Lost parks: What happened to Raleigh's five original squares?
Most Raleighites are familiar with Moore Square – whether you've attended a festival or just walked through the grassy walkways on a weekend. Many have also walked through Nash Square, which once held an enormous WIllow Oak that had stood its ground for roughly a century. Union Square holds the North Carolina State Capitol.
But have you ever visited Burke Square? Or Caswell Square?
The original plans for Raleigh, drawn up by surveyor William Christmas in 1792, show five public squares spaced out among the grid pattern of downtown Raleigh.
The squares were named after prominent state officials and became the centers of Raleigh’s early residential neighborhoods, according to research shared by the Raleigh Historic Development Commission.
You can see three of the remaining squares, well-defined by their grassy borders amid the asphalt of downtown, each standing only a few blocks from one another. But what happened to the other two?
Over the centuries, that original map has changed a lot. Raleigh has lost historic buildings, but many are not aware of the green spaces and public parks – once part of our city's history – that have been eroded by time and development.
What were Raleigh's five original squares?
Here are the original squares laid out in Raleigh's original plans.
Moore Square
Most locals are familiar with Moore Square. Throughout Raleigh's history, the square has served as a gathering place or public common. In the 1800s, the area surrounding Moore Square was residential, allowing citizens to live around an open green space that they could enjoy.
In the early 1800s, several churches used Moore Square as a gathering space for worship. For a time, the Square earned the nickname 'Baptist Grove,' and a church sat along the north end of the Square near Hargett Street.
Along with religious gatherings, the Square would have also been used for political purposes. In 1840, William Henry Harrison brought his famous 'TIppecanoe + Tyler, too!' to Moore Square, featuring a parade of 'cabins on wheels.'
In more recent time, Moore Square held the iconic Giant Acorn the city drops on New Year's Eve. Today, it holds a central lawn and plaza and serves as a major gathering space for downtown festivals.
Nash Square
Before the modern upgrades to Moore Square, it was similar to Nash Square: Wide-open green space with walkways criss-crossing the grassy areas.
Nash Square was once known for a beloved, century-old Willow Oak with huge, gnarled roots forming almost a 'chair' beneath the three. At one point, it also held a statue of Josephus Daniels, who faced the News & Observer across McDowell Street.
From its earliest days, Nash Square served as an urban oasis for downtown residents. Locals would use the park for walking, flying kites or hosting sporting events like baseball. Many local groups also used the lawn for fundraising events or even open-air concerts.
Today, the Square's central draw is the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial, which stands in honor of those who have lost their lives.
Union Square
Union Square is most commonly known as the location of the State Capitol. Today, the walkways looping the Square create the shape of a 'Dogwood,' our state flower, from above. The Square also hosts monuments to governors, presidents and other memorials.
The Square has seen its share of painful history, protests and politics, including the destruction of the first capitol, which burned down in 1831. The new Capitol Building was built by 1840 using enslaved labor.
In 2020, protesters tore down a Confederate monument on Union Square.
What happened to Burke and Caswell Square?
The original plans for the City of Raleigh show five grassy, public squares. However, if you do a Google Maps search for Caswell Square or Burke Square today, you might come up empty-handed.
Today, Caswell Square sits just north of Union Square, but is barely recognizable from its former life. You've likely driven past it, never realizing it once bore any resemblance to Moore or Nash Square. The land was eventually conscripted for state buildings, and today holds the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, North Carolina Vital Records and several other brick buildings.
In 2016, some of the buildings on the Square were vacant and dilapidated, and there was discussion of selling Caswell Square, one of Raleigh's original five public commons, to be used in private enterprise. Historic preservationists rose up against this idea, demanding the city protect its heritage.
Just across the way from Caswell Square is Burke Square, which has also been conscripted for government use. Today, Burke Square is more commonly known as the Governor's Mansion. The estate was built on Burke Square in 1883.
