Correspondence

I recently wrote an email to a NC Historian:
Mr. Anthony,

I am descendent of Seymour Webster Whiting who lived the majority of his life and raised his family in Raleigh, NC. I found your information after a simple Google search of his name. It shows that you authored an article “Seymour Webster Whiting,” in Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, Vol.6, edited by William S. Powell, 188-189. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1996.  I currently live in Raleigh and visited his plot in historic Oakwood cemetery today. I am writing to find out if you might have run across any information about where the Whiting family home would have been in Raleigh. I have a detailed document written by Seymour Webster Whiting's son (my great- great grandfather) about his memories of the Confederate and Union soldiers walking past the family home during the Civil War. I would love to be able to find any information that would point to the home's location. I would appreciate any information that you can give or point me in the right direction. 

Thank you for your time and consideration,

 

This was his response:

Ms. McLarty,

                I regret that I was not able to identify the location  of Mr. Whiting’s home in Raleigh when I wrote the brief entry on him in The Dictionary of North Carolina Biography.  He clearly was a respected and accomplished individual.

                I recall that are a few records from the settlement of his estate at the North Carolina State Archives (107 East Jones Street in Raleigh).  You might want to look at them to see if they contain any information on his residence.  You’ll want to look in the Wake County Estates Records.

                You may also want to ask the folks at the State Archives and/or the Olivia Raney Local History Library (4016 Carya Drive, Raleigh / 919-250-1196) about using deed records.  If you find a deed entry for him (via Indexes) you may be able to trace the ownership forward from his time to the present and determine the location that way.               Good luck with your research.

Robert Anthony,  Curator

North Carolina Collection,

   & Director, North Carolina

Digital Heritage Center

Wilson Library, CB 3930

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514-8890

Telephone: (919) 962-1172

Fax: 919 962 4452

Email: robert_anthony@unc.edu

NCC website: http://www.lib.nc.edu/ncc/

NCDHC website: 

Am so thankful for the direction that he gave.