Landmark Raleigh Hotel Contents On Auction Block

The southern charm of the Plantation Inn has been swallowed up by the development that now surrounds it. The hotel closed its doors December 31.

It has been the site of countless weddings and other special occasions over the past 60 years. Now hundreds of items are up for sale, including some that auctioneers did not think anyone would buy.

One of the odder items for sale: the groundcover known as monkey grass that surrounds Jacqueline's, the restaurant on the property.

The Plantation Inn became a victim of progress as the city grew up around it. I-540 and the Triangle Town Center mall are being built nearby. The owner, Bobby Murray, plans to tear down the inn and sell the land to a developer. But first, a lot of people with special memories of this place want a keepsake to take with them.

"That's why we came over today, to see if we could go in before the auction and look around and pick out a little something, a little souvenir or something," said Frances Tausch. She is a former guest at the hotel.

All the little souvenirs could bring the owners a pretty penny. It is hard to put a price on something with sentimental value.

"There are a lot of things that will bring values that are not necessarily retail or wholesale but are sentimental values," predicted auctioneer Bryan Blinson.

"Somebody may spend $250 for something you can buy any day of the week for five," he said.

When the bidding is over Wednesday, everyone will know just how much a piece of the Plantation Inn's history is worth.

The auction runs from Monday through Wednesday.