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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC 013002Orange County Environment and Resource Conservation Department P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 „ Phone: (919) 732 -8181 or 967 -9251, x2583 Fax: (919) 644 -3551 r Email: cttxoon @co.oran g e.1IIc us MEMORANDUM r TO: Historic Preservation Commission FROM: Tina Moon, Preservation Planner SUBJECT: Historic Preservation Commission Meeting, January a, 2002 DATE: January*23, 2002 t COPIES: Dave Stancil, Environment and Resource Conservation Director Rich Shaw, Land Conservation Manager Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 30, 2002 at. 7:00 p.m. in the Planning and Agricultural Center. The focus of this meeting is to hold a public hearing to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the Holden - Roberts National Register Nomination. Please read through the attached nomination and the formal comment sheet for information. The HPC typically elects a new chair and vice chair in February so start thinking about candidates. We will also try to reschedule our Little River Park field trip so please bring your calendars. I will try to update you on all other current issues at the meeting. I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, January 30, 2002 AGENDA ORANGE COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION PLANNING & AGRICULTURAL CENTER — Conference Room 1 306 REVERE ROAD HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA �e TIME A�`GE 7:00 1. 2. 7:05 3. 7:10 01 4. 7:15 05 8:05 8:30 41 8:35 January 30,'2002 AGENDA ITEM CALL TO ORDER CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONS TO AGENDA CHAIR COMMENTS APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. November 28, 2001 ITEMS FOR DECISION a. Public Hearing — Holden - Roberts Farm National Register Nomination b. Schedule for Little River Park & Natural Area field trip 6. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION a. Cate Farm Preservation Plan (draft distributed at meeting) b. Activities for County's 250`h Celebration (Study Areas) C. Annual Chair Election (February) 7. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS a. BOCC Goals— Retreat topics b. National Register Nomination for Occoneechee Speedway C, Possible joint meeting in March with the Agricultural Preservation Board and Commission for the Environment to receive a presentation from the Triangle Greenprint d. Forum News 8. ADJOURNMENT IF UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS MEETING, PLEASE CALL THE ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT AT EXTENSION 2583 (NUMBERS LISTED BELOW). STAFF CAN THEN DETERMINE IF QUORUM WILL BE PRESENT FOR THE MEETING. HILLSBOROUGH - 732 -8181 CHAPEL HILL - 967 -9251 MEBANE - 227 -2031 DURHAM 688 -7331 DRAFT MINUTES r HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION November 28, 2001 Members Present: Rob Golan, Chair Chuck Cooper, Vice Chair Carolyn Connor Dale Georgiade Heath Aldridge Betsy Underwood Members Absent: Renee Price Staff Present: David Stancil, Environment & Resource Conservation_ Director and, Tina Moon, Preservation Planner, AGENDA ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER Golan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. AGENDA ITEM #2: CONSIDERATIONS OF ADDITIONS TO AGENDA AGENDA ITEM #3: CHAIR COMMENTS Golan welcomed everyone and asked for any additions to the agenda. Golan reported talking with Cathleen Turner, of Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, about the possibility of pursuing a joint architectural history publication with the Town of Hillsborough. Moon summarized their progress on the book so far. Orange County sponsored a countywide architectural survey in the early 1990s and hired Rick Matteson, an architectural history consultant, to prepare a manuscript suitable for publication based on the survey files. Matteson also rewrote a number of file entries for use in the inventory section of the book. More recently, the HPC began reviewing the inventory photos to select buildings that offered a good representation of architectural forms and styles, as well as important local families. After hearing that the Town of Hillsborough had someone who wanted to publish a history of the town and surrounding jurisdictions, it made sense to staff to pursue the idea of doing a joint publication instead of two smaller works with substantial overlap. Another part of the appeal of the partnership idea was the potential for more funding sources and more staff expertise from other jurisdictions all of which would hopefully_ lead to a better final product in less time. The manuscript prepared by Rick Matteson would remain intact, and a similar piece about the county seat of Hillsborough would be prepared as a separate chapter. Staff would try to gather a little more social history about the crossroads and rural communities, including African - American history to balance the volume to better appeal to the general public. Staff would also prepare and insert interior photos, floor plans and area maps as appropriate. Draft November 28, 2001 HPC minutes Page 1 of 4 Golan mentioned that the Hampton Point project was approved. While the property is not in HPC's jurisdiction, Golan said that he would like to draft a letter on behalf of the HPC to the Hillsborough commissioners and, the project developers requesting that they do something to recognize the historic value of the site. Golan suggested some sort of commendation marker, or green space highlighting the events that took place at the site in 1865. Golan asked for HPC support on the Hillsborough Military Academy project in regards of preservation recommendations and, gave a brief history of the property and buildings. Moon noted that the commandant's house is on the National Register of Historic Places but that the other buildings are not. Golan to keep HPC updated. Golan also reported receiving a letter that calls for the HPC to provide input for the annual BOCC planning retreat and suggested that it be addressed at the next meeting. Moon reviewed the advisory board's role. AGENDA ITEM #4: APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. October 24, 2001 MOTION: Golan moved approval of the October 24, 2001 minutes with the changes noted by Connor. Georgiade seconded the motion. VOTE: Unanimous. AGENDA ITEM #5: ITEMS FOR DECISION Schedule for field trips Moon reminded the group of the times previously set for site visits to the Cate Farm property and the Little River Park and Natural Area and that Rich Shaw is planning to provide tour assistance. Once the HPC has visited the two properties it can prepare recommendations regarding stewardship for the various historic structures and send those recommendations to the appropriate park workgroup. The dates of December 9th at 2:00 for the Cate Farm and January 13th for the Little River Park were agreed upon. The members discussed gathering location being here at 1:30 p.m. and the possibility of a county vehicle tour bus. b. Annual CLG Report Moon reviewed our CLG status requirements and thanked everyone for participating in so many preservation workshops this year. Moon asked the HPC for feed back on the three most needed commission or staff training topics. Golan noted that he would like to see more training on rural preservation issues, such as processing COAs for rural sites, ways to protect and preserve open spaces, public relations within a rural context, ways of presenting things to communities to get community involvement, and finally dealing with elected officials. Connor suggested going through the process of applying for designation as a Local Landmark District. Georgiade said that she would like to learn about more about how to get the county to stabilize historic buildings on newly acquired property. Moon asked for any information on demolished or destroyed buildings. Golan mentioned the Snipes house. Connor noted concerns about Chatwood barn that is actually a relocated 18th century house. Staff to research if that building is part of National Register Nomination. Cooper noted that abandoned store has been demolished at the intersection of Hwy 49 & 86. A suggestion was made to seek cooperation from fire departments for information about historic sites prior to demolition. Draft November 28, 2001 HPC minutes Page 2 of 4 C. December meeting schedule ` Moon reminded that the December meeting is usually cancelled as it falls on a holiday, everyone agreed to cancel. AGENDA ITEM # 6: ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION a. Activities for County's 250th Celebration Moon recalled the group's previous suggestions for the 250th Celebration. One idea was to put together a brochure describing the HPC and it's functions, another was to prepare a driving tour. Moon asked the group to think about a series or cluster of interesting houses within a neighborhood that might make a driving loop. Conner suggested that the HPC divide the county into sections and that each member take a section to research. The results of the research could be mapped. Moon added that staff could take that information and come up with a brochure. Stancil suggested that a planning committee meeting. regarding the 250th Celebration is forthcoming and that a HPC liaison would be advisable. Official date September 9, 2002. Once the BOCC has authorized the planning committee and funding more information will be forthcoming. b. Heritage /Scenic Corridor Program Stancil noted that St. Mary's Road would serve as a good starting point for the Heritage /Scenic Corridor program since the bond referendum was approved, which includes funds for Lands Legacy acquisitions as well as another funding commitments. This would include funds for non - public access lands that might be important for possible conservation easements along this corridor. In the upcoming months the HPC and staff will work together to develop recommendations to put this project before the BOCC. It would be good to make presentation, early 2002, to the BOCC about the HPC's thoughts are for the St. Mary's Corridor project, including mapping and view sheds, and what you think the next steps should be. Moon presented the HPC with a "viewshed" map. The map showed the entire corridor viewshed based on computer analysis (the height of the driver compared to contours of the surrounding landscape and treeline) and overlays of the vistas that the HPC had identified as the most important. Moon mentioned that staff are pursuing the possibility of creating a 3 -D viewshed map to help the community visualize the project. Connor asked if remnants of the Trading Path could be put on the map. Moon stated that as the relevant layers are created, they would /could be added. Stancil noted that interfacing the Trading Path with the St. Mary's Corridor project would be one of the next steps and of importance to the BOCC. Stancil, with member input, wrapped up with overview of plans noting that next steps include: ➢ Look at appropriate time to get something presented to the BOCC ➢ What we ought to do ➢ Method to proceed with ➢ Pros & cons ➢ How to go about presenting and promoting to community as voluntary measures ➢ Study List Status benefits ➢ Advance notice /flyer to promote community project ➢ Presentation materials and visual aids ➢ Putting this project in cover memo to BOCC on goals for next year as well as goals list ➢ Informing land owners of important natural areas and historical sites /buildings Draft November 28, 2001 HPC minutes Page 3 of 4 The HPC concluded the meeting with more discussion on the idea of a joint Orange County- - Town of Hillsborough publication. Some members felt that the county should continue to pursue the unincorporated parts only book. There was concern that a joint effort would mean essentially starting from scratch, or at least backtracking to add the new material. Others felt that enlarging the scope of the work would provide an opportunity to fill in some of the gaps in the existing manuscript. In addition, pooling our efforts with the Town may provide additional funding sources. An idea of presenting the publication priority and options to the BOCC in the goals recommendations and ask for feedback on pursuing a joint effort with the town was finally agreed upon. AGENDA ITEM #7: INFORMATIONAL ITEMS a. The Alliance Review b. Selections from Preservation ADJOURNMENT: Next meeting scheduled for January 23rd, 2002. Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. Draft November 28, 2001 HPC minutes Page 4 of 4 J ccam�:; North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources State Historic Preservation Office David L. S. Brook, Administrator Michael F. Easley, Governor Division of Archives and History Lisbeth C. Evans, Secretary Jeffrey J. Crow, Director December 14, 2001 Ms. Tina Moon, Planner Orange County Historic Preservation Commission P 0 Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 -8181 RE: Holden- Roberts Farm, Hillsborough vicinity, Orange County Dear Ms. Moon: Enclosed is a copy of the nomination for the Holden- Roberts Farm, which is scheduled for presentation to the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee on February 14, 2002. A copy of the notification letter sent to the property owners is enclosed for your information. As a Certified Local Government, you normally have sixty (60) days in which to comment on the proposed nomination. If you do not respond by February 14, 2002, on the proposed nomination, approval of it will be assumed. Please note that the County is to provide an opportunity for public comment on this nomination according to the terms specified in the certification agreement the County signed with this office. A copy of your notice to the public should be forwarded to our office along with any comments you wish to make on the nomination to satisfy federal and state requirements. Please use the enclosed comment forms to send us your response. If you have any questions concerning this nomination, we will be happy to help. Si erely, Jeffrey J. ow State Historic Preservation Officer JJC /jct Enclosures cc: The Honorable Stephen Halkiotis, Chair, Board of Orange County Commissioners, Location Mailing Address Telephone/Fax ADMINISTRATION 507 N. Blount St, Raleigh NC 4617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699 -4617 (919) 733 -4763 •733 -8653 RESTORATION 515 N. Blount St, Raleigh NC 4613 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 276994613 (919) 733 -6547 •715 -4801 SURVEY & PLANNING 515 N. Blount St, Raleigh NC 4618 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 276994618 (919) 733 -6545 •715 -4801 N The federal and state guidelines for the Certified Local Government Program require that the CLGs participate in the process of nominating properties to the National Register of Historic Places. This participation involves the review of nominations within the jurisdiction of the CLG by the CLG Commission and the chief elected local official. Opportunity for public comment must be provided during the 60 -day comment period. The commission and the chief elected official are required to submit comments to the State Historic Preservation Office and the. owner of the property relaying their findings as to the eligibility of the property under consideration for listing in the National Register. The attached forms are provided for you to facilitate your review of nominations and your submittal of comments to the State Historic Preservation Office. A copy of the criteria for listing in the National Register is also enclosed for your reference and use. Although the federal regulations governing the CLG program call for the chief elected local official to provide comments on proposed National Register nominations within the CLG jurisdiction, North Carolina law stipulates that the mayor or chairman of the board of county commissioners may act only in an administrative capacity on behalf of the local governing board. If a certified local government has doubts about the legality of the chief elected official assuming sole responsibility for comments on proposed National Register nominations, it may wish to consider two alternatives: 1) having the governing board review the nominations or 2) having the governing board pass a resolution granting the chief elected local official the authority to furnish comments on behalf of the governing board. In order to fulfill the required comment procedures, please complete the information below and the appropriate comment paragraph that is' attached after you have reviewed the nomination. This information should be returned to Ann Swallow, National Register Coordinator; Survey and Planning Branch, North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office; 4618 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699 -4618. COMMENTS ARE DUE IN THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE BY: February 14, 2002 1. Name of Certified Local Government: Orange County 2. Name of CLG Commission: Orange County Historic Preservation Commission Property being reviewed for nomination: Holden- Roberts Farm 4. Please attach documentation of the measures taken to provide for public comment during the nomination review and a record of any comments received, as per your certification agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office. 5. In approving local governments for certification, the SHPO may have stipulated that the Commission obtain the services of professional historians, architectural historians, or archaeologists when reviewing National Register nominations, if those disciplines are not represented in the Commission membership. If this stipulation applies to you, please note the name of the professional you consulted below and his/her appropriate field. If you have any questions about the applicability of this stipulation to you commission, contact Melinda Coleman, Preservation Planner at the State Historic Preservation Office [(919) 733- 6545]. rHE CLG COMMISSION SHOULD COMPLETE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS: A. We, the CLGCommisslon , have reviewed and discussed the nomination for the Holden- Roberts Farm and find that the property meets the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as stated in Section 8 of the report. We therefore, recommend that the property be submitted for listing in the Register. Commission chair's signature and date B. We, the CLO Commission , have reviewed and discussed the nomination for the Holden- Roberts Farm and find that the property does not meet the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as stated in Section 8 of the report. We therefore, do not recommend that the property be submitted for listing in the Register. The reasons for our findings concerning this nomination are stated below (use additional sheet if necessary). Commission chair's signature and date THE CHIEF ELECTED LOCAL OFFICIAL OR THE LOCAL GOVERNING BOARD SHOULD COMPLETE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING COMMENT PARAGRAPHS: C. We, the PliefElwed Local Official , or We, the Local Oovaming Board, have reviewed the nomination for the Holden- Roberts Farm and find that the property meets the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as stated in Section 8 of the report. We therefore, recommend that the property be submitted for listing in the Register. Additional Comments: Chief Local Elected Official's signature and date D. We, the Chief Elecled Local Official , or We, the Local Cowming Board! have reviewed the nomination for the Holden - Roberts Farm and find that the property does not meet the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as stated in Section 8 of the report. We therefore, do not recommend that the property be submitted for listing in the Register. The reasons for my (or our) findings concerning this nomination are stated below (use additional sheet if necessary). Additional comments: Chief Local Elected Official's signature and date W NMFc=10.9Ma M". W OAS Apgowi Na 1021.0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form Thls 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 any 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. Name of Property historic name HOLDEN- ROBERTS FARM other names /site number ROLLING ACRES FARM 2. Location -- —_ - -= - -_— - - -�— - -_ - - -_ —_ � -- — _ street & number NORTH SIDE SR 1002, 1 MILE EAST OF SR 1538 not for publication WA _ city or town _. HILLSBOROUGH vicinity X state NORTH AROLINA code—N-tLcounty ORANGE code 135 zip code 27278 3. State/Federal Agency Certification — — — — As the designated authority under•the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this X nomination , 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 forth 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 X locally. (_ See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature of certifying official Date State 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 commenting or other official Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: — Signature of the Keeper - -- -- Date of Action — _ 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): 11 HOLDEN- ROBERTS FARM ORANGE COUNTY, NC Name of Property County and State 5. Classification —� r - -� -- - --' "_ `- --- - -- -- _- - - - - -- Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply) (Check only one box) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count) X private — buildin s gO Contributing Noncontributing — public -local X district _ public -State site _ public - Federal _ structure object Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N /A /A " if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) N buildings 1 sites structures objects t0 -1 —Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 0 6. Function or Use — — Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) — Current Functions (Enter categories from in Cat: Sub: DOMESTIC/ SINGLE DWELLING DOMESTIC/ SECONDARY STRUCTURE AGRICULTURAL SUBSISTENCE: AGRICULTURAL OUTBUILDING AGRICULTURAL SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURAL FIELD 7. Description Cat: Sub: DOMESTIC/ SINGI E DWELLING DOMESTIC/ SECONDARY STRUCTURE AGRICULTURAL SUBSISTENCE- AGRICULTURAL OUTBUILDING AGRICULTURAL SUBSISTENCE: AGRICULTURAL FIELD Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions) OTHER: TRI -GAB E i -HOUSE foundation STONE walls WEATHERBOARD roof ASPHALT SHINGLE METAL SHINGLE other Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets) SEE CONTINUATION SHEET 12 HOLDEN - ROBERTS FARM ORANGE COUNTY, NC Name of Property County and State 8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property (Enter categories from instructions) for National Register listing) —X_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. —X—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 a birthplace or a grave. D a cemetery. E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. F a commemorative property. ARCHITECTURE Period of Significance 1873 -1874 1900-1950 Significant Dates 1873-1874 Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) WA Cultural Affiliation WA G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Architect/Builder UNKNOWN Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) SEE CONTINUATION SHEET 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) Primary Location of Additional Data — preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested. State Historic Preservation Office _ previously listed in the National Register _ Other State Agency — previously determined eligible by the National Register _ Federal agency _ designated a National Historic Landmark _ Local government — recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # _ University — recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # _ Other Name of repository: HOLDEN - ROBERTS FARM ORANGE COUNTY, NC Name of Property County and State 10. Geographical Data -- ___- -- Acreage of Property 68_,73 — UTM, References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) X See continuation sheet. Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting 2 4 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.) Northing street & number 7 CIRCLE DRIVE } telephone 919- 489- 6368 .4i,' — Clt Or town '` '' " . Y DURHAM -' > �.>>,' >1,: °.i:,':_.._ state NC zip code 27705 1 Additional Documentation — — —_ - - -- — Submit the following items with the completed form -- — -- — -- '-- - - - -- -- Continuation Sheets 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 the SHPO or FPO.) -- name DRS. NE _S AND NANCY ANDERSON street & number_ 38 8 ST MARY'S ROAD telephone 919 -732-2302 city or town_ HILLSBOROUGH state NC zip code _ 27278 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 listings. 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 at seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18:1 hours per response including the 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.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013 -7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024. 0018), Washington, DC 20503. NP5 Fmm 10 -900 -a (Rev.8.86) OMB Appnyvd Na I024 -0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places - Continuation Sheet Holden - Roberts Farm Section number 7 _ Page 1 Orange County, NC GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Encompassing sixty - eight - and seven - tenths acres of fields and woodlands in Eno Township of Orange County, North Carolina and situated approximately three miles east of the town of Hillsborough, the Holden - Roberts Farm, known today as Rolling Acres Farm, contains a rare Reconstruction -period I -house and a largely intact grouping of agricultural outbuildings constructed at various times from 1900 through 1950. Located in the proposed St. Mary's Road Historic District north of State Route 1002 (St. Mary's Road) and approximately one mile east of State Route 1538 (New Sharon Road), the farm takes the shape of an irregular polygon. The west boundary travels in a straight line through woodlands, the north and east boundaries angle along a subdivision road and a fence line, and the jagged south boundary follows fence lines and a farm lane. In the north - central sector, the focal point of the farm is a handsome and well - preserved I -house with modest Greek Revival detailing that was built in 1873 and 1874 for Addison Holden, half - brother of North Carolina's Reconstruction Governor, William Woods Holden. One of a very. few dwellings built during Reconstruction in Orange County, the farmhouse retains many original architectural details, and later -made additions and renovations have been sensitive and careful. To replace a detached kitchen, Addison Holden enclosed the northern two-thirds of a large porch on the east elevation as a kitchen and parlor around 1900. At the same time, he extended a shallow porch from the east elevation of the enclosure and added a small frame structure at the north end. About 1930, George Cain Roberts, who purchased the farm from Holden in 1908, installed wood - composition wall board in the north parlor of the original block, added a one -story frame wing to the north facade, remodeled the kitchen, and installed Craftsman -style piers and posts on the south sector of the east - facing 1873 -1874 porch. No other significant additions or alterations were made until ca. 1970 when the current owners, Drs. Nels and Nancy Anderson, installed a bathroom in a portion of the ca. 1900 porch, replaced a front porch post and rotted decking on all porches, and modernized the wing with sheetrock walls, new bathroom fixtures, and a small kitchenette. Eight outbuildings also contribute to the historic character of the farm. Addison Holden constructed a granary southeast of the farmhouse ca. 1900. Cain Roberts erected three frame chicken houses ca. 1910; two are northwest and one is northeast of the farmhouse. In addition, Roberts added a brick shed - roofed garden house ca. 1915 north of the farmhouse, and an equipment shed ca. 1930 south of the farmhouse along the lane. After Roberts's death, his widow, Carrie, leased the farm to Jerome "Bud" Garrard who, with his sons "Vic" and "Julian," constructed two pole barns ca. 1950 south of the farmhouse near the lane. Six additional outbuildings reflect agricultural uses but are noncontributing. A frame chicken house northwest of the farmhouse, and a small frame building near the eastern boundary of the M'Sfioem 10.900.a (Rsv. B -88) OMB Approwl Na 1024 -0018 United States Department of the Interior' National Park Service National Register of Aistoric Places Continuation Sheet Holden- Roberts Farm Section number _ 7 Page __ 2_ Orange County, NC farm, both built ca. 1910 by Cain Roberts, have deteriorated, and a large concrete block chicken house west of the farmhouse, built ca. 1950 by the Garrards, has been extensively renovated. After 1950, the last year for which the Holden - Roberts Farm is eligible for the National Register, Thomas Bacon added a frame and concrete block egg house northeast of the farmhouse in 1963; James Rae Freeland built a frame pole barn in the east field ca. 1965; and Nels Anderson constructed a frame sawmill shed east of the Garrards' barns in 1998. INTEGRITY STATEMENT: The Holden- Roberts Farm has a long history of continuous usage. Historic land use patterns remain, and the lay of the land is much the same as formerly. Pastures and fields are in their early- twentieth - century locations, and although livestock and poultry are no longer raised, the farm produces a large annual crop of grass hay. Buildings on the farm have been constructed, repaired, and destroyed, or allowed to deteriorate by various owners and tenants as fanning activities and emphases have changed over time. The most important early- and mid, twentieth- century buildings are in good repair and convey a strong sense of agricultural use while the noncontributing buildings complement them in scale and character. 1. LANDSCAPE, contributing: Although its acreage has varied over time, the Holden - Roberts Farm is today a sixty - eight- and seven - tenths -acre tract, dominated by agricultural fields that slope gently upward from the south boundary near SR 1002 to woodlands along the north and west boundaries. Mature poplars, oaks, maples, and pines dominate the woodlands and cedars grow intermittently near fence lines around the farm. Beginning at SR 1002, a winding dirt and gravel lane, part of a network of unimproved roads abandoned by Orange County before 1936,1 extends in a north- south direction and bisects the farm to divide a large open field of approximately thirty -five acres on the west from two smaller fenced fields of approximately eight and ten acres on the east. As it reaches the farmhouse in the north - central sector of the farm, the lane curves to the west and then continues in a west - northwest direction off the property to State Route 1538. On a gentle eastern slope, the farmhouse faces west toward the lane, sheltered on the east by two tall pecan trees. Outbuildings around the farm, constructed over a fifty -year period of agricultural significance and set in loose proximity to the lane from south to northwest, clearly convey an association with Orange County's diversified farming economy from 1900 to 1950. 2. THE HOLDEN - ROBERTS FARMHOUSE, ca. 1873 174, with additions ca. 1900, 1930, and 1970 (Floor plans of the house are attached as Exhibits A and B): The Holden - Roberts Farmhouse comprises a handsome frame tri-gable I -house constructed in 1873 and 1874, a ca. 1900 one -story frame kitchen - parlor -porch addition on the east elevation, '1G NPSFQ=10 -900a (Rev.8 -86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places �- s Continuation Sheet Section number _7 Page 3,_ OMB Appmavl Na 1024.0018 Holden - Roberts Farm Orange County, NC and a ca. 1930 one -story frame wing on the north elevation. The original block is well preserved and sensitive modifications have been made to the addition and the wing. Original Block, 1873 -1874: Resting on aclay- mortared fieldstone foundation, the n ' al block of the Holden - Roberts farmhouse, constructed in 1873 -1874 for Addison Holden, has a timber frame that is said to have been assembled at the site from pre - constructed components? The dwelling is covered with weatherboard siding, capped by a gable roof now covered with gray asphalt shingles, and flanked by two stately single - shouldered end chimneys with soapstone bases and corbelled brick stacks. Windows around the original block are six- over -six double -hung sash, and except for the first floor of the west elevation, fenestration is regular. Breaking the symmetrical fenestration pattern found elsewhere, the west or front elevation of the main block is divided into four bays on the first floor with an unusual bank of three windows at the north end. Close inspection of its components reveals that the bank is original except that the top sash in the northern-most window is a recent replacement containing streaked opalescent glass. Two windows at the south end of the first floor mirror the placement of end windows in the bank. The windows bracket a central double leaf entry door with horizontal panels that is topped by a three -light transom. The door opens onto a less - than -full -width porch sheltered by a hipped roof. One post and the decking on the porch have been replaced in a tasteful manner in keeping with the design of the house. There are three regular bays on the second floor of the west elevation and windows are located on each side and in the center. Above the center window, a wall gable is defined by prominent cornice returns and ornamented with a small quatrefoil- shaped ventilator. Typical of vernacular farmhouses in the mid- South, secondary elevations of the ongz'nal block are plainer. On the south elevation, there is no fenestration on the first floor, and on the second, cornice returns and windows flank a chimney secured to the house by an iron rod around its base: The east and north elevations are partly concealed by the addition and the wing but reflect opposite elevations where they are visible. Notable on the east elevation, second -floor windows have louvered shutters. The interior of the original block has a center hall plan. A stair hall divides two parlors of similar proportions on the first floor, and an open stairway rises in two runs separated by a shallow landing to a front hall on the second floor. Two bedrooms of the same approximate placement as the parlors below open onto the second -floor hall. Many original architectural features enhance the interior. Random width beaded -board paneling covers the walls and ceilings in all rooms except that wood - composition wall board was installed in the north parlor ca. 1930. The parlors and bedrooms have identical Greek 17 N15 Aonx 10.900•a (Rev, 8.86) . OMB Approwi Na 1031.0019 United States Department of the Interior*, National Park Service National Registei of Historic Plates Continuation Sheet Holden- Roberts Farm Section number _7 Page 4 Orange County, NC Revival -style man tels with simple pilasters, arched frieze boards, and plainshelves. Four -panel doors retain porcelain knobs, cast iron locks, and large impression bronze hinges. The staircase is lined with turned balusters and accentuated by a handsome octagonal newel on the first floor and by chamfered newels with ball finials on the landing and second floor. Other remarkable features include hand - carved door knobs on closet doors in the bedrooms and pine plank flooring that is exposed in the hallways and on the stairs but covered with carpeting in the parlors and bedrooms. Kitchen- Parlor -Porch Addition, ca. 1900 and 1930: Using frame construction, Addison Holden enclosed the northern two- thirds of a large hip - roofed porch on the east elevation to create a kitchen and a parlor around 1900. At the same time, he extended a shallow hip- roofed porch from the east elevation of the enclosure and joined a small frame gable - roofed structure at the north end. Exterior features include original metal-shingles on the roof, and a tall stove chimney. Inside, back -to -back corner flues serve a stove pipe in the kitchen and a fireplace in the arlor. A mantel with fluted pilasters enhances the firebox, and baseboards and chair rails further decorate the parlor. About 1930, Cain Roberts remodeled the kitchen and added brick piers and battered box posts to the remainder of the 1873 -1874 porch.' Nels Anderson enclosed a portion of the ca. 1900 porch to create a bathroom, and replaced the decking on the 1873 -1874 porch ca. 1970.4 Wing, ca. 1930: A small, frame, one - story, gable- roofed wing that contained a bedroom and a bathroom was added to the north elevation of the original block ca. 1930.5 The exterior displays original weatherboard siding and metal roof shingles but the interior was renovated ca. 1970 when the Andersons installed sheetrock to replace board paneling, updated the bathroom fixtures, and divided the space to incorporate a small kitchenette! Other features of the Holden Roberts Farm are (Numbers are keyed to Exhibit C): 3. GRANARY, ca, 1900, contributing: The oldest outbuilding on the Holden - Roberts Farm is' a frame, weatherboarded, front -gable granary thought to have been built by Addison Holden.' It is notable for a fieldstone foundation, a crimped metal roof, and a board -and- batten door on the south elevation. 4. CHICKEN HOUSE, ca. 1910, contributing: The westernmost structure in a group of three frame chicken houses is set atop brick and stone piers, covered by weatherboard siding, and capped by a shed roof. Oriented to face south, it 1.8' NMF0cm10 -900•. (RM S-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number .7 Page 5 OMB APFM0d Na 1014 -0018 Holden- Roberts Farm Orange County, NC was built by Cain Roberts northwest of the farmhouse near the woods and now serves as a storage shed.' 5. CHICKEN HOUSE, ca. 1910, contributing: The easternmost structure in the same group of chicken houses is also a frame weatherboarded shed - roofed building set atop brick and stone piers and oriented to face south. Very similar to contributing building four, it, too, was built by Cain Roberts and is presently used for storage." 6. CHICKEN HOUSE, ca. 1910, contributing: A frame, weatherboarded, shed - roofed chicken house, smaller than contributing buildings four and five, was built by Cain Roberts just northeast of the farmhouse. Like the others, it faces south and is presently used for storage." 7. GARDEN HOUSE, ca 1915, contributing: A south - facing brick shed - roofed garden house was built by Cain Roberts north of the farmhouse 11The glazing has been removed; and it appears the brick end walls have been rebuilt -- using some new brick. 8. EQUIPMENT STORAGE SHED, ca. 1930, contributing: A frame weatherboarded equipment shed, constructed by Cain Roberts and located south of the farmhouse along the lane, faces east and permits ready access to farm machinery from four open bays supported by peeled log posts.' 9. SMALL POLE BARN, 1950, contributing: Southeast of the farmhouse and adjacent to the lane, Bud Garrard and his sons constructed this gable - roofed fame barn with an open east - facing loafing shed. Sturdy poles with king -post trusses support the building, and it is covered with standing -seam metal on the north and west facades and on the roof. The original barn on the farm, built by Addison Holden and located nearby, was struck by lightning and burned in the late 1940s.' 10. POLE BARN, ca, 1950, contributing: The Garrards constructed this large frame gable- roofed barn just north of contributing building number eight. The structure has agricultural metal siding and a standing seam metal roof. On the interior, supporting poles have king -post trusses and hayracks are installed along a center aisle that parallels the roof ridge. Openings at the south end of the barn permitted cattle to enter and feed at will, 1.9 NPSFatutl0 -90NA (R.ev.B•86) United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number, _ 7 Page 6 OMB APPMDW Na I024.0018 Holden- Roberts Farm Orange County, NC 11. CHICKEN HOUSE, ca. 1910, noncontributing: The southernmost structure in the group of three chicken houses northwest of the farmhouse that contains contributing buildings _ four and five is noncontributing because it is deteriorated. 12. FARM BUILDING, ca. 1910, noncontributing: A small weatherboarded, gable- roofed building, built by Cain Roberts near the eastern boundary of the farm, is noncontributing because it is deteriorated.15 13. LARGE CHICKEN HOUSE, 1950, noncontributing: A large concrete block gable - roofed chicken house near the west boundary of the farm was constructed by the Garrards ca. 1950 and has been extensively remodeled as an office - studio by Nels and Nancy Anderson."' 14. EGG HOUSE, 1963," noncontributing: A frame front - gabled building with a raised concrete block basement located immediately northeast of the farmhouse is noncontributing because of its recent age. 15. LARGE POLE BARN, ca. 1965,18 noncontributing: A large gable- roofed pole barn, partially enclosed by modern wood - composition siding, was built by James Rae Freeland and located in an open pasture southeast of the farmhouse. This structure is noncontributing because of its recent age. 16. SAWMILL SHED, 1998, noncontributing An open frame shed containing a sawmillq at was constructed by Nels Anderson a short distance east of the Garrards' pole barns is noncontributing because of its recent age. WE WSPO 1a•900 -a (RW.8 -86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 7 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: dMe AWMW N0.102"018 Holden- Roberts Farm Orange County, NC The Holden- Roberts Farm qualifies for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A with local significance in Orange County, North Carolina as a largely intact complex representing diversified farming and specialized chicken fanning during the first half of the twentieth century. Although the land has been farmed more or less continuously since the late - eighteenth century, the remaining outbuildings depict the period from 1900 to 1950. The centerpiece of the farm complex, a handsome, well- preserved, tri-gable I -house built for Addison Holden in 1873 -1874, also has local significance and is eligible for the National Register under Criterion C for its fine vernacular architecture. The dwelling is unusual for its asymmetrical front facade that exhibits four bays on the first floor with a bank of three windows at the north end, a central double -leaf door, and two windows at the south end that mirror the placement of end windows in the bank. More typical of I- houses in central North Carolina, three second -floor windows are regularly spaced, one above the center window of the bank on the north end, one above the door, and one above the space between the windows at the south end. Machine -made mantels and newels, a center wall gable with a quatrefoil ventilator, and large impression bronze hinges are other remarkable details. One of a very few dwellings in Orange County to be built during Reconstruction, the house was enlarged with a kitchen- parlor -porch addition ca. 1900, and a wing containing a bedroom and a bath ca. 1930. Around 1970, the wing was renovated, and the house updated with another bathroom on the ca. 1900 porch. The additions and renovations have been sensitive to the original plan and fabric of the dwelling, and the Holden - Roberts Farmhouse reflects the 1873 -1874 period of its architectural significance. ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT: Before the second quarter of the twentieth century, farmhouses constructed in the upland South were often rectangular, two- story, one - room -deep structures with gable or hip roofs and exterior chimneys that are. now called I- houses.19 The house type originated in English folk culture but its name was coined for builders who were thought to have brought the form from Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois, states whose names begin with "I," to Louisiana: ° The first I- houses had simple upward extensions of the hall and parlor plan, but by the mid- nineteenth century, a s etrical center -hall room arrangement was preferred.' The proportions and features of these dwellings changed slightly over time, offering a few concessions to current architectural fashion '2 During the late - nineteenth century, builders of I- houses in North Carolina often retained hints of the Greek Revival style through the use of cornice returns and double -leaf entry doors. They also began to utilize a prominent decorative front central wall or roof gable. This feature, when combined with the traditional gable ends, served to create a tri -gable variant that proved extremely popular throughout the state. The front gable was derived from the Gothic Revival or Downing cottage style that featured steep central gables and richly ornamented 21 rnn Fomtlo -9ao -a ' (Rev.B -86) OMB Ayyrovd Na 1024 -0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Holden - Roberts Farm Section number _8 Page 8 Orange County, NC sawnwork decoration. The true Gothic Revival style; however, was not widely used in North Carolina's residential architecture for center gables on I- houses are usually shallow and plain or enhanced modestly with shingles and small windows or ventilators. As elsewhere in North Carolina, I- houses were constructed by prosperous Orange County residents for many years, but very few were built during Reconstruction (1865 - 1877). Of these few, the Holden- Roberts Farmhouse, constructed for Addison Holden, a man who had inherited a moderate -sized estate and whose half- brother was the Governor of North Carolina, is a substantial example with machine -made ornamentation. Only one additional I -house in the general area is known to have been built during Reconstruction. The Kinchen Holloway House (SL), was constructed ca. 1870 in what is now northwest Durham County.23 Like the Holden - Roberts Farmhouse, this dwelling is frame, and has six- over -six windows, a gable roof, and fieldstone and brick end chimneys. However, Kinchen Holloway, a miller and a less wealthy man than Holden, built a plainer house. Holloway's dwelling does not have a double -leaf entry door, ornamental hinges, a center gable, or a bank of windows, and the mantels and newels in his house are handmade. In closer proximity, other I- houses in the proposed St. Mary's Road Historic District were constructed at around the turn of the twentieth century or later. The manager's house at Foxhill Farm, built in 1897 for Nannie Turner Hughes, is frame and has a gable roof, regular fenestration in three bays, and end chimneys. It, too, is plainer than the Holden - Roberts Farmhouse; there is only a single -leaf entry door and no center gable, and it is not possible to determine whether the interior was plain or fancy for it has been extensively modernized. Only the Watkins -Jones House, built around 1915 and also a frame tri -gable variant with regular fenestration and end chimneys, has modest decorative detailing. Notwithstanding, the sawnwork trim on the center gable, classic porch posts, turned balusters, and bracketed mantels were machine made at a later and prosperous time when such components were cheap and widely available. Thus, the Holden- Roberts Farmhouse, with many original architectural features intact, provides rare and important documentation of decorative enhancements chosen by a well- connected farmer, one of a very fortunate few in Orange County who could afford to build during 1873 and 1874. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND AGRICULTURAL CONTEXT: The Holden- Roberts Farm appears to fall within the boundaries of two parcels of land granted by John, Earl Granville, in the eighteenth century, one to Michael Synnott in 1752, and the other to John Kelly at an unspecified date 24 The records show that both Synnott and Kelly were owners of large tracts of land at various locations within Orange County, and each no doubt bought and sold real estate striving to increase his personal wealth.' While Kelly retained his subject p2 arcel, Synnott conveyed his to a man identified as Thomas Holden, a weaver by trade, in 1755.6 Holden's six children included a son, Thomas Whiffed, and a daughter, Mary, who G2 NP9P0=10 -900 -x (Rev 8 -86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 9 married John Kelly, possibly the neighboring landowner or his son. OMB Approval Mx 1024 -0018 Holden- Roberts Farm Orange County, NC The Holden and Kelly lands, or portions of them, were joined and farmed as part of a larger holding by an undetermined number of owners until in 1826, Young Dorch, a wealthy Orange County farmer, bequeathed 100 acres of land "... on which I now live, "and several slaves to his wife, Nancy, with instructions that at her death, the land should go to their daughter, Lucy Walker.27 Two deteriorated fieldstone chimneys located in woods north of the Holden - Roberts Farm may date from the period of his or Walker's occupations. On January 1, 1868, Isaac Holden purchased 146 acres, one rod, and twenty perches28 from Lucy Ann Walker, widow of George W. Walker, for $500.29 The deed shows that reversions, remainders, and rents were due to the buyer, implying that Lucy and her family had farming ventures under way that might be expected to yield produce or income, though the nature of these is not specified. Isaac Holden kept the farm only for a short period, and, on June 26, 1871, he sold the 146 acres plus seven more purchased from James Hicks and wife, to his nephew, Addison L. Holden, for $856.87.30 A sum of $256.87 in cash was all that was required of Addison at the time of the sale, for the remaining $600 due was his share of his father's estate and already in his uncle's possession as trustee. At the time of his purchase, Addison Holden was a thirty-three-year-old Confederate veteran, a widower, and the father of several young children. His family was well established in North Carolina, and it is possible to determine something of his life from documentation that is available. He was born in 1837, and among the younger of ten children born to Thomas Whiffed Holden and his wife, Sarah Nichols Holden 31 The year after Addison's birth, his father advertised schooling for boys at a charge of thirty -six dollars for tuition and five months board 32 Education was important to the Holdens; Thomas's will of 1852 specifies that money be set aside to educate the three youngest children, and Addison is named as one who has already benefited from schooling. The family's main livelihood, however, came from a mill that Thomas Holden operated in partnership with John Lyon on the Eno River.. 34 Despite his success at the mill, and the family's relatively comfortable circumstances, Thomas Holden was shadowed by a dalliance with Priscilla Wood (or Woods) before his marriage that had produced a son, William Woods Holden.' One source relates that this young man was taken from his im overished mother to live with his father's family after Sarah Holden learned of his existence Several decades later, William Woods Holden became North Carolina's controversial and unpopular Reconstruction governor. Thomas Holden and his family left Orange County well before the Civil War, moving north to Milton, North Carolina, and later to Halifax County, Virginia. There Thomas was, again, a successful miller, for his will gives instructions about the disposition of six slaves, and the handling of milling operations in which he and his sons were engaged 37 NP9Fo=10.90a -4t (Rev, &86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic .Places Continuation Sleet Section number _ 8 Page 10 OMB Approval Nq 1021 -0018 Holden - Roberts Farm Orange County, NC Addison Holden enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861, serving as a private in Company E of the twenty -third Regiment, Virginia Infantry. He was stricken with "something so that [he] could not walk.i38 Though disabled in this fashion, he had recuperated sufficiently to serve as an attendant at a hospital in Danville at the time of Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomatox." After the war, he returned to North Carolina and married Loretta Lyon, perhaps the daughter or relative of John Lyon, his father's former partner, on January 2, 1865.40 The couple had three children, Sallie Elizabeth, Loretta J., and Harry, when Loretta died in 1869. Five years later, on December 30, 1874, Addison married fifteen - year -old Elizabeth Edney Breeze, called "Bettie." This union took place just as he completed the farmhouse that was to be home to his family for the next thirty -seven years 41 Victor Garrard, a son of Bud Garrard, lessee of the Holden - Roberts farm from 1947 until 1963, recalls that his grandfather, Wade Cates, then aged seventeen, helped to bring pre - constructed panels to the farm via horse -drawn wagon and to ' assemble the handsome I -house for Addison Holden.42 Usin %his grandfather's age as a guide, Garrard dates the construction of the house to 1873 and 1874. Records show that Isaac Holden loaned his nephew $242.48 on October 14, 1874, and received a mortgage against the land as security.' Garrard also reports that the stone for the chimneys was taken from a quarry northwest of the farm45 After the house was completed, Addison Holden is thought to have lived quietly among his neighbors, wishing to avoid any unpleasantness associated with the unpopularity of his half - brother. Governor William Woods Holden was impeached in office, and family members are said to have been threatened on occasion by angry neighbors46 Addison Holden made a payment of $158 in August of 1880 that settled the debt to his uncle. That year population and agricultural censuses, taken in June, give the only official records of his family and farming activities. The population census lists Addison as a farmer, aged 42, and Bettie, aged 26, as a housekeeper. Other members of the household noted were the children from Addison's marriage to Loretta Lyon: Sallie Elizabeth, aged sixteen; Loretta J., thirteen; Harry S., twelve; and Addison's sister, Maggie G., fifty -two. Two additional children, Ralph and Koma, are reported to have been born to Addison and Bettie Holden several years later. Diversified agriculture was the basic economic pursuit in North Carolina after the Civil War, but prices of agricultural staples such as cotton corn, and wheat collapsed because of over- production in the late 1870s. Crop liens, higher taxes, fence laws, and the development of the North Carolina Railroad that linked nearby Hillsborough with urban markets encouraged a shift from self sufficiency to the growing of cash crops such as cotton and tobacco. Profits declined, and indebtedness forced many farmers to take jobs in factories and mills springing up in nearby towns. By the late 1800s, nearly forty percent of all farmers in Orange County were sharecroppers working an average of twenty to sixty acres of land 48 Nn soR,l6 -900-4 (Rev 8.86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National .register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 11 OMB APV W Vd No. I024 -0028 Holden- Roberts Farm Orange County, NC The agricultural census of 1880 showed that Addison Holden had forty -five acres under cultivation, and 108 acres fallow or in woods. The' value of his farm was given as $600. Fanning implements and machinery were valued at seventy -five dollars, and livestock, including one horse, two milk cows, two other cows, two calves, and two cattle slaughtered for meat, at $100. The total farm production was worth $710. Though this included 200 lbs. of butter, 200 bushels of Indian corn, 200 bushels of oats, forty bushels of wheat, and 100 bushels of apples, the Holdens' main cash crop- was 1,700 lbs. of tobacco which was, no doubt, sold at newly established sales warehouses in Durham. But 1880 brought losses, too, for seven cattle strayed, were stolen, or died, and a peach orchard of seventy trees bore no fruit." Around 1900, Holden enlarged the house by enclosing the northern two- thirds of a large porch on the east elevation to create a parlor and a kitchen. At the same time, he also extended a shallow shed porch with a small gable- roofed structure at the north end from the east elevation of the enclosure. The original detached kitchen is said to have served as a wash house until it was destroyed in the 19508.50 Although semi - subsistence farming in Orange County continued into the early years of the twentieth century, an abundance of cash crops resulted in oversupplies and further price declines. Whether for this reason, or because the rigors of fanning were increasingly strenuous for Addison and Bettie, now in their later years, the property was sold to George Cain Roberts for the sum of $2000 in 1908.51 In his architectural survey report evaluating the St. Mary's Road corridor, Geoffrey B. Henry notes a shift from semi - subsistence farming and cash crops to raising chickens and dairy cattle among some farmers in the area during the early- twentieth century. Appropriate outbuildings were constructed, often according to standardized designs or plans supplied by the Agricultural Extension Service or Agricultural Experiment Station at NC State College (now NC State University).' Cain Roberts added four frame chicken houses to the farm ca. 1910, and George Washington Walker, Jr., a nearby neighbor on St. Mary's Road, constructed similar ones at about the same time's Cain and his wife, Carrie Bacon Roberts, made a specialty of raising chickens, typically keeping about 800 White Leghorn as layers `4 In 1917, they added thirty -eight acres along the northwest border of the farm, purchased for $716.25 when Cain's father's estate was settled.' Now with 191 acres of land and hens thriving, the Roberts's were considered by neighbors to be a hard - working and successful couple m By 1920 their assets greatly exceeded the Orange County averages of ninety acres and twenty -eight chickens per farm.57 Cain and Carrie Roberts had no children, but took Edrie Martin, aged eight; Aubrey Martin, seven; and Vance Martin, four, to live with them after Virginia, their mother and Cain's sister, died in 1926. In 1930, Aubrey Martin helped his uncle remodel the kitchen and add the one- NN Form 10 -900 -a (Rev. &8d) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 12 1- OMO Approna[ Na 102¢0018 Holden - Roberts Farm Grange County, NC story wing to the north facade of the farmhouse, making a bedroom and bath for Vesta Bacon, Carrie's sister, who came to live with them also. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Martin children assisted their uncle in raising tobacco on a four -acre allotment, planting and harvesting 300 bushels of wheat, oats, and barley, and two to 300 bushels of corn, nAkin, six to eight cows, feeding the chickens, and gathering several thousand dozen eggs annually. During this period, the number of chickens and egg production on the farm continued to exceed Orange County averages. The agricultural census of 1940 lists Orange County with 1,870 farms that had an average forty -four chickens per farm and 1,733 farms that produced an average 377 dozen eggs per farm.60 When Cain Roberts died in 1943, his will directed that "my entire estate of real and personal property" be 'conveyed "to my beloved wife, Carrie B. Roberts!" After her husband's death, Carrie did not stay on the farm but moved to .Hillsborough with Vesta Bacon and Vance Martin. Aubrey Martin o�erated the farm for several years before it was leased to Bud and Della Garrard in 1947,6 The Garrards remained at the farm for sixteen years, making a specialty of chickens and eggs as the Roberts family had done . In 1950, with production slightly greater than that of the Roberts's, the Garrards also surpassed Orange County averages. In that year, 1,777 Orange County farms had an average seventy -three chickens and 766 farms produced an average 1,093 dozen eggs " Assisted by his sons, Victor and Joseph "Julian," Bud Garrard constructed a large concrete block chicken house west of the farmhouse and two pole barns near the southern end of the farm during 1950.65 After Carrie Roberts's death in 1963, her heirs divided the farm, selling a twenty -acre parcel to the Garrards' sons, a fifty -eight -acre parcel containing the house and outbuildings to Thomas Bacon, Jr., and the remainder of the land to Wallace Bacon " Two years later, Thomas Bacon sold his property to James Rae and Betty Freeland who constructed the large gable - roofed pole barn in the northeast field, and sold the property to Drs. Nels and Nancy Anderson, the present owners, within a year. 17 In 1970, the Andersons purchased one half of the Garrard brothers' land, thus acquiring another portion of the original Holden - Roberts farm.68 Around 1970, the Andersons made sensitive and practical alterations to the farmhouse that included enclosing a portion of the ca. 1900 porch as a bathroom; renovating the ca. 1930 wing with sheetrock on interior walls and new bathroom fixtures, and dividing the space to include a small kitchenette. The Andersons also replaced a front porch post and rotted decking on the front and south porches. Under the Anderson' ownership, the outbuildings have been preserved and utilized in farming activities that have included raising sheep and cattle, keeping horses, and cultivating grass hay.69 The Holden - Roberts Farm thus retains an intact and rare Reconstruction- period dwelling 26 NPS Fomt10.900 -a OMB Approval Na 1024 -0018 (Rev. S.86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Holden- Roberts Farm Section number 8- Page 13 Orange County, NC and an extent save. oup of outbuildings utilized in diversified fanning and chicken fam-dng in Orange County, North Carolina, during the first half of the twentieth century. Endnotes: 1 A network of dirt roads that appears on the 1918 soil map of Orange County published by the Agricultural Extension Service is not shown on a 1936 road map of Orange County. Maps in public Documents, Perkins Library, Duke University Durham, NC. 'Victor Garrard, personal interview, 17 May, 1995. 3 Aubrey Martin, personal interviews, 14 July, 1994 and 16 May, 1995. Dr. Nancy Anderson, personal interviews, 16 December 1994, and 14 May, 1995. 5 Martin, interviews. 'Anderson, interviews. 7 Martin, interviews. 6 Martin, interviews. Martin, interviews. 20 Anderson interviews. 11 Thomas Bacon, personal interview, 17 May, 1995. 12 Martin, interviews. 13 Garrard, interview. 14 Martin, interviews. 25 Martin, interviews. 16 Garrard, interview, Anderson, interviews. Thomas Bacon, personal interview, 17 May, 1995. 23 Bacon, interview. 19 Kniffen, Fred, "Folk Housing: Key to Diffusion," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 55, No. 4, Dec. 1965, pp. 553. 20 Kniffen, p.553, zl Southern, Michael, "The I -House as a Carrier of Style in Three Counties of the Northeastern Piedmont", in Swaim, Doug, ed., Carolina Dwelling, North Carolina State University, 1978, p. 72. 22 Southern, p.72. Durham County was a part of Orange County until 1881. 24 Markham, A. B., Map of Land Grants to Early Settlers in Old Orange County, North Carolina, copy in Documents division, Perkins Library, Duke University, Durham, NC 25 Orange County Land Records show numerous transactions made by these men. 26 Browning, Hugh Conway, Orangge County genealogist, Ina letter dated August 18,1964 to john A. Holden, Browning describes the ancestry of the 4olden family. This letter is among Holden family papers now in possession of the Duke University Archives, Durham; NC 16. 27 Will of Young Dortch dated October 1, 1826, Orange County Estate Records, Hillsborough, NC, Book C, p. 315- ze Lounsbury, Carl R., An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture and Landscape, New York, Oxford University Press, 1994, p.267. Lounsbury notes that a "perch" is sixteen and one half feet long and most often used for measurement of stone fences. It is rare to find it referring to land measurements. 29 Book 38, pages 145 -6, Orange County Register of Deeds Office, Hillsborough, NC. a0 Book 48, ages 397 -8, Orange Countyty Register of Deeds Office, Hillsborough, NC. st Holden, Addison, Application for aT'ension as a Civil War Veteran, Raleigh, NC, collection, North Carolina Archives, 21 June, 1915. This document Iists Holden's ale as 78 in 1915. 32Blackwelder, Ruth, Age of Orange, Charlotte, Loftin, 1961, p. 129. 33 Will of Thomas W. Halden dated July 27,1852, Book G, pages 158- 61.Orange County Estate Records, Hillsborough, NC. 34 The stone foundations of this mill are in the Eno River State Park. 3s Browning, letter, p.7. 36 Browning, letter, p.7. NPSFmm10 -900 -A United States Department of the Interior .National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 14 27 OMB Appmnal Na 1021 -0018 Holden- Roberts Farm Orange County, NC 37 Will of Thomas W. Holden. 39 Holden, Application for Soldier's Pension. Holden, Application for Soldier's Pension. 9iBrowning, letter, p.6. Browning, letter, p.6. 12 Garrard, interview. 13 Garrard, interview. 4s ry Oran e County Deed Book 42, p. 550. Garrard, interview. 45 Jones, interview, and Browning, letter, p.8. W. W. Holden doubled North Carolina's debt by the corrupt issuance of railroad bonds; raised taxes exorbitantly to pay interest on these obligations; gave hefty per -diem allowances to state legislators, most of whom were felt to be carpetbaggers and scalawags; encouraged newly -freed blacks to vote and run for election to political offices; ordered Colonel George W. Kirk and the state militia into Caswell and Alamance Counties to suppress opposition and Klu Klux Klan activities with force; and jailed influential newspaper editor Josiah Turner of Raleigh who spoke out against him in print. Jones, interview. 49 Graybeal, Kay, and Shannon Sexton, Cedar Grove Historic District National Register Nomination, Section 8, p.30,1on file with the NC State Historic Preservation office, Survey and Planning Branch, Raleigh, NC. A cultural Census for North Carolina, 1880. 6o Martin, interviews. Bl Martin, interviews. s2 Henry. 19. 83 Carter J ody, and Todd Peck, Architectural Survey form for the George Washington Walker, Jr., Fam 1992- 19935 on file with the State Historic Preservation office, Survey and Planning Branch, Raleigh, NC. Martin, interviews. s6 Orange County Deed Books 72 and 73, pp. 543 and 396. Mary Lena Bacon, personal interview, 16 May, 1995. ss The Fourteenth Census of the United States taken in 1920, Volume V1, part 2, p. 238 & 249. Bacon, M. L., interview. s9 Martin, interviews. 61 North Carolina Agricultural Census for 1940, on file at NC State Library, Raleigh, NC. 62 Orange County Will Book L, p. 505 and Orange County Deed Book 63, p. 389. Garrard, interview. 63 Garrard, interview. 65 North Carolina Agricultural Census for 1950, on file at NC State Library, Raleigh, NC. Garrard, interview. 66 Orange County Deed Books 183 and 196, pp. 565 and 675, and Bacon, T., interview. 68 Orange County Deed Books 202 and 210, p. 136 and p. 811. Orange County Deed Books 227 and 341, pp. 1538, and 507. a9 Anderson interviews. WN M5 Form 10.9064 (Rev. 686) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 Page 15 9. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY: Blackwelder, Ruth, Age of Orange, Charlotte,.Loftin,1961, p. 129. OM8 AMw.W No. 2024-0018 Holden-Roberts Farm Orange County, NC Browning, Hugh C., noted Orange County genealogist, letter dated August 18, 1964, to John A. Holden, family papers, Durham, NC, Special Collections, Perkins Library, Duke University. Carter, Jody and Peck, Todd, Orange County Survey, October 29, 1993, File, Department of Archives and History, North Carolina State Office of Historic Preservation, Survey and Planning Division, Raleigh, NC. Clark, Walter, State Records of North Carolina, Goldsboro, NC, Nash Bros., 1907. Gohdes- Baten, Betsy, National Register Nomination for Maple Hill, the Jacob Jackson Farm, 1993, typescript document on file with the State Historic Preservation office, Survey and Planning Branch, Raleigh, NC. Henry, Geoffrey B., Architectural Survey and National Register Evaluation of St. Mary's Road (SR 1002), Orange County, North Carolina, 1999, typescript document on file with the State Historic Preservation office, Survey and Planning Branch, Raleigh, NC. Holden, Addison, Application for a Pension as a Civil War Veteran, Raleigh, NC, collection, North Carolina Archives, 21 June, 1915. Lefler, Hugh T., and Newsome, Albert R., The History of a Southern State, North Carolina, Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press, 1954. Lounsbury, Carl R., An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture and landscape, New York, Oxford University Press, 1994. Kniffen, Fred, "Folk Housing: Key to Diffusion," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 55, No. 4, Dec. 1965. Markham, A. B., Map of Land Grants to Early Settlers in Old Orange County, North Carolina, COPY in Documents division, Perkins Library, Duke University, Durham, NC. McAlester, Virginia and Lee, A Field .Guide to American Houses, New York, Knopf, 1992. Southern, Michael, "The I -House as a Carrier of Style in Three Counties of the Northeastern Piedmont", in Swaim, Doug, ed., Carolina Dwelling, North Carolina State University, 1978. ryes Form 1M1904a (am. 8.96) United States Department of the Interior• National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 &10 Page 16 Q 9� OMB .4W" wl No. 201 -Wj8 Holden-Roberts Farm Orange County, NC Deed Books of Orange County, Vols. 38, 48, 63, 72, 73, 183, 196, 202, 210, 227, 341, Register of Deeds Office, Hillsborough, NC. Wills and Estate Records of Orange County, Vols. C, G, L, Orange County Courthouse, Hillsborough, NC. U.S. Census for North Carolina and Agricultural Census for North Carolina, 1880. Interviews: Drs. Nels and Nancy Anderson, owners of Rolling Acres, the Holden- Roberts Farm, 16 December, 1994, and 14 May, 1995, and by letter on 1 July, 1995. Mary Lena Bacon, neighboring property owner and relative of Carrie Bacon Roberts, 15 May 1995. Thomas Bacon, relative of Carrie Bacon Roberts and owner of the Holden - Roberts Farm, 1963- 65,17 May, 1995. Victor Garrard, son of Jerome 'Bud" Garrard, tenant on the Holden - Roberts Farm, 1947-1963, 17 May, 1995. Clarence Jones, Director, Hillsborough Historical Society, 12 July, 1994. Aubrey Martin, nephew of Cain Roberts, 14 July, 1994 and 16 May, 1995. 10. UTM REFERENCES FOR THE HOLDEN - ROBERTS FARM, ORANGE COUNTY, NC: BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: The boundary of the Holden- Roberts Farm is shown on the sketch map attached as Appendix C. It includes two parcels, one of fifty- eight - and four - tenths acres that is described Zone Easting Northing A. 17 676740 3998100 B. 17 676950 3998000 C. 17 676900 3997360 D. 17 676760 3997520 E. 17 676680 3997950 BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: The boundary of the Holden- Roberts Farm is shown on the sketch map attached as Appendix C. It includes two parcels, one of fifty- eight - and four - tenths acres that is described 30 NPS Form I0400•r (Rev. 946) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 &10 Page 17 OMB App—W No. 1021-018 Holden-Roberts Farm Orange County, NC and recorded in Volume 210, page. 811 in the. Orange County Register of Deeds Office, Hillsborough, North Carolina, and one of ten- and three- tenths acres that is described and recorded in Volumes 227 and 341, pages 1538 and 507 in the Orange County Register of Deeds Office, Hillsborough, North Carolina. BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION: The boundary encompasses sixty- eight - and seven - tenths acres around the Holden - Roberts Farmhouse, and includes the land on which the outbuildings, fields, and woodlands that have historically comprised the core of the Holden- Roberts Farm are located. Though the actual acreage of the farm has varied throughout its history, the present boundary is sufficient to convey the historic context of the property and to protect its architectural and agricultural character. M NPS Form 10A004 (�'• B B6) OMB Appm W Na 1034-0018 United States Deparbnent of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Holden - Roberts Farm Section number Photo Page 1 Orange County, NC All photographs are of the: Holden- Roberts Farm Orange County, North Carolina Betsy Gohdes - Baten, photographer Photographs and negatives are on file with the Survey and Planning Branch of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, Raleigh, NC. (Letters correspond to locations on the Holden - Roberts Farm Photo Diagram). A. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OF: Farmhouse, from southwest. B. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OF: Farmhouse, from northeast. C. DATE: May 2,2000 VIEW OF: Interior, entry door, looking west. D. DATE: May 2,.2000 VIEW OF: Interior, mantel and windows in south bedroom, looking south. E. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OF: Granary, CB #3, from southwest. F. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OF: Chicken house, CB #4, from southeast. G. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OF: Chicken. house, CB #5, from south. H. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OF: Chicken house, CB #6, from south. I. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OF: Garden house, CB #7, from southeast. J. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OF: Equipment shed, CB #8, from northeast. 32 .. . Pam IMM& mw, S-M) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Photo Page 2 K. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OF: Pole barn, CB #9, from south. L. DATE: May 2, 2000 VIEW OR Large pole barn, CB #10, from southwest. OMB Ay uvd No. I024 -MIS Holden - Roberts Farm Orange County, NC HOLDEN - ROBERTS FARM 33 ORANGE COUNTY, NC 4 Exhibit C HOLDEN - ROBERTS FARM SHE MAP ORANGE COUNTY, NC Not To Scale C, = contributing NC = non- contributin to SR 1538 Woods --r 0 11 C Dates of Conatruction 2.1873- 74,1900,1930 3. c. 1900 4. c. 1910 5. C. 1910 6. c.1910 7. c. 1915 8. c. 1910 9.1950 10.1950 11. C. 1910 12. c. 1910 13.1950 14.1963 ,S Road N1asY 15.1965 sR�poZ St' 16.1998 1 94 d w m a w 36 :37 AN ORDINANCE CREATING THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF ORANGE COUNTY WHEREAS, the historic heritage of the State of North Carolina is one of our most valr ;d and important assets; and WHEREAS, the North Carolina General Statutes authorize counties to safeguard the heritage of the County by preserving any historic sites therein that embody important elements of its cultural, social, economic, political, archaeological or architectural history and to promote the use and conservation of such site for the education, pleasure and enrichment of the residents of the County and State as a whole; and WHEREAS, the conservation of historic sites will stabilize and increase *the values in their areas and strengthen the overall economy of the State; and WHEREAS, the County Commissioners of Orange County desire to safeguard the heritage of the county by preserving historic landmarks and historic districts; to enhance the environmental quality of neighborhoods; to establish and improve property values; and to foster economic development; and WHEREAS, the County Commissioners of Orange County do therefore desire to create a commission to be known as the Historic Preservation Commission of Orange County to Perform the duties of regulating historic landmarks and historic districts pursuant to NCGS Chapter 160A, Article 19, Part 3C and the provisions of this ordinance. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNTY COABUSSIONERS OF ORANGE COUNTY AS FOLLOWS: Article 1. Historic Preservation Commission Section 1.1 Establishment Under the authority of Chapter 160A, Article 19, Part 3C, of the North Carolina General Statutes, there is hereby established the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission, hereafter referred to as the "Commission ", consisting of seven (7) members. Members shall serve without compensation, but they may be reimbursed for incidental expenses incurred in connection with official duties. Section 1.2 Qualifications Amended 6/7/93 Each member shall reside within the territorial jurisdiction of Orange County. In addition, all members of the Commission shall have demonstrated special interest, experience or education in history, architecture, landscape architecture, archaeology or related fields. I T The fact that a building, structure, site, area or object has been designated a landmark shall be clearly indicated on all tax maps maintained by Orange County for such period as the designation remains in effect. A suitable sign for each property designated as a landmark may be placed on the properly at the owner's consent. Otherwise, the sign may be placed on a nearby public right -of -way. Article 4. Procedures for Reviewing Proposed Nominations to the National Register of Historic Places Amended 8/8/94 Nominations to the National Register of Historic Places must be reviewed by the North. Carolina National Register Advisory Committee with final approval by the National Park Service. The procedures contained in this Article must be followed by Orange County before a proposed nomination may be forwarded to the State. Section 41 Study List Status Required Before a formal nomination to the National Register may be presented, the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee must determine if a site or district is potentially eligible and place it on the Study List. Once the site is on the Study List, a nomination may be prepared in the form prescribed by the National Park Service under the supervision of the State Historic Preservation Office. Section 4.2 Review of Proposed National Register Nominations Once the nomination is determined to be complete and accurate by the State Historic Preservation' Office, the County will be notified by the State within thirty (30) days of acceptance of the nomination and at least sixty (60) days prior to consideration of the nomination by the North Carolina. National Register Advisory Committee. Within sixty (60) days of receipt of the notice and the nomination, the Board of County Commissioners and the Historic Preservation Commission shall each notify the State Historic Preservation Office. and the applicant of its opinion concerning the nomination. Failure to notify the State within sixty (60) days shall constitute an approval of the nomination. Section 4.3 Public Hearing and Notice Thereof During the 60 -day review period, the Historic Preservation Commission shall implement the following measures to provide reasonable opportunity for public comment: 1. The Historic Preservation Commission shall hold a public hearing; 2. Notice of the public hearing shall be published once a week for two successive calendar weeks. The notice shall give the date, time, and place of the public hearing. It shall be 11 M published the first time not less than 10 days nor more than 25 days before the date set for the hearing.' In computing such period, the day of publication is not to be included; however, the day of the hearing shall be included; 3. Written notice shall be sent by certified mail to the affected property owners) and all adjacent owners not less than 15 days before the hearing date. Adjacent property owners are those whose names and addresses are currently listed in the Orange County tax records and whose property is within 500 feet of the affected property(ies); and 4. Comments shall also be solicited from other interested local groups and individuals. Section 4.4 Commission Action Subsequent to Public Hearing Following the close of the public hearing on the proposed nomination, the Commission shall: 1 • Forward a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners concerning the nomination; 2. Notify the applicant and the State Historic Preservation Office regarding its recommendation. If the Commission finds that the nominated resource does not meet the National Register criteria for listing, it must state in writing the reasons why the site or district should not be nominated; and 3. Submit to the State Historic Preservation Office a record of the measures taken to notify the public and the comments received. Section 4.5 Board Action on the Nomination Within the 60 -day deadline prescribed in Section 4.2, the Board of Commissioners shall receive the recommendation of the Historic Preservation Commission regarding the nomination. The Board shall either: 1. Find that the nominated resource does meet the National Register criteria for listing; 2• 'Find that the nominated site or district does not meet said criteria and state the reason(s) why the resource should not be nominated; or 3. Take no action, which constitutes an approval. The Board shall notify the applicant and the State Historic Preservation Office regarding its action on the nomination. Section 4.6 State Action on the Nomination If both the Board of County Commissioners and the Historic Preservation Commission agree that the property is eligible and should be nominated, or if only one makes a negative finding on the nomination, the State Historic Preservation Officer will place the nomination M before the North Carolina National. Register Advisory Committee for consideration at the earliest possible quarterly meeting. If both the County Commissioners and the Historic Preservation Commission make negative findings on the nomination, the nomination materials shall be returned to the State. The State shall take no further action unless, within thirty (30) days of the return of the nomination, a written appeal if filed with the State Historic Preservation Office by any interested third party. If such an appeal is filed, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall place the nomination before the National Register Advisory Committee at the earliest possible quarterly meeting. After amomination is recommended by the National Register Advisory Committee and signed by the State Historic Preservation -Officer, the nomination shall be transmitted to the National Register. The State shall include with its recommendation the comments and opinions of the Board of County Commissioners and the Historic Preservation Commission, together with any appeal which may have been filed. Article 5. Certificate of Appropriateness Amended 8/8/94 Section 5.1 General Provisions From and after the designation of a landmark or a historic district, no exterior portion of any building or other structure nor any type of above - ground utility structure or outdoor advertising sign shall be erected, altered, restored, moved or demolished on such landmark or within the historic district until after an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness as to. exterior features has been submitted to and approved by the Commission. Where a building permit or other permit is required for the purposes of constructing, altering, moving or demolishing buildings or structures, a Certificate of Appropriateness shall be approved by the Commission prior to the issuance of the permits. A Certificate may be issued subject to reasonable conditions but shall be required whether or not a building or other permit is required. For purposes of this ordinance, "exterior features" shall include the following: 1, The architectural style,' general design, and general arrangement of the exterior of a building or other structure, including: a. . The kind and texture of the building material; b. The size and scale of the building or structure; and C. The type and style of all windows, doors., fences, steps and pavement, light fixtures, signs, and other appurtenant features. 2. Historic signs, significant landscapes, and archaeological and natural features of the. area. i3 41 ORANGE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS INPUT FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' ANNUAL PLANNING RETREAT February 2, 2002 The Board of Commissioners has expressed interest in receiving input from various advisory boards and commissions in preparation for the BOCC's annual planning retreat. Please complete the following information, limited to the front and back sides of this form. Other background materials may be provided as a supplement to, but not as a substitute for, this form. Board/Commission Name: Historic Preservation Commission # Positions Specified by BOCC: 7 Chair's Name: Rob Golan Chair's Phone: 644 -6483 Chair's E -mail: robgol@mindspring.com Chair's Fax: 644 -7506 Primary County Staff Contact: Tina Moon, Land Use /Preservation Planner Brief Statement of Board/Commission's Assigned Charge and Responsibilities L To undertake an inventory ofproperties of historical, prehistorical, architectural, and /or cultural significance. 2. Recommend to the BOCC areas to be designated as "historic districts" and individual structures or sites to be designated as "landmarks, " and to recommend areas, sites or structures to be revoked from designation. 3. To review and act upon applications far Certificates of Appropriateness (COA) for alterations, demolition or new construction within historic districts or designated landmarks. 4. To cooperate with State, Federal, and local governments in the pursuance of historic preservation, and to offer or request assistance, aid, guidance, or advice concerning matters of historic preservation. 5. To educate the public and local officials on historic preservation issues. 6. To perform special studies and projects regarding historic preservation— including cultural, archaeological and in some cases scenic resources, as requested by the BOCC and to recommend historic preservation initiatives to the BOCC. 42 List of Specific Tasks, Events, or Functions Performed or Sponsored Annually • Review, hold public hearings, and make recommendations regarding National Register Nominations and /or Local Landmark or Local Historic District designation proposals. • Complete annual Certified Local Government (CLG) status report, (and satisfy annual requirements). • Identify priorities for the Lands Legacy Annual Action Plan (cultural and archaeological sites) Review and comment on projects.with significant preservation components (such as development projects with significant historic /archaeological sites). • Conduct special studies (architectural history and /or archaeological surveys) What 2001 -2002 BOCC adopted goal(s), if any, does this board/commission have a role in carrying out? • Historic Preservation • Lands Legacy. • Rural Character (Objective 1D —Farmland Preservation, and Objective 2 —Visual Resource Protection) Describe this board/commission's activities /accomplishments in carrying out the 2001- 2002 BOCC goal(s),.if applicable. • Developed recommendations for the Lands Legacy Annual Action Plan to protect Cultural and Archaeological resources • Provided comments on Shaping Orange County's Future recommendations • Began work on new program to protect the cultural and visual resources along special corridors • Considered revisions to the Local Landmark program to make the program more suited to the county's needs • Began work on design guidelines for use in the Local Landmark program • Reviewed sites for inclusion in the inventory section of the Architectural History publication • Held joint meeting with Planning Board and Agricultural Preservation Board • Submitted recommendation to BOCC regarding the impact of the proposed The Olive Branch Inn Bed & Breakfast Special Use Permit to the Dr. Arch Jordan House (a National Register property) Identify any activities this board/commission expects to carry out in 2002 -2003 as they relate to established BOCC goals. • Complete work on proposed Heritage /Scenic Corridor program • Complete revisions to the Local Landmark program including design guidelines • Continue to review and advise on Lands Legacy acquisitions that would protect important historic, cultural and archaeological sites • Continue to assist in the development of preservation plans for historic structures on Lands Legacy acquisition sites • Prepare the Orange County Historic Architectural Resource materials for publication 43 • Develop educational materials related to historic preservation that can disseminate needed information to citizens • Participate in the County's 250`h Anniversary Celebration What activities does this board/commission contemplate, and/or what issues does this board/commission foresee at this time, that could lead to a proposed new BOCC goal(s) for 2002 -2003? Pursue the creation of a preservation maintenance fund In priority order, what are the concerns or emerging issues your board has identified for the upcoming fiscal year that it plans to address, regardless of their relationship to any existing or new BOCC goal? • Continue to review and advise on Lands Legacy acquisitions, particularly by assisting in the development ofpreservation plans for those sites that contain historic structures • Complete work on proposed Heritage /Scenic Corridor program • Complete revisions to the Local Landmark program including design guidelines • Prepare the Orange County Historic Architectural Resource materials for publication • Other? Describe any training related to its primary responsibilities that this Board/Commission has received during 2001, either collectively, or for individual members. The Historic Preservation Commission's CLG status requires that two members attend preservation workshops or seminars each fiscal year. This year three members of the HPC attended preservation - related workshops or conferences during the 2001 -2002 fiscal year, and one member spoke at a local preservation lecture series. 4 is NPS Form 10 -900 OMB No. 10024 -0018 (Oct. 1990) 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 Now 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 "NIA" 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 Occoneechee Speedway other names /site number Orange Speedway 2. Location street & number East of Elizabeth Brady Road, 0.3 miles North of US 70 Business n/a ❑ not for publication city or town Hillsborough n /a❑ vicinity state North Carolina code NC county Orange code 135 zip code 27278 3. State /Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination ❑ 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 State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property ❑ meets ❑ does not meet the for additional comments.) Signature of certifying officialfritle State or Federal agency and bureau Date See Continuation sheet 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that the property is: Signature of the Keeper Date of Act ion ❑ 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:) Occoneechee Speedway Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) private ❑ public -local ❑ public -State ❑ public - Federal Category of Property (Check only one box) ❑ building(s) ❑ district ® site ❑ structure ❑ object Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N /A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) N/A 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) ` RECREATION AND-CULTURE/sports facility 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) No style Orange County, NC County and State Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in count.) Contributing , . Noncontributing 1 2 buildings 1 0 sites 1 3 structures 0 0 objects 3 5 Total Number of Contributing resources previously listed in the National Register N/A Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) LANDS CAPE/conservation area Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation Concrete walls Wood Tin roof Tin other Metal Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) Occoneechee Speedway Name of Property 8. Statement of Significance Orange County, NC County and State Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance (Mark Y in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property (Enter categories from instructions) 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 Y 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. Recreation Social History Period of Significance 1948 -1956 Significant Dates N/A 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: 47 Occoneechee Speedway Name of Property 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property 41.98 acres UTM�,References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet.) _Orange County, NC County and State 1 17 672840 3994120 3 17 672290 3993120 Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing 2 17 673040 3993300 4 17 672480 3993600 Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing ❑ See continuation sheet 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 Jennifer Martin and Sarah Woodard, EPEI, Inc.; Virginia Freeze, Intern, Ayr Mount Historic Site organization Edwards - Pitman Environmental, Inc. date August 1, 2001 street & number 5400 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 412 telephone (919) 785 -9702 city or town Raleigh state NC zip code 27612 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets 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 Classical American Homes Preservation Trust street & number 376 St. Mary's Road telephone (919) 732 -6886 city or town Hillsborough state NC zip code 27278 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. O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013 -7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Projects (1024 - 0018), Washington, DC 20303. W NPS Form io -goo -a OMB Approval No. 10240018 (me) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 7 Page 1 Occoneechee Speedway occupies a roughly forty -two, acre tract just inside the southeastern town limits of Hillsborough, the seat of Orange County. The Eno River, flowing from west to east and eventually emptying into the Neuse River, forms approximately one -half mile of the property's northern and eastern boundary. The Mountain View subdivision is on the opposite side of the Eno, but not visible from the speedway parcel. An office park and a small portion of Elizabeth Brady Road delineate the western boundary, while dense woods and farm pasture land abut the southern boundary. Ayr Mount (NR, 197 1) and Montrose (NR, 200 1) are northwest of the property and across the river. Although the nominated property is within the legal town limits of Hillsborough and dense development has occurred on the eastern side of the Eno River, the setting of the speedway is rural and quiet. The property is accessible from the west via Elizabeth Brady Road, a paved road that intersects with the north side of U.S. Highway 70 Business. From Elizabeth Brady Road, the original dirt entrance road used by competitors to access the speedway veers to the northeast from a point three- tenths of a mile north of the intersection with U.S. 70 Business. The entrance road connects to the southwestern curve of the oval track, or the original first turn. This dirt road remains at a fairly level altitude with the track. Access to the original exit road is gained through an office park located further north on Elizabeth Brady Road. The exit road runs along a ridge that is at a higher altitude than the racetrack. The nominated property is roughly oval to rectangular in shape with an elongated parcel or "dogleg" extending from the southwest corner of the property; this tangent contains the entrance originally used by racing competitors. The acreage encompassing the speedway is wooded with hardwoods and pines. During the period of significance, the track, infield and hillside to the west of the track were clear of any vegetation. Judging from the maturity level of the vegetation west of the hillside, it appears the area surrounding the buildings, structures and circulation network was also originally free of trees and other mature plant life during the time the property functioned as an auto racing track. The elevation of the speedway site varies dramatically from east to west. The lowest elevations exist along the Eno River. Hardwood trees, especially poplar, hickory and beech, grow here. From the river, the topography rises dramatically to form a mostly level man -made plateau on which the track is sited. The topography rises sharply just west of the track. This hillside held spectators and grandstands. Above the hill, a gently sloping plain contains the four historic buildings, a metal fence and a network of dirt roads historically used to enter and exit the property. 50 kT 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 Occoneechee Speedway . Orange County, N.C. Section number 7 Page 2 , The most conspicuous difference between the appearance of the speedway during its period of significance and today is the vegetation growth now present in the infield and around the track, on the hill overlooking the track and on the plateau containing the support buildings, roads and fence. Because the property was used for car racing and spectators were an integral part of the sport, the site was open and clear of vegetation, except along the river where hardwoods stood and continue to grow. Despite the growth of young trees and low -lying shrubs and bushes, the Occoneechee Speedway retains distinct landscape features associated with dirt track auto racing in the postwar period. The portion of the property that the racetrack occupies is a wide flood plain. A recent aerial photograph demonstrates that the 0.9 -mile oval dirt track itself remains nearly clear of tree growth and is completely visible along its entire length. Only on the east and north sides of the track have trees begun to encroach. The orientation of the track is north- south, and a thick line of trees separate the track from the river on the north and east sides. Young pine and cedar trees fill the infield. Generally, the track remains equally wide along its length except at the southwestern curve where it widens at a fork leading to the original competitors' entrance road that connects with Elizabeth Brady Road. The dirt banks designed to prevent racecars from driving into the Eno remain intact, but partially covered with vegetation. Three galvanized steel culverts on the eastern side of the track are original features of the site and were used to drain the infield. The original entrance and exit roads used by both contestants and spectators remain clear, but have been encroached upon by vegetation. The spectator parking lot is fully overgrown with trees and brush. Trees and low -lying growth cover portions of the hillside on the west side of the track from which spectators enjoyed racing events. From this former vantage point, the whole of the track is not visible because of tree growth; only the portion of the track at the bottom of the hill can be seen. A late 1950s concrete grandstand measuring 208 feet in length and 18.6 feet in height is clearly visible on the hillside and declines down the ridge in a step formation. The canopy of trees opens up here completely, except for a few young pines no taller than four feet. Clumps of moss, grass, weeds and other low -lying foliage grow on the steps of the grandstand and tall pines border the edges of the concrete structure. Above the hillside, four buildings originally associated with the speedway stand in various stages of preservation. The men's restroom, the northernmost building, is the most intact. The nearly square building retains a pyramidal roof and a sheet metal exterior. To the southwest, the ticket office has partially collapsed, but retains a sign on its west gable end indicating its original 51 NPS Farm 10 -900.a OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018 (8 -88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 3 Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. function. Approximately twelve feet from the eastern edge of the building is the original main spectator entrance through a five -foot break in a fence. The fence is constructed of wooden posts supporting sheets of metal that originally stood approximately eight feet tall, but have buckled over time and stand at only half that height now. This fence line begins at the lower edge of the property where the southern curve of the track meets the dirt road from Elizabeth Brady Road. It continues to the north, breaks at the entrance near the ticket office, and then continues to the northern edge of the speedway property stopping approximately ten yards short of the river at the natural ridge line. The women's restroom, located southeast of the ticket office and inside the metal fence, is nearly ruinous, but continues to evince its original function. The concession stand, located east - northeast of and downhill from the women's restroom, stands in poor condition. It retains its cinderblock foundation and some of the original wooden wall material. INVENTORY The buildings and structures in the following inventory are described beginning with the easternmost resources. The inventory then proceeds to the west. Each resource is assigned a letter that is then keyed to the site plan included in this nomination. Each inventory entry includes the date of construction of the resource, its description and its contributing status to the significance of the Occoneechee Speedway. A resource's contributing or noncontributing status depends on its age and/or integrity. If its date of construction falls outside the period of significance, it is listed as noncontributing. A resource that has lost integrity because of extreme deterioration will be deemed noncontributing. A. Track Structure 1948 Contributing Structure The racetrack, dirt banking and culverts form the track structure. A continuous dirt bank extending north to south along the eastern edge of the track was built to prevent cars from going off the track while at the same time allowing them to maintain their speed in the comers of the track. The banks are approximately four feet wide and two feet higher than the track and seven feet higher than the Eno River plain in most places. While vegetation grows on portions of the banking, it remains visually prominent. Three small round culverts used to drain water from the inner field into the Eno River remain intact in the dirt banking on the east side of the track. Evenly spaced along the banking, the 52 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 Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 7 Page 4 culverts helped prevent standing water in the infield. Each galvanized steel drainage pipe measures approximately eighteen inches in circumference and remains free of rust. The 0.9 -mile hard - packed dirt racetrack served.as the centerpiece of the Occoneechee Speedway. Historically, the dirt track was clear of any vegetation and there was never fixed curbing separating the track from the infield. Photographs from the early 1950s show that the infield was grass and that a metal chain -link type fence, oval in shape, enclosed about half of the infield. The track's original width varied from forty -five to fifty feet and wider along the pit, which was attached to the inner western straightaway. Today, while trees encroach on portions of the east straightaway and northeast and northwest turns, the oval is discernable from the air and on the ground. The width of the track varies from approximately five feet in portions of the northern section to as wide as forty feet on the southwest corner. The overgrowth around the track and in the former infield consists of young trees, mostly pines and cedars, briars and bushes. B. Lightpost Ca. 1958 Noncontributing Structure Orange County school officials installed the lightpost around the time it began leasing the track from Bill France Sr. for local high school sports events. The structure stands near the northwest corner of the track. Spotlights set in rows rest atop the tall wooden post. There is evidence of other lightposts, but this is the only one that remains standing. C. Grandstand Ca. 1958 Noncontributing Structure The concrete grandstand measures 208 feet in length, forty -four feet wide and approximately 18.6 feet in height. The structure was built into a steep hill just west of the track facing the Eno River. Although race fans used the grandstand, this permanent seating was installed when the county began using the property for sporting events. 53 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 Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 7 Page 5 D. Concession Stand 1948 Noncontributing Building The rectangular building measuring forty feet long and twelve feet wide features a cinder block foundation and the remains of wooden walls and a tin roof. It stands in a ruinous condition. E. Women's Restroom 1948 Noncontributing Building The twenty -two feet by thirteen feet rectangular building is frame and covered with weatherboard with cornerboards and a cinderblock foundation. A door pierces the east elevation. Inside, four concrete cylinders stand approximately two- and -a -half feet high and have deep holes through the center of them to a large pit below. The building stands in deteriorated condition with no roof and collapsing walls, but continues to convey its original function. F. Ticket Office 1948 Noncontributing Building Measuring forty feet in length and twelve feet in width, the ticket office is frame construction, is covered in weatherboards and rests on a cinderblock foundation. It stands just outside the metal fence. The western wall is the most intact side of the structure; the other three elevations have deteriorated and fallen into the building. The roof, originally sheathed in metal, has partially collapsed. G. Men's Restroom 1948 Contributing Building The ten by fourteen foot building is constructed of studs, but sheathed in metal and covered with a standing seam metal roof. The building rests on a cinderblock foundation and stands to the east of the fence. Typical of the era in which it was built, a message painted on the east elevation reads, "no Negroes allowed." The interior contains an elevated platform over a hole that leads to a pit dug several feet below ground level. 9 NPS Form 10 -900•a `g OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 7 Page 6 H. Overall Site 1948 Contributing Site The speedway site consists of the road network and the fence. The fence is constructed of wooden posts supporting sheets of corrugated metal that originally stood approximately eight feet tall, but have buckled over time and stand at only half that height now. This fence line begins at the lower edge of the property where the southern curve of the track meets the dirt road from Elizabeth Brady Road. It continues to the north, breaks at the entrance near the ticket office, and then continues to the northern edge of the speedway property stopping approximately ten yards short of the river at the natural ridge line. The speedway property contains a system of one -lane dirt roads, now narrowed by encroaching vegetation resulting from disuse, that allowed drivers, support staff, race officials and spectators to enter and exit the facility. The original entrance route is the most visible corridor and it extends from Elizabeth Brady Road in a northeastward direction until it empties on the southwest turn of the track. The exit road, which also served as the route spectators took to the parking lot that was located between the entrance and exit, is more overgrown and narrower and extends from the entrance road northward, taking a sharp west - northwest turn just south of the ticket office and exiting the property in the paved parking lot of an office park located at the northern end of Elizabeth Brady Road. Although encroaching vegetation resulting from disuse has narrowed these roads, this system was a crucial part of the smooth operation of the Occoneechee Speedway. 55 NPS Form 10.90o -a OMB Approval No. 1024 -0o18 (8.86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 7 Summary Occoneechee Speedway, a historic automobile racing complex located within the incorporated limits of the town of Hillsborough in Orange County, is eligible for listing in the National Register under Criterion A for its association with early organized stock car racing in piedmont North Carolina. Occoneechee Speedway is significant at the state level in the areas of social history and recreation for its association with a sport with roots in the bootlegging activities of rural North Carolina where "trippers" transporting illegal liquor in cars with modified engines and beefed -up transmissions attempted to outrun revenuers. Stock car racing, according to historian Pete Daniel's recent study of the South in the 1950s, provided an outleffor working - class whites in the South in the post -war period and in "the wild and frenzied infields and grandstands at stock car races, southerners found the space to reclaim their wildness." Occoneechee Speedway was one of eight east coast racetracks that hosted the first National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing (NASCAR) events and it remains the only NASCAR dirt track that has not been destroyed or paved. Bill France Sr. of Daytona Beach, Florida, along with four North Carolina race organizers, established Hillsboro Speedway Incorporated in September 1947, three months before France held the meeting in Daytona Beach at which NASCAR was formally organized. France and his associates opened Occoneechee Speedway on June 27, 1948, with an estimated 20,000 in attendance to witness Fonty Flock, a member of an early racing dynasty, take the flag. In 1954, the racetrack became known as Orange Speedway when Hillsboro Speedway, Inc. dissolved. Despite protests against auto racing by Orange County clergy in the late 1950s, the speedway operated until 1968 when the Talladega Speedway in Alabama replaced it on the NASCAR circuit. Throughout its twenty -year history, Occoneechee hosted NASCAR's most successful drivers including Richard "The King" Petty, Fireball Roberts, Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett and Lee Petty. The period of significance is 1948 to 1956, the latter year marking the end of Orange Speedway's major role in a sport that had become professionalized with faster, paved tracks replacing earlier, more modest venues like the one in Hillsborough. Although overgrown with trees and foliage, significant structural features remain intact and convey the property's history and significance as an automobile speedway including the hard - packed dirt track, prominent dirt banking that prevented competitors' fast - moving cars from careening into the Eno River, culverts used to drain water from the infield, the hillside on the west side of the track from which spectators watched races, separate entrance and exit roads for competitors and fans and the metal fence used to keep out non - paying fans. Modest buildings standing in various stages of repair, as well as a concrete grandstand occupy the west side of the forty -two acre property. ,n 50 2 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 Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page s Recreation and Social History Context: The History of Stock Automobile Racing in the South Organized stock car racing's roots lie in the notorious bootlegging trade of the early twentieth century, mainly the 1920s to just after World War II, when many residents of the mountains and foothills of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia made and hauled illegal alcohol from isolated stills to cities and towns. These drivers, known as trippers, were masters behind the wheel, skilled at speeding along mountain roads in specially modified cars. Many were talented mechanics and those who were not, employed expert mechanics who were often simultaneously beefing -up the cars local law enforcement agents used to chase the trippers. Cars were overhauled for optimum speed, handling and hauling capacity. From the outside, these cars looked like the common cars of the 1930s and 1940s, but raise the hood or go under the car and one would find a modified engine, high - quality brakes, a souped -up transmission and a, heavier suspension. ) From these high speed chases came informal competitions that exhibited and tested the skills of both drivers and mechanics and drew onlookers searching for diversion from the tedious days of farming or factory work. Eventually, local entrepreneurs, recognizing the money- making opportunities these races afforded, built tracks and formalized the events somewhat, charging admission and sometimes building wooden bleachers. Although most of these impermanent sites have been lost, the foundations for NASCAR were laid on these dirt tracks in the 1940s.2 The more formal organization of auto racing in the United States took shape in the first half of the twentieth century. Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 and the first Indianapolis 500 took place there in 1911. By the early 1940s, many sanctioning bodies were organizing races throughout the United States. The American Automobile Association (AAA) staged open - wheel, open cockpit racing and eventually became known as the USAC /CART league (Indy -car racing). Also operating were the United Stock Car Racing Association, the National Auto Racing League and the American Stock Car Racing Association. The National Stock Car Racing Association operated in its home state of Georgia. The Daytona Beach Racing Association was responsible for that city's races. Each organization had its own rules, competition criteria and racetrack 1 Pete Daniel, Lost Revolutions: The South in the 1950s (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000), 94- 95; and Sylvia Wilkinson, Dirt Tracks to Glory: The Early Days of Stock Car Racing as Told by the Participants (Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 1993), chapters I and 2. 2 Dan Pierce, "The Most Southern Sport on Earth: NASCAR and the Unions," Southern Cultures, (Summer 2001): 10. NPS Form 10.900 -a OMB Approval No. 1024 -001 a (8 -86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 9 Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. design standards. Drivers from coast to coast were following an array of rules on tracks of varying size, quality, layout and surface.3 The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the body that organized races at Occoneechee, grew from racing events held in the 1920s and 1930s on the long flat beaches of Daytona Beach, Florida. Tourists came to the beach to watch the races, but when, in the mid - 1930s, cars began to reach speeds that made the beach an unsuitable surface, local officials were faced with the prospect of losing the racing tourist. To keep race fans coming to town, the chamber of commerce decided to organize a race. In 1936, a 3.2 -mile course was laid out incorporating the beach and the highway beside it. The event was a disaster. Cars got stuck in the sand and rolled over in ruts and the incoming tide cut the 250 -mile race short. Spectators easily watched the race without paying for tickets. It took four days for officials to declare a much - disputed winner. Another race failed the next year. In 1938, the chamber of commerce tried again, this time inviting local service station owner and sometime racer Bill France Sr. to be the promoter. France attracted a large crowd, sold tickets at fifty -cents apiece and kept close tabs on the laps completed by each driver to reduce controversy over the winner.4 Meanwhile, both formal and informal races continued in the South, as did the real -life races between revenuers and trippers. Race organizers, drivers and mechanics were generally an uneducated lot and the organizers in particular, could be unscrupulous, ignoring safety concerns and track maintenance while failing to pay prizes.s Of drivers and mechanics, historian Pete Daniel writes that despite their lack of education and manners, they "were proud, many were extremely resourceful and some were brilliant. They intimidated competitors, abused their automobiles (and those of rental companies), drank both on and off the track, flirted with women, fornicated-and fought over any slight. ,6 Bill France Sr., the Daytona Beach mechanic who had efficiently organized that town's 1938 race, wanted to bring order to the broader, chaotic, racing world. William Henry Getty (Bill) France was one of the most influential figures associated with organized stock car racing in the United States. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1909, France became interested in racing in the mid - and late -1920s when he attended board track races in Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and New 3 Mike Calinoff, "NASCAR: The Beginning," Decades of Racing, May 5, 2001 < http: / /decadesofracina,net >. 4Matt McLaughlin, "In the Beginning...," Fifty Years of NASCAR Racing, SpeedFX.com, December 18, 2000, < www.speedfx.com /history /121 1 beginning shtma. 5 Daniel, 96 -97. 6 Ibid., 97. 58 NPS Form 10.900 -a OMe Approval No. 1024 -0018 (8 -86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continmation Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page to Jersey. Cars raced around tracks surfaced in wood and banked at the outer edges to prevent the racers from going off course. France dropped out 'of high school and worked in auto garages where he built racecars and occasionally raced them. In 1931 France married an Ashe County, North Carolina, native and after having a son, Bill France Jr., the couple moved to Florida in 1934 in search of a warmer climate. In 1936 France competed in the disastrous Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce Beach Road Race, after which he became involved in race promotion at the urging of a friend and because of a lack of organization in the sport. Following World War II, France and his wife Ann staged races on a one -mile former horse track outside of Orlando, events that proved exceedingly popular and well attended.? Throughout 1947, Bill France conducted approximately thirty -five stock car races in the Deep South under the National Championship Stock Car Circuit (NCSCC), a loosely organized pre - NASCAR touring series. From these races, France recognized the potential of organized stock car racing to create drivers who would appeal to a growing sports- minded society.$ At the end of the NCSCC's first season in December 1947, France called a meeting of thirty -five leaders from numerous racing associations. The group, which included drivers and racing promoters, met for four days at the Streamline Motel in Daytona Beach, setting rules and standards for the races, modifications to cars and driver safety. The new organization was named the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing or NASCAR.9 NASCAR initially established three divisions for races: Roadster, Modified and Strictly Stock. Popular in the Northeast and Midwest, the Roadster division was never successful in the Southeast where fans labeled it a "Yankee" sport. The Modified division consisted of older cars that had been souped -up, much like the high - performance cars created for and by the trippers. The Strictly Stock division was for cars that the average person could buy off the showroom floor. The cars were to be street legal, family sedans built since 1946.10 The first NASCAR race was a Modified race held at Daytona on February 15, 1948 and NASCAR was officially incorporated days later on February 21. The Modifieds raced on fifty= two dirt tracks in the first season. t1 Occoneechee Speedway was one of eight North Carolina 7 Wilkinson, 19 -27. 8 Greg Fielden, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing, Volume 1. The Beginning, 1949 -1958 (Surfside Beach, South Carolina: The Galfield Press, 1987), 31 -32. 9 McLaughlin, "In the Beginning. 10 Calinoff. 11 McLaughlin, "In the Beginning..."; and Chengelis. NIPS 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 Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 11 59 venues hosting races during that first season. The first race at Occoneechee took place on June 27, 1948; a double- header race was staged in September of that year at the Hillsborough track. 12 In 1949, the Strictly Stock division had its first race. Because of post -war demand for new cars, France initially felt that people who were on long waiting lists for their own automobiles would not want to see new cars being banged and beaten on the short dirt tracks. The inauguration was delayed until 1949 when France heard rumors that a rival promoter was organizing a similar stock car association. The first official Strictly Stock race was held on June 19, 1949 at the original Charlotte Motor Speedway, which was located on Wilkinson Boulevard near the present -day intersection of Little Rock Road and I -85. The track was described as "a rough three - quarter mile dirt track surrounded by scraggly fences of undressed lumber." Fans flocked to the race to see drivers competing for $5,000 in prize money in cars like those they owned or could own. 13 Eight tracks were on the first Strictly Stock schedule in 1949: Charlotte Motor Speedway; Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia; Occoneechee Speedway; Daytona Beach Road Course; Heidelberg Speedway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina and tracks in Langhorne, Pennsylvania and Hamburg, New York. All of these tracks were dirt. By the end of the 1949 season, the success of the Strictly Stock division made it the premier class of NASCAR.14 In 1950, the name of the Strictly Stock division was changed to the Grand National Circuit reflecting its elite status in the world of stock car racing. Also in 1950, peanut farmer Harold Brasington hosted a NASCAR Grand National race on his newly completed, paved, mile- and -a- quarter superspeedway in Darlington, South Carolina. An estimated 20,000 people watched the 500 -mile race which had a purse of $25,500, the largest ever in a stock car event. When Darlington opened, it was NASCAR's only completely paved track and was the first southern speedway, but Smokey Yunick, one of NASCAR's legendary mechanics, described the track as a poor facility, "run by a bunch of farmers" with only one toilet, one spigot for drinking water and one telephone. 15 The final race of the 1950 season and the one that would determine the overall 12 The other North Carolina towns hosting races were Greensboro, North Wilkesboro, Wadesboro, Lexington, Charlotte, Elkin and Winston - Salem, Fielden, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing, Volume 1, 48. 13 Fielden, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing, Volume 1, 7." McLaughlin, "In the Beginning...." 14 Fielden, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing, Volume 1, 9, 15 Daniel, 99. I NPS Foam 10 -9oo•a OMB Approval No. 10240018 (8-88) United States Department of the interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sh_eet- Occoneeehee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 12 points leader for that year was held at Occoneechee. Although Lee Petty won the race, Bill Rexford took the title for the year. 16 NASCAR, and the Grand National division, proved successful almost immediately upon its establishment. The overriding reason, according to one historian, is that fans in the Southeast in the early 1950s identified the Grand Nationals as a truly southern sport. The region lacked any representation in major sports; major league baseball and professional football and basketball did not come to the South until the 1960s and 1970s. Even mainstream auto racing scheduled few events in the South, except for occasional Indianapolis -type open wheel racing at Atlanta's Lakewood Speedway. 17 Although fans flocked to Grand National races, racing venues remained modest and paved tracks were slow to become the standard. In 1954, the Memphis- Arkansas Speedway, billed as the largest stock car racing facility in the country, opened with a one -and -a- half -mile dirt track as its centerpiece. In 1955, only three Grand National tracks were paved — Darlington, Raleigh and Martinsville, the latter two established as dirt tracks originally. As late as 1958, only twenty -four of fifty -one venues were paved.13 Meanwhile, advances in racing equipment were made in the mid -1950s when companies began producing specialized racing equipment such as tires, helmets and fireproof coveralls. 19 A turning point for came in the late 1950s as NASCAR and stock car racing emerged as a more professionalized sport. Much of the mystique of its bootlegging roots faded as tracks improved, corporate- sponsored teams dominated and safety became a chief concern. Throughout the 1960s, NASCAR slowly began moving into mainstream American culture, although its roots and much of its fan base remained in the Southeast. In 1960, CBS aired a pair of twenty -five -mile pole position races at Daytona. The following year, ABC televised the Firecracker 250 from Daytona. In 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first nationally televised NASCAR race. Richard Petty won the race and CBS won an Emmy for the production. In 1985, the Grand National Circuit was renamed the Winston Cup. 20 16 Fielden, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing, Volume 1, 21. 17 Ibid., 42. 18 Golenbock, 95. 19 Fielden, Forty Years of Stock Car Racing, Volume 1, 141. 20Chengelis. NPS Form 10 -900 -a 0108 Approval No. 1024 -001 a (8.86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Co t[nuation Sheet. Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 13 Just as NASCAR was making its way into popular culture, popular culture was having its effect on the sport. NASCAR reflected an element of southern society that found itself dissatisfied, frustrated and trapped by increasing prosperity and the accompanying pressure to become "presentable." These were the farm -families who had come to the mills and were finding it difficult to conform to the regimented workday. These were also the farmers and urban workers who were gaining a measure of prosperity and were now expected to be ruled by the clock and the dollar .21 Historian Pete Daniel asserts that although the repetitive nature of racing around a track could seem to suggest those regulated elements of the urbanizing, working world, racing actually suggested just the opposite. The drivers repeated tasks, like a mill hand, but cars often "bumped or crashed into each other, interrupting the cycle, destroying sponsors' investments and sometimes injuring drivers.... Skilled drivers at the edge of control constantly suggested that escape was possible for those with enough talent or nerve. ,22 Fighting was common at NASCAR events of the 1950s and 1960s, as was on -track retribution. While drivers and crew members engaged in all -night parties that sometimes continued into the race day and generally included alcohol, women, fights and wild, untamed behavior, the race -day behavior of fans was no different. 23 Infield parties featured sex, drinking, guns, knives, fights and country music. "The racetrack offered an unpoliced space for uncivil behavior and vile language ....The farther people moved from the country and its cycles into hourly work and consumer culture, the more they needed a fix of racing, wildness, fun and laughter. ,24 Fans "scorned polite society and were in revolt against the constricting forces that threatened to tame them and rob them of the spontaneity. They were rude, violent, uncouth and proud of it.s25 At Darlington, an infield jail was necessary. As increasing prosperity and urbanization was threatening the wildness of southerners, those same forces were marginalizing women in every aspect of society, including NASCAR, where in its early years, women had raced alongside men at venues including Occoneechee Speedway. Ethel Flock Mobley, named for the high -test gasoline, was the sister of famed racers Tim, Bob and Fonty Flock. She raced modified cars before taking on stock cars. At the 1949 Daytona Grand National race, she finished eleventh, beating brothers Bob and Fonty. Sara Christian raced 21 For a discussion of this theory, see Dan Pierce, Southern Cultures, (Summer 2001): 8 -31. " Daniel, 96. "Daniel, 113 -117. "Ibid., 96. "Ibid., 117. "The Most Southern Sport on Earth: NASCAR and the Unions," NPS Form 10 -goo -a OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018 (8.86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation She,et Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 14 competitively in 1949. She won NASCAR's Woman Driver of the Year award and finished thirteenth in the national points standing. In the first Strictly Stock race in Charlotte, she finished fourteenth. Louise Smith was also an accomplished driver with a reputation for drinking, cursing and fighting with the men. At Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Christian finished sixth, Smith sixteenth and Mobley forty -fourth in a 200 -mile race on September 11, 1949.26 Women were banned from NASCAR pits, including Occoneechee, in the early 1950s, as NASCAR, like southern society, was becoming more organized and thus, more restrictive. The initial common sight of a female driver was reduced to an unusual spectacle as women were generally relegated to the role of race queen. African American drivers were part of racing's early days as well. In 1956, Charlie Scott became the first African American to compete in a NASCAR race. 27 Wendell Scott (no known relation to Charlie Scott) was NASCAR's only full -time, African American driver and of the African American drivers, he was the most successful. Like his white counterparts, Wendell Scott was a tripper well known by the area police. When a local racetrack owner went to the Danville, Virginia police station in search of an African American driver to use as a promotional gimmick, they recommended Scott, a Danville native. 28 Scott raced on dirt tracks throughout the South, including Occoneechee Speedway and moved to Grand National racing in the 1960s. He was never able to secure a major sponsor, but he finished as high as twelfth in the points in 1964. Other African American racecar drivers existed, but their lives and careers have not been documented.29 Bill France was concerned about his drivers and their safety, but in practice he was most concerned about business, regardless of the human toll and he created an atmosphere in which complaints were subverted with paternalism. 30 Although France did improve conditions for NASCAR drivers in the early 1950s by ensuring that prize money was paid, requiring roll bars and locking seats that would not slide on impact and partnering with Pure Oil Company to develop the first tires made especially for stock car racing, drivers still had complaints. 3' Prize money had hardly risen through the years and NASCAR gave no assistance to the families of 16Ibid., 104. 27 Chengelis. 28 Wilkinson, 115; Daniel, 104 -107; and Golenbock, 17. 29 Daniel, 104 -107 and 117. 30 Pierce, 12 -14. 31 Ibid., 13. NPS Form 10 -900 -a 63 OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018 (8.98) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 15 drivers who died on the track or to injured drivers, but revenues were growing exponentially. 32 France engaged in capricious rule bending to the greatest personal and professional benefit. Dirt tracks remained plagued by holes, ruts, mud and dust while the asphalt on paved tracks was prone to failure as speeds increased in the 19605. While NASCAR promoted and demanded increased speed, the skill of drivers and mechanics, safety measures and track construction technology were not given an opportunity to develop correspondingly.33 NASCAR drivers attempted to unionize in 1961 and 1969, but their efforts, like those of the mill workers of the 1930s, were met with the same reaction: union organizers, participants and sympathizers were successfully strong - armed, intimidated, blacklisted and threatened. Today, NASCAR stands as the only major sporting organization without significant representation by eompetitors.34 Safety concerns still arise, usually after the deaths of high - profile drivers such as Adam Petty and Dale Earnhardt, but the use of helmets and fireproof suits continues to be encouraged rather than required. The France family still controls NASCAR and the majority of its tracks. Bill France Sr. remained at the helm of NASCAR until 1972 when his son, Bill France Jr. took over. The elder France died on June 7, 1992.35 NASCAR is the fastest growing spectator sport in the United States today. Between 1991 and 1998, attendance at NASCAR events increased seventy percent, almost four times faster than the National Basketball Association.36 The first Strictly Stock race in Charlotte attracted several thousand fans. Today the Lowe's Motor Speedway, the modern name for the Charlotte Motor Speedway, seats 133,000 people and has sold tickets to fans in all fifty states and fourteen countries. From its roots, NASCAR has grown into a multi- million dollar industry in which drivers are synonymous with their sponsors and all races ate televised. The Darlington infield, where a jail was required to help maintain peace, has been divided into the President's Suite, the Azalea Terrace, where tickets cost $500 and the Fourth Turn Club with a large corporate tent.37 Fighting 32 Charlotte Observer, August 10, 1961, A -1, cited in Pierce, 14. 33 Pierce, 22. 34 Ibid., 30. 35 Chengalis and Pierce, 31. 36 Robert G. Hagstrom, "Driving America Wild," National Geographic (on -line version), May 9, 2001 www.nationaleeooraphic.com /ng_m /9806 /forum /caressay.html 37 Daniel, 119. 6. l¢ NPS Farm 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__ Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 16 incurs a $10,000 fine and drivers work to personify an image or lifestyle approved of by their sponsors. In the words of Junior Johnson, "It's all been tamed now. t938 Of the original eight Strictly Stock race venues, which collectively form the birthplace of modern -day NASCAR Winston Cup Racing, only the North Wilkesboro track, Occoneechee Speedway and Martinsville Speedway are extant. The North Wilkesboro Speedway was paved in the 1950s and was a NASCAR Winston Cup track until it was closed in 1996. The Martinsville Speedway, paved in 1955, still hosts Winston Cup races. The other five tracks were demolished. 39 Occoneechee Speedway as a Rare Property Type As stock car racing evolved in the decades after World War II, racing venues'improved and moved from rural areas to larger towns and cities. In the late 1950s and early 1960s drivers on the professional circuit preferred paved tracks to the muddy, pothole filled tracks of the sport's early years. As the sport's image improved, promoters began erecting more attractive seating areas and facilities and the dirt tracks, with their rudimentary restrooms, ticket offices and concession stands, could not satisfy most NASCAR fans. When speedways like those at Daytona, Talledega and Charlotte emerged, the small venues, like Occoneechee could not compete. The early tracks associated with NASCAR's beginnings have long since been abandoned or developed for commercial or residential purposes. The last race at Occoneechee took place in September 1968. That year, dirt track races were held in Columbia and Greenville, South Carolina and Richmond. Those three tracks no longer exist. The.last year dirt tracks were used for Grand National Racing was 1970 when two events were held in Columbia and one took place in Raleigh. A city -owned maintenance yard stands at the former site of the Raleigh track. Occoneechee is a remarkable survivor in that it is the only remaining dirt track from NASCAR's early years. Although overgrown with trees and native bushes, the site continues to project its original function. Its rarity as a property type should mitigate the issues of integrity that arise because of the poor condition of some of its associated buildings and the overgrowth of plant life, the latter condition being reversible. At present, the property is under the care of Classical �$ Ibid., 120. 39 Martinsville Speedway, 9 May 2001, www. martinsvillespeedway .com/wcl949.htmk and Mike Hembree, "The Birth of Stock Car Racing ... NASCAR Style," January 1, 2001, www.nascar.com/ news /1998news /October /23/00899204.html NPS Form 1o•soo -a 0108 Approval No, 1024 -0018 (8.86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation -Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 17 W American Homes, Inc., whose staff respects the speedway's history and is actively attempting to save it from the threat of highway development. A Brief History of Occoneechee Speedway The Occoneechee Speedway occupies a portion of the former late - eighteenth century plantation of James Hogg, an original trustee of the University of North Carolina. Hogg built three homes on the Eno River, one of which, Poplar Hill, passed to his daughter Robina and her husband William Norwood. In the 1890s, businessman and philanthropist Julian Shakespeare Carr of Durham purchased Poplar Hill and its surrounding acreage from the Norwood family and renamed it Occoneechee Farm after a local Indian tribe. Carr made additions to the plantation house and built a clubhouse for entertaining. He grew crops and raised livestock, notably racehorses for which he built a racetrack that later became the site of Occoneechee Speedway.ao In November 1923, Carr's estate was divided into seventeen tracts and sold at public auction. John Graham Webb purchased two tracts totaling two hundred acres including one parcel containing the house, clubhouse and racetrack. T.H. Webb acquired the two hundred acres in 1927. The property conveyed to E. Buchanan Lyon and his wife in July 1945. One year later, W.S. Murchison and J.R. Rogers of Raleigh purchased the farm tract at auction for $10,00041 The tract contained a large barn, tractors and other farm equipment and "200 acres of excellent farm land. "42 In the late 1940s, auto racing organizer and avid pilot Bill France Sr. of Daytona Beach, Florida noticed the Occoneechee Farm racetrack while flying over Orange County and in 1947 approached the owners about selling the property to him. 43 On January 27, 1948 Murchison and Rogers sold the two hundred acres to Hillsboro Speedway, Inc. 44 Five men interested in bringing automobile racing to central North Carolina incorporated Hillsboro Speedway, Inc. on September. 18, 1947.45 Upon filing papers with the North Carolina 40 The News of Orange County, March 20, 1980. 41 E. Buchanan Lyon and wife, Nancy Camp Lyon to W.S. Murchison and J.R. Rogers, July 26, 1946, Book 124, p. 366 orange County Deeds orange County Register of Deeds, Hillsborough, North Carolina. 42 The News of Orange County, August 1, 1946. 43 William Crowther, correspondence to Jennifer Martin, Raleigh, N.C., November 27, 2001. 44 W.S. Murchison and J.R. Rogers to Hillsboro Speedway, Inc., January 27, 1948, Book 129, p. 131 orange County Deeds orange County Register of Deeds, Hillsborough, North Carolina. 45 Orange County Records of Incorporations, vols. 2 -3, 1878 -1952 (microfilm), State Archives, North Carolina Division of Archives and History, Raleigh; Sometime during the nineteenth or early twentieth century, the spelling of the name of the town of Hillsborough was unofficially changed to "Hillsboro." In 1965, the name officially >4 , NP3 Form 10 -9ao•a OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018 18-88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of historic Places Continuation Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 18 Secretary of State's office, the principals, Bill France, Ben Lowe of Burlington, Dobe Powell and Enoch Staley of North Wilkesboro and Joe Buck Dawson of Chapel Hill, announced a plan to build a one -mile oval racetrack with a 5,000 -seat capacity. 46 The Occoneechee Speedway was to be the third one -mile oval track on the east coast; the other two were in Atlanta and Langhorne, Pennsylvania. 47 In December 1947, three months after the announcement to build the track outside Hillsborough, Bill France Sr. convened a group of racing promoters from across the Southeast at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach where they formed NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing). The organization was incorporated on February 21,1948 . 48 The first NASCAR race was held on the beaches of Daytona in February 1948.49 The Occoneechee Speedway opened on June 27, 1948 with a one hundred mile NASCAR race. The event attracted an estimated 20,000 fans. The facility offered one hundred acres of parking, wooden grandstands for 10,000 spectators and sloped hillsides for 25,000 additional fans. Fonty Flock, a member of one of racing's most prominent families, won the first race at Occoneechee. 50 The second and third races at Occoneechee were a scheduled double- header, anticipated by a local newspaper to be, "the greatest ever held in the State." The double- header took place on September 19, 1948 with Fonty Flock winning both events.5 t On August 7, 1949, Occoneechee hosted a "Strictly Stock" division race in which street - approved cars competed. The NASCAR sanctioned race was the third of that division and only one of eight Strictly Stock races ever held before the division's name was changed. Two other Strictly. Stock races were held in Charlotte and North Wilkesboro that year. Over seventeen thousand fans attended the August 7 race, an event fraught with wrecks that devastated many of reverted to "Hillsborough," which had been the original spelling when the town was renamed from Childsburg to Hillsborough in 1766. Throughout this nomination, the current official spelling will be used. 46 Three of the original principals eventually sold their interests in the track to France and Staley who remained associated with the corporation throughout its history. 47 The News of Orange County, September 25, 1947; at the time it opened, Occoneechee Speedway was measured at one mile. In 1956, it was remeasured at 0.9 miles. 48 Peter Golenbock, American Zoom: Stock Car Racing From Dirt Tracks to Daytona (New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1993), 72. 49 Angelique S. Chengelis, "Take a Ride Down Memory Lane: NASCAR's First 50 Years," The Detroit News (on- line version), June 11, 1998 < http• / /detnews.coin /1998 /motosports /9806/11/06150013.htm >(July 9, 2001). 50 Ed Sanseverino, "Occoneechee- Orange Speedway, Hillsboro, North Carolina," Booklet (by the Author, 1995), 1. 51 The News of Orange, September 16, 1948. 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 Conti nuatic ,Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 19 the twenty -eight cars in contention. The field included Sara Christian, an early female NASCAR driver.52 For the 1950 season, the Strictly Stock division became the NASCAR Grand National Circuit. Of the 1950 season, the local press proclaimed, "the speed demons will attempt to break the Flock monopoly on races at the famous mile speedway." The Flock brothers— Fonty, Bob and Tim — dominated the top events held at Occoneechee in the first few seasons.53 The highlights of the August 13, .1950 race at Occoneechee were twenty- one - year -old Fireball Roberts' first victory and the entry of Louise Smith of Greenville, South Carolina, who drove a brand new Nash Ambassador. At the October 29 race later that year, Lee Petty of Greensboro won the two hundred mile race and eventually went on to become one of NASCAR's most successful drivers. Petty, the progenitor of auto racing's most famous family, was the father of legend Richard Petty, grandfather to 'champion driver Kyle Petty and great - grandfather to Adam Petty, who before he was killed during a practice run in New Hampshire, was the first fourth generation professional athlete in the United States. 54 The ownership and name of the speedway underwent a change in the early 1950s. On July 25, 1952 Orange Speedway, Inc. formed with Bill France, Sr. as president, Ann France as secretary - treasurer and Enoch Staley as vice - president. The other three original owners — Powell, Dawson and Lowe —were no longer associated with the track. In January 1953, Ann France filed an affidavit with the North Carolina Department of State to dissolve Hillsboro Speedway, Inc. Beginning in 1954, the racing complex was known as Orange Speedway. 55 After the 1955 season, the Orange Speedway was shortened from one mile to nine - tenths of a mile in length. While historian Pete Daniel asserts that respectable people condemned racing and the behavior that often accompanied it Orange Speedway is one of only a few early NASCAR track that met with organized protests in the 1950s. Racing proved popular with many local residents, but others saw the sport in a less positive light and expressed those feelings openly. In April 1956, 52 Chengalis; Matt McLaughlin, "Occoneechee Speedway, Fifty Years of NASCAR Racing," SpeedFX.com, April 4, 2001, < www.st)eedfK.com/ history /050798hillsboro.shtml >. 53 The News of Orange County, June 15, 1950. 54 Matt McLaughlin, "Tales from Days of Yore: Fifty Years of NASCAR Racing," SpeedFX.com, July 9, 2001, <http: // www.sneedfx.com /history/050798hillsboro.shtml >. 55 Orange County Records of Incorporation, Book 3, page 307 -312 orange County Register of Deeds, Hillsborough, North Carolina. 68 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 Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 20 Rev. C.H. Reckard, pastor of the Hillsboro Presbyterian Church, delivered a sermon critical of local stock car racing and its effect on area young people. Protests by Reckard and other area clergy culminated in the passage of a bill on May 8, 1957 which banned racing on Sundays. 56 Apparently, the ban on Sunday racing did not endure, because Sunday races were announced in an October 1961 edition of The News of Orange County. In 1958, Bill France leased the track to the Orange County Board of Education for $100 per year for ten years so that local athletic teams would have a venue for their games. 57 For every race he held at the speedway, France paid the school board $250. By this time, only three or four races per year were held at the track.58 For local residents one of the highlights in the speedway's history was the appearance of Hollywood starlet Jayne Mansfield in the pace car for a race held on March 10, 1963. A local newspaper reported that Mansfield, in North Carolina for a nightclub appearance in Greensboro, "skillfully signed autographs continuously throughout the entire time, while keeping tabs [sic] on the cars whirling around the dust choked track below. "59 Throughout its twenty -year history as an official NASCAR venue, the Occoneechee Speedway hosted automobile racing's greatest figures. Richard Petty, the Randleman native known as "The King" for his dominance of the sport for nearly two decades, raced at the Hillsborough track throughout the 1950s and 1960s, as did his father Lee Petty. Among other prominent racers who regularly competed at Occoneechee were Ned Jarrett, known as "Gentleman Jarrett" for his kind demeanor off the track; Junior Johnson; Fireball Roberts and Curtis Turner. The final Grand National race at Orange Speedway took place on September 15, 1968. One NASCAR historian characterized the race as "an epic, fender crunching, bumper banging, paint swapping war out on the track" in which Richard Petty eventually dominated by a seven -lap margin. The traditional fall Grand National race that had always taken place at Occoneechee since the founding of NASCAR was transferred to a new track Bill France Sr. had built at Talladega, Alabama. 60 56 Session Laws and Resolutions of North Carolina, 1957, c.588, s. 252. 57 The News of Orange County, March 20, 1980. 58 The News of Orange County, September 14, 1961. 59 The News of Orange County, March 14, 1963. 60 McLaughlin, "Occoneechee Speedway." 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 Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 8 Page 21 On May 19, 1984 Orange Speedway, Inc.'s three shareholders, Ann and Bill France and Enoch Staley, voluntarily dissolved the corporation.61 In June 1997, France Staley, LLC, the corporate interest with title to the track sold the property to the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina (PNC), a statewide historic preservation nonprofit corporation.62 Preservation North Carolina then sold the progerty to the current owner Classical American Homes Preservation Trust in November 1997. The property is currently under protective deed restrictions to preserve it from development. 61 Articles of Dissolution, Book 466, page 406 orange County Deeds orange County Register of Deeds, Hillsborough, North Carolina. 62 France Staley, LLC to Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina, Inc., June 3, 1997. Orange County Deeds orange County Register of Deeds, Hillsborough, North Carolina. 63 Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina, Inc., to Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, November 25, 1997 orange County Register of Deeds, Hillsborough, North Carolina. N 70 NP8 Form 10.900 -a OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018 (8-88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service .National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 9 Page 22 Bibliography Calinoff, Mike. NASCAR: The Beginning." Decades of Racing, May 5, 2001 < http: / /decadesofracing.net >. The Charlotte Observer. Chengalis, Angelique S. "Take a Ride Down Memory Lane: NASCAR's First 50 Years." The Detroit News (on -line version). June 11, 1998 < http:// detnews. com / 1998 / motorsports /9806/11/06150013.htm >. Daniel, Pete. Lost Revolutions: The South in the 1950s. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000. Fielden, Greg. Forty Years of Stock Car Racing: Volume 1, 1949 -1958. Surfside Beach, South Carolina: The Galfield Press, 1987. Golenbock, Peter. American Zoom: Stock Car Racing —From Dirt Tracks to Daytona. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993. Hagstrom. Robert G. "Driving America Wild." National Geographic (on -line version), May 9, 2001. < www.nationalgeogrgphic.com/ngm/9806/forum/caressa.html >. Hembree, Mike. "The Birth of Stock Car Racing... NASCAR Style." NASCAR, January 1, 2001.•< www.nascar. com / news /1998news /October /23/00899204.html >. McLaughlin, Matt. "In the Beginning... Fifty Years of NASCAR Racing: A Speedworld Special Series on the History of NASCAR." SpeedFX.com, December 18, 2000. < www.speedfr. com lhistory/121Ibeginning.shtml >. McLaughlin, Matt. "Occoneechee Speedway, Fifty Years of NASCAR Racing: A Speedworld Special Series on the History of NASCAR." SpeedFX.com, April 4, 2001. < www.si)eedfx.com/history/050798hillsboro.shtml>. 71 NPS Farm 10.900•a OMB Approval No. 1024 -0018 (8.88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet— - - : Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 9 Page 23 McLaughlin, Matt-"Tales from Days of Yore: Fifty Years of NASCAR Racing. A Speedworld Special Series on the History of NASCAR." SpeedFX.com, July 9, 2001 < http:// www. speedfx. com/ history /050798hillsboro.shtml >. The News of Orange County. Orange County Deeds. Orange County Register of Deeds. Hillsborough, North Carolina. Orange County Records of Incorporation, various volumes. Orange County Register of Deeds. Hillsborough, North Carolina. Orange County Records of Incorporation, 1878 -1952, vols. 2 -3. Microfilm. State Archives, North Carolina Division of Archives and History, Raleigh, North Carolina. Pierce, Dan. "The Most Southern Sport on Earth: NASCAR and the Unions." Southern Cultures (Summer 2001): 8 -33. Sanserverino, Ed. "Occoneechee -Orange Speedway, Hillsboro, North Carolina," (booklet). By the author: 1995. Session Laws of North Carolina, 1957, c. 588, s. 252. Wilkinson, Sylvia. Dirt Tracks to Glory: The Early Days of Stock Car Racing as Told by the Participants. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 1993, 72 NPS Form 10.900 -a 1024 -0018 (8.88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Gontinuation Sheet Occoneechee Speedway Orange County, N.C. Section number 10 Page 24 Verbal Boundary Description OMB Approval No. The boundary for Occoneechee Speedway is indicated with a black solid line on the accompanying Orange County GIS tax map drawn at a scale of 1 inch = 2,400 inches (200 feet). The nominated 41.98 -acre parcel is a portion of a 193.03 -acre tract ( #4.37.C.11) owned by Classical American Homes Preservation Trust. Boundary Justification The boundary includes the oval racetrack, buildings, roads, dirt banking, culverts, fence and designed landscape features (such as the plateau containing the track and hillside west of the track that held spectators) originally associated with Occoneechee Speedway. These elements contribute to the property's significance as an eligible site. As a whole, the property retains integrity of setting, materials, workmanship, location, design, feeling and association. The boundaries also include an overgrown area that originally served as a parking lot for spectators. This roughly rectangular portion of the property is west of the track and the concentration of buildings. It is contained in the nominated area because it is wedged between the entrance and exit roads which are an integral part of the overall site. OCCONEECHEE SPEEDWAY Orange County, NC Schematic —Not to Scale Photograph Angles Keyed by Number Eno River Noncontributing Resource ■ ty G. Men's Restroom V <`/ B. Light Pos 13� ■ p C. Grandstand (NC) Exit Road Site offormer parking lot Entrance Road L12 Gate To Elizabeth Brady Road i� Dirt Banking culvert 0 culvert O l9 v culvert O 1 Dirt Banking 73 ,t s 4of • � 3 State and Local Updates L} ` A 5 Newsmakers news 7 1 ro Synagogue - ... A N ....... rtr ;i t, ir, i31 'a X ti gin 17,nuary /rf ,-bMaYy20Q2 o VoiumeVill No. 3 Historic rehabilitation `Tax Credits.' Today Tomorrow and b,NaionalTnatStctff Federal tax incentives for rehabilitation of historic properties, have been a major part of the preserva- tion toolkit for so long that few in preservation today can remember —or even imagine —work- ing without them. The Tax Reform Act of 1976 estab- lished the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Pro gram in 1977. The program allowed owners of buildings certified as historic to take a federal tax deduction for the cost of doing a historically appropriate rehabili- tation of an income - producing property. In 1981, the deduction was converted to a credit (cur- rently set at 20 percent). As the first 25 years of the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program comes to a close, it's a good time to look back —and to look forward. When the tax credits were first introduced, they made many types of rehabilitation projects financially feasible for the first time ever. That attracted, and continues to bring in, an influx of private investment for preser- vation projects. Fran Mainella, director of the National Park The redevelopment ofirn1 erttpr block of 1887baildings in downtown T ichtta,16im oeaied& ioiiPlace ,amived- tueprojectiuith75 aparamentcmtd3o, 000sgtu nefeetofcontmeirialspace. Historic rehabtlitrttz' ont�ctcreditsbxottghtinoiet {ian $2.4ntillioninegnityrothe $l5.6tnillionproyect : Pbota courteryo (iWetroPktbuDevelopment, LLC, Service, sums it up this way: "Before the tax incentives, few accepted the idea that reusing historic buildings could be prof- itable. Today, few question it." The fruits of this federal and private investment in preser- vation can be seen today throughout the nation, in count- less finely restored buildings put to productive use, and in whole communities brought back to conditions of physical beauty and economic vitality The National Park Service reports that since 1976 the His- toric Preservation Tax Incentives have produced the following benefits for the nation: 0 more than 29,000 historic properties have been rehabilitated and saved, • more than $25 billion in private investment has been invested in historic buildings, 9 more than 60,000 units of low- and moder- ate- income hous- ing have been cre- ated. States, too, have recognized the benefits of tax incentives for the rehabilitation of historic proper- ties. Today, 45 states offer provisions in their tax codes — either real property tax relief or state income tax credits —that can benefit historic preservation. These statewide . programs, along with local incen- tives, are combined with the fed- eral credits, further helping to make projects financially viable. The Tax Credits at Work Today Developers widely agree that the federal rehabilitation tax credits spur rehabilitation, especially when these can be combined with other programs. According continued on page2 r� "It can be costly to rehabilitate historic, often vacant, buildings. But the federal historic tax credits hep greatly. In fact, there is a lot ofdevelopment that wouldn't have gotten done without them. " Retreats for Volunteers 3 State and Local Updates 4 Publications & Deadlines 5 Newsmakers Calendar of Events ' 7 1 ro Synagogue - 8 "It can be costly to rehabilitate historic, often vacant, buildings. But the federal historic tax credits hep greatly. In fact, there is a lot ofdevelopment that wouldn't have gotten done without them. " am HISTORIC REHABILITATION TAX CREDITS continued from page I to Gary Stenson, president of MetroPlains Development, LLC, based in St. Paul, Min - nesota: "It can be costly to reha- bilitate historic, often vacant, buildings. But the federal historic tax credits help greatly. In fact, there is a lot of develop- ment that wouldn't have gotten done without them, Also they can be used to leverage other funds. And so in the end, historic rehabilitation can be just as cost - effective as new construction." The National Trust and the National Housing and Rehabilitation Association have formed a new Historic Preserva- tion Development Council... to push for a set ofamendments to... make the tax credit a more effective tool, During the past 23 years, MetroPlains has completed more than 70 real estate devel- opment projects in 10 Midwest- ern states, about half involving substantial rehabilitations of historic buildings. MetroPlains has tackled the adaptive use of old schools, hotels, hospitals, office buildings, post offices, apartment buildings, and fire stations, inmost cases rehabili- tating these buildings into multifamily rental apartments. Federal historic rehabilitation tax credits were utilized in 32 of these developments, involving the preservation of more than 40 historic buildings which are now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Typically, the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit has fit into a financing package that might also include state and local preservation incentives as well as financing programs for affordable housing and com- munity development. Based on his experience using the credits, Stenson has some suggestions for improve- ments to the existing tax credit program. "We should do what we can to make the historic tax credit more compatible with the low- income housing tax credit. We usually use the tools together, but there are some inconsistencies between the two, which should be resolved. "It would also be good for smaller projects to have an even larger credit because there is a lot of work involved in any rehabilitation project, regardless of its size. So if you have a small project, say a million dollar proj- ect, a lot of the transaction costs are going to be similar to a $10 million project, but your return is not as great, so it's a little tougher to make the deal work." Proposed Changes to the Tax Code Other organizations and individ- uals who have worked with the credits over the past 25 years also see the need for improvements to the existing program. As a result, the National Trust and the National Housing and Rehabilitation Association have formed a new Historic Preserva- tion Development Council. One of the goals of the council is to push for a set of amendments to the Internal Revenue Code. These would make the tax cred- it a more effective tool for attracting equity investment into historic rehabilitation projects, particularly smaller projects in community develop- ment areas. During a series of meetings held last year, a group of preservationists, developers, lawyers, and accountants dis- cussed the following amend- ments to the tax code: Eliminate the need to demonstrate a profitmotive "forundertaking historic rehabilitation projects, The IRS generally disallows any deductions associated with activities that have not been entered into for profit. But given that investors in housing credit transactions could not possibly demonstrate the requi- site profit motive because they invest solely for the tax benefits, the low - income housing credit program has a blanket exemp- tion. A similar exemption would be helpful for historic credit developments, where the tax credits are often the primary motive for making the invest- ment. This would go a long way toward raising investor confi- dence that the Internal Rev- enue Service will respect his- toric tax credit investments. Increase the tax credit for small projects andprojeets in `Difficult - -to- Develop Areas. " By any conventional standard, the historic tax credit is a shal- low subsidy, less than one- quarter of the credit allowed for the low - income housing tax credit. The shallow subsidy issue is particularly acute for smaller developments because the potential tax credit from such projects is simply too small to attract equity capital from insti- tutional investors. An increase in the credit to 40 percent is being sought for small historic projects (under $2.5 million in total development costs) to assure that there can be enough equity raised to cover the related transactions costs. continued onpage 6 jortim news Peter H. Brink Senior Vice President Programs Katherine Adams Director, Preservation Services Elizabeth Byrd Wood Program Manager, National Trust Forum Kerd Rubman Editor Bruce Yarnall Business Manager The mission of the National Tout ((it Historic Presenmtion is to provide leadership, cducatim, and advocacy to save America's diverse places and revitalim our communities. Fannie Neux ANews(etterof ate NationalTrast for Historic Preservation (ISSN 1079 -1-i i l; USPS Publi.timt No. 013- 083) is published bimonthly by the National Trust for Historic Pmervatian, 1785 Massachuseas Avenue, N.W., Washingmn D.C.20036 asa benelkofNationalTnut Forum membership. Pomm members also receive four issues of Forme Jorind and six issues pf PRESERVATION. Annual dues are $115. Periodicals postage paid at Washington D.C. and at additional mailing o6ice. Postmas- sent Send address changes to FonweNetur. ANewslenerof the National Trust for Historic Preservation, NationatTnut for Historic Preservation, 1785 Nforachusetu Avenue, N W., Washington, D.C., 20036. Copytight2002NationalTrust for Historic Preservation in the United States. Printed in the Unitedstates. of the total amountof base annual dues, $6 is far a subscription to PRESERVATION for one year. Support for the National Trost is provided by membership dues; endowment funds; individual, mrponre, and foundation contributions; and grants from state and federal agencies. Forum Minor is a forum in which to express opinions, encourage debate, and convey information of importance andofgenerai interest to Forum numbers of ate National Trust. Indusion of material or product references doeenorcomtimtean endormmembv die National Trust for His[o[ie fteserwdon.To obtain petmiuimt to reprin[anypart of dtis publication pleasecall (202) 588 -6053. F O R U M NATIONAL TRUST for$ISTORIC PRESERVATION-- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E. O. .R. .U. .M N E. W .S. ® �. success stories in preservation ......................... ............................... retreats for Volunteer Preservationists byAnn S. Cousins A bit of magic happens when local volunteer preservationists gather at the Grand Isle Lake House to talk about community projects. Part of the magic comes from the passion of indi- viduals who care deeply about their communities. Another part is when participants dis- cover that there are others out there with similar hopes and experiences. And finally there's the setting! The turn- of-the- century former hotel, Grand Isle Lake House, now owned by the Preservation Trust of Vermont; is the ideal place for a retreat! For the past three years, the Preservation Trust of Ver- mont has hosted two -day retreats for volunteers from community groups working on similar kinds of preservation projects. The retreats are tied closely with the work of the Field Services Program —a part- nership of the Preservation Trust of Vermont and the National Trust —which pro- vides direct assistance to groups undertaking community preser- vation projects. Six or seven different groups attend each retreat, held about four times a year. Retreat organizers look for a good mix of interesting projects at different points along their timeline. According to Paul Bruhn, exec- utive director for the Preserva- tion Trust of Vermont, "The participants mentor each other, learn that they are not the only ones working on very challeng- ing projects, and see that they are all part of the process of building better communities and helping to protect the char- acter of Vermont." During the retreat, groups of two -to -four individuals pre- sent a 10 -15 minute case study about their preservation proj- ect. The case study is meant to frame a' specific problem or situation that, once solved, will catapult that project to a higher level. Following the presenta- tion, participants spend about 45 minutes brainstorming and cross- mentoring. Along with community preservationists, two or three resource people are part of the mix. Depending on the proj- ects, they might include some- one from the state historic preservation office, the National Trust Northeast Office, the Ver- mont Arts Council or a fund- raising consultant, developer, or architect. But by -and- large, it is the community volunteers who bring collective thinking and experience to one another's projects. At times, mentors have challenged the credibility of the problem, turning a proj- ect on its head before sending it down another path. Other times they have validated a group's intuition. But always, participants have been gener- ous with advice, often going beyond the retreat to visit one anther's projects and provide ongoing support. Besides the case study dis- cussions, the retreats allow time, before and after dinner, for more casual discussion — maybe during a walk, or sitting on the porch, or gathering around a scrapbook or display. During those special moments, ideas continue to flow with even more out -of -the box thinking. According to Sandy Kilburn, a retreat participant from Swanton, Vt., "It's so important to get together —to be inspired by what other towns are doing and to learn from them so that we don't reinvent the wheel. It's invaluable!" And finally there's the set- ting! Bringing people together in an inspiring location brings out the best. Owned by the Preservation Trust of Vermont, this 1902 -03 former hotel on Lake Champlain is a preserva- tion project in progress. "Part of the reason we decided to take 'on the Grand Isle Lake House project was that we hoped we could use this great place as a venue for nonprofit training and education," says Bruhn. "In fact, we hoped it would be our version of a nonprofit `dacha' — a place for renewal and re -ener- gizing people active in the non- Ire brattnstormingsessions, retreat parttcipttnts advise theirpeers on etittdiingfrom negotiating with pmperey owners to ftindn &ing ::Photo caurteg ofPreservation TrrutofVennont. ; profit sector." A modest subsidy from the Preservation Trust helps to keep the experience affordable. An overnight stay with dinner, breakfast, and lunch costs $75 per person. "And in the end," says Bruhn, "it's truly amazing to see people fly out of the Lake House with new energy and enthusi- asm." The retreats help build Vermont's preservation network. Ann Cousins is the UermontField Service Representative for the Preservation Trust of Vermont and the National Tnrst. For more information about the Field Service Program, the Grand Isle Lake House, andPreservationr ts'Retreats, please visit the Preservation Trust website at www.ptvermont.org. j A • N • U • A • R . Y % .F .E. .B. .R. .U..A .R .Y. 2 . 0 . O .Z . . . . . . . . . . . . 7� y �k� 'a,nes Once - elegant Qwen.4ntie, Italianate, and Onfisman homes in a dea elictb di anapbiY neigbbo; {iood will be rrstoted new owners tk�I1 to a; partnership betweenthe eity and Historic Landmarh Fmindatioti ofIndzind Photo eotlk4 of Historic Ixtridnzarks Foundation ofltidiaiza. a........... INDIANA Once destined for almost total demolition, Indianapolis's Fall Creek Place neighborhood is poised to become a thriving residential area offering affordable downtown housing. The neighborhood's remain- ing houses, built from the 1880s to 1930s, are now largely vacant and deteriorated. historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana has convinced the city to sell 40 -50 houses, for $1 each, to its Fund for Landmark Indianapolis Properties (FLIP) program. After conducting stabilization and exterior restoration (with help from a $250,000 loan from the National Trust), Historic Landmarks will resell the houses at mar- ket or subsidized rates — depending on the buyer's income —to owners who must complete the rehabil- itation and live in the home at least five years. Historic Landmarks returns 50 percent of the net pro- ceeds of the transaction to the city of Indianapolis after each sale. To date, FLIP has acquired 11 properties and resold 5 for a profit of $25,000. With help from a $4 million HUD grant, the city also plans to enhance the Fall Creek Place Homeownership Zone with compatible new homes. For infor- mation, contact Cynthia Brubaker, director, Central Regional Office, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, at (317) 639.4534, brubaker®historiclandmarks.org. NATIONAL UPDATE: SMART GROWTH Wisconsin: The Historic Preservation Division of the Wisconsin Historical Society may be the only SHPO in the nation with a full -time smart growth coordinator. Rick Bernstein has held the position since June, leading the society's new Smart Growth Initiative. The impetus is Wisconsin's 1999 comprehensive planning law (known as the Smart Growth Legislation) which requires all local governments that make land -use decisions to have a comprehensive plan by 2010. Each plan must address nine elements includ- ing, notably, cultural resources. "We see this as a tremendous opportunity" Bernstein says. He is helping local governments to include historic preservation elements in their plans. The Smart Growth Initiative has also created an informational website (www.shsw.wisc.Cdu/histbuild /smartgrowth), and will produce a publication (A Smart Growth Guide to Historic Preservation: A Manual for Communities), regional work- shops, and a conference. Contact Rick Bernstein at (608) 264.6506, rabemstein@mail.shsw.wisc.edu. Kentucky: In May, Gov. Paul E. Patton kicked off a statewide Smart Growth initiative by forming a bipartisan, 35- member Smart Growth Task Force. The group's five working committees will gather public comments, study smart growth initiatives of other states, and review state regulations and pro- grams. Next fall, the Task Force will recommend ways the state can encourage local governments to adopt smart growth principles. David L. Morgan, executive director of the Kentucky Heritage Council and state historic preservation officer, serves on the Community Development and Design Committee, which has been holding community forums throughout the state to discuss and gather feedback on issues such as historic preservation and adaptive use, downtown revitalization, housing, and community design. For information, visit the Kentucky Smart Growth website at http: / /smartgrowth.state.ky.us. STATEWIDE AND LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS The Statewide and -Local Partnerships Program has been working, with its partner organizations, on promoting cultural diversity. Last summer an intern from the National Park Service /Student Conser- vation Association's Diversity Internship Program worked with Statewide and Local Partnerships to research ways that nonprofits promote diversity within their organizations and communities. This research resulted in the report "Embracing Cultural Diversity: Perspectives on Implementing an Initiative," which can be viewed on the Forum website. We have also created an Emerging Preservation Leaders Cultural Diversity fellowship. The National Trust will provide matching support for a Statewide or Local Partner organization to hire a fellow for a two -year program position supporting the develop- ment of culturally diverse programming for the organization. For a copy of "Embracing Cultural Diver- sity" or for more information on the fellowship, contact Statewide and Local Partnerships at (202) 588- 6186. Also look for a special cultural diversity issue of STATEments in January on Forum Online. F' 0 R U M N E W S knowing ........... .............. "The Spirit of Place," will be the theme of Preservation Week 2002 —May 12.18— expanding on the theme of the 2001 National Preservation Conference. To receive the 2002 poster, contact the National Trust at (202) 588 -6037. For tips on planning and promoting Preservation Week events in your community, visit www. nationaltrust .org /preservationweek, Help the National Trust create its 2002 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Nominations are being accepted until January 18, and the "losers" will be announced next summer. For a nomination form, contact the Office of Communications at (202) 588 -6141 or visit www.nationaltrust.org /t 1most, Do you know a preservation superstar or stellar success? Applications are now available for the National Trust's 2002 preser- vation awards. March 1 is the deadline for the Trustees Awards for organizational excellence, outstanding achievement in public Policy, and excellence in stewardship of historic sites; and for the National Trust /HUD Secretary's Award for excellence in historic preservation. May 1 is the deadline for the Honor Awards. Nomination forms are sent to Forum members. They can also be requested by contacting (202) 588 -6236 or awards @nthp.org, downloaded from Forum Online, or ordered from the fax -on- demand line at (202) 588 -6444 (request document #9005). The preservation message will soon be delivered to homes throughout the nation. The National Trust has been selected by the Ad Council to be featured in a three -year campaign of public service announcements. The Ad Council will choose one of its member agencies to produce TV, radio, and print ads to be distributed to 14,000 media outlets. The National Trust will pay only production costs. mars I ............... Andrew Kirk will be the first executive director of Preserve Nevada, a newly formed statewide organization that will operate in partnership with the Public History Program at the University of Nevada -Las Vegas. Dr. Kirk is also director of that program and an assistant professor of his- tory, as well as a former staff member of National Trust's Mountains /Plains Office where he worked on the Barn Again! program. t' 2 AndyKtrk After serving for 30 years as director of Chesterwood, a National Trust historic site in Stockbridge, Mass., Paul Ivory retired in December. His replacement is Michael Panhorst, former director of the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. Jane Cassady has joined the Kentucky Heritage Council as manager of its site identification registration program. Previously Applications for the 2002 Preservation Technology and 1 raining Grants, awarded by the National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, are being accepted until February 1. Grants are awarded for historic preserva- tion projects involving information management, training and edu- cation, applied research, and publications. In previous years, awards have typically ranged from $10,000 to $40,000. For details, visit NCPTT's website: wwwncptt.nps.gov (click on "AboutNCPTT "). A new report from the National Governors Association looks at ways to combat sprawl. "New Community Design to the Rescue: Fulfilling Another American Dream" offers smart growth planning principles as well as a checklist for evaluating projects. The 100 -page report can be downloaded from www.nga.org /cda /files /072001NCDFull.pdf. The National Trust's Preservation Services Fund program reports that in FY01 172 grants were awarded for a total of $528,695 - a sizable increase over the previous year. Regional offices also expended $48,929 through Intervention Funds to assist in 28 differ- ent preservation emergencies, including the Washington earthquake. For details, request a free copy of the Preservation Services Fund FY2001 Annual Report from (202) 588 -6197, p6gnthp.org. The National Trust will offer its first graduate -level scholarship in historic preservation as well as a new paid summer internship in its legal department. Both are funded by the estate of Mildred Colodny and are designed to encourage people from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, or economic backgrounds to enter the preservation field. Apply by February 28. For details, contact the Office of Human Resources at (202) 588 -6120. she was director of the Southern Regional Office of Historic Land- marks Foundation of Indiana. After serving for the past year as executive director of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, Robert Stearns is now manager for the National Native American Graves Protec- tion Repatriation Act Program (NAGPRA), a program of the National Park Service's Center for Cultural Resources. In New Hampshire, James McConaha is the new director of the Division of Historical Resources and state historic preservation offi- cer. A member of the Concord Heritage Commission, he was exec- utive director of the USDA's Farm Services Agency in the state. James W. Igoe, former head of Preservation Worcester, will become executive director of Historic Massachusetts. His predecessor, Mar- garet Dyson, now holds a newly created position doing historic parks planning for the city of Boston. J A N U A R Y F .E .B R U A R Y 2 • 0 . 0 .z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . e = ?. ` (, HISTORIC REHABILITATION TAX CREDITS continued from page 2 Additionally, a Difficult -to- Develop Area (DDA) designa - tion—a concept borrowed from the low - income housing credit program —is being requested to assist projects in urban neigh- borhoods facing higher than usual development costs. This change would provide a "basis boost" for DDA projects by providing tax credits on 130 percent of eligible basis, making the credit on such expenditures worth $0.26 per $1. Amend the tax- exempt occupancy restriction. Currently there are circum- stances when the availability of the tax credit can be severely diminished when more than 35 percent of the rehabilitated building is occupied by tax - exempt organizations. This requirement can eliminate a valuable set of tenants for his- toric rehabilitation projects, thereby hindering the economic feasibility of projects. It also gives rise to an especially acute missed opportunity in the reha- bilitation of historic structures on both closed and active mili- tary bases. The military is often interested in retaining occupancy in historic buildings; its leasing of space in buildings whose rehabilitation is supported by the tax credit could significantly increase the market feasibility of saving these buildings. Reduce the lease term holding for concessionaires in nationalparks who rehabilitate histmzc buildings so that they may qualijy for tax credits. More than 8,000 historic build- ings are located in national parks. The exact total cost of deferred maintenance on these historic buildings is not known, but it is projected to be several hundred million dollars. With the Bush administration direct- ing funds to infrastructure improvements and mainte- nance backlogs in the national parks, the use of private invest- ment funds— through judicious use of the historic rehabilitation tax credit —can go a long way to restoring and preserving these structures in both urban and rural areas. Concessionaires, including those who operate in historic buildings in the parks, are currently limited to 20 -year Key Legislation leases that effectively prevent them from meeting the 27.5 - year residential and 39 -year commercial lease requirements of the historic rehabilitation tax credit program. The law should be amended to permit conces- sionaires and lessees of these structures to use the rehabilita- tion tax credit provided their contract or lease has at least five years remaining. The Historic Preservation Development Council plans to approach potential champions Tax Reform Act of 1976. In 1976 Congress took the first step to redress the bias of the federal tax system against the preservation and reuse of our nation's historic buildings by providing incen- tives for rehabilitating income - producing his- toric structures and providing disincentives for their demolition. To qualify for the incentives, projects needed to be certified by the Depart- ment of the Interior. Provisions of the legislation included five -year amortization of qualified expenditures incurred in the rehabilitation of certified historic structures or, alternatively, accelerated depreciation of substantially reha- bilitated historic structures; denial of deduction of costs of demolishing a certified historic struc- ture; and restriction of straight -line depreciation of buildings constructed on the site of a demol- ished or substantially altered certified historic structure. Revenue Act of 1978. For the first time Congress provided for a tax credit in the amount of 10 percent of qualified expenditures incurred with certified rehabilitation of certified historic build- ings. The tax credit could be combined with accelerated depreciation provision of the 1976 law but not with the five -year amortization. Economic RecoveryTaxActof1981. This legislation acknowledged the dramatic impact of federal assistance through the tax laws on historic properties and marked the most significant effort to foster historic preservation through on Capitol Hill this year to begin the process of getting these changes enacted. For updates on the council's progress, and to find out what you can do =to help, contact the Public Policy office at (202) 588.6255, policy ®nthp.org. By National Trust staff. Gordon Kerr, director of congressional affairs, Office of Public Policy; Keni Rubman, Forum News editor; Byrd Wood program man- ager, National Trust Forum; with special thanks to Gary&enson, presiclentofMetro- Plains Development, LLC national tax policies. Congress authorized a 25 percent tax credit for certified rehabilitations of certified historic structures, a 20 percent credit for rehabilitations of structures over 40 years old, and a 15 percent tax credit for rehabilita- tion of structures 30 -39 years old combined with 15 -year straight -line depreciation. Tax Reform Act of 1986. The passage of this act marked a maturity of the relationship between national tax and preservation policy. While it resulted in a modest reduction in the historic preservation credit from 25 percent to 20 per- cent, it imposed several significant restrictions on all forms of real estate investment. [Source: Twenty-flfth Anniversary Report: Fed- eral Tax Incentives for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Report is available on the National Park Service website: www2.cr.nps.gov.] To learn more, contact: Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Heritage Preservation Services (2255) National Park Service 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 Michael Auer at (202) 343 -9594 hps- info @nps.gov www2.cr.nps.gov /tps /tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F. O. R. U. M. . . N. E. W. S. s Preservation Leadership Training Preservation Leadership Training is an intensive one, week experience tailored to the needs of state and local preservation organizations. PIT provides participatory learning experiences in leadership and organizational development techniques; stimulating educational sessions; and up -to -the- minute information on current preservation practices, issues, and action strategies. Marshall, California June 22 — 29, 2002 Application Deadline'April 19, 2002 For board members and staff of preservation organizations and agencies and others who are in positions to influence preservation efforts in their communities. Co- sponsored by California Department of Parks and Recreation. For more information contact the National Trust for Historic Preservation, (202) 588 -6067, plt @nthp.org: p rAnn' 9 ......................... QDeat Ann Pamela, Can I deduct any portion of my Forum membership fee frommy personal income taxes? AA Preservation Pennypincher Dear Pennypincher, Back when I was rallying the Iadies to save General Washington's home; we didn't have to worry about income taxes, but to I understand April 15th signifies more than the arrival of the first violets in the gardens of Mount Vernon. Your Fortiiri membership dues are a fee for service not a chari- table contribution; They tray, however, qualify as a business expense, in which case it is between you and those fine people at the IRS. Note., Ann Pamela Cunningham, as many of you know, led the way to presert•e Mount.Vernon back in 1856, and so we've botroieed her name as our netu advice columnist to clan fy your Forum membership questions. cgkndar ff vents January 24-26' New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy, and Livable "Communities, San Diego. Co- sponsored by Local Government Commission, US. Environmental Protection Agency, Pennsylvania State University. Contact Michele Kelso, LGC, (916) 448 -1198, mkelso @Igc.org; www.lgc.org. January 31- February 2 Saving Places 2002: Preserving Public Places, Denver. Sponsored by Colorado Preservation Inc. Contact Ann Pritzlaff, (303) 893 -4260, info @coloradopreservation.org. .February 28 -March 1: Georgia Statewide Preservation Conference, Macon. Co- sponsored by Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Contact (404) 881 - 9980; info @georgiatrust.org, www.georgiatrust.org. March 4-6 Community Development Venture Capital Alliance Annual Con- ference, Orlando, Fla. Contact Christina Mayo, ( 212) 594.6747 ext, 10, cdvca @cdvca.org, www.cdvca.org /events.html. March 6 -9 9th Annual Meeting.of American Association for History and Com- puting,'Nashville, Tenn. Contact Dennis Trinkle, executive director, (765) 658.4592, Dtrinkle @depauw,edu, www.theaahc.org/annual,htm. March 7 -9 Nineteenth Century Studies Association 22nd Annual Conference, Savannah, Cal Contact Robert Craig, (404) 894 -3395, robert.craig @arch.gatech.edu, www.gettysburg.edu /administration / :president /ncsa. March 8 -10 Preservation Expo 2002, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Sponsored by Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. Contact (518) 587 -5030, www saratogapreservation.org. March 13 -16 Popular Culture Association Conference, Toronto. Co- sponsored by Popular Culture Association, American Culture Association. Con - tact 1. 800 - 515 =5118, -Aww.bgsu.edu /offices /press /conferences.html. March 13 -16 3rd National Conference on Historic Preservation Practice: A Critical Look at Design in Historic Preservation, Baltimore. Co- sponsored by American Institute of Architects, National Park Service, five universities. Contact David Ames, (302) 831 -1050, :davames @UDet.Edu. March 16 -20 National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers Mem- bership Meeting, Washington, D.C. Contact (202) 624 -5465, www.sso:org /ncshpo. March 20 -23 Restoration and Renovation Conference, Boston: Sponsored by Restore Media, LLC. Contact I. 800 - 982 -6247, www.restorationan- drenovation.com. March 20 -24 Society for American Archaeology Annual Meeting, Denver. Con - tact (202) 789 -8200, www.saa.org. A N U A. R. Y. i .F .E. .B. .R. .U..A .R .Y ZO .o .z: 8� 0titt there ........ ............................... Touro Synagogue: A National by fames Vaughan, National Trustvicepresident forstewardship ofhistomproperties Historic houses of worship are rarely set aside as historic sites. While churches, synagogues, and mosques may be open to vis- itors, when needed for religious observance they go back to what they were meant to be: a place for people to worship together. The National Trust is delighted to add a very significant house of worship, the Touro Syn- agogue in Newport, R.I., to its collection of historic sites. Touro Synagogue is the Trust's first sacred site and fulfills a long- standing goal in the diversifica- tion of our collections. It is also the first National Trust site in Rhode Island and only the sec- ond in New England. More importantly, it is one of the nation's premier sites for inter- preting freedom of religion and, as such, is an excellent example of why preservation is so important. The congregation that built Touro Synagogue was founded in 1658 by Jewish families fleeing the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions, drawn to the Rhode Island colony by its religious tolerance and by its excellent seaport. By 1763, they had built a graceful and dignified synagogue. Designed by Peter Harrison, the foremost architect of his day, the building is a masterpiece of American colonial design. George Washington visited in 1781 while inNewport to plan the march to Yorktown. In 1790, a year before the Bill of Rights was adopted, he sent the congre- gation the now - famous letter that assured the freedom the syn- agogue's founders had longed for. "May the children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the goodwill of the other inhabitants, while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid," he wrote. Washing- ton then promised that the new United States would "give to big- otry no sanction, to persecution no assistance." Later the congregation dwindled and the building ......................... Trust Historic Site closed. In the 1890s it was reopened after a glorious restora- tion in one of the nation's earli- est preservation efforts. It is the only remaining synagogue from the colonial era and a National Historic Landmark. Today Touro Synagogue plays dual roles as a house of worship for the Jeshuat Israel congregation and a historic site attracting visitors from around the world. The Society of Friends of Touro Synagogue, a nondenominational nonprofit organization, supports the preservation and education pro- grams, including an extensive schedule of tours. Now the National Trust will help the society do an even better job by providing technical expertise in such areas as interpretation, educational programming, col- lections management, market- ing, and development. The site agrees to meet National Trust standards in all of these areas. The co- stewardship agree- ment between the National Zuro S),nagogue in Neztport, R.L - photgcozzrtery ofLudwigAotograph�t Trust, Congregation Jeshuat Israel of Newport, and the Soci- ety of Friends of Touro Syna- gogue was celebrated at the 2001 National Preservation Confer- ence in Providence before a large audience of conference atten- dees. It was a joyous moment when Andrew W. Teitz, presi- dent of the society, broke a glass (as is done at Jewish weddings) to mark the formation of the three -way partnership. And at least one audience member shouted "Mazel Tov!" .................................. ............................... F O R U M A — — " Periodicals M� / t.. BB "° Postage Paid 111 rim NATIONAL TRUST Washington, DC I HISTORIC PRESERVATION,. 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 71241483 Ms. TINA MOON ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT 306 REVERE RD STE F HILLSBOROUGH NC 27278 -2067 I11I11111( 11111111 /1111 III I11111111111111111 11111111,1111 lu U