Raleigh - 1891 I am really enjoying this very quaint view of Fayetteville Street in 1891 that I found at NCPedia. The Mahler building features prominently, exactly center in the photo. It looks like Henry Mahler, an immigrant from Prussia, made quite the name and place for himself in Raleigh as a jeweler and engraver. The NCPedia article on him is filled with detail. If you are researching Henry Mahler or his descendants, you will want to check it out.   I believe the two brick buildings in this photo still stand and the two story wooden J. C. S. Lumsden & Sons building was replaced after 1896 with a 3 story brick building.   See the Google street view here. Notice  the arch window features on the middle brick building are a perfect match for the H. Mahler building.   Modern day Mahler building.   The building at the extreme right of this photo is now a UNC Health Care facility. The molding trim at the top and window trim make a s...

 Caution: Extreme Nostalgia Ahead! Do you remember the Fayeteville Street Christmas lights (before the acorns or snowflakes), a nighttime downtown Christmas parade, Happyland or Cross Family Lights? No matter which of these traditions strike a nostalgic chord in you soul, you will find all these and more in this Wake County Christmas time collection of remembrances from various sources.  A Ghost of Christmas Past - the late Karl Larrson shares his memories of downtown Raleigh at Christmas. source Then and now: Scenes of Raleigh at Christmas since the 1930s  by Heather Leah of WRAL. Enjoy this nostalgic look at Fayetteville Street as the hub of holiday cheer from the 1930s forward. I love the many wonderful retro photos from the State Archives of NC. It is my hope that your memories spark the urge to tell the stories to your younger kin creating new family traditions and a hunger for more family stories. Keep the stories flowing and Christmas memories alive.  Visit W...