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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-03-2011 - 6cORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 3, 2011 Action Agenda Item No. (D - C SUBJECT: Murphey School Local Historic Landmark Designation DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) Yes Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: 1) Designation Report - DEAPR Dave Stancil, 245 -2590 2) Application - Owner Rich Shaw, 245 -2514 3) Response from State Historic Preservation Tina Moon, 245 -2517 Office 4) HPC Minutes - December 8, 2010 5) Public Hearing Notice 6) Draft Designation Ordinance PURPOSE: To receive public comment on the application and proposed ordinance to designate Murphey School as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark and refer the designation ordinance to the Historic Preservation Commission for its recommendation. BACKGROUND: In 1991, Orange County adopted the "Ordinance Creating the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) of Orange County," also referred to as the "Historic Preservation Ordinance ". A few years later, in 1997, the County adopted a voluntary program to designate properties of local historic and architectural significance called the Local Landmark Program. One of the HPC's duties is to recommend properties for local landmark designation. Properties may be designated as individual landmarks or as part of historic districts. Properties must meet a higher standard of historic and /or architectural significance to be designated as an individual landmark. The higher standard is appropriate since, in North Carolina, landmark property owners are eligible for a 50- percent property -tax deferral as long as the site retains its historic character. Most designation programs use a criteria system to evaluate the historic and architectural significance of properties based on the National Register of Historic Places. The Orange County HPC measures the "value" of potential Local Landmark and Local Historic District properties based on seven criteria: resource type, age, historic significance, architectural significance, environmental significance, contributing features and integrity. While each property is unique, the systematic evaluation formula combined with a multi -step review process ensures that all sites are assessed using a consistent approach, limiting the potential for favoritism toward a particular owner. The designation process, outlined in Article 3 of the Historic Preservation Ordinance, involves several steps culminating with the adoption of an ordinance for each individual landmark site or historic district. At its October 27, 2010 meeting, the HPC accepted a formal application from 2 Jay Miller to consider Murphey School for designation into the Local Landmark Program, thus initiating the application process. Mr. Miller's application materials were forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for review and comment. The HPC received a favorable response from the SHPO staff (Attachment #3) at its December meeting. The HPC concurred with the SHPO's evaluation — that the application materials were complete and that "the Murphey School has the requisite special significance and integrity for local landmark designation" (Attachment #4). At that same meeting, the HPC scored the Murphey School highly on its historic site evaluation form and voted unanimously to request a public hearing with the BOCC, as required by Section 3.7 of the Historic Preservation Ordinance. Murphey School was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 2009 under Criteria A for its association with statewide efforts to improve education, and Criteria C for its distinctive architecture. Named for North Carolina's "Father of Public Education" Archibald D. Murphey, Murphey School was constructed in 1923 as part of the early twentieth century consolidated school movement. Well- preserved, the rectangular one -story brick building features elements of the Classical and Spanish Revival styles. An auditorium was added to the west side of the building in 1936 and fronted with a two -story classical Doric portico (temple front). The building was designed by Henri Colvin Linthicum, a specialist in school design and partner with his father in the architectural firm of Linthicum and Linthicum. A handful of outbuildings survive on the property dating to the first half of the twentieth century, including a 1923 frame bungalow that served as the teacherage. Though primarily honorary in nature, designation programs remain the most powerful tool to promote historic preservation at the local level. With the County's design standards adopted (October 5, 2010), the HPC is eager to promote the local landmark program more diligently to further identify and protect the County's most significant cultural assets. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with the public hearing. Should the Board adopt the proposed ordinance designating Murphey School as a Local Landmark, the owner of the property would be eligible for the 50- percent property tax deferral. (Mr. Miller purchased the Murphey School in 2009. The assessed value of the property at that time was $181,820; the total property tax bill due on September 1, 2008 was $1,981.20. The current (post renovation) assessed value of the Murphey School property is $533,207. This year's property tax bill due on September 1, 2010 was $4,969.31. Should Mr. Miller apply for the 50- percent property tax deferral, the property tax bill would be approximately $2,485.00. This equates to an approximate $500 net gain for the County tax base.) RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board 1) receive public comment on the application and the draft designation ordinance for Murphey School, and 2) refer the designation ordinance to the Historic Preservation Commission for its recommendation. The HPC will forward its formal recommendation back to the Board of County Commissioners for the Board's April 19th meeting. Machmerlt 1 g LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION REPORT Murphey School Historic Preservation Commission October 27, 2010 (updated after December 8, 2010 HPC Meeting) Historic Preservation staff has received an application (attached) from Mr. Jesse Miller (7923 Morrow Mill Road, Chapel Hill, NC ) to consider his property, Murphey School (PIN# 9892 -59- 5445) for the Orange County Local Historic Landmark Program. The subject property, 3729 Murphy School Road, is a seven -acre tract located at the intersection of Murphy School Road and Old NC 10 in the northeast portion of Chapel Hill Township. The formal process for considering properties for the local landmark program includes several steps over the course of approximately six months. The process is described in full in An Ordinance Creating the Historic Preservation Commission of Orange County, Article 3, Procedures for Designating Historic Landmarks. The following staff report is designed to assist the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) in its deliberations in two ways: to outline the steps in the designation process as defined in the Historic Preservation Ordinance, and to distill the information in the body of the application (which serves as the report of significance) and compare it with the specific criteria that the HPC has adopted for evaluating historic resources. The application process for local landmarks consists of two parts. During Part 1 the applicant presents the HPC with an overview of the site and photos for an initial evaluation. If the HPC determines based on the approved criteria system that the property appears to be a strong candidate for the Local Landmark Program, the HPC directs the applicant to proceed with Part 2. Part 2 of the application includes the report of significance —a detailed architectural description and research report. In May of 2009, Mr. Miller submitted Part 1 of his application to consider Murphey School for the Local Landmark Program. The HPC determined that the property appeared to be a candidate for the program; at the time, however, substantial renovations were underway. The HPC recommended that Mr. Miller wait until his renovation work was completed before pursuing Part 2. The renovation project was finished during the summer of 2010, and the Murphey School building and associated teacherage is now open for a variety of educational programs. Mr. Miller submitted Part 2 of his application in August of 2010. The application materials for Part 2 include: 1) the completed form, 2) the Statement of Significance, 3) excerpts from the Murphey School National Register Nomination to fulfill the architectural description and history portions of the application, 4) an aerial plan, site plan and floor plan, and 5) color photos linked to a site plan and floor plan key. Murphey School was identified as a property of significance during the countywide survey of historic resources in the early 1990s and was placed on the National Register Study List by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History on July 8, 1992. Murphey School was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 2009 based under Criteria A for its association with statewide efforts to improve education, and Criteria C for its distinctive architecture. ' The following is a brief summary of the National Register Nomination. 4 Murphey School was designed by Henri Colvin Linthicum, a specialist in school design and partner with his father in the architectural firm of Linthicum and Linthicum. It was named for North Carolina's "Father of Public Education," Archibald D. Murphey. The Murphey School building complex survives as a remarkably intact example of the classical brick consolidated schools that were constructed throughout rural North Carolina during the 1920s and 1930s. The main building was constructed in two parts. The original classroom wing was constructed in 1923 and a large (almost stand - alone) auditorium was constructed in 1936 along the west side of the original building so that the hallway of the classroom wing leads directly into a side door near the auditorium's stage. The building is particularly remarkable in that the original classroom wing displays elements from the less common Spanish Revival Style, including stylized metal roof shingles designed and painted to imitate terra cotta. The auditorium building is fronted with a classical (temple- front) portico supported by colossal square columns. The original teacherage, a circa 1923 one - and- one -half story frame bungalow, also survives on the site along with the well house and water tower. While the listing of a property in the National Register places no obligation or restriction on a private owner using private resources to maintain or alter the property, designation in a local preservation program includes an element of enforcement in the form of design review. Owners wishing to make changes to their locally designated properties must apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) reviews applications for COAs and determines the appropriateness based on Design Standards for Orange County Local Landmarks and Local Historic Districts. When considering COAs the HPC will look at the applicable design standards and the local landmark application materials, particularly the Statement of Significance (Question #5 of the application). The Statement of Significance should be a very concise statement that explains why the property is important and identifies the key features that contribute to the site's importance. The Statement should speak to the potential for future changes at the site and clearly identify which features cannot be altered without compromising the historic and architectural significance of the site. This section of the local landmark application is the property owner's opportunity to highlight those features that he or she believes contributes the most to the property's significance. These features may be 1) exterior elements of a particular building, 2) key interior spaces such as an entrance hallway with stairway or a parlor and fireplace mantel, or 3) and or an important landscape element such as a heritage tree or meadow area. The Statement of Significance should address all contributing buildings on the property as well as the overall site, and identify where future buildings could be constructed without destroying value of the site. In this section of the form the applicant may also identify interior spaces and interior features that should be retained intact as essential to the value of the complex. The HPC will work with the applicant during the local landmark designation process to refine the Statement of Significance so that it can be used by property owners and HPC members to determine the appropriateness of future proposed changes to the historic site during the COA review process. The application for Local Landmark status includes the same seven -acre site included in National Register Nomination —the two -part school building, the teacherage, well house, water tower, and portions of the stone wall abutting road frontage along Murphy School Road. The HPC accepted the formal Part 2 application to consider Murphey School for designation into the Local Landmark Program at its October 27, 2010 meeting, thus initiating the application process. Mr. Miller's application materials, along with the first two pages of this staff report were forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for review and comment. The HPC received a favorable response from the SHPO staff at its December 8, 2010 meeting: "We have reviewed the report and find it to be complete, providing the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission with information sufficient to find that the Murphey School has the requisite special significance and integrity for local landmark designation." The SHPO also noted, "that, if the Council [BOCC] wishes to extend the Commission's [HPC] authority to significant interior features, the owner must give consent and the designation ordinance must specify the particular features subject to review and describe the nature of the Commission's design authority over them." The HPC agreed with the SHPO's assessment that application is complete. Members systematically reviewed the Murphey School using its historic site evaluation form and found that the property scored very favorably— concurring with the SHPO's assessment that Murphey School has the historic and architectural significance appropriate for local designation. Members discussed the SHPO's comments regarding the review of interior features. Mr. Miller recounted his efforts to preserve as much of the interior of the building as permitted while meeting the Building Code requirements, and felt it appropriate to extend the HPC's authority over those key elements of the interior that he had worked so hard to protect. HPC members read through the Certificate of Appropriateness - Project Review Form, while reviewing the Murphey School Local Landmark application to ensure that the application contained enough information for future HPC members to review a future Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application. Members felt that the information in the application report was sufficient and that with a well - crafted designation ordinance future property owners/ HPC members would be able to understand the scope of the HPC's authority to review changes to the property -site, building(s) exterior and interior. Based on this discussion, the HPC requested that designation ordinance include the following additional language: In accordance with the North Carolina General Statutes and the Orange County Historic Preservation Ordinance, the exterior and site features of all historic landmarks are always under the purview of the Historic Preservation Commission's Certificate of Appropriateness Provisions. The jurisdiction of the Historic Preservation Commission may also extend over interior spaces with the consent of the owner. The Historic Preservation Commission shall include in its jurisdiction for Murphey School the preservation of the following interior features that it finds to be unique and important to the property, and to which the owner has agreed: the auditorium; including the stage itself and coffered ceiling; the transom; the beaded board sheathing; and the pressed tin ceilings and wood floors throughout. The HPC voted unanimously to request a public hearing with the BOCC, as required by Section 3.7 of the Historic Preservation Ordinance, for March 3, 2011. The HPC will have 60 days following the public hearing to prepare and submit to the BOCC a recommendation on Murphey School; the recommendation may be approval, approval with conditions, or denial. Failure to submit a recommendation within 60 days shall be considered a favorable recommendation without conditions. The Board of County Commissioners shall not consider enactment of a proposed ordinance until 60 days after the date of the public hearing or until the HPC prepares its recommendation, whichever comes first. The HPC determines the appropriateness of changes to all locally designated properties based on approved design standards, with reference to the designation ordinance, the application materials and the designation report. 3 Local Landmark Application for Vicinit Ma Murphey School N —" W+ 9892 S,9 5445 inch = t000 feet \..��,��� §. �� . > <g�a: � � \� � � \` \\ ,>�::� : � d� � � � \` � � \ .�� ��� � �� \�� !- .1 O r \�3 12 HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONUNUSSION CERTIFIED MAIL October 18, 2010 Dear Property Owner: This is an official notice to inform you that the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) has received an application from Mr. Jay. Miller to consider designating Murphey School, located at 3729 Murphy School Road, as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark. Similar to the National Register of Historic Places, the Local Landmark Program is primarily an honorary program designed to identify properties that are significant to the community in terms of architecture, history or cultural importance. The designation of a property as a local historic landmark is a prestigious honor recognized by the Board of Commissioners through the adoption of an ordinance. The HPC will be discussing the -Murphey School application ,at its regular meeting on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 7 :00 p.m., in the Conference Room of the of the Environment and Agricultural Center at 306 Revere Road, Hillsborough, North Carolina. The.local landmark designation process includes several steps, including review by .the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and a public hearing held jointly by the HPC and the Board of County Commissioners. The October meeting is the first step of the designation process; the HPC will review the Murphey School application and decide whether to accept it thereby initiating its formal consideration as a candidate for the Local Landmark Program. As the owner of property located within 500 feet of the Murphey School site, you will receive notice of each of these meetings. HPC meetings are open to the public. You are welcome to come to any of these meetings to listen, to comment about the application, to ask questions, or to offer information about the school, its history and the surrounding community. If you have questions or would like additional information about the process or upcoming meeting; please feel free to call me at (919) 245 -2517. Sincerely, Christina R. Moon Cultural Resources Specialist enclosure cc: Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager David Stancil, Director, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners i r; 13 1�4 HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION CERTIFIED MAIL December 1, 2010 Dear Property Owner: This is an official notice to inform you that the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) has received an application from Mr. Jay Miller to consider designating Murphey School, located at 3729 Murphy School Road, as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark. Similar to the National Register of Historic Places, the Local Landmark Program is primarily an honorary program designed to identify properties that are significant to the community in terms of architecture, history or cultural importance. The designation of a property as a local historic landmark is a prestigious honor recognized by the Board of Commissioners through the adoption of an ordinance. The HPC will be discussing the Murphey School application at its regular meeting on Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 7:00 p.m., in the Conference Room of the of the Environment and Agricultural Center at 306 Revere Road, Hillsborough, North Carolina. The local landmark designation process includes several steps, including review by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and a public hearing held jointly by the HPC and the Board of County Commissioners. The December meeting is the second step of the designation process; the HPC will review comments from the SHPO and decide whether to request a joint public hearing with the Board of County Commissioners to receive public comments on the application. As the owner of property located within 500 feet of the Murphey School site, you will receive notice of each of these meetings. HPC meetings are open to the public. You are welcome to come to any of these meetings to listen, to comment about the application, to ask questions, or to offer information about the school, its history and the surrounding community. If you have questions or would like additional information about the process or upcoming meeting, please feel free to call me at (919) 245 -2517. Sincerely, Christina R. Moon Cultural Resources Specialist enclosure cc: Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager David Stancil, Director, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners 14 °a rf Y?Stnf� HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION CERTIFIED MAIL February 14, 2011 Dear Property Owner: This is an official notice to inform you of the Public Hearing scheduled for the Murphey School Local Landmark application and designation ordinance. The Orange County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) has received an application from Mr. Jay Miller to consider designating Murphey School, located at 3729 Murphy School Road, as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark. Similar to the National Register of Historic Places, the Local Landmark Program is primarily an honorary program designed to identify properties that are significant to the community in terms of architecture, history or cultural importance. The designation of a property as a local historic landmark is a prestigious honor recognized by the Board of Commissioners through the adoption of an ordinance. The Board of County Commissioners and the HPC will hold a joint public hearing on March 3, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Department of Social Services, Hillsborough Commons, 113 Mayo Street, Hillsborough, North Carolina to receive citizen comment on the application and the proposed designation ordinance for Murphey School. The enclosed attachment is a copy of the Notice for the Public Hearing. As the owner of property located within 500 feet of the Murphey School site, you will receive notice of each of the meetings where the HPC will discuss this application. HPC meetings are open to the public. You are welcome to come to any of these meetings to listen, to comment about the application, to ask questions, or to offer information about the school, its history and the surrounding community. If you have questions or would like additional information about the process or upcoming meeting, please feel free to call me at (919) 245 -2517. Sincerely, Christina R. Moon Cultural Resources Specialist enclosure CC' Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager David Stancil, Director, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners . -OCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION PROCESS 15 Property owner accepts ....................................... invitation from Historic HPC makes initial Property does not appear to Preservation Commission evaluation at next be candidate. (HPC) or submits application meeting. Process ends. (Part 1) to participate in Local Landmark Program (LLP). Property does appear to Property owner completes Part 2 of be candidate. application and works with private consultant or HPC member and staff to complete Survey and Research Report (S/R1, Staff submits S & R to HPC for Staff sends notice via certified mail to applicant next regular meeting. and property owners w /in 500 feet. HPC accepts S /R, and forwards to State I I SHPO submits comments within 30 Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). days of receipt of S /R. HPC considers SHPO comments Staff sends notice via at next regular meeting. certified mail to applicant and property owners Win 500 feet. HPC recommends property _ Staff prepares for local landmark legal notice: designation & requests that Board of County Commissioners public advertisement proposal be sent to public p. (BOCC) & HPC hold Joint Public. and mailed notice to hearing. Hearing. applicant & property owners within 500 feet. BOCC considers designation .......................... HPC submits recommendation to BOCC & enactment a designation BOCC denies within 60 days. ordinance. designation. Process ends, half of application fee is [BOCC ad opts designation refunded. ordinance. :.........................: Staff notifies owner & occupant. I Staff files designation ordinance. I Staff notifies Land Records. IStaff contacts owner regarding I recognition plaque or sign. ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION HISTORIC RESOURCE EVALUATION FORM (Preserving the Orange Tradition: A Landmark Designation Program for Orange County - Appendix E) Page 1 of 3 16 Property Name: Score Location: 10.0 Owner: 10.( Tax Reference: 1801 -1865 Address: 5.0 OR Number: 5.0 RESOURCE TYPE: National Register / S Archaeoloqical Site / Individual Other Re: List HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE: Score AGE: 10.0 Pre 1800 10.( 7.5 1801 -1865 7.5 5.0 1866 -1885 5.0 2.5 1886 -1930 2.5 1.0 5.0 Post 1931 1.0 Significant Post 1959 0.0 10.0 7.5 HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE: Associations with a National State Local Local None person, event, group or institution of (1 +) 0 +) (3 -4) (1 -2) 2.5 significance 10.0 7.5 5.0 Minor Some ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: Builder /Architect, period, style, or Genre Very Si nificant Significant Notable Minor None 10.0 7.5 5.0 2.5 0.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE: Resemblance to historic_ landscapes and land use atterns Very ni cant Significant Notable Minor None !!ifi 0.0 7.5 its historic or cultural significance. Examples: statuary, machinery, 7.5 5.0 CONTRIBUTING FEATURES: Diverse, additional elements related to history, Condition Excellent Good landscape, or architecture that contribute to knowledge of the site and enhance Very Significant Notable None its historic or cultural significance. Examples: statuary, machinery, 7.5 5.0 2.5 fences outbuildings, family histories and memorabilia, etc. 10.0 5.0 0.0 Score Score Score Score INTEGRITY: Condition Excellent Good Fair Poor Ruin Score 10.0 7.5 5.0 2.5 0.0 Alterations None Minor Some Significant Major Score 10.0 7.5 5.0 2.5 0.0 Has the Structure Been Moved? Yes No Score TOTAL POINTS 0.0 5.0 Is the Structure At Risk? Yes No Score 5.0 0.0 MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES ( -10 to + 10): ocvniiy: L-uwesi t -iv); nignest t7uu); miapoint (ou) o, �s ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION HISTORIC RESOURCE EVALUATION FORM (Preserving the Orange Tradition: A Landmark Designation Program for Orange County - Appendix D) Page 2 of 3 HISTORIC SITES SCORING CRITERIA Points Resource Significance Contributing Integrity Awarded Type Age Historic Architectural Environmental* Elements Condition Alterations Designated National Pre -1800 Early Associated with at least Very significant: Very significant: Register of Historic Settlement one person, event, High Academic: All or most NPS Diverse, additional Excellent. 10.0 Places site or included and the group or institution Designed by architect; landscape features elements related to Structure, roof, and None on National Register Revolutionary of National superb example of evident; strong history, landscape, surfaces sound. Study List War significance nationally - recognized resemblance to historic or architecture that —period, sty] or genre patterns of land use. contribute to knowledge of the site Associated with at least Significant: Unique Significant: Good. Minor. Repainting; Significant one person, event, example of nationally Many NPS landscape and enhance its Minor exterior repairs some minor trim 7.5 archaeological site 1801 -1865 group or institution popular plans of the features evident; bears historic or cultural required. Some replacement; old or cemetery Pre -Civil War of State day; or, unique resemblance to historic significance. minor surface additions of awnings significance regional vernacular patterns of use with deterioration. and shutters. adaptation. minor modifications. Building complex Associated with at least Notable: Very significant: Fair. Some. Greater such as farmstead 3 -4 of the following Notable: Some NPS features Outstanding or unique Evidence of roof leaks. extent of old, 6.0 with main 1866 -1885 grounds for Local Common example of evident, but modified example, or numerous Some structural minor structural dwelling, barn, and Reconstruction significance: a person, nationally popular over time. General occurrences of members need replacing. alterations. outbuildings event, group period, style, or genre, historic patterns and contributing elements. Minor foundation work, or institution character are retained. 10.0 Substantial repairs. 1886 to Associated with at least Minor: Notable: Poor. Significant. 50 years 1 -2 of the following Minor: Some evidence of Excellent or Major roof leaks, Structures added; 2.5 Individual building before present: grounds for Local Common vernacular historic patterns and unusual example, or deteriorating structure artificial siding; or site Industrialization significance: a person, adaptation of popular character remain, but some occurrences of and foundation. Major changes to roofline. through event, group period, style, or genre. substantial modification contributing elements, repairs needed to World War II or institution exists. 5.0 exterior surfaces. Major. Demolition; Ruin. Beyond 2 major additions 0.0 No association None None None reasonable with different restoration. architecture. 'Environmental significance based on National Park Service (NPS) classification of eleven (11) landscape characteristics as detailed in National Register Bulletin No. 30: Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Rural Historic Landscapes. ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION Page 3 of 3 Environmental Significance (Excerpted from the National Park Service (NPS) classification of eleven (11) landscape characteristics as detailed in National Register Bulletin No. 30: Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Rural Historic Landscapes) 18 A classification system of eleven characteristics has been developed for reading a rural landscape and for understanding the natural and cultural forces that have shaped it. The first four characteristics are processes that have been instrumental in shaping the land, such'as the response of farmers to fertile soils. The remaining seven are physical components that are evident on the land, such as barns or orchards. Many, but not all, rural properties contain all eleven characteristics. As information about existing characteristics is related to the historic contexts for a geographical area, assessments of significance, integrity, and boundaries can be made for specific properties. Processes: 1. Land Uses and Activities: Land uses are the major human forces that shape and organize rural communities. 2. Patterns of Spatial Organization: The organization of land on a large scale depends on the relationship among major physical components, predominant landforms, and natural features. 3. Response to the Natural Environment: Major natural features, such as mountains, prairies, rivers, lakes, forests, and grasslands, influenced both the location and organization of rural communities. 4. Cultural Traditions: Cultural traditions affect the ways that land is used, occupied, and shaped. Religious beliefs, social customs, ethnic identity, and trades and skills may be evident today in both physical features and uses of the land. Physical Components: 5. Circulation Networks: Circulation networks are systems for transporting people, goods, and raw materials from one point to another. They range in scale from livestock trails and footpaths, to roads, canals, major highways, and even airstrips. 6. Boundary Demarcations: Boundary demarcations delineate areas of ownership and land use, such as an entire farmstead or open range. They also separate smaller areas having special functions, such as a fenced field or enclosed corral. 7. Vegetation Related to Land Use: Various types of vegetation bear a direct relationship to long- established patterns of land use. Vegetation includes not only crops, trees, or shrubs planted for agricultural and ornamental purposes, but also trees that have grown up incidentally along fence lines, beside roads, or in abandoned fields. 8. Buildings, Structures, and Objects: Various types of buildings, structures, and objects serve human needs related to the occupation and use of the land. S. Clusters: Groupings of buildings, fences, and other features, as seen in a farmstead, ranch, or mining complex, result from function, social tradition, climate, or other influences, cultural or natural. 10. Archeological Sites: The sites of prehistoric or historic activities or occupation, may be marked by foundations, ruins, changes in vegetation, and surface remains. 11. Small -scale elements: Small -scale elements, such as a foot bridge or road sign, add to the historic setting of a rural landscape. These features may be characteristic of a region and occur repeatedly throughout an area, such as limestone fence posts in Kansas or cattle gates in the Buffalo River Valley of Arkansas. While most small -scale elements are long - lasting, some, such as bales of hay, are temporal or seasonal. co ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANaMARK APPLICATION A)kchoneo +- c'-� Page 1 of 7 DATE OF APPLI6ATION "Y-0 Please type, if possible, or print. All submitted materials become the property of the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission and cannot be returned. if (if use current akme 2. LOCATION (physical location, not mailing address) A. Street or State Route/Highway 7 2 trG 7 B. Township Chi, e 1 pal, Lie—to C. Crossroads Community/Vicinity 6,t1 kk-4 - 3. LEGAL OWNER OF PROPERTY (please indicate Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., or other appropriate .title) -7 NAM AC TELEPHONE t `� F/fo FIRM and /or R BRIEF STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE _ Please provide a brief statement or summary outlining the historical, architectural, and perhaps landscape, elements that make the site significant: (This statement should be expanded for question #5 of Part 2 of the application. _ 1 /,, -� -i�/ Named for'North Carolina's "Father of Public Education" Archibald D. Murphey, Murphey's School was constructed in 1923 as part of the early twentieth century consolidated: school movement. Well - preserved, the rectangular one -story brick building features elements of the Classical and Spanish Revival styles. An auditorium was added to the west side of the building in 1936 and fronted with a two-story classical Doric portico (temple front). The. building was designed by Henri Colvin Linthicum, a specialist in school design and partner with his father in the architectural firm of Linthicum and Linthicum. A handful of outbuildings survive on the property dating to the first half of the twentieth century, including a 1923 frame bungalow that served as the teacherage. *Please submit current photographs of the property Including all elevations of the main house and any other important buildings. Please also include general photographs of the property and include any important landscape features. (if you wish to use digital photography, please submit hard copy printouts.) * *Please also submit a sketch plan of the property showing the footprint of all key buildings and the location of all driveways or farm roads. 20 ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION PART 2 4. GENERAL DATA A. Dates) of Building(s): Page 2of7 DATE 01= APPLICATION f f Original construction 4:/k, ixf / e-& L-1 J - If Subsequent additions, if applicable f -. 6 B; Outbuildings: Yes YNo ; if yes, number L a� 1 W'hi`r C. Have any buildings on the property been moved? Yes No If yes, please give the date, reason, and details of the move. Use an additional sheet if necessary. D. Approximate Acreage: G- �e E. Architect and/or BuiiderfllAas�an ("�f k F. Original Use: G. Present Use: 0 I 21 -cue 0s Frr'" 6. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Please provide a brief statement or summary (on an attached 8 W x 11" sheet) outlining the historical, architectural, and perhaps landscape, elements that make the site significant -4hese are the features that are most important to preserve should you wish to make changes to the property in the future. For example, "This property was the Taylorhomeplace from the 1850s to 1940s. The Taylors were an important Orange County family who operated the local sawmill in the 5t. Mary's ;` Road community during the 1870s- 1900s. While the house was covered with vinyl siding in the f 1980s and a two-room addition was cnnstruded in the back around 199.0, the building still looks like a mid nineteenth - century farmhouse from the road. It sits on a slight hill, framed by several mature oak and pecan trees. The house retains its original rootiine, chimneys and front porch, all of which are Wsible firm the road, in addition, the property still reads as a farm, several outbuildings survive intact including the building which housed the sawmill, the dairy, sweet potato bam, and smokehouse." 6. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Describe in .a narrative form, (ors an attached a y2" x 11 ° sheet(s)), the architectural features of the main house and other buildings on the property. Please include information on any additions and/or remodelings to the buildings, particularly changes that that may not be apparent in photographs. Please also describe the setting, such as active farmland, wooded, rural community, urban neighborhood, etc. 7 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW j Discuss any significant ,events, personages and/or families associated with the property. (Detailed family genealogies are not necessary.) Please list any additional sources of information. Only material Contained on the form will be used in the evaluation. 22, ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION Page 3 of 7 S. PHOTOGRAPHS /SLIDES Please provide any additional photographs as necessary to .evaluate the site. Photographs should include: all four sides of the main house, close -ups of any important architectural features such as trim, doors or windows, individual pictures of outbuildings, and an overall picture of the entire complex. Photographs of important interior features, such as mantels and stairways, are not necessary but are helpful to get a sense of the architectural significance of the house. 9. SITE PLAN/ SURVEY/ MAPS Please include a map showing the location of the property. A sketch map is acceptable, but please note street and route numbers. Please provide a site plan showing the relationship of the main house or building to the driveway and road, and the relationship of the main house or building to any outbuildings. Please include a "North" arrow. 10. REASON FOR REQUEST Please offer a brief explanation of how you heard about the Local Landmark Program and why you would like to participate in it. d a 40,14 - ! JC l� L F o f Y �i 11. if formallydesignated by the County Commissioners, will the property owner seek the tax deferral? Yes No Not sure (This information is for budgeting purposes only, it wzff not impact the HPC's decision toward your application.) 12. APPLICANT OR CONTACT PERSON INFORMATION (f other than owner) Name ; ffcr Telephone_ �l 071.1 Address f o 1'f i L City /State 1 - Zip Code r r Signature Date E-mail _ %`K C4j( 13. T ' application is submitted [check one of the following]: at the request of the owner. with the owner's knowledge but not at his or her request. without the owner's knowledge. Retum to Cultural Resources Specialist Orange County Environment & Resource Conservation Department 806 Revere Road Hillsborough, NC :27276 (919) 210 -2595 PA . Statement of Significance The Murphey School site represents a rare example of an intact early 20'h Century (1923, schoolhouse which includes not only a separate Teacherage, where the working staff lived, but an adjoining Auditorium constructed some 12 years later as part of Works Progress Administration (WPA). Some of the architectural features that are distinctive and should be taken particular care to preserve are the Spanish Revival imitation (tin) terra cotta roofing, the Doric portico of the Auditorium, and the arched windows of the Auditorium. Also, regarding the interior of the Auditorium, a good deal of attention has been paid to retaining the 1935 character of the space, including the coffered ceilings, the woods floors, and plaster walls. The stage and wings are virtually identical to the original structure, as are the three entrance doors and unusual transoms above. Within the school itself, the original tin ceilings have been rediscovered and exposed after a good deal of restoration, and the interior transoms that helped with air flow ( before air conditioning) have been restored along with the original hallway. In addition, although the Teacherage is not an unusual style bungalow house, as a part of the overall site it is so rare to be preserved that care should be taken to retain it's character as well. I have taken great care to restore these features, especially as they are seen in a frontal view, and want to make sure they are retained going forward. I would also like to retain the water tower, although it is more of a conversation piece than historically significant. The shrubbery added in front to comply with the Special Use standards should be kept low — never more than 3 -4 feet in height, to allow a strong view of the facility, and I have chosen a particular compact variety of juniper that will be easy to maintain and should not grow more than 4 feet if properly maintained. Although I have taken care to preserve the internal structure of these buildings as much as possible, I can imagine a variety of uses over time. The open floor plan will allow for many temporary uses and I hope it will always be used to benefit the Orange — Durham Community that it sits squarely in the middle of I can imagine changes to the site, but only towards the back of the more than 7 acres that it occupies. When I purchased the property there was a small mobile home on the back that was added in the 1980's. This house is an eyesore and in bad disrepair and I would like to remove it from the property to be replaced at some point with a small house of similar square feet but of the 20's or 30's era. There is already power, water, and sewer and this could be another small office as the mobile home was intended to be. It would not be a contributing structure to the historic nature of the site but would be more functional and attractive than the mobile home. Other than that, the septic system covers a large portion of the property and the balance is a natural wooded buffer that should be maintained, so I do not expect there would be additional building on the site. 23 �j,, 1, '� �( �� try► 24 , � NP Form , 0-900-a . i ;�- 6 over x,02"o,8 �a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 8 Page 8 _Mvrphev School name of property Orange County. NC county and state Summary Statement Murphey School meets National Register Criterion A on the local level in the area of education and Criterion C for architecture. Murphey School opened as a consolidated school in Orange County in 1923 and closed in 1959, thus the period of significance for Murphey School is from 1923 to 1959. The school site includes a rare surviving teacherage, constructed c. 1923 from salvaged materials from the former ML Hope School once located nearby. The survival of a teacherage makes Murphey School especially notable as the only remaining example in Orange County with a like complex. The school played an important role in rural community life as well as the educational development of Orange County. It reflects statewide trends in school consolidation and embodies a distinct architectural style associated with early twentieth- century educational reform. Murphey School is also significant as an intact school influenced by the Spanish Revival - style in Orange County and for its Neoclassicakstyle auditorium addition. Defined by a symmetrical fagade flanking a central projecting entry bay, the school's brick fagade features groups of large arched windows and doors. Its hipped metal roof imitating terra cotta the is especially notable. The 1936 auditorium was funded through a Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant and displays a prominent Doric portico and arched windows. Architect Henri Colvin Linthicum, a specialist in school design and partner with his father in the architectural firm Linthicum and Linthicum, designed Murphey School W. H. Woods of Durham served as the builder /contractor. Historical Background and Education Context Located in rural Orange County and constructed in 1923, with a 1936 auditorium addition, Murphey School represents the early twentieth - century consolidation movement in North Carolina's public education system. Consolidation, improved transportation services, and centralization transformed the public school system especially during the early twentieth century and after World War 1. Consolidation was viewed as a great equalizer between rural schools and city schools as it created fewer larger schools from many smaller schools with a higher volume of students separated into grades for instruction. Murphey School met new demands for students' well -being and higher educational standards through its facilities and new organization of class instruction according to grade level. Named for North Carolina's "Father of Public Education," Archibald D_ Murphey, Murphey School and similar consolidated schools came to fruition only after years of development and reform of the state's public education system throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Murphey's 1 817 report on education 25 NPS Form 1"00 -a OMB No. 1024 -0018 (om) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 8 Page 9 Murohev School name of property Oranae County. NC county and state recommended a publicly financed system of education. However, it would take much longer for North Carolina's elected officials to act upon his visionary proposalS.2 While North Carolina boasted a good school system during the antebellum era, after the Civil War the state's schools either remained stagnant or declined until the State Constitution of 1888. During the Reconstruction era and up until the turn of the twentieth century, few educational opportunities existed for the majority of North Carolinians. in 1839, seven years after Murphey's death, with the passing of a legislative act that created school districts throughout the state, those districts were allowed to tax in order to fund the construction of schoolhouses. The now state constitution created a public education system free for all children and allowed for the establishment of the office of Superintendent of Public instruction.3 By the turn of the twentieth century public education made greater strides in North Carolina with increased state and federal tax funds for schools. In 1913 the Compulsory Attendance Act passed requiring children between the ages of eight and twelve to attend school four months out of the year. Prior to this act, only about half of North Carolina's school -age children attended on a regular basis.4 Another impetus behind the enhanced education system was Governor Charles B. Aycock, who pledged to improve public education and encouraged the frenzy of new school construction that provided larger, improved facilities. Cane -room frame schoolhouses were soon replaced with larger permanent brick or stone buildings and children were grouped into classes by age and grade level. According to historian Jim Sumner, around 3,400 public schools were constructed between 1900 and 1915. This trend is known as the consolidation movement, and it would soon spread and proliferate throughout North Carolina as it had nationwide.s' With consolidation, many leading educators believed that students could receive a higher- quality of education with large classes, better trained teachers and upgraded facilities that could also act as community centers. From 1918 to 1920, Dr. Edgar W. Knight, a noted scholar of education in North Carolina, authored a series of informational leaflets on the benefits of consolidation, especially for rural schools. Knight claimed that North Carolina had experienced great progress in education after World War I and that the state's rural schools had not kept pace with those in 2 Caswell County Historical Association, Archibald Debow Murphey., Biographical Sketch, 2007, wvvw.reotsvveb. ancestry. coml- ncchalbio ra hieslarchibaldmur hv.htmi, accessed September 2008. Martin, Jennifer and Sarah Woodard, Edwards- Pitman Environmental, Inc., "Survey of Wake County Public Schools/Final Report," (Raleigh: State Historic Preservation Office, 2002), p. 1-6. 4 Sumner, Jim. `A Brief History of North Carolina's Early Twentieth Century Public School System," North Carolina Historic Preservation Office Newsletter (Spring 1990), p. 2 5 Ibid, p. 6-16. 26 NP3 Form 10 -900 -e OMB No. 1024 -0018 (8-8$) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section L Page 10 Muighev School name of property Orange County. NC county and state towns and cities. With eighty percent of North Carolina's population living in rural areas, the majority of people were not receiving an adequate education. Knight pressed that consolidation was the answer to improving the rural school problem, stating, nit means more comfortable, convenient, and attractive and better equipped school buildings. In such buildings the health and the morals of the children are safeguarded to a greater degree than is possible in the smaller one - room school.» Included in the plan of consolidation endorsed by Knight was a teacherage, a feature constructed on the Murphey School property.6 For consolidation to fulfill its purpose, Knight also admitted that the state must first embrace a policy of road building in order to transport rural students to the newly consolidated schools that possibly were not located within walking distance. Without the "Good Roads" movement during the 1920s, consolidation would not have been successful. Knight encouraged each consolidated school to purchase wagons or buses and to hire dependable drivers. in 1525 Orange County operated five school trucks costing $1680.70 for oil, gas and repairs and $783 for drivers.7 Knight explained that though the new consolidated school would be more expensive than its older counterpart, the costs to the taxable district would be offset by state funding available through programs such as the State Special Building Fund, established to provide funding to each county for the erection of public school houses. Another aid to local school districts was the Division of Schoolhouse Planning, created in 1920 by an appropriation from the legislature to assist the State Board of Education in providing sufficient buildings for public instruction. The Division of Schoolhouse Planning set now design .standards for, educational facilities and helped to organize their construction. a Even with the great solution of consolidation, many rural newly consolidated schools sat in strong contrast to their sister schools in the city. Often small rural schools like Murphey School were inadequately staffed and short on materials and equipment. Rural schools, including elementary and high schools, emphasized more of an agricultural education due to the number of students who would choose professions such as farming and domestic life. In Orange County there were forty -seven rural schools in 1925 with ninety teachers. Orange County public schools' agricultural departments not only focused on farming methods in the community, but also instructed adult farmers and organized county fairs. s Knight, Edgar W. -The Consolidation of Rural Schools,' 2n' ed., University QtNorth Carolina Extension Leaflets, vol. 3, no. 8, (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1920), p. 5 -18. 7 Andrews, Nita. "A study of the Public Schools of Orange County,' Masters Thesis, (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1925), p. 65. 8 Knight, Edgar W., p. 5-18. 9 Andrews, Nita. p. 64-66. 27 KIPS Form 10 -WO-a OMB No. 10240018 () United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section t# Page 11 Murohev School name of property orange County. NC county and state The standardization of the design and furnishing of new school buildings during the 19205 and 1930s became increasingly more common. Chief considerations in determining the general plan were orientation, natural light and ventilation, flexibility for future additions, aesthetic fitness, and economy. Other new standards for buildings recommended statewide were steam heat, indoor plumbing, drinking fountains, and an auditorium that could double as a gymnasium and also host community gatherings. 10 These standards of the new rural school would make it successful and help to unify rural areas. In addition to novel standards for consolidated school buildings, North Carolina educational leaders called for higher standards for teachers, preferring those with some kind of professional training. As of 1925, in Grange County approximately half of all teachers only held elementary certificates 11 Proponents of consolidation claimed that with multiple schools combined together, a surplus of teachers would be created, with only the best-trained chosen for positions in the new consolidated school. In 1938 North Carolina required at least one teacher per grade with a "Class A" certification in order for a school to be accredited. Educators also believed that teachers in rural consolidated schools needed to integrate more into the community, and with few options in the country for boarding, many school districts constructed teachers' homes or "teacherages" for the purpose of housing rural teachers. Educational scholars claimed that not only would the teacherage allow for teachers to develop relationships with community members, but it would also provide social fellowship for single female teachers by living with their co-workers; the teacherage becoming, "a self - evident necessity and a good investment for the distriet"12 The superintendent of Orange County schools at the time of the construction of Murphey School was Robert Claytor, who served a total of thirty years in the position and led the consolidation of schools in the county. Orange County applied for $50,000 of the $5,000,000 of the State School Fund for the purpose of erecting new schoolhouses during the early 1920s. Half the cost of each new school was to be paid for by local tax districts in Orange County. The county also hired the Henri C. Linthicum, of the architectural firm Linthicum and Linthicum of Durham, to draw plans for new school buildings throughout Orange County. This father and son team, led by Hill C. Linthicum until his death in 1919, promoted their firm as specializing in the design of educational facilities. 10 Handbook for Elementary and Secondary Schools, 9936, publication no. 206 (Raleigh: State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Prepared by Division of Instructional Service), p.13 -25. t Andrews, Nita. "A Study of the Public Schools of Orange County," Masters Thesis, (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1925), p. 70 12 Arp, iulius Semhard. Rural Education and the Consolidated Schoa (New York: world Book Company, 1920), p. 151 -155. 28 NPs Form 10 -900 -a OMB No. 1024 -0018 ("W United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 8 Page 12 Murphey- School name of property Orange County-. NC county and state Originally, the Orange County School Board planned to construct a new University School, but then decided to consolidate University with Mount Hope and other surrounding schools, thus creating what would become Murphey School. The only additional school in the district that was not consolidated to make up Murphey at the time was St. Mary's School. The board selected and purchased a new site rather than rebuilding on the site of the old University School, naming the new school after the famous educational scholar, Archibald D. Murphey. Architect H. C. Linthicum designed the plans for Murphey School and the contracting was awarded to W. H. Woods of Durham for $8,995. A heating plant was installed for $1,275. The building plans specified wood frame and brick veneer construction for the school's primary material, but only after a recommendation by Linthicum (the original plans called for hollow the construction). Apparently, Mr. Woods had not satisfied the school board with his masonry skills, and a settlement was made between him and the Orange County School Board. This agreement called for Mr. Woods to "deduct $25 from the contract price on account of a look of cement in the mortar. "13 Mr. Woods also constructed the teacherage for an extra cost of $800 for labor, According to the Orange County School Board minutes, construction had already begun on the new Mt. Hope School that was to be consolidated with Murphey School, therefore, the board elected to tear down what had been built so far of the Mt. Hope School and transport its materials to the Murphey School site to be used as a seven -room "Teacher's Home." The board applied the $800 earned from the sale of the old University School towards the Teacherage.t4 Architect Henri Colvin Linthicum of Durham, was hired by the Orange County School Board to draw plans for many new school buildings and designed Murphey School. Henri Linthicum was born in 1886 and spent part of his chitdhood in Henderson, North Carolina. His father, Hill C. Linthicum, Carne to North Carolina in 1880 from Virginia and became one of Durham's leading architects, specializing in educational buildings. Henri C. Linthicum followed his father's profession when he chose to practice architecture, establishing a business in Raleigh. He remained in Raleigh until his death in 1952. The architectural firm of Linthicum and Linthicum designed schools often in a "T" plan that could be adapted to one -, two -, or three -story buildings with adherence to the state code for heating, lighting, ventilation and fire exits. Henri Linthicum's father, Hill C. Linthicum, eventually went on to be instrumental in establishing the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and serving as the chapter's first President from 1915 to 1919, the year of his death. Is Murphey School opened in 1923. It contained three classrooms plus 13 orange County Board of Education Minutes, 1872 -1962, microfilm (Raleigh: State Archives Research Room, c. 073.94002), .tune 15, 1923. t4 lbid, p. 30.95, p. 535 -548. Is Bisbir, Catherine, Charlotte V Brown, Carl R. Lounsbury and Ernest H. Wood ill, Arc hffects and Bur7ders in North Carolina: A History ofthe Practice of StAfingg (Chapel Hill: The university of North Carolina Press, 1990), 29 NPS Form 10 -900 -a OMB No. 1€2"018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 8 Page 13 Murphey School name of property Orange County. NC county and state a combined library/cafeteria room (Which also could be used as a classroom: space), a kitchen, two bathrooms, drinking fountains, two entry vestibules on the east and west sides, and a central corridor dividing the rooms. Murphey School taught grades one through seven and employed around three to four teachers; one of them also serving as a principal. The first principal and teachers are unknown; however, in '1930 Mr. H. F. Pickett was approved as principal.' By 1929 North Carolina public schools totaled 5,500 elementary schools with 19;500 teachers and almost 750,000 students. Approximately three- fourths of these students were enrolled in rural schools. The average school term length was 150.5 days. The training of teachers had improved tremendously by this time, with the rate of teachers without college degrees decreasing from 32.2 % to 12.3 % from 1925 to 1929. During this period, the consolidation movement had spread Widely, with over 900 one-, two -, and three - teacher schools eliminated and 172 consolidated schools added.17 However, the onset of the Great Depression caused new school construction to slow and teachers' salaries to decline; still, enrollment and attendance continued to show improvement. The Great Depression made school particularly difficult for rural children, as their help was needed more than ever on the farm. Many children during the depression attended school only sporadically and with inadequate clothing and school supplies. 1e During the 1934 -1935 school year Murphey School enrolled 182 students and was one of nine schools plus Chapel Hill city schools in the Orange County district. The district comprised the fallowing schools in addition to Murphey: Hillsboro, Orange Grove, Saint Mary's, Caldwell, Efland, Aycock, Carrboro, White Cross, plus the Chapel Hill schools.19 In 1936 Murphey School added an auditorium wing (thirty feet x eighty feet) onto the west elevation of the building. The addition, along with several other school construction projects for Orange County, was funded through a federal Works Project Administration grant that called for an "auditorium and sewerage plant at Murphey school! The grant to the Orange County School Board from the federal government p..318, 337 -33:8. Anderson, Jean Bradley. A History of Durham County, (Historic Preservation Society of Durham, Duke University Press, 1990), p. 177 -180. Jackson, C. David and Charlotte V. Brown, The North Carolina Chapter of The American Institute of Architects, 1913 -1998, (Raleigh: North Carolina Chapter, The American Institute of Architects, 1998). 16 Orange County Board of Education Minutes, 1872 -1962, microfilm (Raleigh: Mate Archives Research Room, c, 073. 94002), p. 95. 17 Slinkard, Thomas Ralkes. "Public Education in North Carolina During the Depression, 1929- 1933," Masters Thesis, (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, 1948), p. 1 -13. is lbld, p. 76-79. Davis, Anita Price. Nov h Carolina wring the Great Depression: A Doeurnentary Por&aff of a Decade (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. Inc. publishers, 2003), p. 128. 19 Division of Schoolhouse Planning, Study of Lml School Vn& 1935 -1936, Department of Public Instruction, (Raleigh: State Archives Research Room), table 5. 30 NPS Form 10-900 -0 OMS No. 1024 -0018 (a-so) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 8 Page 14 Murphey School name of property Orange County NC county and state totaled $155,454. The cost for the Murphey School addition totaled $16,365 and included in addition to the auditorium: a new water supply, indicating that the construction of the water tank occurred in 1936, the renovation of the Teacherage, and a new sewage system and plumbing. George W. Kane was selected as the general contractor for the project, with plumbing installed by Jobe- Blackley and heating by J. L. Powers. WPA projects, part of the New Deal programs from the Roosevelt administration, provided relief work for the unemployed and funding for the construction of schools and internal improvement projects across North Carolina, and elsewhere, during the 1930s. As a result of the New Deal, the federal government intervened in the lives of many North Carolinians. Author Anthony Badger states of North Carolina during the New Deal era, "in a time of mass unemployment the New Deal provided direct relief to as many as 300,000 clients a month and gave work to over 200,000 of the state's jobless. "20 Murphey School was one of ten school projects in Orange County during 1936 receiving WPA grant money from the federal government. The architect of the auditorium is unknown. On June 1, 1936, the board inspected the new auditorium at Murphey School and approved it with only minor changes. Also in 1936, an electric range was ordered for Murphey School in hopes that a power line would soon be installed by the Durham Public Service Company.21 With many children at Murphey School desiring to attend the Hillsboro school throughout the 1930s and 1940s, numbers began to decline.. Frequently throughout this period, parents sought the board's permission for their children in the Murphey School district to attend the Hillsboro elementary school. According to the minutes for November 1, 1948, a parent appeared before the board stating that, "regardless of the teachers employed at Murphey School they would insist on their child attending school at Hillsboro because they believed it to be a better school." The board at many times throughout this period refused to allow children to attend Hillsboro if they lived within the Murphey district, but, after strong persistence from parents, they eventually gave in with the condition that these children who desired to attend school in Hillsboro provide their own transportation. Still, the Orange County board faced a tough battle as students deliberately 20 Badger, Anthony. North Carolina and the New Deal. (Raleigh: North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1981), 41. 21 Orange County Board of Education Minutes, 1872 -1962, microrilm (Raleigh: State Archives Research Room, c. 073. 94002), p. 151 -157. 'Orange County's New Schools,' Chapel dill Weekly, May 22; 1936, p.1. "Work on School Building Awaits Melting of Snow,„ Chapel Hill Weekly, January 3,1936, p.1. In March of 1930 the committeemen of Murphey School appeared before the Orange county School Board to solicit their interest in building a new room onto Murphey School. The board approved the application and In June of 1930 elected to provide $300 for the new room. However, this "new room" referred to in orange county School Board minutes is unknown. There is no physical evidence where an addition would have been made; it also could have been an addition that was razed with the construction of the 1936 auditorium. 31 NPs Form 10 -900 -a OMB No. 1024 -0018 () United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section $ Page 15 Murahev School name of property Orange County, NC county and state ignored the rules and continued to ride the school bus to Hillsboro for school By 1947 Murphey School had the lowest student-to-teacher ratio in the county, and an agreement was made to retain the seventh grade at Murphey until higher attendance warranted its transfer to the elementary school in Hillsboro. Nevertheless, with numbers dwindling, Murphey School continued to hire around three teachers almost every year. In 1948 Murphey School enrolled only around seventy pupils and the board decided to transfer the seventh grade to the Hillsboro school. The principal's reports available for Murphey School date from 1946 to1950, towards the latter part of the school's operation. In 1946 Mrs. J. M. Harris served as principal as well as a teacher for the fifth and sixth grades. The other teachers were Mrs. Myrtle Walker, Mrs. Erna Link, Mrs. Chas F. Hudson and Miss Florence Roat. Students at Murphey School engaged in extracurricular activities such as the 4 -H Club and chorale. A parent - teacher association existed at Murphey School as well. Some of the improvements that Principal Harris listed for 1946 included, Improved lunch room by obtaining new chairs, tables, and new curtains, reupholstering state furniture, and purchasing new cooking equipment." During the 1949 -1950 school year a physical education program had been implemented. Additionally, an art teacher from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was employed part -time. Post -World War 11 public schools in North Carolina continued to consolidate and improve their facilities, but they also faced new concerns including desegregation and the large influx of children with the baby boom of the 1950s. Murphey School continued to employ around three teachers each year and attendance dwindled. This can in part be explained by the influx of residents to the cities during the early part of the twentieth century, and later the congregation of middle -class families in the outlying suburbs. The low attendance rate was also due to the prejudices and opinions of local residents regarding the quality of the school. Murphey School closed in 1959, and its students transferred to the elementary schools in Hillsboro. The board agreed to lease the empty school building to the Mt. Herman Baptist Church for one year at the rate of $25 per month. In 1963 the Underwood family purchased the property at a public auction 24 Some time during the early 1970s it was used as a nightclub until the mid- 1 980s; it sat vacant from 1986 until its purchase by Jay Miller in March of 2008. 22 Orange County Board of Education Minutes, 248 -250. 23 Division of Institutional Services, Elementary and Secondary Education Section., Elementary School Arlhalpals' Annual Reports, 1924 - 1950, Department of Public Instruction (Raleigh: State Archives Research Room). 24 Orange County Board of Education Minutes, 1872 -1962, microfilm (Raleigh: State Archives Research Room, c. 073. 94002), p. 402 -487, p. 3. 32 I . 6 4-4 Historical Overview — Murphey School 9 -8 -09 The school and teacherage were accepted into the National Register of Historic Places in September of 109 and the narrative for that nomination contain the best material concerning the Significance of the property as well as the Architectural Description. It also goes into the Historical overview but I want to provide some additional information I am gathering from some of the former students as well as my own research, which continues to take place as I am renovating the property. Some of the work that led to the nomination uncovered some interesting information, such as the fact that the Auditorium was added as a WPA Government project in 1935. The narrative also goes into detail about the history of public schools in North Carolina, and the tremendous increase in funding and support that begins around the time of the construction of the Murphey School. One of the most interesting things I am finding about pertains to performances held at the Murphey School Auditorium outside of regular school hours. Apparently this venue was the host of many dances and musical performances by artists traveling through the area. I have yet to find definitive proof but have been told my more than one of the elderly locals that among musicians that have performed there are famous country artists such as Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Hank Snow and Roy Acuff. I am in the process of trying to formally confirm what I have been told by making visits to the NC Southern Folklore Archives at ZINC in my spare time. In a recent visit to the UNC archives I came across a collection of Blackwood family papers, which included members of the family living in University, N.C., which is what an area very close to the school was called for some time. I discovered that Mattie Blackwood was a music teacher at Murphey School in the late 1920's and have a copy of a letter where she describes her classroom and teaching, and she may have lived in the Teacherage during that time because she refers to the Dormitory where she lives. It is interesting to note that during that time in 1929 there were 190 students total. Of that total, 36 took music lessons on a regular basis and all students were exposed to some music as a part of the curriculum. I am continuing to search for more information that will continue to lend to the historical overview. During my renovation of the teacherage I found a cache of period textbooks that I plan to include as a part of a permanent display in the hallway of the old school. These books give a fascinating look at the types of subjects taught at the school, as well as some of the outdated material that was accepted as fact of that era. �/j P 3 3 f/ Y 1024 -0018 NPS Form 10- 90ti -a ♦ �„ E3t+A8 No. (8-M) United States Department of the interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 8 Page 16 Murcahey School name of property Orange County. NC county and state Architecture Context Murphey School is one of two early consolidated elementary schools surviving in Orange County. In his manuscript for the Orange County survey publication, architectural historian Richard Mattson states of Murphey School, "..,Murphy School clearly illustrates how the construction of centralized rural schools and better roads went hand in hand after World War U25 Early schools in Orange County, including those constructed during the antebellum era through the late nineteenth century, typically were one or two room log or frame buildings. With consolidation came new standards for school buildings including materials that were durable and permanent, steam heat, indoor plumbing, and standardized plans and designs. Generally, consolidated schools were much larger in size with a more diverse range of facilities beyond general classroom space such as an auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria space, library, and lavatories. Murphey School reflects these statewide trends for school buildings within the greater consolidation movement.26 Common to consolidated school buildings during the 1920s, Murphey School contains Spanish Revival- and Classical Revival -style elements with its symmetrical facade and striking Neoclassical -style auditorium (1936) with a Doric portico. Wide bands of windows dominate the facade and brick pilasters flank the corners of the main building. Murphey School is constructed of a brick veneer over a wood frame structure, with an unusual hipped roof of metal shingles designed to imitate terra cotta tiles. Murphey School reflects influences of the Spanish Revival style popular during the 1920s through its metal terra cotta- imitation roof as well as its wrought iron hardware and central arched windows. The Classical Revival style grew prevalent during the 192 0s and particularly during the Great Depression, when the nation embraced a return to former period styles iconic of solidarity and stability. Architectural historian and author Catherine Bishir notes a connection between the support of these styles and the national political scene: "In North Carolina and throughout the South, this emphasis on efficient and orderly planning and on classical and colonial styles meshed conveniently with white Democrats' triumphant return to the old political order." 27 25 Mattson, Richard L. `History and Architecture of Orange County, N.C.,' (Raleigh: State Historic Preservation Office, 1996), p. 61-62. 26 Orange County Survey Reports, "Historic Resources of orange County," Orange County Multiple Property Documentation Form, (Raleigh: State Historic Preservation Office, 1993), p. 21 -22, 39-43, 79. Handbook for Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1938. publication no. 206. Raleigh: State Superintendent of Public instruction, Prepared by Division of instructional Service, p. 13-25. 27 Bishir, Catherine. North Carolina Architecture. (chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990), p. 430, 457 -470. 34 OMB No. 10240018 NPS Form 10 -900 -a ($-N) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section a Page 17 Murphey School name of property Orange County. NC rpunty and state A few similar schools still existing in Orange County are comparable to Murphey School. St. Mary's School, still intact, was constructed in 1931 as a Colonial Revival -style school to replace the original log structure (now destroyed). It is located on the east side of SR 1548, =12 miles north of its junction with SR 1002, also in Orange County near Murphey School. It too received a 1936 WPA brick auditorium addition, Neoclassical in style with three bays of twelve- over - twelve sash and four brick pilasters topped with a brick pediment with a central lunette window. The St. Mary's School auditorium is similar to the one located at Murphey School in style and form, but is much less elaborate with fewer striking features. Seven other additions have been constructed on the site since 1931. Due to consolidation with the Hillsborough School system, St. Mary's School closed in 1943 and then reopened in 1970 as a private college preparatory school. Wilson Library (1928 -29) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, along with several other buildings on that campus containing classical porticos, may well have influenced the design of the Murphey School auditorium addition. Another extant example similar to Murphey School in Orange County is the intact White Cross School (c. 1933) located on the north side of NC 54 200 feet west of its junction with SR 1952. It is also of brick construction with four classrooms and a central auditorium space. White Cross School is considerably more modest in design and smaller than Murphey School. its most prominent features are its projecting side wings as well as groups of windows on its elevations. White Cross School contains a recessed porch sheltered by a side - gable roof supported by four wooden posts. A small pediment sits over the central door on the fagade. Three other classroom buildings make up the White Cross School complex Congress established the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in April of 1935 to take over the relief programs of the Public Works Administration and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. This agency provided funding for employment projects such as the construction of roads, municipal buildings, schools, and national parks, beautification of cities and towns, and the painting of murals. Badger notes that "From 1935 to 1942 the WPA spent $173.7 million in North Carolina. "2'8 One of ten school projects funded through a WPA grant in Orange County, Murphey School's new auditorium and water system was similar to the treatment at nearby St. Mary's School. New schools constructed in the county with WPA funding included West Hillsboro School, Hillsboro Negro School, and Chapel Hill High School. The remaining six projects, like Murphey School, were given funding for the purpose of constructing an addition and adding technological updates. These schools are: Catrboro School, Aycock School, St. Mary's School, Orange Grove 28 Badger, Anthony, Wh Carolina and the Now Deal, (Raleigh, North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1981), p. 41. 35 OMB No. 1024 -0018 NPS Fostn 1 "00-a (8-W) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Stion Page 18 Murphey School name of property Orange County NG county and state School, Chapel Hill Negro School, and Hillsboro School. Out of these ten WPA school projects, Murphey School and St. Mary's School are the only extant identified schools. 29 A frame bungalow constructed as a teacherage to the south of the school stands as the only survival in Orange County of its kind. The nearest known surviving teacherages are the (former) Knightdale School Teacherage, Leesville School Teacherage, and Fuquay Springs Teacherage in Wake County. Constructed in 1940, the large two -story Knightdale School Teacherage possesses a hip roof, brick veneer construction, a pair of dormer windows and Colonial Revival -style elements. The Leesville School Teacherage is another notable example built c. 1906 as a two - story, frame, double -pile house with a triple-A roof. The Fuquay Springs brick Craftsman -style teacherage constructed c. 1925 with a 1947 addition is another survivor, and along with the Knightdale and Leesville school teacherages was constructed specifically for the purpose of housing teachers. According to author Julius Arp, North Carolina had constructed five teacherages for public consolidated schools as of 1920.30 Occasionally erected in rural areas, teacherages served the purpose of providing boarding as well as companionship for teachers in locations with few options for housing. Bungalows became very popular in Orange County during the 1910s and 1920s, embodying concepts such as simplicity and efficiency. Their quick construction and affordability also enhanced their attractiveness to families hoping to purchase a home of their own. Bishir states of the housing type, "Bungalows suited North Carolina's needs and habits. "31 Bungalows often possessed a broad roof, Craftsman -style elements such as shed dormers, wide overhanging eaves but no brackets, and exposed rafter ends, and an open, informal floor plan. The Murphey School Teacherage contains a central -hall plan, and typical Craftsman -style bungalow form with a shed dormer but no other overt stylistic features on the exterior, The large multi -light windows and symmetry are reminiscent of the Colonial Revival style as are the simple post and lintel mantels on the interior. zs Davis, Anita Price. North Carolina During the Great Depression., A Documentary Portrait of a Decade (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. publishers, 2003), 130 -132. "Orange County's New Srhonls,° Chapel Hell Weekly, May 22, 1936, p.1. Arp, Julius Bernhard. Rural Education and the Consolidated School, (New York: World Book Company, 1920), p. 151 -155. 31 Bishir, Catherine, North Carolina Architecture. Chapel Hilt University of North Carolina Press, 1990, p. 500. NPSS Form 10 -900 -a (} United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET ftxm Section 7 Page 1 Murphey School name of property Orange County. NC ^county and state Materials (cont.): Foundation stone OMB No. 1024 -0018 7. Narrative Description: Located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Old NC 10 and Murphy School Road in the Chapel Hill Township in rural Orange County, Murphey School occupies a roughly 7.03 acre parcel near the Durham County line. The property has a Durham mailing address but it is in the Hillsborough vicinity, standing approximately 6.7 miles from that town. Old NC 10 is a lightly traveled corridor connecting Durham and Hillsborough. The one - story, brick rectangular main building was designed by Henri C. Linthicum of the architectural firm Linthicum and Linthicum. The building is joined at a right angle to a rectangular auditorium addition and sits in its original location far back from and facing Old NC 10 with a generous flat grass- covered lot in front and to the west of the property. To the north of the property across Old NC 10 are a handful of residences and a few exist to the southeast behind the property and across Murphy School Road. To the south of the school but on the same parcel sits a well house, water tower, maintenance trailer and frame bungalow that served as a teacherage. Pieces of original playground equipment also dot the south portion of the lot, providing yet another link to its past days as an operating elementary school. A gravel drive at the east of the lot serves as the primary access route to the property, secured from the street by a metal gate. It runs through the school yard to the south and around the front of the teacherage to the west. A second metal gated entrance is located to the northeast of the school, and a gravel drive runs parallel to the east elevation of the property and then merges with the primary entrance. In the front school yard a large oak tree shades the lawn and a handful of oak trees are located to the rear (south) and east of the school. Trees also line the southern and western boundaries of the parcel. A border of low stone wails, now deteriorating, encapsulates the school complex property, running along the east and north of the lot. The physical surroundings of the property are generally rural and wooded in nature, with the Norfolk Southern railroad running approximately 750 feet to the north of the property and Old NC 10. Sometime after 1960, the "e" in Murphey was dropped so that the school was commonly referred to as the "Murphy School," Thus, the spelling of "Murphy School Road" differs from the historic name. Murphey School 1923, 1936, Contributing Building Exterior of Main Building: With Spanish Revival- and Classical Revival -style elements, Murphey School is a well- preserved brick consolidated school built in 1923 with an auditorium added in 1936 to the west of the school 36 37 NPS Form 1"00 -a OMB No. 1024 -0018 tom) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 7 Page Murphey School name of property Orange County. NC. county and state building. The one -story building has a hip- on-hip roof covered in pressed metal shingles designed to imitate terra cotta tiles and a projecting central hip roof front entrance on the north elevation. Metal pinnacles on the roof ridgelines also imitating terra cotta tiles add additional ornamentation. The ridgeline of the roof is covered temporarily with a long narrow section of metal roofing. Groupings of four six-over-six wood sash windows flank the entrance section, which comprises two arched nine- over -nine sash windows on either side of the front door. The window sills are composed of rows of headers Brick comer pilasters at each comer of the entry bay and also at the junctions of the entry bay and main facade complete the symmetry of the facade. The multi - pane and paneled door has a wood surround and a tall arched transom that matches the arched windows that flank it. The arches of the entry bay windows are connected by soldier- course springers. At a later date (c. 1970 -1990) a small porch not in keeping with the architectural style of the building was added over the front entrance, but it has since been removed. Concrete steps lead up to the front door. At the southwest corner of the school building is a hip roof west wing with a secondary entrance on its north elevation that also connects the main building to the auditorium. This entrance also has a brick round arch with weatherboard infill in place of the transom over the multi -pane and paneled double-doors. The building is executed in brick veneer laid in a running bond {frame construction underneath} separated from a continuous brick foundation by a soldier - course water table. A soldier course also sits beneath the overhanging wooden tongue- and- groove boxed eaves. The simple exterior wood trim is in keeping with the style of small, rural consolidated schools. Original features such as the imitation terra cotta tile roof and the wrought iron hardware on the exterior front door hint at Spanish Revival -style influences popular in the 1920s_ The exterior of the school building is remarkably intact with very few changes to original materials and architectural features. The east elevation contains only two large door openings can the hip roof east wing projecting from the southeast comer of the main block. Brick round arches surmount the doors and concrete steps lead up to the doorways from the lawn. Brick pilasters flank each of the doers. The door opening on the east elevation is now covered with T -111 siding. According to oral sources, it possibly once served as a side entrance or a drop -off point for children transported by bus. The doorway facing north on the east elevation has also been filled with T-111 siding, as well as a two- over -two horizontal sash window. Overhanging wooden eaves provide shelter and shade. The south elevation is symmetrical, containing three groups of four slx -over -six sash windows, flanked by pairs of narrow four - over -four sash windows with brick pilasters separating and defining each grouping into five sections on the rear elevation. In the center of the south elevation and sitting partially below grade level is a damaged brick boiler room, square in shape, with an exterior chimney that is stuccoed above the roof line rising vertically through the eaves of the main 38 OMB No. 1024 -0018 NPS Fort 10 -900 -a () United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 7 Page 3 Mumhey School name of property grange County, NC county and state - building at the northeast comer of the boiler room. There is a doorway on the east elevation of the boiler room below grade and concrete stairs that lead downward towards the door. The top half of the boiler room walls and the roof has been destroyed. interior of main building (See attached floor plan ); The school's plan is arranged in a double - loaded east -west running corridor with six primary rooms. The front entrance opens directly into what could have been a classroom. However, according to oral history source Mike Giovanni, it is possible that the side entrance located on the east elevation was used by students as the primary entrance to the school. The central classroom containing the front entry opens into the central corridor. Boys' and girls' bathrooms are located to the south off entry foyers at each end of the corridor to the east and west. Double -doors with ten - light transoms and glazing in the upper halves separate the east and west end foyers from the hallway, auditorium, and secondary exits. The two central rooms on the south portion of the building are combined through an opening in their shared wall to make a combined library /cafeteria room. A portion at the east end of the combination room was partitioned for use as the principal's office. Due to the creation of the principal's office, there is no door from the eastern section of the library/cafeteria. To the west of the library/cafeteria is the kitchen which has a pass - through window on the north side of the shared wall. All other rooms contain an original wooden five - horizontal -panel door with a metal or glass doorknob. Each room also contains one high, eight-light casement window that opens to the hallway for ventilation purposes. The oak floors are substantially intact but portions have been removed due to damage. The walls are plaster except for the horizontal bead -board wainscoting that extends a little more than halfway up the wall in the hallway. The baseboards and window and door surrounds are simple. An original decorative pressed -metal ceiling treatment and a narrow pressed - metal egg- and -dart crown molding still exists, though damaged, in most of the rooms. The bathrooms retain their original toilets and urinals contained in bead -board stalls. The floors in both the girls' and boys' bathrooms are concrete and the sinks appear to date to c. 1955- 1975.. Auditorium Addition Exterior: The Murphey School auditorium is remarkably intact, containing nearly all of its original materials, windows, and architectural features. Added to the main building in 1936 and neoclassical in style with a classical Doric portico supported by four square4n- section paneled columns, the brick auditorium is a tail one -story building rectangular in plan with a wooden cornice and wide frieze. The portico does not extend the full width of the auditorium and its pediment is punctuated by a lunette window with a keystone in its center with a simple wooden cornice and frieze. The auditorium and its portico have front -gable v -crimp metal covered roofs with a small arched eyebrow dormer on the east and west roof slopes of the 39 OMB No. 1024-0018 NPS Form 10 -900 -8 ( "$) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 7 Page 4 Murphey School name of property _Orange County, NC county and state building and a band of original metal tiles at the building's ridge line. Three paneled double - doors topped with neoclassical transoms (containing muntins in a star motif) and heavily comiced surrounds pierce the facade. Two wooden pilasters that match the square columns flank the three entrances. Also visible are exposed porch ceiling beams in the portico. A brick soldier course separates the building from its continuous foundation. Concrete steps and low brick knee -wall extend north from the portico. The east and west elevations of the auditorium contain a row of tall, arched, slightly recessed multi -light sash windows surrounded by a border of brick with a cast keystone and springers. The east elevation has a total of four bays; the west elevation has a total of six bays. Each window has a cast stone sill above a square recessed panel of pattemed brickwork with four cast stones accents. The west elevation fenestration is similar to the east elevation with its row of large arched windows. On the south end of the west elevation is an exit with four - light- over -panel double -doors with a round- arched transom at the same height as the windows. Concrete steps with metal railings lead to the double-doors. On the extreme south end of the west elevation is a small six- over-six sash window topped with a gauged arch with cast stone sash. The south elevation is characterized by its classical -style gable roof and boxed comice with retums. An elliptical window with four cast keystones pierces the gable. Two high six- over -six sash windows under gauged brick arches with cast -stone sills on the outside edges of the elevation illuminate the rear stage rooms. Interior: The auditorium's interior is a vast open space of plaster walls dominated by a rounded apron -front paneled wood stage at the south end as well as the large arched windows on the east and west walls. Plain plastered pilasters extending to paneled ceiling beams stand between each window. Six evenly- spaced original pendant light fixtures hang from the ceiling, though some have broken or missing globes. The stage opening is surrounded by a wooden paneling treatment and still retains its original red and gold velvet curtains. Two small backstage rooms, each with vertical beadboard on the walls, are at the east and west sides of the stage. Each room contains a small window on the south elevation and has circular stairs leading down to doors to the auditorium's main floor. Two square openings in the south wall near the ceiling flank the stage, and possibly were used for speakers or stage equipment. A wooden baseboard extends around the perimeter of the main room at the intersection of the walls and the maple floors. Three double -door entrances on the north elevation open to the porch_ Directly across from each other on the east and west walls near the south end of the auditorium are double -door exits. The exit on the west 40 OMB No. 1024 -0018 NPS Form 1"00a ("rp) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 7 Page 5 Murphey School name of property Orange County, NC county and state elevation is topped with an arched transom light that matches the arched windows. Portions of the ceiling and the floor are damaged and/or missing. Teacherage c. 1923, Contributing Building Constructed c. 1923 and possibly designed by Henri C. Unthicum, the teacherage is a one -and- one -half story frame bungalow with a one -story gabled ell. While constructed with a typical bungalow farm, it exhibits little of the architectural detailing common to that or any other style. The house features a side -gable roof that engages the full -width front porch; a shed - roofed dormer with paired three -over -three sash windows rests on the roofs front slope. The building is covered in German siding and has simple wooden trim. The teacherage faces west towards the back of the schoolyard rather than toward Murphy School Road, reinforcing its role as an integral part of the school complex. Four wooden square-m- section posts support the porch sheltering a central door flanked by two tail s'ur- aver -six sash. The front door is rectangular solid beveled -glass and wood with original hardware. It also retains its original wooden screen door. Its porch flooring and central steps are concrete and its foundation is made of brick pillars that have been filled in with stone and painted. Two interior stuccoed chimneys extend from the roofline on the north and south ends. The north and south elevations mirror each other and each contain two bays of six- over-six sash on the first-floor level and two bays of six -over -six sash plus an unusual horizontal three light window at the east end of each elevation at the half -story level to light the bedroom closets. The rear, or east elevation, can be divided into two parts: the southern half containing the original house and a modern enclosed porch (c. 1950 -1965) and the northern half containing the garage addition (c. 1950 - 1970). The southern half contains one six-over-six sash window on the main block and a gable ell with two bays: one three-over-three sash window and a pair of casement windows (casement screens open to the interior) with eight lights each. The modern enclosed porch has in a tight group: one narrow window with three lights running horizontally; a metal six - panel door; and two windows with three metal awning sash each. The garage addition, making up the northern half of the east elevation and extending northward from the main house, has a shed roof and two open garage bays on its north elevation. Three large windows pierce its east elevation, one with twenty-four lights in the center and two with eighteen lights on the north and south ends of the elevation. It too is covered in wooden German siding and its interior walls are unfinished with exposed studs and joists. The interior of the garage has a poured concrete floor. The garage addition is supported by cinder blocks and three wooden posts on its north elevation. 41 OMB No. 1024 -4018 PIPS Form 10 -9DO -a ("o) United States Department of the interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 7 Page Murphey School name of property Orange County, NC county and state The bungalow has a central -hall plan with four rooms on the first level and an ell with a kitchen, bathroom, and back porch (now enclosed) at the east end. The two pairs of rooms on either side of the hall mirror each other and have a door opening in the center of their shared walls. The walls throughout the first floor of the teacherage are plaster except for in the enclosed porch where there is German siding and in the kitchen where paneling and headboard wainscoting cover the walls. The kitchen also retains early, possibly original, wooden cabinets. A window opening that formerly contained a window that opened onto the rear porch now serves as a pass - through to the enclosed porch. The ceilings on the first floor are plaster and the original wood flooring is oak. Wooden window and door surrounds are executed in a simple fashion with a raised bead and molding on the outer edges. The wooden stair, with a molded handrail, simple square balusters, molded square newel post, and molded square pendants, leads west along the south wall of the hall to the second floor. The walls and ceilings of the second floor are sheathed with horizontal, narrow, flush boards. The second floor contains a central hall illuminated by the pair of three - over -three sash dormer windows. No baseboards or crown molding exists but quarter -round molding has been placed where walls meet at the corners and where the walls meet the floor and ceiling. Two rooms flank the hall, each with a large closet under the eaves at the room's east end. Comer fireplaces with simple post- and - lintel mantels serve each of the four first floor rooms and stove pipe openings in the chimneys serve the second story. The teacherage retains original features including baseboard moldings, hardwood floors, door and window surrounds, five- and -six- paneled doors, and door hardware. Two original light fixtures (round metal conical base with two light bulbs. hanging from metal chain) hang from the ceilings of the first- and second floor halls. Original push- button light switches survive in some of the rooms as well. The overall impression of the interior is a light, open space that is modest in design and detail. Well House c. 1932, Contributing Structure The one - story, square well house occupies part of the south yard behind the school building. It is constructed of brick laid in a common bond with a side -gable roof covered with asphalt shingles. Wooden tongue-and-groove sheathed overhanging eaves and a central door compose the primary architectural features. The central wood five - paneled door pierces the south elevation and a square metal opening, most likely a former flue or vent that was later capped, extends from the center of the roof s ridge. The other elevations are blind. Inside the well house are a water piping and plumbing system, exposed brick walls, and a wooden tongue - and - groove ceiling with exposed ceiling joists. 42: nips Form 10-900-a 0108 No. 1u2 is () United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 7 Page 7 Murphey School name of property Orange County. NC county and state Water Tower c. 1936, Contributing Structure Constructed of metal, the water tower occupies part of the south yard behind the school. its cylindrical tank sits atop metal trusses and supports; a central water pipe and three supports at the outer edges of the tower that terminate at concrete blocks on the ground. A full- length metal access stair still exists; it is attached to the side of the tank and one of its supports. An article in the Chapel Hill Weekly on May 22, 1936 stated, "The water tank on its long stilts is painted green and tucked cleverly in a clump of trees, so that it does not stand forth against the sky startlingly as tanks often do.$� Maintenance Trailer c. 1980 -1990, Non - Contributing Building At single -wide trailer with a rounded bow front eight pane bay window on the north elevation. Both the east and west elevations have an attached wooden porch. The roof is flat except for a very slight gable. Murphey School and its associated buildings sit vacant but are undergoing restoration, in coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office, for its future use as a retreat center for non -profit agencies and a site rental facility for special events. 1 "orange County's New Schools," Chapel Hill Weekly, May 22, 1936, pA . i 5 XTM -3 i Wdilfi "Wid WS ■ ur rv� awa�xte orxisoca I ? D �� vwaw.w✓.uaia auwwrs:.�+rwunx..sxnnrtwx:ue 5�63A9h8.'ISi�NNYLIfSL3iN1AN3 � � ;3 i p� .� _[t fill i iii a e ! All 111 it jo i Fri iii, r �� i� M i1 i i 11 101 s .t w ♦ w • w • • 1 i 9 1 Y ! ! i it l t Jr f i 1r 1 7 �Qaa f,� # - D • . 79 SIX ; t ��$s 1j, •C • Egg L— l 7 -4 iii \ \\ if! it l t Jr f i 1r 1 timo" 7 f,� # - D • . 79 SIX ; t ��$s 1j, •C • Egg L— l 7 -4 iii \ \\ if! timo" 7 f,� # - • . 79 SIX ; t ��$s 1j, •C • Egg L— l tit 44 �itp ps i 44 FRONT ELEVATION SCALE: 1/16" F 1.0' REAR ELEVATION SCALE: 1116"- I'-U' -Pb cn RIGHT SIDE ELEVATION SCALE! 1116'= Y-T LEFT SIDE ELEVATION SCALE: 1116"- F-T 4:16 C" KEW FLOOR PLAN-PROPOSED SCALE., I IS"- I-J' 7329 5E NEW KITCHEN EQUIPMENT RAMP HANDRAIL REVERSE DOOR SWINGS NEW 34!H HANDRAILS REFER TO CIVIL TO TIE IN TO PARKING AREA CONTROL CORNER a b Te /F JANE! SHARPE WATKINS de DENICE S. VALL1AMS P.B. 27 PG. 44 w JOHN OOUGLAS ASHE do CAROL L. A ME D.B. 460 PG. 534 a° P.B. 27 PG. 44 N WORIE SCHEER & MIND VARGAS 2218 PG. 132 27 PG. 44 r Ld ri O N 1� M O 2 HUNEYCUTT & 1UNEYCUTT 12 PG. 29 a PG. 44 7 CONTROL CORNER OLD R ?0' 1. PIN# 9SM95445/TRAI V 1. 2 TOTAL AREA 313.438 1 REFERENCES D.B. 2185 PC, 318 -32' VVV ll D.B. 81 PC, 162 60 O.B. 83 PG, 626 1 \ \ ST�'F SEE DETAIL LIGHT POLED _ POLE TOTAL AREA QD 312,875 S.F. (7.18 ACRES) h^ q -AREA WITHIN R/W 31,790 S.F.03 ACRES)_ N 281,085 S F. 6.45 ACRES f �� 7. f1 DETAIL #2 J' y ~ OI 205.72' BRICK ! . BUILDING Q� ¢e ly 0 tiJ emu._. 280,522 S.F. ,�t% \ TAM' 6.44- ACRES % WATER 2 t ry vl � NIF U II F RSITY II GRAVEL DRIVE �2. M/ D.B. 2100 ^Y P.B. 191 l� ( 2 STORY iG v� Ff2AfdE. ,fl 563 S.F. N ' r 84_ aY 1atE 2 N 09'31'}7', E 769.56• 9 06 w 66.76 N \ o PHILLIP TURNER s D.B. 810 PG. 515 N85.29.06W 16.91' DE NOT 37.2 NIF JUSTIN SCOTT BELL & ry ELIZABETH J. BELL y D.B. 3873 PG. 590 P.B. . 19 PC, 157 17 ti i � r DET NOT T FINAL PLAT BOUNDARY SURVEIL PROPERTY OF 224.64• JESSE E. MILLER N 86'5528" W 7923 MORROW MILL ROAD, CHAPEL HILL N CHAPFI HIII TWP OP3.N, .0b co C) Ln � y � � z� ��� 51 52 CY) Lf) -j Y 4 t a Y; µ ► ti HIM of u 3 4 t N lY, All rA YOM I' a i. r= _ 14 r � 0 E r x- i 59 m 61 ^� \ �� S p » «� !i%, /: \ \ . K< , a : e 2 q � !� � � & \ \i%� �� � x±� J � � <« m � � 63 4"t � _� 64 o ? «§ G) c-n T. �/� 7C- � cn -j F � ® � : { � � > �© f \�\ ��� all ice, ,a m A4nchm-eY'1-+ 3 �VO& North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources State Historic Preservation Office Peter B. Sandbeck, administrator Beverly Eaves Perdue, Governor Linda A. Carlisle, Secretary Jeffreyl. Crow, Deputy Secretary December 1, 2010 Christina R. Moon Cultural Resources Specialist Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 Office of Archives and I listory Division of t historical Resources David Brook, Director Re: Landmark designation report for Murphey School, 3729 ivlurphey School Rd., Hillsborough, Orange County Dear 1•Is. Moon, Thank you for the landmark designation report for the ibfurphey School. We have reviewed it and offer the following comments in aecordatnee with North Carolina General Statute 160A- 400.6. Constructed in 1923, the Murphey School is architecturally significant and representative of the movement toward consolidated schools in North Carolina during the early twentieth century. The building is remarkably intact and retains notable architectural features, including an imitation terra cotta file roof, a 1936 auditorium built as a Works Progress Administration (WIPA) project, and the original teacherage. We have reviewed the report and find it to be complete, providing the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission with information sufficient to find that the Rfu>_phey School has the requisite special significance and integrity for local landmark designation. Landmark designation means the community recognizes this building as an important historic resource worthy of Preservation. Any substantial change in design, inaterials, and appearance are subject to the design review procedures of the Commission. The owner may apply for an annual deferral of fifty percent of the property taxes for as long as the property is designated and retains significance and integrity. Please note that, if the Council wishes to extend the Commission's authority to significant interior features, the owner must give consent and the designation ordinance must specify the particular features subject to review and describe the nature of the Commission's design review authority over them. Tliank you for giving us the opportunity to comment on the report. Our comments are advisory only. Once the necessary public hearing or hearings have been held, the Council may proceed with the designation decision. Please find enclosed a designation confirmation form and notify me of the Conunission's action at your earliest convenience. Also, if applicable, please let me know of any provisions in the designation ordinance that differ from those specified in the report. Yours truly, '9 R. . a--- J Crawfor Preservation Commissions Coordinator Location 109 Last )ones Street, Raleigh NC 27601 illaiting Address: 4617 Mail Smice ('enter, Itateigh \C 276994617 Telephone /Fax: (919) 2507- 6570/80- 6599 73 74 �E Raw. North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources State Historic Presemation Office Peter B. Saudl�cck, Adtnaustrator Beverly Ravcs Perdue, Governor Office of Archives and History Linda A. Carlisle, Secretary Division of Historical Resources Jeffrey J. Crow, Deputy Secretary David Brook-, Director REQUEST FOR DESIGNATION CONFIRMATION To: Orange County Historic Preservation Commission From: Rob Crawford, Preservation Commissions Coordinator Date: December 1, 2010 When the local governing board has concluded its action on the designation ordinance for the Murphey School, Chapel Hill Tott*nship, Orange County, please inform me via either: 1. the form below, mailed to meat 4617 Flail Scivice Center, Raleigh, IBC 27699 -4617, 2. the form below, sent to me by fax at 919/807 -6599, or 3. call me at 919/807 -6580 with the information requested belo-w. Also, please let me know of any provisions in the ordinance that are different from those specified in the report (such as boundaries). Thank you for your cooperation. To: Rob Crawford From: Orange County Historic Preservation Commission Date: The designation ordinance for the Murphey School, Chapel Hill Township, Orange County, has been adopted by the local governing board. Yes No Date Ordinance provisions different from designation report: Location: 109 Last )ones Street, Raleigh NC 27601 Mailing Address., 4617 Mail Service (.enter, Raleigh NC 276994617 Telephone /Fax: ()19) 807- 6570/807 -6599 �- f�ach�nenf �f- MINUTES 75 HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION December 8, 2010 MEMBERS PRESENT: Todd Dickinson, Alice Remini, Steve Rankin, Statler Gilfillen and Tom Allison MEMBERS ABSENT or EXCUSED: Terri Russ GUESTS PRESENT: Jay Miller, owner Murphey School, Rob Golan, former HPC member STAFF: Rich Shaw and Tina Moon, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER Chair Dickinson called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. ITEM #2: ROLL CALL Dickinson requested that staff call the roll; all five HPC members were in attendance. ITEM #3: INTRODUCTIONS OF GUESTSIVISITORS Dickinson welcomed Jay Miller, the owner of Murphey School, to the meeting and Rob Golan. Mr. Golan was a member of the Historic Preservation Commission about five years ago and is considering submitting an application for reappointment. ITEM #4: CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONS TO AGENDA Allison provided a brief report on the latest Quick Response Team (QRT) site visit. A voluntary part of the demolition permit application process for structures that appear to be fifty years or older, the QRT visits the site and documents the structure(s). If the subject building appears to retain historic and /or architectural significance, the QRT may suggest alternatives to demolition. Moon requested the addition of an Item for Decision to approve the HPC's Meeting Calendar for 2011. Dickinson suggested adding the item as 8. C. ITEM #5: APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. October 27, 2010 Remini noticed a typo in the minutes and requested the correction. Allison motioned to approve the October 27, 2010 minutes as corrected. Remini seconded the motion. The HPC unanimously approved the minutes from the October 27, 2010 meeting. ITEM #6: REPORTS a. CLG Report Submitted Staff reported that the HPC's annual Certified Local Government Report was submitted to the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office on time. b. Advisory Board Report Submitted Staff reported that the HPC's Advisory Board Report was submitted to the Clerk's Office. The BOCC will review the reports during its winter retreat. C. Unified Development Ordinance Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 8, 2010 Page 1 Staff provided updates on the Unified Development Ordinance, and referenced the Planning Department's 76 website for additional information. d. Code of Ethics for the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina (See Sections 2 &4) The County Attorney asked for staff to share information on the Board of County Commissioner's recently adopted Code of Ethics. HPC members read through the material focusing on the two sections, identified by the County Attorney, as most relevant to the volunteer boards. ITEM #7: PUBLIC HEARINGS None. ITEM #8: ITEMS FOR DECISION a. Application for Local Landmark Designation — Murphey School Moon introduced the application for Murphey School, referring to the staff materials in the packet and the application included as a stand along attachment. The owner, Jay Miller, joined the table to participate in the discussion. Dickinson offered some general remarks about the process and invited Miller to comment on the application and ask questions. Staff explained the three items outlined in the HPC's agenda facesheet that the HPC were tasked to complete at the meeting: 1) Discuss the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) staff's comments regarding the completeness of the application and the appropriateness of the property for a local landmark program, 2) Review the contents of the application to make sure it is complete and provides enough information to prepare a designation ordinance (if appropriate) and review future Certificate of Appropriateness applications. 3) Decide whether to request a joint public hearing with the BOCC. HPC members read through the comments from the SHPO together, noting the following key phrases: "We have reviewed the report and find it to be complete, providing the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission with information sufficient to find that the Murphey School has the requisite special significance and integrity for local landmark designation." "Please note that, if the Council wishes to extend the Commission's authority to significant interior features, the owner must give consent and the designation ordinance must specify the particular features subject to review and describe the nature of the Commission' design authority over them." The HPC agreed with the SHPO's assessment that application is complete. Members systematically reviewed the Murphey School using their historic sites evaluation form, and found that the property score very favorably. The HPC concurred with the SHPO's assessment that Murphey School appears to have the historic and architectural significance appropriate for local designation. Members discussed the SHPO's comments regarding the review of interior features and asked Mr. Miller for his thoughts. Mr. Miller recounted his efforts to preserve as much of the interior of the building as permitted while meeting the Building Code requirements, and felt it appropriate to extend the HPC's authority over those key elements of the interior that he had worked so hard to protect. HPC members read through the Certificate of Appropriateness - Project Review Form, while reviewing the Murphey School Local Landmark application to ensure that the application contained enough information for future HPC members to review a future Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application. Members felt that the information in the application report was sufficient and that with a well- crafted designation ordinance future property owners/ HPC members would be able to understand the scope of the HPC's authority to review changes to the property -site, building(s) exterior and interior. The HPC reviewed the draft memo requesting a joint public hearing with the BOCC, included in the packets. Dickinson requested some minor modifications to strengthen the positive tone of the memo. The HPC Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 8, 2010 2 77 discussed the potential date of the joint meeting, since one member would be out of town, members recommended the BOCC's first meeting in March to ensure that they would have a quorum. Dickinson asked for a motion. Rankin made a motion to forward the revised memorandum to the BOCC Chair requesting a joint public hearing with the HPC on March 3, 2011 to hear public comments on the Murphey School Local Landmark application. Gilfillen seconded the motion. The HPC voted 5 -0; Rankin's motion carried. b. Selection of Local Landmark sign material (sample at meeting) As a follow up to the discussion of local landmark sign material at the last meeting, Moon shared some updated information that she had recently received from the sign company regarding, including samples material —PVC or plywood with a veneer. Members struggled to select one product from another. Moon offered to ask the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough what product they use in their signs. C. Approval of Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Calendar for 2011 Staff explained that every year each advisory board formally approves its meeting calendar for the upcoming year. Once approved, the calendars can be shared with the public. Staff presented a calendar showing the HPC's meetings on the fourth Wednesday of the month for January through October and a joint meeting for November and December on December 14, 2011. Remini motioned to approve the meeting calendar for 2011; Rankin seconded the motion. The HPC voted unanimously to approve the meeting calendar for 2011. ITEM #9: DISCUSSION ITEMS Golan shared his interest in serving another term on the HPC. Staff provided him with application materials. Members discussed the remaining vacancies and agreed to contact other former HPC members to see if they would consider serving again. ITEM #10: INFORMATIONAL ITEMS (handouts at meeting) ITEM #11: ADJOURNMENT Gilfillen motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:50 p.m. Rankin seconded the motion. Next meeting scheduled for January 26, 2011. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 8, 2010 3 A4ach(nen+ 5 78 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA In Accordance with Section 3.7 of the Ordinance Creating the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) of Orange County, also referred to as the "Historic Preservation Ordinance," notice is hereby given that the Board of County Commissioners and the HPC shall hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 3, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Department of Social Services, Hillsborough Commons, 113 Mayo Street, Hillsborough, North Carolina to receive citizen comment on the application and proposed ordinance for designating the following property as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark: LHD -1 -11 Murphey School The subject property is a seven -acre tract located at 3729 Murphy School Road in Chapel Hill Township (PIN #9892 -59- 5445). Named for North Carolina's "Father of Public Education" Archibald D. Murphey, Murphey School was constructed in 1923 as part of the early twentieth century consolidated school movement. Well- preserved, the rectangular one -story brick building features elements of the Classical and Spanish Revival styles. An auditorium was added to the west side of the building in 1936 and fronted with a two -story classical Doric portico (temple front). The building was designed by Henri Colvin Linthicum, a specialist in school design and partner with his father in the architectural firm of Linthicum and Linthicum. A handful of outbuildings survive on the property dating to the first half of the twentieth century, including a 1923 frame bungalow that served as the teacherage. All interested citizens are invited to attend the public hearing and be heard. Questions regarding the application may be directed to the Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation located in the Environment and Agricultural Center, 306F Revere Road, Hillsborough, North Carolina. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may also call 245 -2517 for more information. Donna Baker, County Clerk Tina Moon, Cultural Resources Specialist PUBLISH: February 9, 2011 (News of Orange) February 13, 2011 (Chapel Hill Herald) February 16, 2011 ((News of Orange) February 20, 2011 (Chapel Hill Herald) Ag-} -a chmeo+ & 79 - DRAFT - AN ORDINANCE OF THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE MUPRHEY SCHOOL IN ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA AS A LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARK Whereas, all of the prerequisites to the adoption of this ordinance prescribed in Part 3C, Article 19, Chapter 160A (Historic Districts and Landmarks) of the General Statutes of North Carolina and an Ordinance Creating the Historic Preservation Commission of Orange County (the "Historic Preservation Ordinance ") have been met; and Whereas, the Orange County Board of Commissioners has taken into full consideration all statements and information in the application and the designation report prepared by the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission and presented to the Board of County Commissioners on the 3rd day of March, 2011, on the question of designating the property known as Murphey School as a historic landmark; and Whereas, the property known as Murphey School, located in Chapel Township in the County of Orange and more particularly described in Exhibit A attached hereto, remains a remarkably intact example of the classical brick consolidated schools that were constructed throughout rural North Carolina during the 1920s and 1930s, and retains the original teacherage, water tower, and some play equipment; and Whereas, the original classroom wing displays elements of Spanish Revival design, a less common form for consolidated schools, and the subsequent classical temple -front auditorium was constructed with WPA funds; and Whereas, Murphey School was designed by Henri Colvin Linthicum, a specialist in school design and partner with his father in the architectural firm of Linthicum and Linthicum; and Whereas, Murphey School was named for North Carolina's "Father of Public Education," Archibald D. Murphey; and Whereas, the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission has recognized the historic, architectural and cultural significance of the property known as Murphey School and has recommended that the property be designated a "historic landmark" as outlined in Article 3 of the Historic Preservation Ordinance; and Whereas, the Division of Archives and History of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources has reviewed and commented on the findings of the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission. Now, therefore, be it obtained by the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, r-TW North Carolina that: Section 1. The property known as Murphey School, located at in Chapel Hill Township, Orange County, North Carolina jurisdictional area, more particularly described in Exhibit A, is hereby designated a historic landmark pursuant to Part 3C, Article 19, Chapter 160A of the General Statutes of North Carolina and the Orange County Historic Preservation Ordinance. Section 2. The owner(s) and occupant(s) of the property known as Murphey School be given notice of this ordinance as required by applicable law, and that copies of this ordinance be filed and indexed in the office of the County Clerk, Orange County Register of Deeds, Orange County Tax Supervisor and Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation, as required by the applicable law. Section 3. In accordance with Part 3C, Article 19, Chapter 160A of the General Statutes of North Carolina and the Orange County Historic Preservation Ordinance, the exterior and site features of all historic landmarks are always under the purview of the Historic Preservation Commission's Certificate of Appropriateness Provisions. The jurisdiction of the Historic Preservation Commission may also extend over interior spaces with the consent of the owner. The Historic Preservation Commission shall include in its jurisdiction for Murphey School the preservation of the following interior features that it finds to be unique and important to the property, and to which the owner has agreed: the auditorium, including the stage itself and coffered ceiling; the transom; the beaded board sheathing; and the pressed tin ceilings and wood floors throughout. The HPC shall determine Certificates of Appropriateness to Murphey School based on approved design standards, with reference to the designation ordinance, the application materials and the designation report. Section 4. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict. Section 5. Any part of this ordinance determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be in violation of any law or constitutional provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity of the remainder. Section 6. This ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its adoption. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners does hereby officially designate Murphey School as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark. This the 19th day of April 2011. Attest Dor. Bernadette Pelissier, Ch Orange County Board o 2 81 EXHIBIT A Murphey School is located at 3729 Murphy School Road, the intersection of Murphy School Road and NC 10, in Chapel Hill Township. Murphey School is referenced in Orange County Land Records as Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 9892 -59 -5445. 82 co CA)