Beautiful Raleigh, N.C.
Can you guess what year this photo was taken in? I don’t know the answer, but there are a few clues: Both the old Progress Energy Building and the old Raleigh Convention Center were built in 1977. The old State Theater is still intact (where the Wake Co. Jail is today), and the BB&T Building (1985) hadn’t been built yet.
Raleigh, NC is not only the capital of the state, but also a leading center of commerce in the southeast. Raleigh offers shiny new buildings and culture, as well as beautiful tree-lined streets.
Pub. by Aerial Photography Services, Inc. 2511 South Tryon, Charlotte, NC 28203
Putting aside the green on the old Fayetteville Mall, Downtown Raleigh sure looks a lot greener/suburban, with several more surface parking lots in this photo.
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04/08/2011
That is an awesome postcard. Would love to see that same shot taken years before this.
04/08/2011
Isn’t that brick building the Radisson (now Sheraton)? I think that was built in ’81 or so, if that helps (definitely before ’82). So we can narrow it to 81-85 (or probably pre-85, since there is no sign of a construction site for another building)?
Actually the “BB&T Building” *was* there, it was just a different building :)–333 Commerce Plaza, in this photo right behind the CP&L building (Progress Energy) used to be BB&T and was the highest building downtown for awhile.
04/08/2011
yep, that is the Radisson, Kent. And, it looks like maybe the site is being prepped for the Education Building (Pink Palace)???
04/08/2011
I think that the NCNB building, missing from this photo, was built in 1986 (it was definitely there in 1987 and not brand new in ’87). That building is what cut off Cabarrus St. ’81-’86 were quiet years, though, and there weren’t many changes in downtown to give us clues.
How about that setback with the convention center! Just curious, John, did you like the Civic Center? (aside from its placement)
04/08/2011
I’m saying between 82 and early 84.
The Raddison was built in 81 as mentioned and there is a parking deck across from it that was built in 82 according to the Wake CO property site.
The NCNB/Bank of America building (which was also called One Hannover Square) was built in 1985. As mentioned, given that there does not appear to be any construction started in this picture it’s probably safe to say this picture was not taken in 1984 either as the parking deck below the part of Fayetteville st mall outside it and under One Hannover was built with the building and is excavated 35 feet below grade. Couple that with the size of the building and it was at least a year of construction.
Two Hannover (the building with the BB&T sign now, was built in 1991.
04/08/2011
Dana – I wasn’t a fan of it when it was around, but I had only been in the area for a little over a year when it came down. To be honest, I never paid much attention to it when I was venturing downtown.
It sure looks a lot better from the air than it did at street level. I kind of like it now, I suppose. What we have now is obviously orders of magnitude better than what we had.
04/09/2011
I’m with Lee on this one. I would also guess 82 or 83.
07/01/2011
This is pre-Fayetteville street mall, pre-Old Raleigh Civic center and the Progress Energy center is missing.I would say Late 60’s early 70’s. The Fayetteville street mall opened in 1977
11/25/2011
Steve, no way is it that old, and Fayetteville St definitely IS there. The Civic Center was built in the early-mid ’70s, clearly there, and the Radisson, built in 1981, is right there in the foreground. we’ve narrowqed it to early ’80s, not ’60s.
10/01/2013
Steve the Civic Center is right in the center of the postcard. I know the Archdale Building was completed in 1977 and One Hannover was not yet there, so I agree with early 80’s.
10/03/2013
Raleigh, really Wide Open!