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Worth Saving
The Newsletter of the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office
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Events, Awards, and Grants
For statewide event lists, visit the HPO Facebook event list, Preservation North Carolina events list, or a December 2014 - February 2015 calendar and workshop and conference list courtesy of the Federation of N.C. Historical Societies.
2015 Advisory Council on Historic Preservation training schedule is now available Visit this page for registration details and pricing. Please contact Cindy Bienvenue at [email protected] if you have any questions.
January 29, 2015 "18th-Century Architecture in the Upper Tar River Valley." 7:30 PM, Louisburg College, Benson Chapel, Louisburg, NC. Annual Joseph E. Elmore Lecture featuring Michael Southern, Senior Architectural Historian and GIS Coordinator with the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office.
March 30 - April 2, 2015 National Main Streets Conference, Atlanta, GA. With the theme "TEAM Main Street: Teamwork and Entrepreneurship across Main Street," the conference will focus on bringing partners together to foster new ideas for building economic, financial, and business development successes. For the latest news and information, sign up for conference email alerts.
April 13-16, 2015 Mid-Century Modern Structures: Materials and Preservation 2015 Symposium, Drury Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, MO. Focusing primarily on the history, use, and preservation of materials found in Mid-Century Modern architecture, the three-day symposium will provide in-depth understanding of the complex issues associated with the preservation of these structures. Special emphasis will be on modern architectural metals, but presentations on other materials, such as concrete and curtain wall structures, will be included. The call for papers/posters and registration information can be found on this page.
June 17-19, 2015 National Rosenwald Schools Conference: Sharing the Past → Shaping the Future, Durham, NC. Riding the wave of the wildly successful 2012 Centennial Rosenwald Schools conference in Tuskegee, AL, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is partnering with the NC Department of Cultural Resources, Preservation Durham, the Conservation Trust of North Carolina, and others to sponsor a second national Rosenwald schools conference that will feature thirty educational sessions, poster sessions, field sessions at area schools, and other thematic tours. For more information in the coming months, see this page. Click here to sign up to receive conference updates by email.
Adventures in Preservation is a non-profit that offers trips to heritage sites around the world to teach participants conservation and preservation skills while helping conserve historic sites. Please see the schedule on their website for trips in 2015, including one in Virginia that includes archaeology and preservation. Visit this website
Pamela H. Simpson Presenter's Fellowship Any person presenting a paper at a VAF annual conference who is currently enrolled in a degree-granting program, or who has received a degree within one year of the annual conference and merits financial assistance, is eligible to apply. The Pamela H. Simpson Presenter's Fellowship is a one-time award not to exceed $500. The deadline is January 1, 2015, for the Simpson Fellowship application. Click here for more information.
American Battlefield Protection Program Battlefield Preservation Grants. Non-profit groups, academic institutions, and local, regional, state, and tribal governments are invited to apply for grants for eligible projects: archaeology, cultural landscape inventories, cultural resource documentation, GIS mapping, National Register nominations, and preservation plans. Project funding ranges from $5,000 to $75,000. Matching funds or in-kind services for the projects are encouraged but not required. The application deadline is January 16, 201. The application form and complete guidelines are available at this page.
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Recent National Register Listings
Pepper Building, Forsyth County, prepared by T. White and L. King, listed 10/2/14
The 1928 Pepper Building in Winston-Salem is named for the family that owned the lot on which the building stands. The downtown building was originally constructed as a department store for a development firm, the Gilmer Company. The six-story multicolored brick building is one of the city's best Art Deco-style commercial buildings. It was designed at the height of the architectural style's popularity by the prolific local architectural firm of Northup and O'Brien.
United States Post Office and Court House, Guilford County, Federal nomination, listed 10/29/14
The 1933 United States Post Office and Court House in Greensboro is historically important as having been built as a direct result of the Public Buildings Act of 1926 and the early New Deal era effort to stimulate the economy and provide employment in the construction sector. In addition to serving as a local symbol of the federal government, the monumental stone building is important as a prominent local example of the Art Deco style in its rectilinear decorative motifs and strong classical overtones.
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Senior Preservation Architect and Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit Coordinator
Tim Simmons.
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HPO Staff Member Tim Simmons Added to NC Modernist Houses Advisory Council
North Carolina Modernist Houses (NCMH), a non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, preserving, and promoting Modernist residential design across the state, has announced the members of the 2015 NCMH Advisory Council. Tim Simmons, Senior Preservation Architect and Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit Coordinator for the NC HPO, has been named to the council. Congratulations Tim! Click here for the full list of council members and to learn more about NCMH. |
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State Office of Archives and History Administrative Rules Open for Public Review
The 2013 legislative session, the General Assembly enacted Session Law 2013-413. This law established G.S. � 150B-21.3A, "Periodic Review and Expiration of Existing Rules." This statute requires the Rules Review Commission (RRC) to establish a process and schedule for those covered agencies to ensure compliance with the law. This schedule and process requires agencies to review all of their active rules codified in the NC Administrative Code ("the Code") every 10 years.
As part of this cyclical process, the state administrative rules that govern the State Office of Archives and History, which includes such varied programs as the State Historic Preservation Office (including National Register, Environmental Review, and Historic Tax Credit Program), Office of State Archaeology, Highway Historical Markers Program, Historical Publications, and Historic Sites, are up for public comment.
The public comment period for rules adopted by the NC Historical Commission -- 07 NCAC Chapter 4 --starts December 1, 2014 and continues through February 3, 2015. Comments can be made on the Department of Cultural Resources website at http://www.ncdcr.gov/RulesReview.
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HPO is Accepting Applications for Historic Preservation Fund Pass-Through Grants
The State Historic Preservation Office (HPO) is now accepting applications for FY 2015 federal Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) pass-through grants, which are available to Certified Local Governments (CLGs). Click here to see a current list of CLGs in NC. Eligible projects include architectural and archaeological surveys, nominations of eligible districts and properties to the National Register of Historic Places, survey publication manuscripts, local preservation design guidelines and preservation plans, educational programs, and restoration of National Register-listed properties. Funds for restoration are limited. Eligible applicants are local governments, local historic preservation commissions, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions.
Please note that before preparing and submitting an application, applicants must contact HPO staff to discuss the scope of work and budget of their potential project along with the grant standards and requirements.
An estimated total of $90,000 to $95,000 may be available for projects in CLG municipalities and counties, in accordance with federal requirements. Unfortunately, funds for non-CLG projects are not available.
Grant awards, which normally cover up to sixty per cent of total project costs, generally range from $1,000 to $15,000 and are available on a reimbursement basis. Local matching funds should cover at least forty per cent (40%). Grant projects will be selected for funding on a competitive basis.
Applications must be postmarked by Friday, February 27, 2015. Applicants must submit the signed paper original. Applications sent by email or fax will not be accepted. Nonprofits and educational institutions submitting an application through a CLG should submit their proposed application to the CLG by the beginning of January of 2015. See the Instructions for Completing the 2015 Application for more details. Click here for the application. Awards will be announced by May of 2015. Projects should be underway by the fall of 2015. All projects must be completed by Friday, August 19, 2016.
GUIDELINES FOR CLG GRANT APPLICATIONS
- CLG grant applications must be submitted by or through the CLG.
- CLG governing boards and CLG historic preservation commissions submit their applications to the HPO.
- NOTE: Nonprofits and educational institutions may propose an application for a project in a CLG's jurisdiction, but must submit the proposed application to the CLG historic preservation commission, which would then submit it to the HPO with comments. The CLG commission, not the nonprofit or educational institution, would be the CLG grant applicant. The nonprofit or educational institution should submit the proposed application to the CLG commission by early January of 2015, to allow time for the commission and local governing board to evaluate it and submit it with comments to the HPO by the February 27, 2015, deadline. If a grant is awarded for the project, the CLG would be the grant recipient and would administer the grant project, even if the nonprofit or educational institution provides the local matching funds.
If there are questions about the application process, or there is a project idea you would like to discuss, please contact Michele Patterson McCabe, grants coordinator, at 919-807-6582. For assistance with developing a project proposal and budget, please contact an HPO staff member.
North Carolina's historic preservation program receives federal financial assistance for identification and preservation of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age (40 and over), disability, sexual orientation, or protected activity in its federally assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility, as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office for Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.
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Recent Historic Preservation Grant-Funded Survey Puts 16 Properties on Study List
The High Point Industrial Building Survey, a federal Historic Preservation Grant-funded project for FY2013, has led to a greater understanding of the industrial history of High Point and the extant resources that were part of that history. Architectural historian Laura Philips was the consultant for the project.
 | A portion of Melrose Hosiery Mill, one of the
properties added to the Study List. |
The survey involved both research with a large number of primary and secondary sources and a field investigation of High Point's historic industrial resources. Site checks of approximately 300 industrial sites known to have existed in the city prior to 1970 revealed that approximately half no longer survive. Sixty-nine of the approximately 150 surviving properties were found to merit intensive survey, and 16 of these were recommended for addition to the Study List by both Laura and the HPO staff.
Sponsors of the project are hopeful that it will spur redevelopment in High Point. Click here to learn more about the survey and High Point's hopes. (Note: This article states that 18 properties were added to the Study List because it counts the three properties of one small district.) Click here to view a short video of an interview with Laura Phillips and Bob Robbins, Development Administrator with the City of High Point Planning and Development Department.
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United States Post Office and
Court House, Greensboro.
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Greensboro's 1933 Art Deco-style United States Post Office and Court House, now known as theL. Richardson Preyer, Jr. Federal Building, was recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places (see the "Recent National Register Listings" section above for a link to the nomination). The nomination was prepared by the United States General Services Administration, Public Buildings Services, as the building is federally owned and still in operation. In addition to its architecture, the building is also significant for having been built as a direct result of the Public Buildings Act of 1926 and the early New Deal-era effort to stimulate the economy and provide employment in the construction sector. Architecturally, the building is a prominent example of the Art Deco style in Greensboro and of the craftsmanship and detailing associated with the style. Click here to read more about the building from local architectural historian Benjamin Briggs and resident employees who have enjoyed serving in the building.
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Tornado Building, Hamlet, Receives Carraway Award
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Tornado Building after rehabilitation.
Photo courtesy of the Richmond County
Daily Journal.
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The Tornado Building Antique Vehicle Museum and the restoration of the historic 1892 replica of the Tornado steam locomotive have received a 2014 Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit from Preservation North Carolina. The award was presented on October 10, during Preservation North Carolina's annual conference, in recognition of the extensive renovation work led by the Winston-Salem firm of architect David E. Gall. The project was completed in October 2009.
The Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit are named in honor of the late Dr. Gertrude S. Carraway, a noted New Bern historian and preservationist. The awards recognize individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a genuine commitment to historic preservation through extraordinary leadership, research, philanthropy, promotion and significant participation in preservation. A maximum of 12 awards are given each year and have been presented since 1974.
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Charlotte Rosenwald School Soon to be the Centerpiece of Grier Heights Neighborhood
Courtesy of the National Trust's National Treasures: Rosenwald Schools November 2014 e-newsletter
 | | Billingsville School. Photo courtesy of CrossRoads Corporation, Inc. |
A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Billingsville Rosenwald School in Charlotte to commence the rehabilitation of the historic school built in 1927. The school is located in Grier Heights, one of the oldest African American neighborhood in Charlotte. CrossRoads Corporation, Inc., a non-profit organization that evolved from the efforts of the Myers Park Presbyterian Church congregation, envisions the Billingsville School as a much needed community center for Grier Heights. CrossRoads has received two National Trust for Historic Preservation grants along with support from Snyder's Lance Foundation, Wells Fargo, and Myers Park Presbyterian Church.
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New Documentary Features Rosenwald Alumni
Courtesy of the National Trust's National Treasures: Rosenwald Schools November 2014 e-newsletter
North Carolinian Claudia Stack's newest documentary, Carrie Mae: An American Life, premiered November 16th in Wilmington. Carrie Mae Sharpless Newkirk was born into a sharecropping family in 1923, attended and taught in Rosenwald schools, and went on to become one of the first African American teachers in southeastern North Carolina to integrate a white faculty. Ms. Stack's first documentary about Rosenwald Schools, Under the Kudzu, was a favorite at the 2012 National Rosenwald Schools Conference.
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Mountain Lodge, Flat Rock, to Be Rehabilitated
Mountain Lodge, constructed by Susan and Charles Baring in the resort town of Flat Rock in the 1820s, has new owners eager to return the house to its former glory.
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Mountain Lodge. Photo courtesy of
Hendersonville Lightning.
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Historic Flat Rock Inc. bought the property in a sale approved in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Columbia, South Carolina, and then sold the house to Julien and Lori Smythe. The Smythes plan to spend close to $1 million to stabilize and preserve the house. Julien Smythe, whose family has been vacationing in Flat Rock since the early twentieth century, feels a strong connection to the community and its history. Click here to learn more about the house and the Smythes' rehabilitation plans for the property.
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Thomas Wolfe Cabin Threatened by Neglect
The cabin in the Oteen area of Asheville where Thomas Wolfe spent the summer of 1937 attempting to write away from his admiring fans is now a park owned by Asheville and a locally-designated landmark; however, it is in dire need of stabilization and repairs.
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Documentary photo of the Oteen
cabin where Thomas Wolfe spent
the summer of 1937. Photo courtesy
of the Asheville Citizen-Times.
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Years of poorly planned and constructed alterations followed by neglect have led to the building's dangerous condition, which Jack Thomson, executive director The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County, describes as critical. City workers have recently completed temporary stabilization work and removed some of the later, unsympathetic additions that have compromised the building. "Genius," a movie starring Jude Law as Wolfe, is scheduled for a 2015 release and it is hope renewed interest in the author will mean renewed interest in the cabin. A future purpose for the cabin remains undetermined, however. Click here to learn more about the cabin and Wolfe's summer of 1937.
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More Evidence Points to the Location of the "Lost Colony"
Last year a hidden drawing of what may have been a marker for a colonial fort was found on John White's 1585 map showing the coast of North Carolina. Drawn with "invisible ink" and covered with a piece of paper, this may indicate where the members of the 'Lost Colony' went when they left the Roanoke Colony. Researchers have now used magnetometers and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in the location shown on the map and believe they may have found soil disturbances that indicate the presence of ditches in straight lines, which differs from the pattern of those dug by Native Americans, as well as indications of the presence of wooden structures. Is this the final home of the "Lost Colony?" Click here to read more about the science and the researchers' findings.
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Archaeological Work at Town Creek Indian Mound Reveals a New History of the State Historic Site
 | Archaeologists working at Town Creek
Indian Mound State Historic Site. |
Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site (Town Creek Indian Mound listed in the National Register in 1966) has been has been excavated many times, but a student dig led last summer by Tony Boudreaux, an instructor of archaeology at East Carolina University, has revealed new information that turns the previous interpretation of the site on its head. According to site manager Rich Thompson, "Early on, the interpretation of the site was strictly as a ceremonial center, inhabited by maybe two or three priests year-round. Then once a year during . . . a green corn celebration, people from around would be invited in." Boudreaux's work shows that the land at Town Creek State Historic Site has been occupied, on and off, since the Ice Age, and that for a long time the site wasn't a set-apart, sacred center, but a busy, thriving community. Boudreaux's mapping of the soil stains shows too many buildings for the site to have been mostly vacant and items such as the charred corncob show the site was full of everyday life. Click here to read more about the site's newly discovered history and the on-going research at the site. Click here to plan your visit to Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site.
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2016 is the 50th Anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act
In 2016, the United States will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act - "Preservation50." The NHPA has helped to save millions of buildings, monuments, and landscapes that tell the powerful stories of our shared history, our struggles as well as our triumphs.
Planning for Preservation50 is underway. A critical first step is securing feedback on proposed goals, objectives, and programs from a broad spectrum of the American public.
Find the survey at www.preservation50.org (see link in banner at upper right corner).
The tagline of Preservation50 is "Our Legacy, Our Future." Activities in 2016 will examine and celebrate 50 years of the NHPA's impacts on our communities, and plan for a stronger and more diverse preservation movement for the next 50 years.
Several federal agencies and national preservation organizations have helped to draft the proposed agenda for Preservation50, including the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, among others.
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For Your Entertainment and Edification...
- One of the most important, and sometimes most difficult, steps in renovating your historic home is selecting the right people to do the job. Here are a few tips to help.
- Walmart can locate downtown too. See an urban example here.
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Please send any comments or suggestions to Jessica Dockery at [email protected] . Please forward this newsletter to others who might be interested in the information.
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