HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-07-2013 - 6a1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 7, 2013
Action Agenda
Item No. 6 -a
SUBJECT: Joint Public Hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission for the Captain
John S. Pope Farm Local Historic Landmark Designation
DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) Yes
and Recreation (DEAPR)
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
1) Local Landmark Application (Part 2) Rich Shaw, 245 -2514
2) National Register Nomination Excerpt Peter Sandbeck, 245 -2517
3) Letter from State Historic Preservation
Office
4) Draft January 23, 2013 Historic
Preservation Commission Meeting
Summary
5) Public Hearing Notice
6) Draft Designation Ordinance
PURPOSE: To conduct a joint public hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC)
to receive public comment on the application and proposed ordinance to designate the Captain
John S. Pope Farm as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark.
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 landmark property owners are
eligible for a fifty percent (50 %) property tax deferral as long as the site continues to retain its
historic character, as provided by North Carolina General Statutes under 160A- 400.1- 400.14.
The historic landmark designation process, outlined in Article 3 of the County's Historic
Preservation Ordinance, involves several steps culminating with the adoption of an ordinance
for each individual landmark site or historic district. At its January 23, 2013 meeting, the HPC
accepted a Part 2 application from Mr. Robert Pope to consider his property, the Captain John
S. Pope Farm, for designation as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark, thus initiating the
application process (Attachments 1 and 2). Mr. Pope's application materials were submitted to
the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for review and comment as required by the
Historic Preservation Ordinance. The HPC received a favorable response from the SHPO staff
(Attachment 3). The HPC concurred with the SHPO's evaluation that the Captain John S. Pope
Farm was worthy of consideration for local landmark designation (Attachment 4). The HPC
voted unanimously to request a joint public hearing with the BOCC, as required by Section 3.7
of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (Attachment 5).
In addition to the landmark designation process described above, members of the HPC
endorsed a proposed National Register Nomination for the Captain John S. Pope Farm and
voted unanimously to support this nomination at the January 23, 2013 regular meeting. The
BOCC likewise endorsed the proposed National Register nomination for this property at the
regular BOCC meeting on January 24, 2013. The Captain John S. Pope Farm was
subsequently approved for final nomination to the National Register of Historic Places by the
State National Register Advisory Committee and the State Historic Preservation Officer on
February 14, 2013.
The Pope Farm is one of the best - preserved historic agricultural complexes still surviving in
northern Orange County, exemplifying a mid -sized tobacco farm of the type that prospered here
from the late 19th century until the 1960s. The farm complex consists of the original two -story
farmhouse, built 1870 -74 for Captain John S. Pope, and twenty outbuildings dating from the
1870s to the 1960s. The farm has remained in continuous operation by the Pope family and
retains the original property acreage as well as the historic pattern of fields and forests.
This is a routine public hearing required by state enabling legislation and the County's
Historic Preservation Ordinance. Following this joint public hearing, the BOCC and the HPC
will take into consideration any public comments in preparing the final ordinance. The HPC will
then return the final version of the proposed ordinance back to the BOCC for the Board's
consideration and adoption at its April 9th meeting.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this public hearing. Should the
Board at the April 9th meeting adopt the proposed ordinance designating the Captain John S.
Pope Farm as a Local Landmark, the owner of the property would be eligible for a fifty percent
(50 %) property tax deferral. The Pope farm is currently assessed as a working farm under
present use valuation program. The exact amount of a potential deferral will thus be calculated
based only on the valuations of the historic house and outbuildings, but not the associated
farmland.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board: 1) hold a joint public
hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission to receive public comment on the draft
designation ordinance for the Captain John S. Pope Farm, and 2) refer the designation
ordinance back to the Historic Preservation Commission for its final review and
recommendation.
Attachment 1 3
ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION
Page 1 of 7
PART 2
4. GENERAL DATA
A. Date(s) of Building(s)
Original construction
c. 1870 -2008
c. 1870 -1874
Subsequent additions, if applicable
DATE OF APPLICATION: 1/15/2013
c. 1930s and 1940s additions have been removed
B. Outbuildings: Yes X No ; If yes, number 25
C. Have any buildings on the property been moved? Yes No X
If yes, please give the date, reason, and details of the move. Use an additional sheet if
necessary.
D. Approximate Acreage: 75.34 acres
E. Architect and /or Builder /Mason (if known): unknown
F. Original Use: tobacco farming
G. Present Use: pasture- grazing of meat Iambs
5. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Please provide a brief statement or summary (on an attached 8'/2" x 11" sheet) outlining the
historical, architectural, and perhaps landscape, elements that make the site significant —these 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 Taylor homeplace from the 1850s to 1940s. The
Taylors were an important Orange County family who operated the local sawmill in the St Mary's
Road community during the 1870s- 1900s. While the house was covered with vinyl siding in the
1980s and a two -room addition was constructed in the back around 1990, 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 roofline, chimneys and front porch, all of which are
visible from 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 barn, and smokehouse."
6. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
Describe in a narrative form, (on an attached 8'/2" 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
M
ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION
Page 2 of 7
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.
ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION
Page 3 of 7
8. 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.
The owner is interested in preserving the farm and the legacy of his father, grandfather, and
great - grandfather for future generations. The Local Landmark designation is being pursued in addition to
the listing of the property on the National Register of Historic Places listing and the application of
conservation easements for the 75 -acre parcel.
11. If formally designated by the County Commissioners, will the property owner seek the tax deferral?
Yes X No Not sure (This information is for budgeting purposes only, it will not
impact the HPC's decision toward your application.)
12. APPLICANT OR CONTACT PERSON INFORMATION (if other than owner)
Name Heather M. Wagner, hmwPreservation Telephone
Address 209 W. Trinity Avenue
336.207.1502
City /State Durham Zip Code 27701
Signature " " " "' Date 1/15/2013
E -mail hmariewagnera-hotmail.com
13. This application is submitted [check one of the following]:
X at the request of the owner.
with the owner's knowledge but not at his or her request.
without the owner's knowledge.
Return to: Cultural Resources Specialist
Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation
P.O. Box 8181 (306 Revere Road)
Hillsborough, NC 27278
(919) 210 -2510
ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION
Page 4 of 7
Captain John S. Pope Farm
6909 Efland -Cedar Grove Road
Cedar Grove, North Carolina
Orange County Landmark Application
5. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The Captain John S. Pope Farm is a remarkably intact example of a late nineteenth century 1 -house
and tobacco farm complex in northern Orange County. The 75 -acre parcel is still owned by
descendents of Captain John S. Pope and was an active tobacco farm from c. 1870 through 2005. It
is currently owned by the great - grandson of Captain John S. Pope and used for the pasture grazing
of meat Iambs.
While the c. 1870 two -story 1 -house has been altered slightly with the replacement of the front porch
(most recently in the 1930s) and the construction and subsequent removal of additions to the rear ell,
the house remains largely intact with original siding, windows and roofing as well as wide wood
sheathing, wood flooring, two -panel doors, and original mantels and stair balustrade on the interior.
The house stands near the road and is surrounded by mature trees. A collection of domestic
outbuildings dating from the 1870s through the 1970s extends along a gravel farm road south of the
house and parallel to Efland -Cedar Grove Road and includes a wash house, flower house, corn crib,
and feed barn. Tobacco related resources including an ordering /stripping house and five tobacco -
curing barns are arranged along a gravel road that extends east from the house. Historic aerial
photographs show that the field patterns have been little altered since the 1930s.
6. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
See Section 7 of the attached National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for descriptions
of buildings /structures /sites (numbered 1 -27) on the historic 73 -acre parcel. Descriptions of additional
buildings (numbered 28 -30) located on 2.3 acres acquired by the family in the 1950s and 1960s are
below.
28. Well House II — c. 1952 C — Building
South of the main house and southwest of the Feed Barn and Pre - fabricated Shed, the side -
gabled, frame well house has a concrete -block foundation, vinyl siding, a hollow -core metal
door on the south elevation, and exposed rafter tails. A metal carport visible behind the well
house in photos has been removed.
29. House Ruin — c. 1952 NC — Building
South of the main house and southwest of the Well House 11, the side - gabled, frame, Minimal
Traditional -style house is in poor condition. The house is four bays wide and double -pile with
a projecting bay on the left (north) end of the fagade and a central entrance on the right
(south) end of the fagade that is flanked by window openings. There is a gabled rear ell and a
projecting gabled wing on the left (north) elevation has a brick chimney in the gable. The
building is in ruinous condition; windows have been removed and the building is currently
used for hay storage.
30. Garage III — c. 1970 NC — Building
South of the house ruin, this one - story, asymmetrical side - gabled garage is similar in form
and detail to the other garage (building #7) on the property. The frame building is four bays
wide and single -pile with a sand floor and a 5V metal roof. It has two open vehicular bays in
the center of the structure with an enclosed storage area on the left (east) end that is covered
with vertical corrugated metal sheathing. An enclosed storage area on the right (west) end of
the structure is sheathed with plywood and has a single vinyl window.
7
ORANGE COUNTY LOCAL LANDMARK APPLICATION
Page 5 of 7
7. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
See Section 8 of the attached National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for an
explanation of the history of the property as well as an agricultural context for the property, an
analysis of the significant architectural features of the house and farm buildings, and a comparison
with other 1- houses and farm complexes in Cedar Grove township.
8. PHOTOGRAPHS /SLIDES
NPS Form 10 -900 OMB No. 10024-0018
(Oct. 1990) Attachment 2 $
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box
or by entering the information requested. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N /A" for "not applicable." For
functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place
additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10- 900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all
items.
1. Name of Property
historic name Pope, Captain John S., Farm
other names /site number
2. Location
Street & number 6909 Efland -Cedar Grove Road
city or town Cedar Grove
State North Carolina
N/A ❑ not for publication
® vicinity
code NC county Orange code 135 zip code 27231
3. State /Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this ® nominatior
❑ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National
Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set for in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion,
the property ❑ meets ❑ does not meet the National Register criteria. I recommend that this property be considered
significant
❑ nationally ❑ statewide ® locally. (See continuation sheet for additional comments.)
Signature of certifying official/Title Date
or Federal agency and bureau
In my opinion, the property ❑ meets ❑ does not meet the National Register criteria. (❑ See Continuation sheet
for additional comments.)
Signature of certifying official/Title Date
State or Federal agency and bureau
4. National Park Service Certification
I hereby certify that the property is:
❑ entered in the National Register.
❑ See continuation sheet
❑ determined eligible for the
National Register.
❑ See continuation sheet
❑ .determined not eligible for the
National Register.
❑ removed from the National
Register.
❑ other (explain:)
Signature of the Keeper
Date of Action
Pope, Captain John S., Farm Orange County North Carolina 9
Name of Property County and State
5. Classification
Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property
(Check as many boxes as (Check only one box) (Do not include previously listed resources in count.)
apply)
®
private
®
building(s)
❑
public -local
❑
district
❑
public -State
❑
site
❑
public - Federal
❑
structure
❑
object
Name of related multiple property listing
(Enter "N /A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.)
N/A
Contributing Noncontributing
20
3
buildings
1
0
sites
1
1
structures
1
0
objects
23
4
Total
Number of Contributing resources previously listed
in the National Register
N/A
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions Current Functions
(Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions)
Domestic: single dwelling Domestic: single dwelling
Domestic: secondary structure Domestic: secondary structure
Agriculture /Subsistence: processing Agriculture /Subsistence: storage
Agriculture /Subsistence: storage Agriculture /Subsistence: agricultural outbuilding
Agriculture /Subsistence: agricultural outbuilding Agriculture /Subsistence: agricultural field
Agriculture /Subsistence: agricultural field
7. Description
Architectural Classification Materials
(Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions)
Other:) -house foundation Stone
walls Wood: weatherboard
Wood: to
roof Metal
other Brick
Asphalt
Narrative Description
(Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)
Pope, Captain John S., Farm
Name of Property
8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria
(Mark "x° in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property
for National Register listing.)
® A Property is associated with events that have made
a significant contribution to the broad patterns of
our history.
❑ B Property is associated with the lives of persons
significant in our past.
® C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics
of a type, period, or method of construction or
represents the work of a master, or possesses
high artistic values, or represents a significant and
distinguishable entity whose components lack
individual distinction.
❑ D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield,
information important in prehistory or history.
Criteria Considerations
(Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.)
Property is:
❑ A owned by a religious institution or used for
religious purposes.
❑ B removed from its original location.
❑ C moved from its original location.
❑ D a cemetery.
❑ E a reconstructed building, object, or structure.
❑ F a commemorative property
❑ G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance
within the past 50 years.
Orange County, North Carolina 10
County and State
Areas of Significance
(Enter categories from instructions)
Agriculture
Architecture
Period of Significance
c. 1870 -1963
Significant Dates
Significant Person
(Complete if Criterion B is marked)
N/A
Cultural Affiliation
N/A
Architect/Builder
unknown
Narrative Statement of Significance
(Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)
9. Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography
(Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.)
Previous documentation on file (NPS):
❑ preliminary determination of individual listing (36
CFR 67) has been requested
❑ previously listed in the National Register
❑ Previously determined eligible by the National
Register
❑ designated a National Historic Landmark
❑ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey
❑ recorded by Historic American Engineering
Record #
Primary location of additional data:
® State Historic Preservation Office
❑ Other State Agency
❑ Federal Agency
❑ Local Government
❑ University
❑ Other
Name of repository:
Pope, Captain John S., Farm
Name of Property
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of Property
73.05 acres
UTM References
(Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet.)
17 664580 4007540
Zone Fasting Northing
17 665220 4007540
Verbal Boundary Description
(Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.)
Boundary Justification
(Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)
11. Form Prepared By
Name /title Heather M. Waqner
organization
hmwPreservation
Street & number P. O. Box 355
city or town Durham
Additional Documentation
Submit the following items with the completed form:
Continuation Sheets
Orange County, North Carolina 11
County and State
3 17 665220
Zone Easting
4 17 665580
® See continuation sheet
_ date August 1 2012
telephone 336.207.1502
state NC zip code 27702
Maps
A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location
A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources.
Photographs
Representative black and white photographs of the property.
Additional items
(Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items.)
Property Owner
(Complete this item at the request of SHPO or FPO.)
Name Robert P
Street & number
608 Polk Street
city or town Raleigh
state NC
4007130
Northing
4007130
telephone 919.621.1150
zip code 27604
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate
properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listing. Response to this request is required to obtain
a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.)
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including time for reviewing
instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any
aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P. 0. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013 -7127; and the
Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Projects (1024- 0018), Washington, DC 20303.
NPS FORM 10 -900 -A
(8 -86)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 10
Section 8: Statement of Significance
Narrative Statement of Significance:
Captain John S. Pope Farm
Orange County, North Carolina
OMB Approv612D. 1024 -0018
The Captain John S. Pope Farm meets National Register Criterion A for agriculture for its role in the
history of tobacco farming in Orange County. The farm is a well - preserved example of a mid -sized
tobacco farm, typical of those that existed throughout northern Orange County in the late nineteenth
and early twentieth century. The farm has remained in continuous operation by the Pope family since
at least 1870 and retains the 1874 acreage as well as its historic arrangement of fields and forests.
The property also meets National Register Criterion C for architecture. The two- story, triple -A- roofed I -house
is one of the earliest extant and most intact examples of this rural house form, which was found throughout
Orange County in the mid- to late nineteenth century. The property retains one of the largest collections of
agricultural outbuildings in Orange County with buildings dating from c.1870 -1874 through 2008, illustrating
typical rural North Carolina building practices of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The house and its
collection of twenty contributing outbuildings illustrate the property's continued use as a tobacco farm from the
1870s through the early 1960s.
The locally significant Captain John S. Pope Farm remains one of the best - preserved rural complexes in
northern Orange County with a period of significance extending from c.1870 to 1963, during which the
complex achieved its current appearance. The house was constructed c.1870 -1874 and the majority of
contributing buildings were erected from c.1870 -1880, 1900 -1930, and 1945 -1960. While the property
remained in continuous operation as a tobacco farm into the twenty -first century, there is no basis for a
claim of exceptional significance for the later use of the farm and for those buildings less than fifty
years old.
History of the Captain John S. Pope Farm
The 73.05 -acre Captain John S. Pope Farm is a portion of the larger John Alphonse McDade (1807-
1869) farm in northwest Orange County. McDade acquired the land in 1806 and lived nearby, but it is
not known if he farmed the 73 -acre tract. McDade had five children before his wife Nancy M. Woods
McDade's death in 1845. At the time of her death their youngest daughter, Josephine, was only two
years old and may have left the farm to live with other family. By 1850, the federal census lists
McDade as a farmer in the "Northwest Division" of Orange County with the oldest four of the couple's
five children still living on the farm: John M. (1831- 1893), William Woods (1833 - 1862), Mary Jane
(1835 - 1917), and Henry Lee (1838 - 1913).
13
NPS FORM 10 -900 -A OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018
(8-86)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 11 Captain John S. Pope Farm
Orange County, North Carolina
On May 8, 1859, Mary Jane McDade married John Saunders Pope. Born in 1836, Pope was the sixth
child of Thomas P. and Mary Wheeley Pope, also listed as farmers in the Northwest Division of Orange
County in the 1850 federal census. Shortly after their marriage, on October 6, 1861, Pope enlisted as a
private with the North Carolina 31St Infantry Regiment and fought in the Civil War. He had reached the
rank of captain when he mustered out of the military on April 26th, 1865, after the surrender at Bennett
Place in Durham.
Family legend holds that John and Mary Jane Pope began construction of their house shortly after their
wedding on land given them by her father, but the construction was interrupted by the war. When John
left for the war, Mary was seven months pregnant; she lived nearby with her father for the duration of
the war. The couple legally acquired the land in 1869 when, after his death, John Alphonse McDade's
183 -acre tract of land was divided among his five children with each child receiving approximately 36.6
acres.' The house was likely still incomplete in 1870, as the federal census lists John S. Pope as a farm
laborer living with Mary and their two eldest children (Thomas and Josephine) in Heightown
Township, near Prospect Hill, in Caswell County. Mary's grandfather, William Woods, lived in the
Corbett community just west of Prospect Hill and the family was likely living with him until the house
on Efland -Cedar Grove Road was completed.
The house was likely complete by 1874. That same year, Mary's brother Henry Lee McDade
transferred his inherited portion of the land to Mary to create an approximately 72.8 -acre tract .z By
1880, the federal census lists John S. Pope as a farmer in Cedar Grove Township in Orange County.
Pope is listed with his wife, his three children (Thomas, Josephine, and Carl), and an unrelated African
American servant, William Thompson, occupying the property. According to family legend, shortly
after the construction of the house, Pope learned that the house had actually been constructed on the
west property line, the front of the house resting on a narrow strip of land between the Pope property
and Efland -Cedar Grove Road that was owned by David and Mary Wells. An 1879 deed records the
transfer of one -half acre of land along Efland -Cedar Grove Road (then Hillsborough Road), and
adjoining John Pope's tract, from Wells to Pope, confirming this belief and creating the distinctly-
shaped 73.05 -acre parcel that remains today.
Pope's youngest son, Carl McDade Pope, married Lindia Lee Harris in 1892 and the couple initially
lived on a farm on nearby Lees Chapel Road. Captain John S. Pope died in June 1895 just after the
birth of Carl and Lindia's second child. In the 1900 census, Mary Jane Pope was sharing the house
with her son Carl, and his growing family, which included daughters Lottie May, Jodie Ruffin, and
Mary Lee. Carl did not sell his property on Lees Chapel Road until 1904, when Mary Jane completed
' William Woods McDade and his wife Frances Murphey McDade both died of illness in 1862, leaving a son, William H.
McDade, who was raised by his uncle Henry L. McDade, to whom his father's portion of the inheritance passed.
2 It is unclear from deeds whether this was Henry Lee McDade's portion or the portion passed to William H. McDade when
he became of age.
NPS FORM 10 -900 -A
(8 -86)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 12
Captain John S. Pope Farm
Orange County, North Carolina
14
OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018
her will leaving the farm to Carl. In 1909, Carl leased a portion of the farm from Mary Jane Pope "for
the purposed of running a government distillery." In February 1910, Mary Jane Pope formally deeded
the 73.05 -acre property, known as the John S. Pope Homeplace, to her son Carl McDade Pope. That
same year, federal census records show Carl and Lindia and their seven children (Lottie, Jodie, Mary,
John, Thelma, Lacy, and Inez) living on the property with Mary Jane Pope, then in her 70s. Mary Jane
Pope died in 1917.
Carl and Lindia raised a large family on the farm. Robert Harris Pope, the couple's youngest child was
born in 1914, giving the couple a total of eight surviving children.3 Additionally, with the death of his
older brother, Thomas, around 1914, Carl's four nephews also moved onto the farm. Carl, who owned
a sawmill, was responsible for several alterations to the house including renovations around the turn of
the twentieth century that included the replacement of the original Greek Revival -style front porch with
a shed - roofed porch on turned posts with sawnwork details and the addition of a decorative front gable
to give the house a Queen Anne -style exterior. At this time, Carl also erected an addition to the garage,
which in the 1920s, housed a truck Carl had purchased to haul lumber to and from his sawmill.
Carl McDade Pope died in 1927 and Lindia Lee Harris Pope remained in the house with her three sons
running the farm. In the early 1930s, the current front porch and a small wing on the south side of the
rear ell were erected by Carl's youngest child, Robert Harris Pope. Robert Pope married Janie Sue
Hester in 1936, and they lived in the house, electrifying it in 1937, the same year his son, Robert Harris
Pope Jr. was born. Water and plumbing were run to the house in 1943 -1944, relieving the need for
heating water in the nearby washhouse. Shortly thereafter, a one -story wing was added to the north side
of the rear ell. (Both rear wings were removed in stages from 2002 to 2007.)
In 1947, Lindia Lee Harris Pope died and the house and farm went to auction, from which Jodie, John,
and Robert Harris Pope acquired the property in 1948. Robert continued to farm the land and in 1952,
purchased an additional 1.46 acres from the heirs of David Wells on which he constructed a tenant
house with its own well house. By 1967, he had purchased an additional .75 acres from the Wells heirs,
adjacent to the 1952 parcel, and erected a garage for the second home. By 1980, both John and Jodie
had died and Robert Harris Pope took full ownership of the property. He farmed the land, raising
tobacco, just as his father and grandfather had, until the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of
2004.
In 2006, Robert Pope deeded both the original 73.05 -acre tract and the 2.28 -acre tract that he had
acquired in 1952 and 1967 to his son, Robert Harris Pope Jr. Robert Jr., the great- grandson of Captain
John S. Pope, uses the land to pasture -graze meat lambs and proudly holds farm tours of the property
and farm dinners in the house. He removed the wings added to the rear ell, constructed a new bathroom
s Carl and Lindia Pope had a ninth child who died in infancy in 1908.
NPS FORM 10 -900 -A
(8-86)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 13
Captain John S. Pope Farm
Orange County, North Carolina
15
OMB Approval No. 1024 -0016
in a portion of the enclosed rear porch, and maintains the property and outbuildings so that they can be
interpreted by tour - goers. The 1952 and 1967 additions to the property were combined into the main
parcel, but are not included within the National Register boundary.
Agricultural Context: Tobacco Farming in Orange County
Agriculture has long played an important role in the history and economy of Orange County. The
topography of the county is predominantly gently rolling hills and flatland with a combination of sand,
silt, and clay soils over an underlying base of rock. The sandy loam, which provides the drainage
necessary for tobacco farming, are located throughout the county, but larger concentrations of the soil
are found in the northern part of the county, making tobacco farming more successful there. With the
popularity of brightleaf tobacco in the years leading up to and following the Civil War, the economy of
northern Orange County came to rely heavily on tobacco cultivation. The number of county farms
tending the brightleaf soared from 10.8 percent to 40.7 percent from 1850 to 1860 and the quantity of
tobacco grown rose five -fold, exceeding a million pounds.4 While wheat and corn continued to be
grown in all parts of the county, by 1860 seventy -five percent of tobacco growth in the county occurred
in its northern section.5
Tobacco remained the major cash crop in northern Orange County from the mid - nineteenth century
through the early twenty -first century and was grown by small and large farmers alike. In 1850, three -
quarters of the county's farms contained less than 100 acres, while just a handful had more than 500
acres. The average size of farms dropped from 285 acres to 198 acres between 1860 and 1870, in part
because of the lack of slave labor to work the fields, and the value of farms fell by half during the same
periods However, the expanding tobacco markets in nearby Durham made tobacco increasingly more
profitable at the same time. The 1870 United States federal census listed tobacco production at 530,442
pounds (though those figures included Durham County, which was still a part of Orange County).'
Like many mid -sized farms in northern Orange County, tobacco was the primary cash crop cultivated
on the Captain John S. Pope Farm. It was a labor- intensive crop requiring leaves to be picked and
strung by hand, so the Pope family employed a farm laborer as early as 1880, when the federal census
lists an unrelated African American servant, William Thompson, living on the property with the family.
A log building at the rear of the property housed the laborer, who likely took meals with the family and
4 Mattson, Richard L. "History and Architecture of Orange County, North Carolina,"
Unpublished manuscript. Hillsborough, NC: Orange County Planning and Development
Department, 1996, pg. 20.
5 Carter, Jody, and Todd Peck. "Historic Resources of Orange County." Unpublished manuscript.
Hillsborough, NC: Orange County Planning and Preservation Department, 1993.
6 Mattson, pg. 36.
Lefler, Hugh. Orange County 1752 -1952. Chapel Hill: The Orange Printshop, 1953, pg. 122.
NIPS FORM 10 -900 -A
(8-80)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 14
Captain John S. Pope Farm
Orange County, North Carolina
16
OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018
used the small building only to sleep. The current owner remembers a farmhand living in the small log
building as late as the late 1940s and the farm census records from 1925 and 1945 indicate that the
cultivated acreage was worked not by the owner (C. M. Pope and later his widow), but by a tenant . 8
In 1930, sixty -five percent of the acreage in Orange County that was dedicated to tobacco was located
in Cedar Grove Township.9 In addition to cultivating tobacco, the Pope family and its tenant farmers
also planted grains and small quantities of vegetables and managed livestock. In 1925, twenty acres
were dedicated to tobacco, ten acres to corn, and seven acres to soybeans for hay. Additionally, there
was a small family garden, twenty -five laying hens, and three milk cows.10 The 1935 census indicates a
similar distribution of cropland with nineteen acres of tobacco, ten acres of corn, four acres of wheat,
and three acres of rye. Additionally, the family had thirty fruit trees, four workhorses or mules, and
four milk cows." By 1945 the land use had shifted slightly with fourteen and a half acres of tobacco,
seventeen acres of corn, and seven acres of hays, and the family had invested in poultry, selling 1000
broilers and fryers in 1945, and raised hogs and sheep on the land. 12
Orange County remained predominantly rural well into the twentieth century, even as areas to the east
were more fully developed. As late as 1952, seventy percent of the 254,729 acres that make up Orange
County were considered farmland, one -third of county residents lived on farms, and twenty percent of
the workforce was employed in agriculture. 13 By the mid - twentieth century, the dominant farm size in
Orange County was a small one. According to the 1950 United States federal census, there were 2,038
farms in Orange County and the average size was 87.9 acres. Eighty percent of farms contained
between ten and 179 acres with those farms less than ten acres representing small vegetable patches and
the farms larger than 180 acres utilizing mechanized farming practices. 14
However, the amount of acreage contained on a farm was not necessarily a direct correlation to the
amount of harvested acres. In 1952, seventy- percent of Orange County was considered farmland, yet
the total acreage in cultivation was only 48,958 acres. 15 In addition to harvested cropland, total farm
acreage included pastured cropland, unharvested and unpastured cropland, open pasture, and
8 Department of Agriculture, Statistics Division. 1925, 1935, and 1945 Farm Census Reports, Orange County. North
Carolina State Archives, Raleigh.
9 Department of Agriculture, Statistics Division. 1930 Farm Census Report, County Summaries, Orange County. North
Carolina State Archives, Raleigh.
10 Department of Agriculture, Statistics Division. 1925 Farm Census Report, Orange County.
11 Department of Agriculture, Statistics Division. 1935 Farm Census Report, Orange County.
12 Department of Agriculture, Statistics Division. 1945 Farm Census Report, Orange County.
13 Lefler, pgs. 228 -229.
14 Lefler, pg. 231. 180 farms under 10 acres, 667 farms b/t 10 -49 acres, 557 farms b/t 50 -99 acres, and 405 farms
b/t 100 -179 acres, 132 farms b/t 180 -259, 79 farms b/t 260 -499, and 18 farms over 500 acres.
15 Lefler, pg. 229.
NPS FORM 10 -900 -A
(8 -86)
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 15
Captain John S. Pope Farm
Orange County, North Carolina
17
OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018
unpastured woodlands, which alone comprised forty -six percent of farmland. 16 Additionally, the
production of tobacco, which required much hand labor and was grown on approximately one -half of
the farms in Orange County, contributed to the relatively small number of harvested acres. Thus only
about twenty percent of farmland was being actively cultivated and harvested in the mid - twentieth
century.
The historic landscape of the Captain John S. Pope Farm is typical of a mid -sized farm in Cedar Grove
Township with field patterns dictated by the type of soil and changing little, if at all, in the early
twentieth century and a majority of the land remaining wooded or undeveloped. Farm census records
from 1925 indicate that only thirty-nine acres of the ninety -three acres held by Carl M. Pope (twenty
acres were part of a non - contiguous parcel) were cultivated with fifteen acres cleared but not tilled and
thirty-nine acres being "woods, waste, pasture, etc. "17 By 1935 and 1945, forty -four acres were in
cultivation with thirty-nine acres remaining unimproved.18 Much of the unimproved land was located
near the spring and its resulting stream, just south of where the farm road turns; this low -lying ground is
not suitable for row crops and remained forested. Additionally, fields nearest the house were
seasonally used as small garden plots but were used predominantly for the grazing of livestock. The
fields at the north and east ends of the property were used to cultivate row crops, including tobacco,
corn, and other grains based on the type of soil that dominated each field. The farm census records
indicate little change in the number of acres dedicated to each crop and aerial photographs taken by the
United States Department of Agriculture in 1938, 1955, 1966, and 1972 show little change to the field
and forest pattern of the farm in the twentieth century. While the farm no longer cultivates row crops,
the shift from cultivated fields to pasture has minimal visual impact on the landscape.
Tobacco remained the prominent cash crop in Orange County through the early years of the twenty -first
century. Four generations of the Pope family grew tobacco on the property from the 1870s through
2005. While the farm is no longer viable as a tobacco farm, the land remains in use, its open fields used
to pasture -graze meat lambs for sale at local markets and restaurants. The family is proud to have the
farm recognized as a Century Farm by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture for its continued
agricultural use by a single family and is seeking a conservation easement to ensure its continued
agricultural use.
16 Lefler, pg. 231.
17 Department of Agriculture, Statistics Division. 1925 Farm Census Report, Orange County.
" Department of Agriculture, Statistics Division. 1935 and 1945 Farm Census Reports, Orange County.
North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
State Historic Preservation Office
Ramona M. Bartos, Admi-istrator
Beverly Eaves Perdue, Govemor
Linda A. Carlisle, Secretary
Jeffrey J. Crow, Deputy Secretary
September 4, 2012
Rich Shaw, Land Conservation Manager
P.O. Box 8181
Hillsborough, N.C. 27278
Office of Archives and History
Division of Historical Resources
David Brook, Director
Re: Capt. John S. Pope House, 6909 Efland -Cedar Grove Rd., Cedar Grove Twp., Orange Co.
Dear Mr. Shaw:
Thank you for the landmark designation report for the Captain John S. Pope House. We have reviewed it
and offer the following comments in accordance with General Statute §160A- 400.6.
The Captain John S. Pope Farm retains a notably intact mid- nineteenth century "Triple -A" I -house as well
as an extensive collection of associated domestic and agricultural outbuildings, most of which date from
the middle of the nineteenth to the middle of the twentieth centuries. In addition, it retains its historic
setting of seventy -four acres of agricultural land with intact historic field patterns, continuously farmed by
the Pope family since their acquisition of the land. We concur that the property is worthy of consideration
as a local landmark and have communicated to you, via electronic mail, several technical revisions to the
report which, once made, should provide the local governing board with enough information to determine
whether or not the property has the requisite significance and integrity for designation as a local landmark.
Archaeological resources associated with the nineteenth century occupation of the farm may be present.
Care should be taken during ground disturbing activities to avoid inadvertent damage to or destruction of
these resources.
Landmark designation means the community recognizes the property as one worthy of preservation
because of its special significance and integrity in the local community. Any substantial change in design,
materials, and appearance are subject to the design review procedures of the historic preservation
commission. The owner may receive an annual deferral of fifty percent of the property taxes for as long as
the property is designated and retains special significance and integrity (N.C.G.S. §105 -278 etseq.).
Please note that if the local governing board 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.
Thank 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 governing board may proceed with the
Location: 109 )vast Jones Street, Raleigh NC 27601 Mailing Address: 4617 Mail Semite Center, Raleigh NC 27699 -4617 Telephone /Fax: (919) 807 - 6570/807 -6599
19
designation decision. Please find enclosed a designation confirmation form and notify me of the local
governing board'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.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding our comments.
Yours truly,
�). r 2.
J.R. Crawford N
Preservation Commissions Coordinator
20
REQUEST FOR DESIGNATION CONFIRMATION
To: Rich Shaw, Orange County Historic Preservation Commission
From: Rob Crawford, Preservation Commissions Coordinator
Date: September 4, 2012
When the local governing board has concluded its action on the designation ordinance for the Captain John
S. Pope House, 6909 Efland -Cedar Grove Rd., Cedar Grove Twp., Orange County, please inform me
via either:
1. the form below, mailed to me at 4617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 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 below.
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 Captain John S. Pope House, 6909 Efland -Cedar Grove Rd., Cedar
Grove Twp., Orange County, has been adopted by the local governing board.
Yes No Date
Ordinance provisions different from designation report:
Attachment 4 21
Orange County
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
DRAFT Meeting Summary
January 23, 2013
Environment and Agricultural Center, Hillsborough
MEMBERS PRESENT: Todd Dickinson (Chair), Steve Rankin (Vice Chair), Statler Gilfillen, Rob Golan,
Bob Ireland
MEMBERS ABSENT: Joanna Lelekacs
STAFF PRESENT: Peter Sandbeck, Rich Shaw GUESTS: None
ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER
Chair Dickinson called the meeting to order at 7:08 pm.
ITEM #2: CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA
The special presentation by Stewart Dunaway was moved before the items for decision.
ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES (December 12, 2012)
Dickinson asked for comments on the draft October 24 meeting summary. Golan and Dickinson pointed
out three typos in the summary. Gilfillen motioned to accept the minutes as amended; seconded by
Golan. Approved unanimously.
ITEM #5: SPECIAL PROGRAM
a. Presentation by Stewart Dunaway
Dunaway began his presentation by providing an overview of his work on establishing, removing, and
correcting NC state historical markers, including Hart's Mill (July 2007), Dickerson Chapel, and the First
Paper Mill in Hillsborough (removed). He said his application for a marker at Dickerson Chapel was denied.
Dunaway then described his work researching old maps, deed records, and other documents for individual
town lots in Hillsborough. He introduced the contents of his new publication, which describes 238 town lots,
along with public buildings, churches, schools /academy, roads, bridges, mill, town fires, and Chaseville.
Dunaway noted one objective of writing his book was to give people access to deed records for all original
town lots. He shared some interesting things he learned, including the following: a) a lot of deed records
were lost; b) no original house from the mid -1750s remains; c) there was minor lot renumbering, d) street
names have changed; e) the "Colonial Inn" was actually the Orange Hotel (1838); f) the town clock was
possibly rebuilt or new in 1805 -06; g) the first courthouse was on the Haw River; h) the second courthouse
was damaged by fire (1790); 3rd courthouse 1791; 0 courthouse 1845; and John Berry helped relocate the
4t" courthouse to the corner of Churton and Queen streets (now Dickerson Chapel AME Church).
Dunaway answered questions from HPC members. Ireland asked whether he use Mary Claire Engstrom's
lot listings. Dunaway said he consulted and used her information. He noted discrepancies regarding the
demise of the original Anglican church (St. Mathews) due to fire, and provided his theory on that subject.
He thinks the building parts were sold as scrap rather than the church being destroyed by fire.
Dunaway responded to other questions, including whether he had researched changes to water courses
[No]; why streets were named Tryon, King, and Queen following the Revolution [Perhaps town and county
were more forgiving than other areas]; how would someone recognize a 1770s house [nails, joints]; and,
could Magnuson house have been relocated [not on Sanborn maps; dendrochronology might help age.].
22
Finally, Dunaway discussed his finding that unlike Chatham and Guilford counties, has found no court
records of one town or county resident going after another for being loyal to the crown.
Dunaway said his book is available for purchase, but is also at the county deed office and public library.
ITEM #4: ITEMS FOR DECISION
a. Local Landmark Application — Capt. John S. Pope Farm (Part 2)
Dickinson reminded members of the status of the local landmark application for the Pope Farm.
Sandbeck reviewed the owner's revised Part 2 of the application (dated 1/15/13). He explained that the
primary revision was the inclusion of three auxiliary buildings that were not included in the National
Register nomination: Well House II (c. 1952), House Ruin (c. 1952), and Garage III (c. 1970).
Sandbeck then reviewed the revised Statement of Significance, which specifies that the entire- 75 -acre
farm would be included in the landmark designation. He noted that the Pope Farm is a "remarkably intact
example of a late nineteenth century 1 -house and tobacco farm complex," and is considered by the
applicant to be the most intact of similar farm complexes in northern Orange County. Sandbeck also
noted that the owner, Mr. Pope, would like the landmark designation to include some of the interior
elements of the farmhouse: the mantels; the stair including treads, risers and all components of the
handrail assembly; all original wood flooring in the main two story section of the house; all original two -
panel doors; and the wide wood sheathing boards on the walls and ceilings.
Sandbeck presented maps and aerial photographs of the farm property, and photographs of the house
and outbuildings. He pointed out that although there have been changes to the farmhouse, the original
floors, walls, and ceilings remain intact. Sandbeck answered questions from HPC members.
Gilfillen asked whether it is within the purview of HPC to provide friendly guidance to local landmark
owners, such recommending they remove vines or trees immediately adjacent to contributing structures.
Sandbeck said he intends to provide that kind of guidance to current and future landmark owners.
Sandbeck reviewed the process for landmark designation, including a joint HPC -BOCC public hearing, a
formal HPC recommendation to the BOCC, and a final BOCC decision to designate the property a local
landmark. Sandbeck suggested requesting a March 7 public hearing with the board of commissioners,
but only if the HPC would have a quorum. He said he would poll members as to their availability.
Gilfillen motioned that the HPC: request a joint public hearing with the Orange County Board of
Commissioners to consider designating the Pope Farm as an Orange County Local Landmark, and that
such designation include the entire 75 -acre farm with 20 contributing buildings, and that certain interior
elements of the farmhouse will also be specified in such designation, including the original floors,
stairway, hand - planed sheathing boards on the walls and ceilings, and the mantels. The motion was
seconded by Rankin and approved unanimously. Staff was directed to prepare a draft ordinance and
complete a thorough photo documentation prior to designation with special attention given to the
outbuildings.
b. Public Hearing for National Register Nomination for the Pope Farm
Dickinson opened the public hearing for consideration of the Pope Farm being listed in the National
Register of Historic Places. He reviewed information about the property, including the farmhouse and
outbuildings, photo documentation, and the nomination that was submitted for state approval. There
were no members of the public present so Dickinson asked for any comments or discussion from HPC
members. Golan said it was evident this is an intact farm of county significance. He noted that it is
uncommon for a landowner to be willing and interested to place restrictions on his or her property.
Rankin and Ireland agreed, and pointed out that the listing of this farm would be an incentive for the
owners of other like farms to consider National Register or local landmark designation. Gilfillen said he
was impressed by the owner's interest in pursuing this designation. Dickinson closed the public hearing.
23
Ireland proposed the following motion: The HPC finds that the Captain John S. Pope Farm meets the
criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and offers its full recommendation for listing
to the Board of County Commissioners for their consideration and approval at the BOCC regular meeting
on Jan. 24, 2013. The motion was seconded by Golan and was approved unanimously.
Sandbeck described the next steps in the National Register process, beginning with his presentation to
the board of county commissioners the following evening [January 24] for its endorsement of the listing.
Dickinson suggested issuing a news release following the State's anticipated listing of the property.
ITEM #6: DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Thank you note from Tina Moon
Sandbeck circulated a note from Tina Moon in which she expressed her gratitude to HPC members.
b. Historic Resource evaluation exercise
Due to the late hour, this item was tabled until the next meeting.
C. 2012 Work Plan — Monthly Update & Progress Check
The monthly update to the HPC work plan was received without any discussion.
d. Identify potential candidates to fill the one HPC vacancy
Sandbeck reviewed the HPC's eligibility criteria. Dickinson led a discussion of people that have applied for
appointment to the HPC. Sandbeck and Shaw described staff's initial efforts to solicit new applications.
Dickinson noted that Golan's term would end in March 2013, and that he is eligible for reappointment.
Golan said he would consider reappointment to the HPC.
ITEM #7: UPDATES AND INFORMATION ITEMS
a. Hollow Rock archaeological survey
Sandbeck provided brief update of the County's phase 2 archaeology survey of its Hollow Rock property.
He said the consultant found numerous flakes and couple of ceramic items, but nothing else remarkable.
Rankin commented on his knowledge of the site. He noted UNC archaeologist, Steve Davis, is very
interested in this site, but has not yet identified it for a field school. Rankin said he would like to follow up
with Davis and asked if a state archaeologist, such as Davis, would need to compete with other
consulting firms even if he could do it for lower cost. Sandbeck said the State might allow a sole source
contract. Sandbeck concluded by saying the fieldwork has completed and a final report is forthcoming.
b. Protecting resources on public lands in Hillsborough
Shaw reported that he and Sandbeck intend to have a draft interlocal agreement for HPC consideration
in advance of it being submitted to the town and county elected boards for approval.
C. Proposal for Orange County Heritage Center
Ireland discussed his proposal for a virtual heritage center and initial feedback he had received from
HPC members and others. Ireland said he wished to withdraw his proposal from consideration. He said
any effort to consolidate records should be digital, but feels the HPC is probably not suited to take the
lead. Ireland explained that none of the groups seem to want to give up or share historical documents.
Gilfillen said he hopes to keep the idea alive and would like to examine it further, but he questions
whether it's the HPC's role to advance this proposal. Sandbeck said he would share the results of an
earlier work group that discussed these same issues.
d. Neville's Chapel, Jones Ferry Road
There was no discussion of this item.
24
e. Efforts to put Orange County's historic property survey data on the web
Sandbeck provided update on his efforts to work with the County's IT staff and others to put the county
historic properties inventory on the County website. He discussed his interest in creating an open portal
to receive and share information as has been done in Durham. Sandbeck said he will prepare a
demonstration for HPC members to consider at a future meeting. Golan reiterated his interest in
completing a historic architecture book for Orange County and suggested using a group such as the
LULU website to print books on a pay -as- you -go basis as Dunaway is doing for his new publication.
f. Old County Courthouse study and long range preservation plan
Due to the late hour, this item was tabled for discussion at a future meeting.
g. BOCC review of HPC annual report at Jan. 29th work session
Dickinson said he planned to attend the upcoming BOCC work session during which the BOCC will
review the HPC's annual report and work plan. Shaw said this would be an opportunity for Dickinson to
share any information or planned initiatives with the commissioners. Dickinson said he and Sandbeck
would meet in advance to prepare for the meeting.
ITEM #8: ADJOURNMENT
Dickinson adjourned the meeting at approximately 9:40 pm.
Meeting summary by Rich Shaw, DEAPR staff
IR
Attachment 5
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
BEFORE THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AND THE
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 Thursday, March 7, 2013 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:
Captain John S. Pope Farm, consisting of a 75.34 acre parcel at 6909 Efland -Cedar
Grove Road, Cedar Grove Township (PIN: 9859019289)
The Pope Farm is one of the best - preserved historic agricultural complexes still surviving
in northern Orange County, exemplifying a mid -sized tobacco farm of the type that
prospered from the late 19th century until the 1960s. The complex includes a two -story
farmhouse built 1870 -74, along with twenty historic outbuildings.
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, 306A 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.
Peter Sandbeck, Cultural Resources Coordinator
PUBLISH: February 20, 2013
February 27, 2013
25
Attachment 6
AN ORDINANCE OF THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE
CAPTAIN JOHN S. POPE FARM
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 day
of April, 2013, on the question of designating the property known as Captain John S. Pope Farm as a
historic landmark; and
Whereas, the property known as the Captain John S. Pope Farm, located in Cedar Grove
Township in the County of Orange and more particularly described in Exhibit A attached hereto, is one
of the best preserved historic tobacco farm complexes in the northern part of the county; and
Whereas, the original farmhouse built between 1870 and 1874 remains largely intact and retains
virtually all of its original interior woodwork and room finishes, including its distinctive ornamental
mantels and stair; and
26
Whereas, the Captain John S. Pope Farm retains a collection of twenty historic outbuildings dating
from the 1860s to the 1960s; and
Whereas, the John S. Pope Farm with its farmhouse and collection of historic outbuildings
exemplifies the small and mid -sized tobacco farms that once prospered throughout Orange County and
the northern Piedmont section of the state; and
Whereas, the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission has recognized the historic,
architectural and cultural significance of the property known as the Captain John S. Pope Farm and has
recommended that the property be designated a "historic landmark" as outlined in Article 3 of the
Historic Preservation Ordinance; and
27
Whereas, the State Historic Preservation Office, an agency of the Office 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, and has approved the Captain John S. Pope
Farm for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
Now, therefore, be it ordained by the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, North
Carolina that:
Section 1. The property known as the Captain John S. Pope Farm, located in Cedar Grove
Township, Orange County, North Carolina jurisdictional area, consisting of the entire 75.34 acre parcel
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 Captain John S. Pope Farm
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. For the Captain John S. Pope Farm, this will include the
historic outbuildings listed as being "contributing" in the Landmark Designation report. 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 the Captain John S.
Pope Farm the preservation of the following interior features of the farmhouse that it finds to be unique
and important to the property, and to which the owner has agreed: the original hand - planed wall and
ceiling sheathing boards; original mantels; the stair including handrail assembly, treads, risers and
associated woodwork; and wood floors throughout. The HPC shall determine Certificates of
Appropriateness for the Captain John S. Pope Farm 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.
2
W
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners does hereby
officially designate the Captain John S. Pope Farm as an Orange County Local Historic
Landmark.
This the day of April 2013.
Barry Jacobs, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
Attest
Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board
EXHIBIT A
The Captain John S. Pope Farm is located at 6909 Efland -Cedar Grove Road in Cedar Grove Township
and is referenced in Orange County Land Records as Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 9859 -01 -9289,
containing 75.34 acres more or less. The property is owned by Mr. Robert Pope, 608 Polk St., Raleigh,
NC 27604