HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC minutes 022818 Attachment 1
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Orange County
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Meeting Summary
Feb. 28th, 2018
Whitted Building
300 West Tryon Street, Hillsborough
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MEMBERS PRESENT: Todd Dickinson, Bob Ireland, Art Menius, Steve Peck
MEMBERS ABSENT: Tom Loter
STAFF PRESENT: Peter Sandbeck GUESTS: Mary Beth Williams, UNC grad student
ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER
Chair Dickinson called the meeting to order at 6:31 pm.
ITEM #2: CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: Add update on Burwell School programs
coming up in March.
ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES for Dec. 4th, 2017 (Attachment 1): Menius moved to
approve the minutes, seconded by Peck; motion approved.
ITEM #4: ITEMS FOR DECISION: None
ITEM #5: DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Historic names for Mountains to the Sea Trail:
Ms. Buckner could not attend due to a conflict. Staff gave a brief overview on a proposal
by trail proponents to name the Orange County portion of the trail the “Regulator Trail.”
Members like the idea because it does go right through that territory. The HPC has no
direct role in the naming but could endorse any name. Members thought it was an
excellent naming proposal. Menius moved to endorse that name, seconded by Dickinson.
Motion passed.
b. Outside Agency Grant Application review :
Staff provided hard copies of the two applications for consideration, along with the
evaluation sheets. As before, we will review applications from the Historic Hillsborough
Commission (Burwell School) and the Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange
County (Orange County Museum). Staff explained the review process and asked that
members complete their reviews at home prior to our next meeting. Our final review
scores and comments are due the next day after our meeting, on Mar. 29. Members
reiterated their ongoing dissatisfaction with the application format, which seems to lead to
confusing application submittals from the agencies.
c. Old Eno Quaker Cemetery:
Staff referred to Attachment 3, showing the portion of the HPC’s ordinance that empowers
the HPC to recommend county ownership of certain properties of special cultural or
architectural importance. Members viewed a brief PowerPoint showing images of the site
and the gravestones. There is still no clear ownership of this property in the land records
today. The local Quakers are still hoping that the county could take ownership to provide
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long-term care and preservation of this historically significant site. They have approached
the Eno River Association and the Triangle Land Conservancy but are not getting any
help there. The Quakers are concerned that the two small local meetings will not be able
to care for this over the long term. There will be a volunteer cleanup workday on Saturday
March 10. There is a reasonable case to be made for requesting county ownership.
Issues include a current survey and how to establish legal ownership, probably through
quit claim deeds with surrounding property owners. There is no immediate threat.
Discussion followed. Issues will include legal access since this is landlocked, parking if
any, and having some type of agreement with the Quakers to cover maintenance, perhaps
a rolling lease agreement or MOA that delegates maintenance rights to the Quakers.
Ideas included having property owner on the north donate an easement for the
archaeological sites of the old school and meeting house, just north of the cemetery. This
would create a sort of historical and archaeological preserve. Probably better to not have
a sign, just the granite one already in place. There is a parallel issue at the Gov. Burke
grave site. Members believe county ownership seems to be a reasonable option and
asked staff to move forward with county legal staff to explore the issues with county
ownership and report back in 3 months with a list of details and options. Then the HPC
can decide to pass a motion on this matter. The Quakers have brought this issue to us for
action, so we need to move forward.
d. Courthouse Square Preservation Project:
Staff reported on results of ground-penetrating radar assessment of the old courthouse
square last summer. The radar identified some features that we know about from the
Sanborn maps, but not the old jail site and did not find any solid evidence of the earlier
courthouses. So the next step is to embark on some sort of conventional archaeology at
the north end of the square, at the sites of the two earlier courthouses. This could be
carried out as a public archaeology event, with special programming for school groups
and visitors. The Alliance is interested in helping with the public side of this. Volunteer
teams could be enlisted to help with certain aspects of the dig. We are also interested in
doing some test pits at the building foundation, to look for the builder’s trench from the
1845 construction. The archaeology findings could help generate new materials for the
proposed interpretive signs. Members also talked about a long-term plan for the building,
and what future uses might be possible. Funding is now budgeted in future years for the
long-range preservation of the courthouse. But future use will also hinge on how the
county resolves its current search for a site for the new detention facility. Ultimately, the
building is owned by the county but controlled by the court system. In some ways, we
should be happy that the building is being used for its original purpose and appreciated by
the court system.
e. Historic Preservation Month: Activities at Blackwood Farm
Staff reviewed showed photos of the program that HPC members did last year for the
annual Farm Heritage day, with Soil Service, Extension, the Forest Service etc. Members
discussed and agreed they would like to participate again this year. Lively discussion
followed about potential activities. Members are interested in doing this again this year.
There were suggestions about having traditional music playing, possibly a fiddler on the
front porch, but we need to be mindful of being correct for the period, which extends from
the 1827 date of the house up until the 1930s-1940s, which is our cutoff for interpretation
of the farmstead. We will have about 15 minutes for each class, for two hours in the
morning and 2 hours after lunch. Art volunteered to help with a preservation month social
media event, which will be an important activity for the HPC. His wife may be interested in
helping too. Funding will be needed for a musician?
f. CLG requirements and membership:
Staff reviewed the state and federal guidelines for HPC membership and professional
qualifications, as we move forward to seek new members. We are charged by the state to
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seek out members who have a strong demonstrated experience in one of our areas of
study, such as architectural history, history, archaeology, or building restoration. Staff has
several possible candidates and will reach out to contact them to see who might be willing
to serve.
g. Piedmont regional CLG training class for HPC members:
Each year the HPC is required to send two members to one of the approved CLG training
sessions sponsored by the State Historic Preservation Office. This year there is a class in
Chapel Hill on May 18th which will be very convenient for us. Peck, Ireland and Dickinson
expressed interest in attending.
ITEM #6: UPDATES AND INFORMATION ITEMS
a. Book project status:
Staff provided a brief update on the progress now being made on the book project.
Members worked hard in January to finish their work on the county property list. We are
now waiting for our consultant to complete her assessment and provide her report with
time and cost numbers for us to use for our fundraising. The town book committee has
just finished their list as well. Staff will be making budget requests for county and Alliance
funds in the next few weeks.
b. Keckly Program at Burwell School:
Peck described the upcoming program he will be giving, with others, about Elizabeth
Keckly to be held at the Burwell School on March 18th.
c. Efland Home highway marker project
Staff reviewed our directive from the BOCC to pursue a State Historic Highway Marker for
the Efland Home. The owners are not enthusiastic about this due to possible privacy
intrusions. Staff will pursue again.
d. Upcoming landmark and National Register projects:
Proposed projects currently under consideration are the Cedar Grove School and the
Schley Grange for National Register nominations, and the John Kirkland House, David
Faucette House and the Eno Quaker Cemetery for local landmark designation.
e. Other county project updates:
Staff will bring back the idea of a county historic marker program at a later meeting.
f. Open Air Time for members to share information
No items tonight.
ITEM #7: ADJOURNMENT: Menius moved to adjourn, seconded by Ireland; meeting adjourned at
8:38 pm
Meeting summary by Peter Sandbeck, DEAPR staff