The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-22
HISTORIC BUILDING
BEING REMODEL
"The Old North State" Was
Written in 1t.
ps,r0- ~a@-~n.@ ~--,@r
JUDGE GASTON'S OFFICE
The Story of How the Famous Song
Came to be Written.
DEATH AND BURIAL OF JUDGE GAST0N
This Famous Office, Built Some Sixty Years
Ago, is Now Being Converted into
kindergarten For St. Mary's
School.

The historic little office building
on the corner of Hargett and Sails
enlarged for ST. Mary's kindergarten,
which has been so successfully con-
Quoted at the school for the past two
years by Miss Louisa L. Busbee. With
its central location and with Miss
Busbee in charge, its popularity and
prosperity will no doubt be material
ly increased.
1t is matter for rejoicing that this
historic building is not to be entirely
obliterated Vhe Zeit-Geist of the re-
vitalized South has an abiding place
in Raleigh. and all over our beautiful
capital city modern buildings and
handsome homes are going up with
mushroom rapidity. And before this
irresistible sweep of business activity
and industrial energy, the old land
marks, so rch in memories and hallow
ed in sentiment, melt away. They are
fast disappearing The older citizens
see the change with n nameless re-
gret. 1t is sad, yet necessary.
of this office from the pen of Mr..
Perrin Bnsbee, published in the Uni
versity Magazine of June, 1894. 1t is
now reproduced in these columns be-
cause this Office was the home of Will
liam Castor and is associated with in
cidents dear to the heart of every
North Carolinian:
when large towns become small cities.
the individual houses seem to lose their
personality, and you are directed not
to the white house with green blinds
just on the other side of that large brick
mansion with the high, square tower
but to the common place, cut and dried
No. So and So Of Such and Such street
So when Raleigh managed to get part of
the paraphernalia of real city, in shape
of free mail delivery, the little office
on the corner of the ''Old Taylor Place"
changed to No. 102 West Hargett street,
while the "house" became No. 104.
''The Office is a single-roomed. frame
building, with q high gabled roof. stand
ing Immediately on the corner \ single
stone step leads into q small, square
room, we'll pitched and ceiled throughout
with wide, smooth boards door and
window open on Hargett street, while on
the opposite side of the room their
counterparts look out upon the front yard
of the lot On the Salisbury street side Of
the room row of book-shelves extend
the whole length of the wall and nearly
reach the ceiling. The other side con-
tains the Fireplace with a window on
the left No doubt the office once boasted
of coat or two of paint, but there are
no visible singns of it now. The weather
boards, gray and grimy with years, sug-
gest neglect and decay; but the thick
thatch of moss grown shingles with it's
perennial green, seems as if it cherishes
the memory of the man it once protect
ed, and the ivy clustering around the
hearth-stone and crowning the chimney
top appears conscious of the poem writ
ten beneath its shadow.
"But that was some years ago. The
little office still stands on the corner
but the moss is gone, for the old shingles
had served their time ard are replaced
by newer ones The ivy made the CHM
ney smoke and has been cut down en-
tirely.
"It is the poem and the poet that this
story is to tell, and why the little office
should be an exception to the unifying
process of city making and retain it's
interest and personality simply from the
fact that in it's single room the poet
worked and lived; in it he wrote the poem
which will make his name familiar when
perhaps his other works and virtues are
forgotten and in it he finally died.
'Worthier pens have delineated the
life and character of William CASTOR. 1t
is the writer's chief intention to give 102
West Hargett street its due prominence
as the home of the Judge when in Raj
eigh and to relate two little incidents in
his history, from o family point of view.
'"rhe little office was built by the
writer's great grandfather, Col. James e.
Taylor, who used it for his law office.
After Col Taylor's death, Judge CASTOR
who was Mrs. Taylors guardian, lived
with the family and occupied the office.
The poem, as the reader has guessed,
is the "Old North State,' song familiar
and dear to every North Carolinian.
How CASTOR came to write it is repeated
here as it was told to the writer by his
great aunt, who first sang the song and
who is still alive now and still sings it.
"A company of Tyroleans gave a con-
cert at Metropolitan Hall in 1885 The
programme was made up entirely of
Tyrolese airs, among them that of the
'Old North State" which was sung by
four brothers and with which Miss
Louisa Taylor. then little girl of thir-
teen, was very much taken. She per-
sition in the State Executive Department,