The History of the Triangle

[Raleighmark]

A little googling indicates the Heron mine (I'm assuming this is the one on Leadmine Rd.) produced 20,000 lbs. of graphite in 1887.

[bikwillie]

Longtime lurker, first post! Yes, Lake Boone was there where Lake Boone Trail is. The lake was drained and now there are homes built in it. When I was in college I worked construction during the summers, including some of those homes in the former lake bed. Sometimes when we get a lot of rain fast (ie hurricanes) it fills up some again.

[avery]

Longtime lurker, first post! Yes, Lake Boone was there where Lake Boone Trail is. The lake was drained and now there are homes built in it. When I was in college I worked construction during the summers, including some of those homes in the former lake bed. Sometimes when we get a lot of rain fast (ie hurricanes) it fills up some again.

Thanks for making a first time post. That is really cool. Thanks for the insight.

[Jones_]

Longtime lurker, first post! Yes, Lake Boone was there where Lake Boone Trail is. The lake was drained and now there are homes built in it. When I was in college I worked construction during the summers, including some of those homes in the former lake bed. Sometimes when we get a lot of rain fast (ie hurricanes) it fills up some again.

I am pretty sure Lake Boone was a millpond, the 1871 map I have seems to reflect this. There were hundreds of mills in Wake County of various size. One was at the Lake Boone dam where the current road (Canterbury I think) crosses in front of the homes you mentioned before climbing up the hill towards Fairview, a second was near the Exxon on Glenwood by Oberlin Road and a third was on the other side of Glenwood on the Golf Course property and of course farther along on Crabtree Creek itself was what is now called Lassiter Mill dam. Along Oxford Road near five points the brick remains of one of the smaller mills is clearly seen from the road near a wooden pedestrian bridge over the creek. It is small, about half the size of a car and its millpond was maybe 4 feet deep when it was in use.

[Raleighsfinest]

This is interesting.

[bikwillie]

Wow. I am impressed Jones133. You have more useless historical knowledge about Raleigh than I do. This is awesome. I want to keep this thread alive. Please post any factoids or useless knowledge about Raleigh and the triangle here.

Keep em coming!

[Eastwestrob]

Wow. I am impressed Jones133. You have more useless historical knowledge about Raleigh than I do. This is awesome. I want to keep this thread alive. Please post any factoids or useless knowledge about Raleigh and the triangle here.

Keep em coming!

Don't have anymore factoids ...just wanted to welcome you

[bikwillie]

^ thank you sir.

I'll post one just to see if it gets other stuff rolling. A lot of folks on this board may already know this, and if it is repetitive, I am sorry.

If anyone besides me thought The Century Post Office building on the corner of Fayetteville and Martin Streets (right across the mall from the RBC site) bore an uncanny resemblance to the Old Executive Building in Washington, DC- that's bec it does. The CPO was designed by Alfred Mullet (huh-huh), the same architect of the OEB. That was probably Mullets' best known design, and they share many similar elements.

On a side note, GSA has been looking to unload the CPO. It was in pretty extreme disrepair and a couple of years ago they had shown it to some potential buyers. Then they had gotten a Save America's Treasures Grant and done some work. I don't know if they are still planning on trying to sell it in the near future though. It doesn't have a lot of tenants besides the bankruptcy court and the post office, and it is very expensive to maintain...

[Jones_]

^ thank you sir.

I'll post one just to see if it gets other stuff rolling. A lot of folks on this board may already know this, and if it is repetitive, I am sorry.

If anyone besides me thought The Century Post Office building on the corner of Fayetteville and Martin Streets (right across the mall from the RBC site) bore an uncanny resemblance to the Old Executive Building in Washington, DC- that's bec it does. The CPO was designed by Alfred Mullet (huh-huh), the same architect of the OEB. That was probably Mullets' best known design, and they share many similar elements.

On a side note, GSA has been looking to unload the CPO. It was in pretty extreme disrepair and a couple of years ago they had shown it to some potential buyers. Then they had gotten a Save America's Treasures Grant and done some work. I don't know if they are still planning on trying to sell it in the near future though. It doesn't have a lot of tenants besides the bankruptcy court and the post office, and it is very expensive to maintain...

Ah yes, I had known CPO's architect had designed stuff in D.C. but did not know his name or what other buildings he designed.

ok....hmm, you may have me beat....architects and architecture is a weak point for me...but....while the Masonic Lodge (Alexander Building) is lauded as the first concrete and steel building erected in Raleigh, the first in Wake County was the Catholic Orphanage in the Nazareth community. It sat almost exactly where Cetennial Parkway intersects with Nazareth today...when originally constructed it sat along the dirt road known as Avent Ford (Avent Ferry) Road. Avent Ferry has since been relocated and a abandoned portion of old Avent Ford lies between Dorothea Dix and the Catholic property. You could probably take a metal detector out there and find all kinds of crazy stuff. Casual employees of Dix have many civil war relics but since Dix was originally a colonial plantation it likely would yield artifacts from that era as well.

[urbanesq]

^^ Dueling historians!

You guys rock; thanks for sharing those tidbits.

[ncwebguy]

I don't know if this is "common knoweledge" or not, but I'm pretty sure Jesse Helms kept his "local office" in the Centry Post Office when he was a senator. This lead to the occasional protest on Fayetville Street mall.

It would be nice to see it saved/rennovated, maybe as a movie theater/playhouse? When I was working nearby, the steps just *beg* for "hanging out on" but were already claimed by people who had no particular place to be. How much use does it see as a post office, with the New Bern/Person facility a few blocks away? I used to buy stamps there, but there was rarely a line.

[bikwillie]

ok....hmm, you may have me beat....architects and architecture is a weak point for me...

Me too. I wouldn't have known that were it not for some inside knowledge

the first in Wake County was the Catholic Orphanage in the Nazareth community. It sat almost exactly where Cetennial Parkway intersects with Nazareth today...when originally constructed it sat along the dirt road known as Avent Ford (Avent Ferry) Road. Avent Ferry has since been relocated and a abandoned portion of old Avent Ford lies between Dorothea Dix and the Catholic property.

My grandfather was an orphan there. Didn't know about Avent Ford though...

I don't know if this is "common knoweledge" or not, but I'm pretty sure Jesse Helms kept his "local office" in the Centry Post Office when he was a senator. This lead to the occasional protest on Fayetville Street mall.

Senator Helms had his Raleigh office there until 1999. A few months after Senator Edwards opened his office down the hall, Helms staff moved to the Terry Sanford building on New Bern and Dole's office has remained there. Senator Burr decided to not have a Raleigh office, and now there isn't a congressional office there. To my knowledge, OSHA and DOL have moved out as well, leaving the third and fourth floors vacant.

while the Masonic Lodge (Alexander Building) is lauded as the first concrete and steel building erected in Raleigh

Speaking of Masonic lodges, I'll leave you with this one. The former Josephus Daniels home, which is now the Masonic Temple off of Glenwood, has a captured German Naval gun mounted on the front lawn. It was presented to Daniels as a gift from the Navy after WWI. (Daniels was Woodrow Wilson's Sec of the Navy.) Now I don't know if this part is urban legend or not, bc I have not authenticated- But I've been told that rules at the time prohibited captured enemy guns from being displayed anywhere but at naval installations. So, Congress passed a bill making the Daniels' residence a naval base.

[avery]

Speaking of Masonic lodges, I'll leave you with this one. The former Josephus Daniels home, which is now the Masonic Temple off of Glenwood, has a captured German Naval gun mounted on the front lawn. It was presented to Daniels as a gift from the Navy after WWI. (Daniels was Woodrow Wilson's Sec of the Navy.) Now I don't know if this part is urban legend or not, bc I have not authenticated- But I've been told that rules at the time prohibited captured enemy guns from being displayed anywhere but at naval installations. So, Congress passed a bill making the Daniels' residence a naval base.

Very interesting. Didn't this site get looked at for redevelopment earlier this year? I thought I read something on this, but I may be mistaken. It is a great looking building.

[Jones_]

Speaking of Masonic lodges, I'll leave you with this one. The former Josephus Daniels home, which is now the Masonic Temple off of Glenwood, has a captured German Naval gun mounted on the front lawn. It was presented to Daniels as a gift from the Navy after WWI. (Daniels was Woodrow Wilson's Sec of the Navy.) Now I don't know if this part is urban legend or not, bc I have not authenticated- But I've been told that rules at the time prohibited captured enemy guns from being displayed anywhere but at naval installations. So, Congress passed a bill making the Daniels' residence a naval base.

Avery, I believe there is a proposal to develop around the Daniels mansion.

Bikwillie, your story sounds familiar...again I did not know nearly enough details to be able to tell it myself though...thanks for info...albeit unauthenticated.

Ok, I will share some sleuthing I did....on a side note, finding the exact locations of no longer existing buildings is a hobby of mine although I am rarely successful.....one hunt I am on now includes this background....the City of Raleigh fire department website has the history of almost every fire that ever occured in Raleigh. In 1892 fire burned down a fertilizer (phosphorus) factory off Lake Wheeler Road near Walnut Creek. I live in Caraleigh Mills which was built in 1892...we are next to Walnut Creek off Lake Wheeler too, but according to a copy of an architectural survey I have from 1977 one row of brick duplexes in the mill village dates to 1880, predating the existing mill by 12 years. I conclude that Caraleigh Mills sits on the site of the burned fertilizer factory but have yet to locate any physical proof. It would have been a huge brick (and probably very interesting) structure, the burned out materials would not have been reused in the Mill so I am expecting to find the old factory to be lying in a heap nearby. Next to the RR tracks that cross Maywood Ave is one such huge mound of something that was recently graded for a new building, a look at the surrounding topography suggests that this mound is indeed artificial. If anyone is every in archives and stumbles accross a a picture of this I would love a copy.

[pack-man]

when originally constructed it sat along the dirt road known as Avent Ford (Avent Ferry) Road. Avent Ferry has since been relocated and a abandoned portion of old Avent Ford lies between Dorothea Dix and the Catholic property. You could probably take a metal detector out there and find all kinds of crazy stuff. Casual employees of Dix have many civil war relics but since Dix was originally a colonial plantation it likely would yield artifacts from that era as well.

I ride my bike up that old road all the time to get to Centennial Campus. It is a long straght uphill road with power lines along it. I always thought that it was an old CP&L service road. Its great to learn all these old things.

My own story, while they were burying the power lines on Hillsborough Street between St. Mary's and Glenwood I watched the workers cutting wood and what looked to be an old railroad track. I did a little searching and realized that it was the old street car line that use to run along Hillsborough St. I guess they just repave over and over. I say we dig it out and use it!!! How cool would that be, a street tram from the Capital to NCSU. The tracks are already there, could be cheap. TTA, any thoughts, could be a great first mass transit scheme

[willrusso]

......I live in Caraleigh Mills which was built in 1892......

Wow, hello neighbor. I live around the corner from you in that newish apartment complex at Lake Wheeler and the Beltline. I drive down Maywood Ave every day en route to work. I've always wanted to see what the inside of Caraleigh Mills looks like.

Edited January 4, 2006 by willrusso

[pack-man]

I heard there is an indoor pool there.

[Jones_]

Wow, hello neighbor. I live around the corner from you in that newish apartment complex at Lake Wheeler and the Beltline. I drive down Maywood Ave every day en route to work. I've always wanted to see what the inside of Caraleigh Mills looks like.

You just missed the annual open house/christmas party. If you know a realtor you can always ask for the key codes for the 5 units still for sale...the main gate is still open in the daytime. Also checking out the units via MLS yieds some decent pictures, one resale of a couple that moved to Hawaii is really nice.

Edited January 4, 2006 by Jones133

[Jones_]

To anyone interested in this sort of thing....the Fayetteville St project has exposed a portion of the old street car tracks at Fayetteville and Morgan.....it is pretty cool with it being part of the interchange, one track starts off down Fayetteville and the other continues east on Morgan, I could see four separate rails about 10 foot sections of each. Maybe a cool photo-op.

[pack-man]

I mentioned this same thing earlier in the thread when they were tearing up Hillsborough St. It is pretty cool to think that street cars were running up and down these streets. It would be pretty cool if they still had them.

I think they should get them back!

[MireLanski]

Yesterday, I had to go price a custom subwoofer enclosure for my car. After that I had a few hours to play with before I took my MCP exam. I decided to venture DT. And stumbled upon a jewel. I had to run through my knowledge of history when I pulled in front of a all yellow two story house on West Hargett that said Joel Lane's House.

I quickly realized that Joel Lane was the owner of the 1000 acres that was purchased to become Raleigh. So one can assume that the house is old. But...then I thought...wow...this was the only house in the county at the time. There was no county. In fact, there was nothing for miles of this plantation house. So Raleigh came about in 1792 from a purchase of a land that occured in this house. The house is older than 200 years. It is said to have been built around 1760-75.

I and the girlfriend toured the house. The parlor is is believed to have been the birthplace of 1000 issued deeds in the county. The bedroom in the public space on the 1st floor was believed to be a tavern which Gov. Tyron. and is wife Meridith Wake where rumored to board. Yes, that is Wake as in Wake County. Thank god for her. Our county was very close to being named after a current Boylan Condo project, Bloomsbury.

So the house faces South on Hargett which also faces the Bloomsbury project. The house originally was closer to Boylan. About 300 feet from it's current location. And it faced DT. But that was many many many, you get the idea, many years ago.

The condition of the house is incredible. This is my first visit to a 200 + year old house with this kind of importance and history.

The average height for a man 2 centuries ago was about 5'6 (I think that was considered tall, exception, Abraham Lincoln). Given that the first floor's ceiling is 14 feet tall. Upstairs it is more like 6'8. Which was actually raised to that height. Yes, when you are barely 5'6 you don't need but a few more inches of head clearance. I guess this gave his children the impression that he was tall( humor). I am 6'6 so I would of just been a freak to his 12 children. I viewed their upstairs bedroom. Which was no larger than your average bedroom. I'd say about 14 X 16. Most of the furniture was from the period andmanufactured in NC. But, it was not the original furniture. But, Joel Lanes desk still remained. The structural integrity of everything including the desk is the likes that I have never seen. No extensive interior restoration has been done and the home literally looks worthy of residence.

From the homes original egg shaped door knob and lock to the L-shaped hinges with the original leather washers, this slave built home deserves attention. Besides, your tour guide goes all out by dressing in garbs from that time. He is a real knowledgeable curator.

Admission was $1 for students and $4 for adults. Well worth the time!!!!

Edited March 12, 2006 by MireLanski

[bdp]

awww how nice. thanks for posting this.

[Jones_]

I quickly realized that Joel Lane was the owner of the 1000 acres that was purchased to become Raleigh. So one can assume that the house is old. But...then I thought...wow...this was the only house in the county at the time. There was no county. In fact, there was nothing for miles of this plantation house. So Raleigh came about in 1792 from a purchase of a land that occured in this house. The house is older than 200 years. It is said to have been built around 1760-75.

So the house faces South on Hargett which also faces the Bloomsbury project. The house originally was closer to Boylan. About 300 feet from it's current location. And it faced DT. But that was many many many, you get the idea, many years ago.

The condition of the house is incredible. This is my first visit to a 200 + year old house with this kind of importance and history.

Its an awesome place. Some more tidbits though... there were several thousand people in Wake County by 1763 many of them as affluent as Joel Lane but also many of them slaves. The Hinton's of eastern Wake for example (Johnston County back then) had been well established since about 1740 and by 1763 probably accounted for upwards of 200 free and enslaved people. I do know of one house for certain in Garner on Colonial drive that dates to 1743 so Lane's house is not the oldest left standing which is a common misnomer. Bloomsbury functioned more like a small town with the Wake County Courthouse built in 1771 and its associated activities, and the confluence of several major roads making this area very active. The Joel Lane family cemetary was located behind Crockers on Morgan Street and was unearthed by accident in the 1970's after having been paved over years earlier. The graves were relocated to City Cemetary on East Street.

[Atlside]

Washington Duke Hotel later renamed the Jack Tar Hotel

Washington Duke Hotel. Construction. July 16, 1924

http://dclibrary.net/prod1/ncc/photoarch/photos/e205.jpg

http://www.dclibrary.net/prod1/ncc/photoarch/photos/e213.jpg

Washington Duke Hotel- Construction. November 3, 1924

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Washington Duke Hotel. Construction. ca. January, 1925.

http://www.dclibrary.net/prod1/ncc/photoarch/photos/e211.jpg

Washington Duke Hotel. Construction Feb.4, 1925

http://www.dclibrary.net/prod1/ncc/photoarch/photos/e212.jpg

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Washington Duke Hotel. April, 1925

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Durham 1925

http://www.dclibrary.net/prod1/ncc/photoarch/e056.htm

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Washington Duke Hotel- Lobby 1925

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Martin Luther King, Jr., addresses the Southern Political Science Association at Durham's Jack Tar Hotel November 13, 1964.

http://www.durhamcountylibrary.org/dcrhp/mlk5.htm

Edited October 21, 2006 by Atlside

[NCMike1981]

Man I wish the Washington Duke had been saved....didn't it rival the CCB/Suntrust tower heightwise? It reminds me of a building that would fit in perfectly on Front St in Wilmington....

Edited October 21, 2006 by NCMike1981