The Development of Modernism in Raleigh 1945-1965 - Triangle ...

The Development of Modern Architecture in Raleigh 1945-1965 4IntroductionThe Survey Update of Raleigh historic architecture, conducted in 2006 by principalinvestigator M. Ruth Little, documented Raleigh’s historic resources from 1945 (the endof the previous survey) to 1965. This twenty-year period will be referred to as thepostwar era throughout the MPDF. This is the second survey in North Carolina ofpostwar resources. The first, “The Development of Modernism in Charlotte, 1945 to1965,” was completed in 2000. The goals of the Raleigh survey update are 1. todocument Raleigh’s overall growth patterns during the post World War II boom period;2. to record the most significant buildings and developments from the project period as aguide for the Raleigh Historic Districts Commission in identifying properties eligible forthe National Register of Historic Places and in nominating important resources asindividual Local Landmarks; and 3. enable the Raleigh Historic Districts Commissionand the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office to judge the significance ofbuildings that may not have been included in this survey.According to Wake County’s Real Estate department that keeps real property records,18,256 buildings were built in Raleigh between 1945 and 1965. Of these, ten have beenlisted in the National Register. These are the J. S. Dorton Arena, Fadum House, Henry L.Kamphoefner House, Matsumoto House and Studio, Occidental Life Insurance CompanyBuilding, Paschal House, Ritcher House, Philip and Mae Rothstein House, Small House,and G. Milton Small & Associates Office Building. This multiple propertydocumentation form provides a framework within which to consider the significance ofthe remaining 18,246 buildings built in Raleigh during the era when modern architecturebecame mainstream.