Preservation Chapel Hill E-Newsletter

February2013
 
Upcoming Events

 

February 3

Emily Jo Lees and

Janet Oldham

Art Exhibition

Opening Reception

Horace Williams House

2-4 pm

Free

 

 February 3

Strayhorn House

Benefit Concert

Century Center, Carrboro

3-5 pm

$10 per person

 

February 6 

Preservation Happy Hour

R&R Grill, 137 E Franklin

4:30 pm

Free, BYO Drinks/Food

 

February 10

Walk This Way!

Franklin Street

Walking Tour

Horace Williams House

2 pm

$5 per person

 

 February 19

Board of Directors Meeting

 Horace Williams House

4:30 pm

Open to the Public

 

February 24

 Walk This Way!

Old Chapel Hill Cemetery

Walking Tour

Old Chapel Hill Cemetery

Gazebo

2 pm

 

 
News from our Neighbors

 

The Chapel Hill Historic District Commission

has one vacancy now and will have additional vacancies in June 2013. The Commission meets the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm and makes decisions about development/modifications to existing structures and other proposed changes to Chapel Hill's designated historic districts.

Click here to apply.

 

North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office

Steve and Linda Lane purchased a historic building in Edenton that they planned to use a rental property, and which they believed was built around 1900. After noticing construction methods much older than the turn of the century, the Lanes worked with the NC State Historic Preservation Office to conduct dendrochronlogy - which uses tree rings to date the wood used to construct the buliding - and discovered it was actually constructed around 1718, making it the oldest known structure in the state. For more, click here.

 

The Marian Cheek

Jackson Center

The Jackson Center is a public history and community development center located at St. Joseph's Church in the historic Northside neighborhood. This area is home to an abundant history of life after Reconstruction, under Jim Crow, during civil rights action, and in the wake of desegregation. The Jackson Center uncovers and shares the stories of this community and its legacy through oral histories, exhibits, and community events. To learn more about this valuable resource, click here.

 

The Orange County Historical Museum

The Orange County Historical Museum in Hillsborough interprets the history of Orange County and Hillsborough. Exhibits look at the settlement of Orange County, domestic slavery, Civil War, Reconstruction, and the textile industry. Visit the museum from the comfort of your home by clicking here!

Horace Williams House 
Strayhorn House Benefit Concert
Sunday, February 3rd, 3:00 pm 

Toney was a boy of eleven when his mother was sold on the auction block in Hillsborough after a failed runaway attempt. Nellie remembered being whipped for eating apples out of her master's orchard. In 1877 the newly freed couple was married. In 1879, in spite of post-war difficulties for freedmen, they constructed a home on Jones Ferry Road. Together the couple prospered in the midst of immense racial tension.


Today, the home is owned by Delores Clark, the great-grandaughter of Toney and Nellie Strayhorn. In 2010, Preservation Chapel Hill launched an effort to raise $10,000 to restore the home and preserve its triumphant story. With the help of Capstone Builders, this fundraising effort resulted in the successful reconstruction of rotted floors, collapsed foundations, damaged plaster, inadequate gutters, and a rusted out HVAC system. The last remaining project is to replace the roof - which is over 50 years old.
  
To fund the roof replacement, Preservation Chapel Hill presents the Strayhorn House Benefit Concert on Sunday, February 3rd from 3-5 pm at the Carrboro Century Center. The Alex Smith Quartet will open the concert, followed by the NC Central University Jazz Combo who will perform the music of famed jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, descendant of Toney and Nellie. Light refreshments will be served.
  
Tickets to the event are $10 and may be purchased either at the door or in advance by calling Preservation Chapel Hill at 919-942-7818. Additional donations will be gladly accepted. Visit www.preservationchapelhill.org for more information.
  
This event is sponsored by Preservation Chapel Hill, The Town of Carrboro, and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Inc.
 

(Top photo Strayhorn House, 2011, courtesy of Preservation Chapel Hill. Botton photo Toney and Nellie on the porch of their home with their family, courtesy of Delores Clark)

Preservation Happy Hour
Wednesday, February 6th, 4:30 pm
 

Happy HourWe are excited to introduce Preservation Happy Hour! We will meet for after-work drinks and conversation on the first Wednesday of each month at one of our great downtown businesses. These informal meet-ups are an opportunity to meet the new Executive Director of PCH, Cheri Szcodronski, as well as members of the 2013 Board of Directors. Come out to talk about preservation issues in Chapel Hill and learn how Preservation Chapel Hill can be a resource for you.

 

The next Preservation Happy Hour will be at R & R Grill at 137 East Franklin Street on February 6th at 4:30 pm. Check our website at www.preservationchapelhill.org for upcoming dates and locations.

Emily Jo Lees and
Janet Oldham
Art Exhibition

February 3 - 24 

 

A new art exhibition will open at the Horace Williams House on Sunday, February 3rd featuring raku clay by Emily Jo Lees and photographs by Janet Oldham.

 

There will be an opening reception on Sunday, February 3rd at the Horace Williams House from 2 to 4 pm. The reception is free and open to the public.

Welcome New Staff to PCH!
  
Executive Director: Cheri Szcodronski
Cheri was announced Executive Director in December 2012, and has served as the Interim Executive Director since September 2012, Preservation Coordinator since October 2011, and a volunteer before that. Cheri has extensive experience in historic preservation and a Master's in Public History/Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University. To reach Cheri, email her at [email protected].
 
Program Coordinator: Brenda Hornsby Heindl
Brenda came on board as the Program Coordinator in January 2013. Brenda's background is in museum education and events, and she received her Master's in American Material Culture from the University of Delaware. To reach Brenda, email her at [email protected].
  
Office Manager: Allison Essen
Allison was announced Office Manager in January 2013, and served as Site Manager since September 2012. She earned a English degree from UNC, and has extensive experience in development and marketing. To contact Allison, email her at [email protected].