An Old-Fashioned Independence Day

The Joel Lane Museum House, “The Birthplace of Raleigh,” will sponsor its 23rd annual Independence Day Open House on Friday, July 4, 2014 from 11:00 am to 4 p.m. Admission is free, and donations are requested. Colonel Lane was a founding father of North Carolina’s capital city and an officer in the Wake County militia during the American Revolutionary War.

The house will be open and staffed by costumed docents who will be available to answer your questions. On the grounds, re-enactors will demonstrate various aspects of colonial life, and visitors will be able to participate in hands-on activities such as writing with a quill pen or making rag dolls. There will be old-fashioned crafts and games for the children and free lemonade for all. The garden in its full summer glory will be on view, and herbs and trees from the gardens will be for sale.

In addition to outdoor activities, the circa 1770 plantation manor house, the 1790 middle class home, and the Visitors Center and Museum Shop will be open.