David Weaver made Raleigh swing in the 1930s and 1940s. Weaver managed the dance hall in the Masonic Temple at 427 S. Blount Street; he ran a soda shop, billiard hall, beer garden, and a social club there, too. Weaver was also the local booking agent of the New York-based Gale Agency, which had connections to Harlem's famed Savoy Ballroom. Through the agency, Weaver brought jazz greats like Count Basie and Duke Ellington to Raleigh. Weaver, a musician himself, and his wife Ernestine built their house in Idlewild in 1922; it is a conservative blend of Queen Anne and Craftsman styles. Private residence.

Photo by Michael Zirkle Photography

 

This entry is about Historic Resources in Raleigh. Initial information provided by the Raleigh Historic Development Commission. You can find more entries about Raleigh's historic resources here.