1.This will be the only house museum of an African American family in the state of North Carolina, and one of less than a dozen in the South. Since the 1850s private organizations (and governments to a lesser degree) have preserved and opened to the public thousands of house museums around the country. With only a few exceptions, these houses were saved because they were once the residence of someone famous (usually a prominent white man), or because the structure was interesting architecturally. In recent years there has been a concerted effort to be more inclusionary in public history by preserving and interpreting the lives of people across lines of race, gender, and socio-economic status, and the Pope House Museum will be an important contribution to that effort.

2. The period proposed for interpretation of the Pope family and their home, 1880-1920, is vitally important historically and woefully under-represented at museums, particularly in the South. Though African American history is rapidly becoming more prevalent at historic sites and museums, the periods interpreted are almost exclusively ante-bellum (slavery) or post-World War II (Civil Rights). The critical era between the end of Reconstruction and the First World War--which includes the rise of Jim Crow segregation and the loss of the right to vote by black men--is virtually ignored in public history and little understood by the general public. The Pope House, with its architectural integrity, original artifacts, and remarkable archives, is a unique record of life for a prosperous urban middle-class black family in the early twentieth century, and can help to shed light on this important period in American history.

3. The Pope family, their home, and the period of history represented can all be positive influences for today's society. This family was well-educated, prosperous, and maintained their dignity throughout the most difficult times. Through their story, people of all ages and races can be both informed and inspired. The past can have lessons for the present and the future, and the Pope Family and their home can represent a bridge of understanding across the racial divide that still plagues this country.

4. The proposed Pope House Museum Complex will also help to stabilize and revitalize the neighborhood in which it is located. After years of failed plans and proposals, the recent economic boom has finally brought growth and prosperity back to downtown Raleigh. However, parts of southeast Raleigh continue to struggle, and are vulnerable to extinction through gentrification. Surrounded now by parking lots and skyscrapers, the Pope House is all that remains of an important turn-of-the-century residential district. Through the creation of a well-developed complex on the 500 block of South Wilmington Street, the Pope House Museum will help to anchor the area and retain at least a little of the historic residential scale.