A little more artwork on the parking deck that I hadn’t seen before
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yes, noticed that yesterday sitting at the light. I actually explained to my wife how the building got its name. She said, “interesting.” 
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Meaning she’s not all that interested.
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I hope some leases get signed soon. Nice but empty. At least the sidewalks are better for those 2 blocks now.
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Please and thank you. 
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The history of the site chosen for Phase 3 of Block 83
Please forgive the longish post. If you are interested in history and development in Raleigh read on…
As many of you probably know, the City of Raleigh was a [“planned!!”](History:Raleigh:Plan of City of Raleigh by William Christmas 1792 | Joel Lane Museum House) city designed by William Christmas. You will find a Block 83 on the map link, but it is nowhere near the location of the present day Block 83. You won’t find that reference until 1888 on a Sanborn Fire Insurance map. The real location of the Heritage properties and particularly Phase 3, is much more significant than that reference.
The property on the corner of Morgan and Boylan and the other Heritage properties were not part of the 1000 acres that Joel Lane sold to form the planned City of Raleigh. Those properties were the land that Lane kept for himself; the land he built his house on, the location of his personal water source (his spring house) and Rocky Branch, his fields and his burial plot. It was the “best” of the 6000 acres he owned in central NC. He owned the land from about 1760 until his death in 1795.
The Joel Lane house and property passed to his son Thomas by inheritance and then he sold it to his sister in 1809. By 1813 the Lane family no longer had any interest in the house and property. Peter Browne owned it from 1813-1818 and then the Boylan family acquired the house and surrounding properties around 1818.
The Boylan family owned the corner of Boylan and Morgan until 1937. At that time it was sold to James Thompson he sold it two years later to the Collie family.
In 1956 David Crenshaw and S.M. (Beau) Crocker’s families bought part of the Collie property for commercial development that was @ 55’ x 108’ On that property they built the brick and block building across from the new Block 83 urban plaza/greenspace. The original building was 55’ wide and 60’ long. It housed Crenshaw TV at 611 W Morgan St and S.M. Crocker and Son, a lawnmower and small engine repair shop. The building and land was under 50/50 ownership of the Crenshaws and Crockers and the building floor plan was mirrored on each side. The forward thinking partners used steel in the building and 12” block walls that would support a second story in the future. The ceiling joists were framed for future stairwells on both sides.
Back to Joel Lane- As you exited the back of the building, there was still a small open field that was part of Lane’s original home property.
In 1961 Crenshaw and Crocker bought the remaining Collie property and house on the corner of Boylan and Morgan from Mrs Collie (widowed) for future development.
About 1964, instead of going up, Crenshaw and Crocker added property from 111 Boylan Ave to the back of their 55’ wide lot and added another 30’ of brick and block and steel to the existing structure. The building you see today is that 55’ x 90’ building. Also in 1964, the house on the corner was raised and construction started on a Build to Suit building for the Royal Typewriter Co. The white brick and block building at 615 W Morgan St was built to the specifications of Royal and then leased to them for 20 years with two 5 year options.
Because the back of the 611 and 613 building was landlocked, an easement was drafted that allowed a 10’ wide existing driveway to be used as connector to the back of the Crenshaw and Crocker businesses. There was a house located on the property just South of the driveway. It was said to be haunted by Joel Lane. The reason for this will become obvious as you read on…
In 1967 Crenshaw and Crocker bought 111 S. Boylan Ave and solved the access problem and completed their corner at Boylan and Morgan.
In 1968 the partners decided to construct a paved parking lot on the 111 S Boylan parcel. They hired an individual named Mike Leavester to take down the two story Gooch home on brick/board/window at a time. Leavester recycled all of the “good” parts; architectural elements etc as his pay. Crenshaw and Crocker agreed to wait and pave the lot after a search took place for the grave site of Joel Lane. The site seems to have been lost to history for several reasons. One story is that Peter Browne, irritated by the fact that the grave site occupied part of his valuable, arable property, plowed it over to plant cabbages! The Gooch house was not built over the gravesite, but their driveway did pass right over the graves of Lane and several family members.
In 1969 the excavation of the site began and sure enough the graves of several individuals were found. What is assumed to be Lane and his family’s remains were removed and reinterred in City Cemetery behind the fire station on East St.
In the early 70’s Mr Crenshaw passed away and the Crocker family bought his remaining interest in the property and have held it since that time. S.M. Crocker and Son closed in 2004 after a 56 year run. Crocker’s Mark Gallery followed for a brief 4 year stint. Since that time the property has been rented to various tenants. McBee Systems, Arts Together, Moonlight Pizza and Wake County Government to name a few. Current tenants for a while longer are Cable Frame Gallery and Iyengar Yoga.
The property is under contract to Heritage Properties. Some of Raleigh’s most colorful history and characters occupied the block they have already developed. Did you know there was a gambling house beside the First Citizens Bank, that Bruce Garner aka God’s Gambler built the Blue Tower because the Toddle House raised the price of a cup of coffee above 5 cents, that there was a gas station called Abbot and Pierce in the middle the last block of Glenwood Ave and beside that was a fruit stand with a dirt floor?
As Phase 3 of Block 83 gets started, I just hope they realize how great a site it is and how much history is right under its 18 stories.
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It’s impossible to 
this post enough…
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I tried my best…
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Thanks guys! Much appreciated…
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Thanks so much for taking the time to read it!
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Yeah, great post @Stan3
That said, WTF is with that woman being all smiley while she literally kneels on a skeleton?
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The photographer said “cheeeese”
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So the Lane house was at the corner of Morgan and Boylan, but has since been demolished? Or it’s one of the old homes there between Morgan and hargett?
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Top 5 post of the entire forum!
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The photographer that took the picture was Charles Holland who lived across Boylan Avenue. That is his wife, whisking away at the bones of Joel Lane. She was an archeologist with the State of NC. So yeah, evan.j.bost is kinda right ;^)
Also might be considered a 1969 version of a selfie with a skeleton…
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The Lane House has been moved, I think twice. It is now on the corner of St Mary’s Street and Hargett St. It is a museum and gardens. 
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I recommend a tour/visit if they’ve resumed those!
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Not sure if this one’s been posted somewhere else, but a commercial interior furniture solutions company is relocating to Tower Two.
Interior Elements is now part of Tower Two at Bloc83, the 10-story tower on S. Boylan Avenue next to Glenwood One. The Birmingham, Alabama-based business moved into its new space, which includes an over 5,000-square-foot showroom, in early July.
Interior Elements is the second tenant to move into Tower Two, which is the sister tower to One Glenwood. Heritage Properties announced in May 2020 Chicago-based financial services and tech firm Envestnet planned to lease a total of 81,810 square feet across three floors.
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Sounds to me like this might include some of the retail space!
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