GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 644

Short Title:  Restore the Name of Halifax Street.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Hardaway; Wilkins and Crawford.

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Referred to:  State Government.

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March 27, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO RESTORE THE NAME OF HALIFAX STREET TO A STATE GOVERNMENT MALL THAT OCCUPIES ITS FORMER ROUTE.
Whereas, by 1744, several promising communities in North Carolina were vying for the honor of being named North Carolina's Capital City;
Whereas, in the absence of a Capital City, the General Assembly moved its meeting place from town to town and often not enough members or adequate records arrived in time at the meeting place to transact business; and
Whereas, as a result, the Convention of 1788, meeting in Hillsborough, decided that a Capital City must be selected; and
Whereas, in 1791, the decision was made to locate the Capital "within ten miles of the plantation whereon Isaac Hunter now resides, in the county of Wake"; and
Whereas, nine Commissioners were chosen to select the exact site of the capital; and
Whereas, the Commissioners planned a city with six acres in the center called Union Square, which would be the site of the future State House; and
Whereas, in deference to four cities that were not chosen as the new capital, the Commissioners situated four streets to originate at Union Square and to point toward those cities – Halifax to the north, Fayetteville to the south, Hillsborough to the west, and New Bern to the east; and
Whereas, the streets named for Hillsborough and New Bern still serve as major streets in Raleigh; and
Whereas, the street named for Fayetteville is now mostly comprised of a mall bearing its name – the Fayetteville Street Mall; and
Whereas, the street named for Halifax is now mostly comprised of the Bicentennial Mall and the State Government Mall; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The State Government Mall is hereby renamed the Halifax Street Mall.
Section 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.