of the early days of Apex. Ask the Council to continue to preserve that area and purchase the property and add it to the Town park system. This is the last chance to save the beautiful property and prevent construction of mass housing and addition of  hundreds of cars  a day to the already overloaded neighborhood.

In a 2013 planning survey by Town of Apex, area residents have made it clearly known they want more neighborhood parks and want the Town to preserve dwindling parcels of undeveloped land in the area. This is one of the last intact parcels along Salem Street large enough to make into a community park. The home could also be preserved for community activities. 

Tell the Town of Apex you want this property saved

Contact the Town Council  and the Planning Board today (send email to Apex Town Council and the Apex Planning Board and Planning Director) and tell them you want the Town to acquire the land and create a park for the Salem Street area.

Your input will make a difference in saving this beautiful property in Apex!

Friendship High School or West Apex High School?

If you agree the new western Apex high school should be named "Friendship High School" let it be known...

New Apex school complex in Friendship community
southwest of Apex

Friendship community has always been known as "Friendship" in southern Wake County just north of New Hill, but it was not in Apex. Yes, it is part of the greater Apex area, but it has traditionally been known only as Friendship. The name is special, as noted in an article in the March, 2013, edition of Southwest Wake News.

Friendship existed before the Civil War and before the Town of Apex became Apex (The town was incorporated in 1873). As the Southwest Wake News article cites from history books, the name Friendship was chosen by community members (Whites, Blacks and American Indians) that wanted a name that could represent all people in that part of the county and give the community its own identity.

When Wake County was planning the new school in 2011, the Apex Town Manager thought the name West Apex High School might be the most suitable name from several being considered. The name was discussed with the Town Council and from there it became associated with the school. At the time, this was thought to be a name that would designate where the school is located and associate it with Apex.

The other side of this issue is that there is already an Apex High School, the names would be similar, and it will likely be a source of confusion in the future and not allow the new school to have its own clear identity. Giving it a name based on its location and the community will give the new school its own clear identity.

Residents of the Friendship community have launched a campaign to get the new school's name changed to Friendship High School to reflect the area's heritage and create a unique recognition of the new location. In early March some 350 people had signed the petition to have this change made.

Your opinion will help in this effort. Click to send an email with your comments to the Apex Town Council (allcouncil@apexnc.org) and tell them you want the school named Friendship High School.

Read more about the petition and the community...

Town of Apex butchers historical tree

Town of Apex 1, resident 0. Game over.

The Town utilities department butchered one of the historical oak trees along Center Street on July 12, 2010. The tree has been part of the character the old Herbert Poe house in the so-called Historical District since the early 1900s.

Granted, some trimming is necessary to protect the Town's power grid, but butchering the tree would seem to be an extreme step to take. Especially since the Town long ago adopted the position to require owners of properties in the Historic District to preserve the original look of homes in order to protect and maintain the "small town character" in the older Town neighborhoods.

Ana's with Santa's sleigh passing overhead

Anna's
in Historic Downtown Apex

Santa's sleigh passing overhead

Salem Street 2009 - Historic Downtown Apex

Salem Street
Historic Downtown Apex
December 26, 2009

December 4 2009 - Christmas on Salem

2009 Christmas on Salem
Historic Downtown Apex

Apex - The peak of good make-believe

Another outstanding review of The Rusty Bucket Kids Club TV project!

Good things are coming to Apex in the form of a TV series for young people filmed in and around town.

If you have seen recent news about the locally produced show you will know it is being filmed right here in the community, features local stores and homes for scenes and background and has actors drawn from the immediate area.

If you haven't kept up, a new report in the November 11th Southwest Wake News section of the News and Observer tells more about the exciting pilot episode to be featured at the Peak City Film Festival on November 20th...

News and Observer
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009
Vickie Jean Dehamer - Staff writer

The peak of good make-believe

Apex goes Hollywood as backdrop for 'The Rusty Bucket Kids Club'

For the past month, there have been some strange things happening on Salem Street.

Mayor Keith Weatherly was spotted dangling from a cherry picker bucket 20 feet in the air. Triangle Gazette Publisher J.C. Knowles strutted around in a red, white and blue tie, saying he was the mayor. And two local kids insisted they could travel through time on a train to talk to a teenaged Abe Lincoln.

Hollywood has come to Apex. "The Rusty Bucket Kids Club" started filming in downtown shops and other parts of Wake County in October. Created, written and produced by locals, the pilot episode will premiere at the Peak City Film Festival on Nov. 20. Read more...

Change coming in Apex Historic Downtown District

What mysteries do the latest two store renovations hold in the Historic Downtown District?

Only the owner knows at this point.

The framed plywood covering was recently added in place of the dilapidated old plywood paneling in front of one store adjacent to the Peak City Grill. The other store now has wood beams supporting the second floor front area. No signs are posted so far indicating what is planned in these spaces.

Any thoughts on what will be in these two spaces?

611 Olive Street - Move one house, add three more

Packin 'em in...

That's the deal according to plans for the lot at 611 Olive Street in the historic overlay district of Apex. Sarah Potter bought a small lot a couple of years back and tried to get the Town Planners to change the building ordinances to let her split the lot into two parts - but narrower than current rules permit. And to change the rules to let her move the old house already on the lot to the back just five feet from the edge of the lot.

Saving the old house is required under Town ordinances and tearing it down would force the builder to wait four years to build on the lot. In order to comply with the ordinance and move on with building on the lot, Mrs. Potter has devised a plan to build three more homes on the lot and slip around the Town's building rules.

The plan files with the Town would leave her room to build three more houses on the half-acre lot. Two "main" houses and two "accessory apartments". The accessory apartments would in essence be so called "mother-in-law" apartments or small residences under the control of the main residence owners. The idea of "accessory houses" came from an old concept of having servants quarters or small guest homes on a homeowners property from long ago.

The big issue is that Mrs. Potter has taken advantage of a little known North Carolina law that allows a builder to sub-divide a lot under two acres and cram relatively small houses onto it.

An even bigger issue is that this can and will totally change the look and feel of the lot in one of the town's older historic overlay areas and change the character of the neighborhood.

Town officials have long claimed that the character of these older neighborhoods will be protected and preserved but the Planning Department has refused to stop the builder from packing four homes onto this small lot. The department claims this is being done under a state law that lets a lot owner subdivide small lots and build homes and that the department can't stop the builder.

Take a drive by 611 Olive Street and see how one builder has decided to alter a neighborhood with no concern for the views of the neighbors and the character of the area. Voice your concerns to the Apex Town Council to stop this blatant abuse of the Town's stated objectives of preserving the character of older neighborhoods...

Want to learn more about Apex?

Interested in learning more about the historic side of Apex?

Check out the Apex Historical Society. A local organization made up of members ranging from original residents that always lived here to relative newcomers interested in learning more about the history of the community and surrounding area. Read more...

Infill Building - Is it right for your neighborhood?

In recent times the concept of "infill" building has gotten a lot of attention as builders discover buyers are opting for buying homes in established neighborhoods. Builders are buying up empty lots and old homes on established lots and adding new homes where space was not developed during the time when buyers flocked to outlying new neighborhoods.

This sets off alarms when neighbors see activity on empty lots or around old homes left vacant after a neighbor has moved or passed away. Builders will often try to pick up these lots and divide them, then build multiple new homes where one or none stood before. Is this a good idea in an established neighborhood and should Town Planners and Builders take into consideration the views of neighbors during these projects?

The Town of Apex NC Planning Department and the Planning Board previously established development guidelines (Apex Unified Development Ordinance)to protect older areas of Town

considered part of the Historic Overlay District or Small Town Character Area. Now these rules

are being questioned by Planners and Planners want to change the rules in favor of builders (and not the neighborhood residents) by allowing lots to be narrower and allowing small apartments to be constructed on lots when new homes are added in these infill areas. By making lots narrower, a builder can build more houses and also let a driveway be shared by multiple homes and put more homes where this would not have been allowed under the old rules. Reducing the minimum lot width to 50 feet from 60 feet and allowing a common driveway to be used will allow construction of two or more houses where only one would have been approved previously.

An even more controversial ordinance change would allow a builder to construct "accessory apartments" behind a new home either as a stand alone structure or as an apartment above a garage. This would in effect allow two homes to be built where only one was allowed before and the owner could make the structure available as a rental house. The end effect lets the builder pack in homes on sub-divided infill lots and this would substantially change the look and feel of a neighborhood formerly protected for its "small town character". One premise used by Planners to justify this is that long ago it was common to have a "guest house" or "servant house" on some properties and that the "new" idea of a "accessory apartment" would follow this concept.

One such example is a project under way to build four houses on a half-acre lot at 411 Olive Street in Apex. The builder is Sarah Potter and she wants to divide a 60 foot lot and build two normal sized "green" homes and also add an "accessory apartment" behind both houses. This would allow the builder to slip four homes into a space where only two would normally go and significantly impact the all residental single family neighborhood.

Michael Lander, a developer and president of the Minneapolis-based Lander Group, considers that it is is necessary for builders to respect views of neighbors and not move in and change the neighborhood without considering the neighbors and the character of the area. He states "Prime lots are waiting to be developed in older, established neighborhoods. Lander offers a few tips to make the experience easier for first-time infill developers or builders. The list starts with a command of biblical significance: Love your neighbor.".

"It's just absolutely critical in an infill situation to work collaboratively with the neighbors—whoever that might be," Lander says. It might be businesses, it might be churches, it might be residents.". Read more...

If you feel strongly that the character of older neighborhoods should be protected and development ordinances should not be changed to reflect needs of developers, take the time to contact your Town Council members (Apex Town Council), Town Manager (Apex Town Manager), Mayor (Mayor), Planning Department (Apex Planning Department) and members of the Planning Board (Apex Planning Board)and let your views be known!

Road trip - Two Frogs on a Bike !

Looking for a fun trip for good food and antiques?

Take a drive to Hanover, Virginia, and check out the ancient little country store at the intersection of Patrick Henry Road and US 301 in the heart of Hanover Courthouse in Hanover County, Virginia. The old store goes by the name "Two Frogs on a Bike" and is truly a glimpse back into a time from the past. The old store was a roadside country store and is now a destination for those that travel around looking for antiques and items for decorating the home. Not open at night.

Across the street is one of the best dining spots in Virginia - Houndstooth Cafe. Go early to avoid the regular crowd and the one hour wait, and be prepared to savor some of the best food around.

Menu choices range from traditional pulled pork or beef barbecue to a variety of Chesapeake Bay seafood items brought in fresh daily. Top it off with a slice of one of several home-made specialty cheesecakes or truffle desserts made by the owner. Dinner will run around $40 for two.

NC Historic Sites

The Apex area is surrounded by places to go offering ways to learn about local history. Check out the NC Historic Sites website and discover regional places to visit and learn more about the state and our history. Most are an easy day trip from Apex.

Each location includes a list of events unique to that area. Click the link shown with the description of any location, then click on "special events" to learn more about activities you can participate in. There's also a Calendar of Events listing activities all around the region.

Old store, new store brings out customers in downtown Apex

An old downtown Apex store caught the eye of then new resident Steve Adams in 2005 and the Historic Downtown District gained a stronghold that brings a constant flow of frequent customers to the street. A local news article "Old Apex store has new use" published in August, 2005, tells much of how the old store became a new store. 

The upscale restaurant at 126 North Salem Street, owned by town residents Steve & Julie Adams, is located in a restored old building built by Apex's Seymore family in 1905. A brick in one of the structure's walls is stamped with the date "May 8, 1905" and is from those made on site during the original construction. The building has served as a hardware store, general store, feed and mill store and mules were once sold in what is now the parking lot. Read more about the historic building...

New Hope Valley Train Ride

Taking a great train ride only a few minutes south of Apex in the central North Carolina area offers a fun afternoon for the whole family as well as a look back at a piece of North Carolina's train heritage.

We decided to take this trip on my wife's birthday and invited our children and their families for an outing on the hottest spring day in 2008. All fifteen of us arrived at the agreed upon time at the New Hope Valley Railway parking lot and boarded the caboose of the train loaded with some two hundred other brave souls. The crowd quickly filled the two covered cars, the open car and the two cabooses and the crowd cheered when the train engineer began blowing the horn to signal the start of the ride.

Tickets for the one hour ride through remote farmland to New Hill and back to Bonsal were $9.00 per adult and $6.00 per child (ages 2-12) in 2008. Check the NHVR website for current pricing and schedules before making the drive. Rides are offered monthly on selected days from May through December and during holiday times.

While at the railroad park, check out the local train museum beside the boarding area and the display of small trains beside the parking area. Directions to the train location are posted on the NHVR website and the trip provides a short scenic drive through a rural area of southern North Carolina. Head south through Apex on old US 1 until you arrive in Bonsal, then follow the signs to the railway site.

Read more about the NHVR from a recent news article...

News & Observer
June 2, 2008
Sabine Bollmer, Staff Writer

Train fans climb aboard historic railway

BONSAL - The No. 17 steam engine left the tiny Bonsal train station shortly after noon Sunday, pulling three cars filled with more than 200 riders.

A dark plume billowed out of the locomotive's smokestack. Streaks of white steam shot up as the whistle blew. The New Hope Valley Railway's first steam engine ride of the season took off on its bumpy and noisy nine-mile trip.

Among those on board were a little boy wearing a Thomas the Tank Engine T-shirt, a grandmother in a colorful Indian sari and a woman in a wheelchair. Read more...

Parking is not a problem...

There has never been enough parking in downtown Apex until a free municipal parking facility was built in early 2007. Now there are so many parking places off Salem Street that most everyone can drive to the downtown historic district and park in the new, spacious lot across from the police station on Saunders street and easily get to any downtown destination.

From that lot it is an easy walk of just a hundred feet to the first stores on Salem Street and a modest walk of two or three blocks to the southern part of downtown. No problem now!

Head on downtown and check out the many shops, restaurants and businesses in the restored old historic district and experience the charm and small town character of this now bustling former small country North Carolina community.

Good shopping surrounds Apex

Good shopping surrounds the Apex area. Most locations are just a few minutes to less than a half hour away. Closest are the historic downtown Apex shopping district and the new Beaver Creek Commons center located at the intersection of NC55 and NC64. Others are only a short drive away...

Area shopping centers

Historic Downtown Apex
Beaver Creek Commons, Apex
Brightleaf Square, Durham
Brier Creek Commons, Raleigh
Cameron Village, Raleigh
Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro
Carolina Premium Outlets, Smithfield
Cary Towne Center, Cary
Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh
Crossroads Plaza, Cary
North Hills, Raleigh
Northgate, Durham
The Streets at Southpoint, Durham
Triangle Town Center, Raleigh
University Mall, Chapel Hill

Three-car accident at Apex intersection with no signal

Three cars collided - 10 people injured. Yet another accident takes it's toll at the intersection of Apex's Peakway and Old Raleigh Road. Town police closed down the roads for several hours in all directions due to severity of the accident until it could all be unraveled. All 10 people were taken to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment but only two were deemed to have "significant" injuries.

The intersection is one of those along the Apex Peakway where a stoplight was needed at the outset when the road was opened to public use a few years ago. Town planners say a light will be needed "someday" and then only when the State of North Carolina says one is needed and after surveys show enough cars travel the two roads to justify the cost. No matter that hundreds of cars travel these roads each day and that the number of accident continues to escalate.

This sort of comment is frequently made by Apex Town Officials when citizens say stoplights are needed at busy intersections or that left turn signals need to be added at the Town's many overloaded crossroads. When asked about a stoplight for the intersection where this latest accident occurred, the Town Manager only a few days before this very accident stated "We've already spent more money than we should on DOT's house. We cannot continue to do it." The official response from Town representatives often indicates that adding traffic lights and improving safety is not a high priority in Town business, or the State of North Carolina's.

Town Planners and Board of Commissioners are quick to jump on and approve new development projects, all in the name of gleaning increased tax revenues, but when it comes to building enough roads and insuring there are adequate traffic signals and controls, the common practice is to get a road built, then worry about adequate traffic control and safety later after many accidents have taken place. Even later when traffic signals are added, needed left turn signals are frequently left out, claiming "the town shouldn't have to pay for stoplights and controls when it's the State's responsibility."

Perhaps a clean slate of Commissioners and Town Planners may be needed to ensure that necessary infrastructure is added to keep up with the pace of growth. The existing groups seem to be behind the times and not able to adequately plan for recent phenomenal growth or even be up to the task of keeping existing streets in safe condition.

The following report was issued August 13, 2007, about the most recent accident within the Town's borders...

News and Observer
August 13, 2007
Staff Reports

Three-car accident injures 10 in Apex

APEX - An intersection was closed for more than 2 1/2 hours after a three-car collision sent 10 people to the hospital.

Police said that about 6:20 p.m., a Ford Expedition, a Toyota Matrix and a Chevrolet Venture collided at the intersection of Old Raleigh Road and Apex Peakway.

Authorities shut down the intersection until shortly before 9 p.m.

Of the 10 taken to the hospital, police said that two were seriously injured.

Details of the accident and the names of the drivers and injured were not available Sunday.

Apex police said they plan to file charges against one of the drivers. Original report...

Apex Ice House

Long ago Town of Apex business were served by an "ice house", a local small business that packaged bags of ice and delivered bulk ice to grocery stores, downtown merchants, the one screen movie theater and other merchants around the area. The business was located in the south central part of town near the railroad tracks where the structure can still be seen today. It's one of the historic original businesses structures from the past that closed but was left in it's original place.

As the business lost customers due to decreased demand and widespread use of ice making machines at customer sites, it closed its doors like many small businesses of the past. The old structure shown here in a 2007 photo looks much as it did years ago.

In 2008 a local merchant remodeled the structure and now uses it for a business facility.