Century-old oasis of history survives amid rapid North Raleigh growth

Jack Norwood, 95, still lives on the stretch of land owned by his family in the early 1900s. Surrounded by major North Raleigh development, his large, antique farm is like a time capsule hidden amid the hustle and bustle of shopping centers with a Walmart Super Center, Red Lobster, Kanki and a Sonic Drive-in.

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But when asked how long he's lived in Raleigh, he'll answer: "I don't assume myself in Raleigh now."

A satellite view of this section of Raleigh shows a sea of gray concrete, strip malls and neighborhoods – encircling a mysterious island of green, where history has remained untouched.

Railroad tracks, so important to the history of the area, still cut through his farm, which was once used as a lumberyard, with a sawmill on the edge of the property.

"My father loaded the box cars with his lumber," says Norwood.

His father, and later Norwood and his three brothers, managed the sawmill and lumberyard.

"It was called Norwood Brothers," he says.

Norwood says the business took up around 5 acres on the north end of his property, which in total was roughly 50 acres at the time. The mill closed 50 years ago in 1972.

In several surrounding neighborhoods, some older homes in the $300,000 range have been torn down in order to build larger, newer homes valued closer to $800,000. Somehow, Norwood has kept his historic home safe all these years, even while living on such prime property.

"Well, I just haven't wanted to sell it," he says, smiling. However, he says he gets calls from people wanting to buy it "every day."

Instead of selling his home, Norwood has kept the swath of grassy farmland that holds so much history – not just for him, but for his church family as well.

"His wonderful wife Gloria was my Sunday School teacher for most of my time at Millbrook Baptist Church" says Dru McClelland Smith, who remembers visiting the Norwood farm for their Fall get-togethers under an enormous tree known as the 'Norwood Tree.'

"That class was her life," says Norwood.

She was so serious about teaching everything right that she attended university to study in the School of Divinity at Wake Forest University.

"Back when it was still in Wake Forest," says Norwood, laughing.

Millbrook Baptist Church was established in 1875. Prior to having a building, the congregation met in a 'brush arbor,' which stood close to where Harris Teeter stands today in the nearby North Ridge Shopping Center.

Many members of the church remember gatherings under the Norwood Tree, or walking through the colorful garden grown by Gloria Norwood.

"She grew rows and rows and rows of flowers, every kind you can imagine. She would cut bouquets every weekend and sell them for $1 a bouquet, and she'd give all the money to missions and to our church," says Smith. "People came from all over to buy her flowers."

Aside from holding a piece of historic land, Norwood's mind is also an oasis of the community's history.

He recalls much of the history of the church and surrounding Millbrook community – including important places long-gone or forgotten today.

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Norwood remembers attending school at Millbrook back when it was elementary through 9th grade. He recalls school picnics at the abandoned remnants of a dam that historians believe was the original 'Mill Brook,' that started the community.

He also remembers when a giant, stately brick home stood near the corner of Millbrook Road and Falls of the Neuse Road. It was the home of Reverend J. S. Farmer.

"He built a large brick home and had a small farm there," says Norwood. "He sold fruits and vegetables in the Raleigh markets. It was said he gave more money to the church than we paid him."

In the rapidly-growing city of Raleigh, it may be comforting to know there's still a place where history stands still – and a man who has lived here 95 years, who still remembers all of it, isn't planning on going anywhere any time soon.

If you grew up in Raleigh in the 1980s, you likely remember the bubblegum ice cream topped with rainbow heart-shaped sprinkles served up in a magical little ice cream shop covered in thousands of hearts: Hearts Delight.