Thousands of journal notes, poems, and pictures have been captured in Sheila Ogle’s Pink House Post Journal. “We are truly in awe of the amazing outpouring of heartfelt messages from friends as young as seven and up to 97-years-old who live down the street and from across the world. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your love, your prayers, and ideas!” Sheila
It’s been a year since we celebrated the opening of the Cary Pink House Post, a mailbox with a journal for friends to write a note of inspiration, a memory, a poem, a wish for the future or whatever would be honoring of our community.
The response to writing in the journals was slow at first, but since about September, your outpouring has filled three journals! Here’s just a sampling of the messages that range from love for the beautiful Cary Pink House to prayers for passing a math test:
The Pink House is a memory that is loved, admired, and treasured by so many! Thank you for sharing it for so many causes, as well as super special gathering place for friends! Dru and Bill Smith
The Pink House, so tall and slender, filled with the wishes, the dreams of those who came before. The stained glass sparking from the early spring. The chimney once warm and full of life, now cold and empty waiting for someone to come. The Pink House, the hopes and dreams, a child’s cry, a mother’s prayers. The Pink House, a wish waiting to come true – the CA
The Haughn family visiting from Indianapolis. Our local family took us to see the lights in downtown Cary. The Pink House was our favorite! Sabrina, David and Henry
A little house
A little love
A few good friends
A happy child
A simple life well-lived
-Michelle
I feel sad and things have been hard lately. I want things to get better. I hope things well be okay. I feel really bad and it has affected my relationships. I’ll try to keep trying to fix things. Wish me luck – anonymous
We saw this walking and loved the sign, “Curious? Open me!” Thanks for making our evening! Catie and Derrick
I hope to write a story the whole world would want to read. And I hope I never lose single one of my friends. I hope that every wish written and every desire hidden comes true – anonymous
I want to travel the world with my daughter and my husband and spend long lazy summers exploring Italy and all of Europe. Eating delicious food, listening to church bells, sleeping peacefully each night – anonymous
During times like these, there never is a time spent wondering how to create new memories. After living in Cary for almost 22 years now, I love the little ways such as these to stay interconnected in a now not so small town. Here’s to growth and love! Happy New Year – Naneshea
Happy to visit from Miami! Blessed to celebrate 29 years with Rick, Lauren, and Kiki – Nikki B
I hope that I can pass my next math test, and so can my friends – anonymous
We are so blessed to be able to live in Cary. It feels like a real community with all of the little things that connect us. This post is just another think that warms me when I see it. The pop-up installations are so fun also! KD & Bob
Walking down the street, cold crisp December night looking at the pretty lights. So much has changed in downtown Cary, but the Pink House still stands beautifully! Happy New Year and all the best for 2023 – anonymous
We love this sweet Pink House and we love cookies from the Blue Moon Bakery! Chris, Gus and Julian
I feel okay now. It makes me glad. I’m happy today. I’m spending time with the guy I love and we are having a good time. It’s nice. I hope you have a nice evening as well – anonymous
Thank you Pink House owner for putting out this cool book for Cary to share memories! Anonymous
I am really sad today and I hope things get better. Pray for me…
Things will get better even though it feels like the word is ending right now. It will get better – you will see.
UPDATE – Things have improved and my friends are being supportive. Thank you Andie, Logan and my brother for being here during this hard time. You mean a lot to me 😊
Love this beautiful Victoria treasure! Enjoying the beautiful sunny weather today in Cary! Anonymous
Thank you for being here for us!
Always be true to yourself. Love and accept yourself for who you are. Show kindness, love, and empathy towards others – always.
Make Amends
Laugh often
Be open to the signs and in life generally.
Explore nature.
Eat GOOD food – drink well.
Trust in the universe.
Enjoy the ride
XO Alyssa A. DeRita
4:44 p.m. April 2, 2023 In loving memory Nancy W. Tobin AKA Mom. I love you and I miss you
This house is beautiful! We have been to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox! Thank you for the Pink Post! Stephanie
See God in all things big and small and in-between. Remember when I forget. Remind when others have forgotten. Trust. In a gentle way you can shade the world – Hope
My dream is to have a farmhouse on a few acres in the country with a beautiful view. It will have a huge front porch with a swing and rocking chairs. I hope that my children and their families will visit frequently and we can laugh and make beautiful memories. I desire to travel to beautiful places all over the world with my soul mate – Lisa Weeks
Be a lighthouse for others in a world of oceans! Share light and reflect others back to them – Maya, Nicole and Vishal
You did not wake up today to be mediocre – S
About the Pink House Post
The Pink House Post is self-service with community friends able to open the box for the journal they can write in or leave a note for the Pink House. We are sharing some of the notes and journal entries left in our Pink House Post on our Facebook and Instagram pages. The captured messages may be published in a book.
The inspiration for the Cary Pink House mailbox comes from “Every Breath” by Nicholas Sparks that tells the story about the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunset Beach.
About the Cary Pink House
The historic Guess-White-Ogle House is located in downtown Cary, NC at 215 S. Academy Street. The home was built in 1830, on the national historical registry and received an Anthemion Award for its restoration in 2002.
Although known locally as the Cary Pink House, this home has had many owners throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1880, railroad “roadmaster” Captain Harrison P. Guess and his wife, Aurelia, purchased the land to build the original home from Allison Francis “Frank” Page, Cary’s founder and local businessman.
John White, a local Baptist minister, bought the house from the Guess’ in 1896 and substantially remodeled and expanded it. He transformed the house into a Queen Anne structure by adding a three-story tower to the façade, a front bay window and much decorative woodwork.
Carroll and Sheila Ogle bought the property in 1997 and renovated it, adding onto the house, building the outside steps and repainting the exterior.
In 2019, Sheila Ogle published “The Pink House” to not only tell the story of the renovation but also her memories of living there with her late husband Carroll.
“The book is a little bit about Cary history, but very personal and talks about the process of renovating the house,” Ogle said.
When Ogle writes about her experiences and memories, the Guess-White-Ogle House becomes a character on its own, as “The Pink House” describes in third person how the house felt when Sheila and Carroll first came there and how it felt during events such as Thanksgiving parties.
“I based her on my personality. She speaks and she tells stories,” Ogle said. “The words just came through the house and feels as if you are talking together.”
Copies of “The Pink House” are available at Ashworth Drugs and Quail Ridge Books for $20.
The Cary Pink House is Ogle’s personal home and not open to the public.
FRS Communications 