Mordecai House
On Tuesday, Raleigh City Council officially dissolved the Mordecai Historic Park Advisory Board and created a new board called the Historic Resources and Museum Advisory Board. I served on the Mordecai board (MHPAB) as the Parks board liaison for over three years, or half of the Mordecai board’s existence. The last year I served as vice-chair.
The abrupt dissolution of the board hits a little hard. The Mordecai house has stood longer that any other home in Raleigh. It has seen people come and go. Still, the boardmembers with which I served were all extraordinarily passionate about the Mordecai house and to promoting its mission. I will miss that cozy association.
That said, I welcome the new board’s focus. I’m excited about the expansion of Raleigh’s historical resources. Too often in the past, Raleigh landmarks were left to wither and die. I’m so pleased that our city is taking a proactive approach to protecting these resources. This new organization is in the very capable hands of Troy Burton, who has done a fine job with Mordecai.
As with Mordecai, the Parks board has been granted a liaison position on the new board. Thus, there’s a possibility I can continue to play a role with not only Mordecai but with the city’s expanded resources as well. I may feel a bit guilty serving as the liaison again. If the other Parks board members knew how much fun it was they’d be clamoring to do it, too!