Research I, built in 1988, was the first building that opened on NC State's new Centennial Campus. The land on which Centennial Campus was created originally belonged to the Dorothea Dix Hospital. Beginning... Research I, built in 1988, was the first building that opened on NC State's new Centennial Campus. The land on which Centennial Campus was created originally belonged to the Dorothea Dix Hospital. Beginning in 1984, several parcels of land, now totaling more than 1,000 acres, were allotted to the university by the state for the creation of a campus that would foster collaboration between NC State, private industry, and government research organizations.