National Register Listings in
Wake County, North Carolina

Adams-Edwards House Agriculture Building Andrews-Duncan House Apex City Hall Apex Historic District Apex Historic District (Boundary Increase II) Apex Historic District (Boundary Increase) Apex Historic District (Boundary Increase) Apex Union Depot Arndt, G. Dewey and Elma, House Avera, Dr. Thomas H., House Bailey-Estes House Barbee, George and Neva, House Battery Heights Historic District Beaver Dam Ben-Wiley Hotel Blalock, Dr. Nathan M., House Bloomsbury Historic District Boylan Apartments Boylan Heights Briggs Hardware Building Bunn, Bennett, Plantation Cameron Park Cameron Village Historic District Cannady-Brogden Farm Capehart House Capital Club Building Capitol Area Historic District Capitol Heights Historic District Caraleigh Mills Carolina Coach Garage and Shop Carolina Power and Light Company Car Barn and Automobile Garage Carpenter Historic District Cary Historic District Chavis, John, Memorial Park Christ Church Christ Episcopal Church City Cemetery Crabtree Creek Recreational Demonstration Area Curtis, William A., House Daniels, Josephus, House Davis-Adcock Store Depot Historic District Dix Hill Dodd-Hinsdale House Downtown Garner Historic District Downtown Wake Forest Historic District DuBois, W. E. B., School East Raleigh-South Park Historic District Edenwood Elmwood Estey Hall Fadum House Falls of the Neuse Manufacturing Company Fayetteville Street Historic District Federal Building Forestville Baptist Church Free Church of the Good Shepherd Fuquay Mineral Spring Fuquay Springs High School Fuquay Springs Historic District Fuquay Springs Historic District (Boundary Increase) Fuquay Springs Teacherage Fuquay-Varina Woman's Club Clubhouse Glen Royall Mill Village Historic District Glenwood Glenwood-Brooklyn Historic District (Boundary Increase and Decrease) Graves, Willis M., House Green Level Historic District Green, Herman, House Green-Hartsfield House Grosvenor Gardens Apartments Hall, Rev. Plummer T., House Harmony Plantation Harris, Harwell Hamilton and Jean Bangs, House and Office Hawkins-Hartness House Hayes Barton Historic District Haywood Hall Haywood, Dr. Hubert Benbury and Marguerite Manor, House (Additional Documentation) Haywood, Richard B., House Heartsfield-Perry Farm Heck-Andrews House Heck-Lee, Heck-Wynne, and Heck-Pool Houses Henderson, Isabelle Bowen, House and Gardens Hi-Mount Historic District Holleman, Samuel Bartley, House Holly Springs Masonic Lodge Hood-Anderson Farm Ivey, Rufus J., House Ivey-Ellington House J. S. Dorton Arena Johnson, J. Beale, House Johnson, Kemp B., House Jones Jr., Nathaniel, House Jones, Alpheus, House Jones, Dr. Calvin, House Jones, Nancy, House Jones-Johnson-Ballentine Historic District Kamphoefner, Henry L., House Knight, Henry H. and Bettie S., Farm Lane, Joel, House Lane-Bennett House Latta, Rev. M.L., House Lawrence, Calvin Wray, House Lawrence, Dr. Elmo N., House Lea Laboratory Leslie-Alford-Mims House Lewis-Smith House Longview Gardens Historic District (Additional Documentation) Lumsden-Boone Building Madonna Acres Historic District Mahler and Carolina Trust Buildings Maiden Lane Historic District Mangum, James, House Marshall-Harris-Richardson House Mary Elizabeth Hospital Masonic Temple Building Masonic Temple Building Matsumoto House Meadowbrook Country Club Merrimon-Wynne House Midway Plantation House and Outbuildings Montford Hall Moore Square Historic District Mordecai House Mordecai Place Historic District Mordecai Place Historic District (Boundary Increase) Morrisville Christian Church Mount Hope Cemetery New Hill Historic District Norburn Terrace North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Cottage North Carolina Executive Mansion North Carolina School for the Blind and Deaf Dormitory North Carolina State Capitol North Carolina State Fair Commercial & Education Buildings O'Kelly, Berry, Historic District Oak Grove Cemetery Oak View Oakforest Oakwood Historic District Oakwood Historic District (Boundary Increase II) Oakwood Historic District (Boundary Increase III) Oakwood Historic District (Boundary Increase) Oaky Grove Oberlin Cemetery Occidental Life Insurance Company Building Odd Fellows Building Page, Williamson, House Page-Walker Hotel Panther Branch School Paschal House Peace College Main Building Penny, Jesse, House and Outbuildings Perry Farm Pilot Mill Pine Hall Pine Street Creamery, (Former) Polk, Leonidas L., House Poole, Wayland E., House Pope, Dr. M.T., House Powell House Professional Building Pugh House Pullen Park Carousel Purefoy-Chappell House and Outbuildings Purefoy-Dunn Plantation Purefoy-Dunn Plantation (Boundary Decrease) Raleigh Banking and Trust Company Building Raleigh Bonded Warehouse Raleigh Electric Company Power House Raleigh National Cemetery Raleigh Water Tower Raleigh Water Works and E.B. Bain Water Treatment Plant Raleigh, Sir Walter, Hotel Riley Hill School Ritcher House Roanoke Park Historic District Rochester Heights Historic District Rock Cliff Farm Rogers-Bagley-Daniels-Pegues House Rogers-Whitaker-Haywood House Rothstein, Mae and Philip, House Royal Baking Company Royall Cotton Mill Commissary Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Company Office Building Small House Small, G. Milton, and Associates, Office Building Smith, Frank and Mary, House Smith, Turner and Amelia, House South Brick House Spring Hill St. Ambrose Episcopal Church St. Augustine's College Campus St. Mary's Chapel St. Mary's College St. Matthews School St. Paul A.M.E. Church State Bank of North Carolina Stevens, Wayland H. and Mamie Burt, House Sunnyside Thompson House Tucker Carriage House Tucker, Garland Scott and Toler Moore, House Turner, John T. and Mary, House Utley-Council House Vanguard Park Historic District Varina Commercial Historic District Wachovia Building Company Contemporary Ranch House Wake Forest Historic District Wakefield Dairy Complex Wakefields Wakelon School Walnut Hill Cotton Gin Walnut Hill Historic District Washington Graded and High School Welles, Paul and Ellen, House Wendell Boulevard Historic District Wendell Commercial Historic District West Raleigh Historic District White-Holman House Wyatt, Leonidas R., House Yates Mill Young, Dr. Lawrence Branch, House
The Wright Brothers, credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane, made their first successful flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903.
Wake County, located in the heart of North Carolina, has a rich and diverse history that dates back thousands of years. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Tuscarora and the Saponi. European settlers arrived in the 1700s, primarily from England, Scotland, and Ireland, and established small farming communities.

In 1771, Wake County was officially formed and named after Margaret Wake, the wife of colonial governor William Tryon. The county quickly grew and prospered as a result of its fertile land and prime location along major transportation routes, including the Neuse and Cape Fear rivers. The city of Raleigh became the county seat and capital of North Carolina in 1792, further solidifying Wake County's importance.

During the Civil War, Wake County experienced considerable turmoil as it was located between Union and Confederate forces. Many residents enlisted in both armies, and the county saw its fair share of battles and skirmishes. After the war, Wake County underwent a period of reconstruction, with the economy centered around agriculture, specifically crops such as cotton and tobacco.

As the 20th century progressed, Wake County saw significant growth and development. The establishment of institutions like North Carolina State University and Research Triangle Park helped to attract a diverse population and fostered economic expansion. Today, Wake County is known for its thriving technology, healthcare, and education sectors, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States.

Overall, Wake County has transformed from a rural farming community into a vibrant and dynamic area that combines a deep sense of history with modern progress and innovation. The county's past acts as a foundation for its present achievements, while its forward-thinking mindset ensures a promising future for its residents and visitors.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Wake County, North Carolina.

  • 1771 - Wake County is established on March 12
  • 1785 - The county seat is moved to Raleigh
  • 1832 - The North Carolina State Capitol building is completed in Raleigh
  • 1865 - During the American Civil War, Union troops occupy Raleigh
  • 1887 - North Carolina State University is founded in Raleigh
  • 1924 - Wake County's population exceeds 100,000
  • 1959 - Research Triangle Park is established between Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill
  • 1979 - Raleigh becomes the state capital of North Carolina
  • 2000 - Wake County's population surpasses 650,000