WEB EXCLUSIVE If you’re missing the local culture with Raleigh museums closed due to the pandemic, here’s your chance to take some in—and to learn a little history in the meantime—from the comfort of your living room.
Built in 1858, the 6,000 square-foot Italianate-style home is a National and Historic Raleigh Landmark that’s seen several different owners and lots of changes over the centuries. Montfort Hall was originally commissioned for William Montfort Boylan, the son of the prominent Raleigh businessman and wealthy landowner William Boylan. The younger Boylan selected the British architect William Percival to design the home and Boylan owned it until 1899, when the mansion was sold and the land surrounding it was subdivided to form the Boylan Heights neighborhood.
In the meantime, the mansion has served as various residences and a church but was in a state of disrepair when the Shepherds, longtime Boylan Heights residents, bought it.
As you tune in to the program this evening, enjoy your drink of choice or try the Montfort Mango Lemonade, specially created by guest bartender Zenon Nunez for this event. Cocktail ingredients include vodka, lime juice, mango juice, lemonade and lemons and limes for garnish.
Learn how to make the Montfort Mango Lemonade here. To learn about the history, current state and future plans for Montfort Hall, register for the History + Highballs program, hosted over Zoom, here.
Five years ago, Raleigh’s hotel scene was limited to chains, with standard Hiltons, Marriotts and Comfort Inns leaving little to the imaginations of visitors passing through. Since then boutique hotels, cherished for their charm and intimacy, their unique atmospheres and local vibes, began popping up all over the Triangle. The Bull City led the way with Unscripted Hotel, 21c Museum Hotel and The Durham Hotel. But Raleigh wasn’t far behind; in 2018, Guest House opened downtown, with many more to follow, including the recently opened Longleaf Hotel replacing a Days Inn that had, well, seen better days. Here’s a look at the boutique hotels Raleigh has now, and the ones that are on the way.
The Longleaf Hotel
300 N. Dawson St. Number of rooms: 56 Price range: $149-$179
Loden Properties’ Longleaf Hotel embodies everything cool about a 1960s motor lodge—neon signs, bright color schemes and hip lounge areas—but with modern-day amenities and a trendy facelift by Maurer Architecture. Retro-inspired decor pays homage to Raleigh, showcasing local artisans. Layered pine needle wallpaper is an ode to the state tree, pillows are the color of North Carolina clay and local textile makers Rise & Ramble supplies shibori-dyed robes.
Origin Hotel
603 W. Morgan St. Number of rooms: 126 Price range: Starting at $150
A large hotel with a community-oriented feel, the Origin brand is known for embracing the hyper-local in ways that seamlessly blend into the existing fabrics of cities. Origin Raleigh—developed by the Mississippi-based Thrash Group—highlights the local culture with curated retail from DECO, locally made artwork, a DIY coffee connoisseur kit including Larry’s Coffee beans, in-room yoga and an onsite bike share program. The hotel restaurant, Good Day Good Night, will feature plant based dishes incorporating ingredients sourced from North Carolina farmers.
Guest House
420 S. Bloodworth Street Number of rooms: 8 Price range: $159-$259
Guest House is lauded for its cozy common areas, including a greenery-filled dining room, sanctuary breakfast nook and parlor adorned with plush couches, not to mention serene guest rooms decorated in calming color palettes and flooded with natural light. Lovingly restored by Matt Tomasulo and Nicole Alvarez, the historic house—which originally served as the home to Arthur Gorham, Raleigh’s first African American mailman, his wife Annie, and daughter Addie—was relocated six blocks from Raleigh’s Prince Hall Historic District to its current location.
The Gables Lodge
1217 Wake Forest Road Number of rooms: 19 Price range: To be announced Projected opening: To be announced
Singer Tift Merritt and Durham hotelier Daniel Robinson bought the Gables Motor Lodge last year with plans to renovate and restore it to its original use as a hotel. The existing buildings that date back to 1925 will be saved, with changes to the existing garage—which will become a small bar—and new additions to either side. The pavement will be replaced with a native Piedmont garden.
Photo by Jim Lamb
Heights House Hotel
308 S. Boylan Ave. Number of rooms: 9 Price range: To be announced Projected opening: Early 2021
Commissioned in 1858 by William Montfort Boylan, Montfort Hall—now known as Heights House Hotel—is one of only a few remaining pre-Civil War houses in the city and it is both a National and Raleigh Historic Landmark. The beautiful Italianate-style mansion has had several owners since the Boylan family’s time and currently is being restored by husband-and-wife team Jeff and Sarah Shepherd. The crown jewel of the historic Boylan Heights neighborhood, the inn will host community nights and special events to foster a sense of shared community.
