Dorothea Dix Park unveils newly renovated historic 'Stone Houses'

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Raleigh city leaders said they paved a new path for Dorothea Dix Park and all of its visitors

Thanks to a $5 million gift from the State Employee Credit Union (SECU), over the last 16 months the city has been renovating three 100-year-old buildings.

The Superintendent's House, Physicians' House, and Gatekeeper's Cottage all held significance as the entry point for the then landmark mental health hospital.

Today the buildings serve as a new type of entryway with a welcome and visitors center, staff offices and conference space, and host space for artists.

Diana Barefoot and her family lived in one of the houses when her husband worked as a physician at the hospital.

ALSO SEE: Coach K Highway | Road to Duke University named after Mike Krzyzewski

"When we lived here it was really nice and then I came back about 10 years ago and it was just all crumbled," she said.

Friday's ribbon cutting was emotional for Barefoot.

"I'm absolutely thrilled that they renovated it and that they made it into something," she said.

Bill Ross, the Board Chair for the Dix Park Conservancy told ABC11 the renovation was a well thought out design.

"The place has such an important history in mental health, and now it has an important history in mental health in a different way, and we're trying to honor both the past and celebrate the future," Ross said.

Leaders said they hope this paves a new path but also keeps the community connected to the environment.

"Now we have a visitors center with maps. We've got the history of people whose lives crossed this land, be it Native American or the Plantation era... and just the people who worked on this is really special." President and CEO, of Dix Park Conservancy, Janet Cowell said.